Emotional appeals
In a similar way to fear appeals, emotional appeals
often present images, videos and statistical information
in an attempt to generate an emotional response from
an audience. However, they are used to evoke a range
of emotions rather than simply fear. These emotions
may be positive as well as negative, and include
happiness, excitement, shame, guilt, and remorse.
Positive emotional appeals that are supposed to create
emotions such as happiness and excitement often
depict safe road user choices being made (and good
outcomes resulting), rather than portraying the risky
behavioural choices that are generally seen within fear
appeals.
and to provide individuals with an understanding of
avoidance strategies, or what they can do to avoid
the consequences associated with unsafe driving
behaviours.
Emotions are powerful things, but we need to use
them to direct people towards actual behaviours,
not just hope that these behaviours are obvious.
There is some evidence that positive emotional
appeals are worth considering with a population that
is largely male. Research has found male drivers
were less likely to view themselves as better at
driving than everyone else following a positive form of
education in comparison to a fear-based educational
strategy¹. These approaches provide individuals with
an understanding of how they should behave as well
as how they should not, and therefore allow for a
comparison between the consequences of risky and
safe driver behaviour.
Some research has suggested that this positive-
based approach should be used alongside other
information, which may include fear. This positively-
focused style of information could be used as a
period of ‘fear relief’ within fear-based approaches,
¹ Harré, N., Foster, S. and O’neill, M., (2005). Self‐enhancement, crash‐risk optimism and the impact of safety advertisements on young drivers. British journal of
psychology, 96(2), pp.215-230.
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