An appeal to fear (also called argumentum ad metum or argumentum in terrorem) is a fallacy in which a person attempts to create support for an idea by attempting to increase fear towards an alternative. An appeal to fear is related to the broader strategy of fear appeal and is a common tactic in marketing, politics, and media (communication).[1][unreliable source?]
The argument is invalid. The appeal to emotion is used in exploiting existing fears to create support for the speaker's proposal, namely P. Also, often the false dilemma fallacy is involved, suggesting Q is the proposed idea's sole alternative.[2]
Fear, uncertainty and doubtEdit
Fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) is the appeal to fear in sales or marketing; in which a company disseminates negative (and vague) information on a competitor's product. The term originated to describe misinformation tactics in the computer hardware industry and has since been used more broadly. FUD is "implicit coercion" by "any kind of disinformation used as a competitive weapon."[3][unreliable source?] FUD creates a situation in which buyers are encouraged to purchase by brand, regardless of the relative technical merits. Opponents of certain large computer corporations[who?] state that the spreading of fear, uncertainty, and doubt is an unethical marketing technique that these corporations consciously employ.
As persuasionEdit
Fear appeals are often used in marketing and social policy, as a method of persuasion. Fear is an effective tool to change attitudes,[4][unreliable source?] which are moderated by the motivation and ability to process the fear message. Examples of fear appeal include reference to social exclusion, and getting laid-off from one's job,[5] getting cancer from smoking or involvement in car accidents and driving.
Fear appeals are nonmonotonic, meaning that the level of persuasion does not always increase when the claimed danger is increased. A study of public service messages on AIDS found that if the messages were too aggressive or fearful, they were rejected by the subject; a moderate amount of fear is the most effective attitude changer.[5]
Others argue that it is not the level of fear that is decisive changing attitudes via the persuasion process. Rather, as long as a scare-tactics message includes a recommendation to cope with the fear, it can work.[6]
^"Full alphabetic list of Fallacies". Retrieved 17 June 2015.
^"Zweiter Beratungsgegenstand: Die Steuerung des Verwaltungshandelns durch Haushaltsrecht und Haushaltskontrolle", Kulturauftrag im staatlichen Gemeinwesen. Die Steuerung des Verwaltungshandelns durch Haushaltsrecht und Haushaltskontrolle, Berlin, Boston: DE GRUYTER, 1984, doi:10.1515/9783110871104.147, ISBN9783110871104, retrieved 2022-02-22
^"How fear appeals work : motivational biases in the processing of fear-arousing health communications". Retrieved 17 June 2015.
External linksEdit
Propaganda critic: Fear appeal
October 19, 2023
appeal, fear, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, august, 2015,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Appeal to fear news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message An appeal to fear also called argumentum ad metum or argumentum in terrorem is a fallacy in which a person attempts to create support for an idea by attempting to increase fear towards an alternative An appeal to fear is related to the broader strategy of fear appeal and is a common tactic in marketing politics and media communication 1 unreliable source Contents 1 Logic 2 Fear uncertainty and doubt 3 As persuasion 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksLogic EditThis fallacy has the following argument form Either P or Q is true Q is frightening Therefore P is true The argument is invalid The appeal to emotion is used in exploiting existing fears to create support for the speaker s proposal namely P Also often the false dilemma fallacy is involved suggesting Q is the proposed idea s sole alternative 2 Fear uncertainty and doubt EditFear uncertainty and doubt FUD is the appeal to fear in sales or marketing in which a company disseminates negative and vague information on a competitor s product The term originated to describe misinformation tactics in the computer hardware industry and has since been used more broadly FUD is implicit coercion by any kind of disinformation used as a competitive weapon 3 unreliable source FUD creates a situation in which buyers are encouraged to purchase by brand regardless of the relative technical merits Opponents of certain large computer corporations who state that the spreading of fear uncertainty and doubt is an unethical marketing technique that these corporations consciously employ As persuasion EditFear appeals are often used in marketing and social policy as a method of persuasion Fear is an effective tool to change attitudes 4 unreliable source which are moderated by the motivation and ability to process the fear message Examples of fear appeal include reference to social exclusion and getting laid off from one s job 5 getting cancer from smoking or involvement in car accidents and driving Fear appeals are nonmonotonic meaning that the level of persuasion does not always increase when the claimed danger is increased A study of public service messages on AIDS found that if the messages were too aggressive or fearful they were rejected by the subject a moderate amount of fear is the most effective attitude changer 5 Others argue that it is not the level of fear that is decisive changing attitudes via the persuasion process Rather as long as a scare tactics message includes a recommendation to cope with the fear it can work 6 See also EditAppeal to emotion Appeal to force Culture of fear Demagogue Embrace extend and extinguish Fear appeal Fear mongering List of fallacies Moral panic Rape culture Red Scare Scareware The terrorists have wonReferences Edit Full alphabetic list of Fallacies Retrieved 17 June 2015 Zweiter Beratungsgegenstand Die Steuerung des Verwaltungshandelns durch Haushaltsrecht und Haushaltskontrolle Kulturauftrag im staatlichen Gemeinwesen Die Steuerung des Verwaltungshandelns durch Haushaltsrecht und Haushaltskontrolle Berlin Boston DE GRUYTER 1984 doi 10 1515 9783110871104 147 ISBN 9783110871104 retrieved 2022 02 22 Raymond Eric S FUD The Jargon File Martijn Boermans ISSUU Fear Appeals and Persuasion by Martijn Boermans Issuu Retrieved 17 June 2015 a b Solomon Zaichkowsky Polegato Consumer Behaviour Pearson Toronto 2005 How fear appeals work motivational biases in the processing of fear arousing health communications Retrieved 17 June 2015 External links EditPropaganda critic Fear appeal Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Appeal to fear amp oldid 1136429984, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
