Date of Award
Spring 4-28-2023
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Communication and Digital Studies
Department Chair or Program Director
Rao, Anand
First Advisor
Anand Rao
Major or Concentration
Communication and Digital Studies
Abstract
In 2021, I conducted participant observation research on the Herman Cain Award subreddit, examining the effectiveness of fear appeals on social media. In that research, I determined that fear appeals on social media platforms are just as effective as when used on mass media platforms. The research also showed that the fear appeals in the subreddit worked to appeal to the unvaccinated users’ fear of online ridicule rather than a fear of bodily harm. I found this finding interesting and worked to expand my research, now two years later, by further investigating the platform using Protection Motivation Theory, a health behavior theory I identified during my initial research. In my current research, I use this theory to analyze the forum's Immunized to Prevent (IPA) section and the effects of fear of online ridicule in health communication.
Recommended Citation
May, Julia, "Get the Jab or Else: Examining the role of Fear Appeals in the Herman Cain Award subreddit using Protection Motivation Theory" (2023). Student Research Submissions. 517.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/517