Peakedness in Fear Trajectory: Mechanisms of How Gender-Specific Messages Persuade Through the Dynamic Change of Fear.

The drive model posits that persuasion necessitates a rise and fall in fear, resembling an inverted-U shape trajectory. However, the determinants of various fear trajectory shapes and their differential effects on persuasion remain elusive. This study examined gender-specific graphic warning labels using a mixed-design experiment with smokers (N = 264) to test the effects of message targeting (matched vs. mismatched) and audience characteristic (female vs. male). Results indicated that matched messages led to sharper fear trajectories and higher anti-smoking intentions. Female smokers showed greater fear fluctuations (higher peakedness) than males, though this did not consistently translate to differences in persuasion. This research advances the drive model by exploring factors that influence fear trajectory peakedness and its role in effective persuasion.