BASP2004 RuiterDave
This journal article (BASP, 2004) reports an experiment testing whether need for cognition (NFC) moderates responses to fear appeals about breast cancer. Seventy-seven first-year undergraduate women completed an 18-item Dutch NFC scale, read either a high- or low-threat breast cancer message, then received efficacy information about breast self-examination. Threat increased fear arousal and fear-control responses generally; importantly, threat increased adaptive danger-control responses (attitude, intention, and registration behavior) only among participants high in NFC (supporting an NFC × Threat interaction). Efficacy beliefs were high overall and not moderated by NFC. Authors conclude fear appeals can backfire via defensive reactions and are effective mainly for high-NFC recipients; they recommend tailoring or pre-screening and caution in using fear arousal.
Questions this document answers
N = 77 first-year undergraduate women (received ~€4 reward).
Dutch translation of the 18-item Need for Cognition scale (Cacioppo et al., 1984); Cronbach’s α = .80.
Four items (worried, afraid, uncomfortable, frightened) on a 9-point scale; combined scale α = .92. High-threat mean = 5.41 (SD = 1.74); low-threat mean = 3.77 (SD = 1.76).
Perceived efficacy composite M = 6.17, SD = 1.30 (scale midpoint 5.0; t(76)=7.93, p < .001).
Attitude composite α = .87; Intention composite α = .91.