@article{ref1,
title="Neuroscientific evidence for defensive avoidance of fear appeals",
journal="International journal of psychology",
year="2014",
author="Kessels, Loes T. E. and Ruiter, Robert A. C. and Wouters, Liesbeth and Jansma, Bernadette M.",
volume="49",
number="2",
pages="80-88",
abstract="Previous studies indicate that people respond defensively to threatening health information, especially when the information challenges self-relevant goals. The authors investigated whether reduced acceptance of self-relevant health risk information is already visible in early attention allocation processes. In two experimental studies, participants were watching high- and low-threat health commercials, and at the same time had to pay attention to specific odd auditory stimuli in a sequence of frequent auditory stimuli (odd ball paradigm). The amount of attention allocation was measured by recording event-related brain potentials (i.e., P300 ERPs) and reaction times. Smokers showed larger P300 amplitudes in response to the auditory targets while watching high-threat instead of low-threat anti-smoking commercials. In contrast, non-smokers showed smaller P300 amplitudes during watching high as opposed to low threat anti-smoking commercials. In conclusion, the findings provide further neuroscientific support for the hypothesis that threatening health information causes more avoidance responses among those for whom the health threat is self-relevant.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0020-7594",
doi="10.1002/ijop.12036",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12036"
}