Do PSAs Take a Bite Out of Shark Week? The Effects of Juxtaposing Environmental Messages With Violent Images of Shark Attacks

Jessica Gall Myrick; Suzannah D. Evans

doi:10.1177/1075547014547159

Do PSAs Take a Bite Out of Shark Week? The Effects of Juxtaposing Environmental Messages With Violent Images of Shark Attacks

Jessica Gall Myrick, Suzannah D. Evans

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

39 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

A between-subjects experiment (N = 531) studied the juxtaposition of programming from the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week with shark conservation public service announcements (PSAs). Cultivation and priming theories provided a conceptual framework for testing how shark-on-human violence paired with different types of PSAs (celebrity endorser present or not) influence audiences’ emotional reactions, threat perceptions, willingness to support conservation, and intentions to seek information. Findings reveal that shark-on-human violence and presence of a PSA influence fear reactions and perceived threat of shark attacks. Findings related to conservation support, information seeking, and the role of previous Shark Week viewing and demographics are also discussed.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	544-569
Number of pages	26
Journal	Science Communication
Volume	36
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/1075547014547159
State	Published - Oct 8 2014

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Sociology and Political Science

Access to Document

10.1177/1075547014547159

Cite this

@article{835eb3067c0c4456ae785a99fdcc9663,

title = "Do PSAs Take a Bite Out of Shark Week? The Effects of Juxtaposing Environmental Messages With Violent Images of Shark Attacks",

abstract = "A between-subjects experiment (N = 531) studied the juxtaposition of programming from the Discovery Channel{\textquoteright}s Shark Week with shark conservation public service announcements (PSAs). Cultivation and priming theories provided a conceptual framework for testing how shark-on-human violence paired with different types of PSAs (celebrity endorser present or not) influence audiences{\textquoteright} emotional reactions, threat perceptions, willingness to support conservation, and intentions to seek information. Findings reveal that shark-on-human violence and presence of a PSA influence fear reactions and perceived threat of shark attacks. Findings related to conservation support, information seeking, and the role of previous Shark Week viewing and demographics are also discussed.",

author = "Myrick, {Jessica Gall} and Evans, {Suzannah D.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2014 SAGE Publications.",

year = "2014",

month = oct,

day = "8",

doi = "10.1177/1075547014547159",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "36",

pages = "544--569",

journal = "Science Communication",

issn = "1075-5470",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",

number = "5",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Do PSAs Take a Bite Out of Shark Week? The Effects of Juxtaposing Environmental Messages With Violent Images of Shark Attacks

AU - Myrick, Jessica Gall

AU - Evans, Suzannah D.

PY - 2014/10/8

Y1 - 2014/10/8

N2 - A between-subjects experiment (N = 531) studied the juxtaposition of programming from the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week with shark conservation public service announcements (PSAs). Cultivation and priming theories provided a conceptual framework for testing how shark-on-human violence paired with different types of PSAs (celebrity endorser present or not) influence audiences’ emotional reactions, threat perceptions, willingness to support conservation, and intentions to seek information. Findings reveal that shark-on-human violence and presence of a PSA influence fear reactions and perceived threat of shark attacks. Findings related to conservation support, information seeking, and the role of previous Shark Week viewing and demographics are also discussed.

AB - A between-subjects experiment (N = 531) studied the juxtaposition of programming from the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week with shark conservation public service announcements (PSAs). Cultivation and priming theories provided a conceptual framework for testing how shark-on-human violence paired with different types of PSAs (celebrity endorser present or not) influence audiences’ emotional reactions, threat perceptions, willingness to support conservation, and intentions to seek information. Findings reveal that shark-on-human violence and presence of a PSA influence fear reactions and perceived threat of shark attacks. Findings related to conservation support, information seeking, and the role of previous Shark Week viewing and demographics are also discussed.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84908563723&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84908563723&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/1075547014547159

DO - 10.1177/1075547014547159

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84908563723

SN - 1075-5470

VL - 36

SP - 544

EP - 569

JO - Science Communication

JF - Science Communication

IS - 5

ER -

Do PSAs Take a Bite Out of Shark Week? The Effects of Juxtaposing Environmental Messages With Violent Images of Shark Attacks

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this