Unintended Effects of Risk Communication: Impacts of Message Fatigue, Risk Tolerance, and Trust in Public Health Information on Psychological Reactance

Youngji Seo; Silvia Ravazzani; Hyoyeun Jun; Yan Jin; Alfonsa Butera; Alessandra Mazzei; Bryan H. Reber

doi:10.70135/jicrcr.v4i3.57

Unintended Effects of Risk Communication: Impacts of Message Fatigue, Risk Tolerance, and Trust in Public Health Information on Psychological Reactance

Authors

Youngji Seo Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
Silvia Ravazzani Department of Business, Law, Economics and Consumption “Carlo A. Ricciardi,” Università IULM, Milano, Italy
Hyoyeun Jun Department of English, Communications and Media, Salve Regina University, Newport, RI, USA
Yan Jin Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
Alfonsa Butera Department of Business, Law, Economics and Consumption “Carlo A. Ricciardi,” Università IULM, Milano, Italy
Alessandra Mazzei Department of Business, Law, Economics and Consumption “Carlo A. Ricciardi,” Università IULM, Milano, Italy
Bryan H. Reber Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70135/jicrcr.v4i3.57

Keywords:

unintended effects of health risk communication, individual health, message fatigue, risk tolerance, psychological reactance, trust in public health information

Abstract

How individuals experience unintended effects of risk messages is an understudied area. Focusing on three types of unintended effects (i.e., message fatigue, risk tolerance, and psychological reactance) associated with health risk communication, we conducted an online survey among Italian adults (N = 507) to investigate how perceived message fatigue and risk tolerance might induce psychological reactance and whether trust in public health information might mediate this relationship. Results from mediation models revealed: (a) greater message fatigue and risk tolerance increased psychological reactance; (b) greater message fatigue and risk tolerance led to distrust in government-shared health information; (c) trust in public health information mediated the effects of message fatigue and risk tolerance on psychological reactance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

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Published

2021-12-08

How to Cite

Youngji Seo, Silvia Ravazzani, Hyoyeun Jun, Yan Jin, Alfonsa Butera, Alessandra Mazzei, & Bryan H. Reber. (2021). Unintended Effects of Risk Communication: Impacts of Message Fatigue, Risk Tolerance, and Trust in Public Health Information on Psychological Reactance. Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research , 4(3), 379–406. https://doi.org/10.70135/jicrcr.v4i3.57