School of Communication, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
Health Commun. 2013;28(1):63-71. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2012.689096.
An experiment was conducted from the perspective of the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) investigating readers' responses to print news stories about the issue of bed bugs. Stories containing reference to (a) the threat of bed bugs and (b) efficacy of the solution were manipulated to vary the level of certainty with which the variables were discussed. Results suggest that stories referencing uncertainty regarding presence of the bed-bug threat may be more likely to motivate intention to seek information than stories referencing certainty of the threat. Results also suggest that stories referencing uncertainty regarding feasibility/effectiveness of proposed solutions may be more likely to motivate intention to avoid information than stories referencing certainty of proposed solutions. Given that information avoidance is one of various types of maladaptive responses to fear appeal messages (according to EPPM), results suggest that the presence of uncertainty when discussing solutions to threats in news stories might result in problematic avoidance responses that discourage people from taking protective action.
一项从扩展平行处理模型（EPPM）的角度进行的实验，调查了读者对有关臭虫问题的印刷新闻报道的反应。通过操纵包含（a）臭虫威胁和（b）解决方案功效的参考内容，来改变变量讨论的确定性程度。结果表明，参考关于臭虫威胁存在不确定性的故事，可能比参考威胁确定性的故事更能激发寻求信息的意图。结果还表明，参考关于拟议解决方案可行性/有效性不确定性的故事，可能比参考拟议解决方案确定性的故事更能激发避免信息的意图。鉴于信息回避是对恐惧诉求信息的各种适应不良反应之一（根据 EPPM），结果表明，在新闻报道中讨论威胁的解决方案时存在不确定性，可能会导致有问题的回避反应，阻止人们采取保护措施。
