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Fear appeals, engagement, and examination performance: The role of challenge and threat appraisals
Author(s) -
Putwain David W.,
Symes Wendy,
Wilkinson Hannah M.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
british journal of educational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.557
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 2044-8279
pISSN - 0007-0998
DOI - 10.1111/bjep.12132
Subject(s) - psychology , social psychology , developmental psychology , applied psychology
Background Fear appeals are persuasive messages that draw attention to the negative consequences (e.g., academic failure) that follow a particular course of action (e.g., not engaging in lessons) and how negative consequences can be avoided with an alternate course of action. Previous studies have shown that when fear appeals are appraised as threatening, they are related to lower examination performance. Aim In this study, we examined how challenge, as well as threat, appraisals are indirectly related to performance on a mathematics examination through behavioural engagement. Sample A total of 579 students from two secondary schools. Method Data were collected over four waves at approximately 3‐month intervals. Behavioural engagement data were collected at T 1 and T 3 , fear appeal frequency and appraisal at T 3 , and examination performance at T 2 and T 4 . Results A challenge appraisal of fear appeals predicted better examination performance through higher behavioural engagement whereas a threat appraisal of fear appeals predicted worse examination performance through lower behavioural engagement. Conclusion The relationship between fear appeals and examination performance depended on their appraisal.