The Impact of Familiarity with a Communicator on the Persuasive Effectiveness of Pandemic-Related Fear Appeals Explained Through Parasocial Relationships

Parasocial relationships can improve the effectiveness of persuasive messages such as advertising. However, little is known about the role of parasocial relationships in the processing of fear appeals—a communication strategy that, despite its popularity, often evokes unwanted responses such as reactance. Perceived self-efficacy is one key variable that determines whether a fear appeal improves attitudes/behavior or has unwanted boomerang effects. In a two-level between-subjects experiment (N = 91), we show that a COVID-19-related fear appeal promoting anti-coronavirus measures from a familiar communicator (compared to an unfamiliar communicator) evokes more perceived self-efficacy explained by media users’ parasocial relationship with the familiar communicator. A second two-level between-subjects experiment (N = 239) replicates these findings and shows that perceived self-efficacy inhibits reactance responses (message derogation and perceived threat to freedom) and fosters positive attitudes and behavioral intentions toward anti-coronavirus measures.