Fear appeals and public health: Managing fear and creating hope

Suppose that one wanted to convince young adults in Africa to abstain from sexual activity or to use condoms to avoid contracting HIV, or to convince gun owners to store their guns locked and unloaded to reduce the number of unintentional firearm injuries and deaths. Applied communication researchers and practitioners face these situations every day, wanting to shape, change, or reinforce people’s behaviors in a wide variety of contexts for their intended purposes. The question, however, is, “What is the best way to change behavior?".