Illuminating the Gaps in Research

This article examines constructs, propositions, and assumptions of the extended parallel process model (EPPM). Review of the EPPM literature reveals that its theoretical concepts are thoroughly developed, but the theory lacks consistency in operational definitions of some of its constructs. Out of the 12 propositions of the EPPM, a few have not been tested explicitly and not a single one received unequivocal empirical support. This article proposes alternative operationalization for some of the constructs and examines some assumptions of this theory, such as additive relationship between the constructs, the role of time and issue of thresholds, and disregard for the existing state of the audience. Finally, the role of the EPPM as a potential foundation for a general theory of negative emotional appeals is addressed. Keywords behavioral theories, health communications, injury prevention/safety, measurement development, risk communication Scaring people to motivate them to change their behavior has been practiced for millennia. Systematic empirical investiga-tion of fear appeals, on the other hand, is less than 60 years old (Dillard, 1994). Since the 1950s, several theories have been proposed to explain the processing and effects of fea