Behavioural evidence for the effectiveness of threat appeals in the promotion of healthy food to children

The current paper investigates the effectiveness and the persuasion process of threat appeals on children.

Behavioural evidence for the effectiveness of threat appeals in the promotion of healthy food to children

Karine M. Charry and Nathalie T.M. Demoulin

Iéseg School of Management (LEM-CNRS 8179)

Introduction

For more than five decades, fear and threat appeals have received a fair amount of attention. Consisting of ‘a source stating that some negative outcome will result – or increase in likelihood – as a consequence of non-compliance with the source’s recommendation’ (Donovan & Henley 2003, p. 80), threat appeals appear to be able to influence individuals’ attitudes and behaviours. Evidence of the effectiveness of threats has been provided...

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