Four Perspectives on . . .
7
Some existing research has drawn on appraisal theories as a means of providing insight
into the suasory effects of emotion (Author Withheld). For example, the work of Author
Withheld and his/her colleagues has examined the association between emotion and the
perceived effectiveness of public service advertisements by analyzing properties of emotion
suggested by appraisal theories (Author Withheld). These researchers reason that emotions shift
individuals into states of being designed to address particular goal-environment relations (Frijda,
,1986; Lazarus, 1991; Oatley, 1992; Roseman, et al., 1994; Scherer, 1984). This shifting involves
coordinated alterations in perceptual, cognitive, expressive, and physiological systems that, in
the aggregate, influence opinion change. From this position, it is emotional intensity (i.e.,
velocity) that is persuasive. And, though they do not invoke the aforementioned theoretical
position, various meta-analyses of the fear literature consistently show a positive relationship
between fear intensity and persuasion (Boster & Mongeau, 1984; Mongeau, 2000; Sutton, 1982;
Witte & Allen, 2000). Thus, both theory and previous research point led to a fourth prediction.
H4: Fear velocity is positively associated with persuasion.
The Acceleration Perspective
Among the many theories of emotion, Carver and Scheier’s (1999) control theory of
behavior is perhaps the most explicit in its treatment of affect dynamics. The theory holds that
individuals possess goals that they strive to attain. For example, one goal that individuals might
be expected to hold is that of their own continued well-being. A cognitive monitoring system
assesses progress toward or away from goals, while a meta-monitoring system operates
simultaneously to evaluate the direction and rate of progress. In the view of Carver and Scheier,
it is the meta-monitoring system that is responsible for the production of affect. Negative affect
Convention