The Distinct Roles of Anger and Hope in PFAS Risk Processing: Integrating Mixed Emotional Appeals and Efficacy Information into the EPPM.

Guided by the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM), this study examines the distinct persuasive mechanisms of mixed emotional appeals and efficacy information in the context of environmental risk communication (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS). Results of a 3 (emotional appeals: fear/fear + anger/fear + hope) × 2 (efficacy information: low/high) between-subjects experiment (N = 405) in China revealed that adding anger to fear appeals significantly increased perceived threat, whereas adding hope enhanced perceived self-efficacy. Although providing high-efficacy information enhanced perceived efficacy, it led to a minor reduction in perceived threat. Notably, the interaction analyses showed that high-efficacy information increased response efficacy most strongly in the fear + anger condition. In contrast, fear + hope appeals enhanced self-efficacy even when efficacy information was low. Furthermore, only perceived threat and response efficacy emerged as significant predictors of preventive behaviors. Theoretical implications for expanding the EPPM to include mixed emotions and practical implications for designing PFAS risk messages are discussed.