An improvement in HPV vaccination rates is one of the primary goals of public health organizations. Toward this end, fear appeal communication is commonly used in health interventions, warning individuals of threats of HPV infection and promoting vaccination. However, little is known about how threat-related emotions, such as fear and anxiety, influence the cognitive processing of vaccination information and how this processing is associated with vaccination intention. To address this void, this study tests a model drawing upon functional emotion theories and dual-process models of persuasion. Results from an experimental study showed that fear and anxiety, which arose from exposure to threat information, triggered motivation to process HPV protection-related information, which in turn, was positively associated with depth of HPV vaccination information processing. Subsequently, greater depth of processing led to a greater number of positive cognitive responses when participants were presented with information with a high (vs. low), level of response efficacy. Finally, greater positivity of cognitive responses predicted greater intention to obtain HPV vaccination. Collectively, our findings provide a theory-based explanation about how the sequential provision and processing of threat and efficacy information in fear appeals contribute to the promotion of HPV vaccination. Implications for designing fear appeal messages are discussed.

提高 HPV 疫苗接种率是公共卫生组织的主要目标之一。为此，恐惧诉求沟通通常用于健康干预，警告个人 HPV 感染的威胁和促进疫苗接种。然而，人们对与威胁相关的情绪（如恐惧和焦虑）如何影响疫苗接种信息的认知加工以及这种加工与疫苗接种意图之间的关系知之甚少。为了解决这个空白，本研究测试了一个基于功能性情绪理论和双过程说服模型的模型。一项实验研究的结果表明，由于暴露于威胁信息而引起的恐惧和焦虑会触发处理 HPV 保护相关信息的动机，进而，与 HPV 疫苗接种信息处理的深度呈正相关。随后，当参与者收到具有高（与低）反应效力水平的信息时，更深入的处理导致更多的积极认知反应。最后，认知反应的更大积极性预示着获得 HPV 疫苗接种的更大意愿。总的来说，我们的研究结果提供了一个基于理论的解释，即恐惧诉求中威胁和功效信息的顺序提供和处理如何有助于促进 HPV 疫苗接种。讨论了设计恐惧诉求信息的意义。反应效力水平。最后，认知反应的更大积极性预示着获得 HPV 疫苗接种的更大意愿。总的来说，我们的研究结果提供了一个基于理论的解释，即恐惧诉求中威胁和功效信息的顺序提供和处理如何有助于促进 HPV 疫苗接种。讨论了设计恐惧诉求信息的意义。反应效力水平。最后，认知反应的更大积极性预示着获得 HPV 疫苗接种的更大意愿。总的来说，我们的研究结果提供了一个基于理论的解释，即恐惧诉求中威胁和功效信息的顺序提供和处理如何有助于促进 HPV 疫苗接种。讨论了设计恐惧诉求信息的意义。