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Article published In: The interpersonal functions of public signs during the Covid-19 pandemic
Edited by Eva Ogiermann
[Pragmatics and Society 14:2] 2023
► pp. 281–305

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Fear appeals in Chinese public signs of COVID-19 prevention in local communities

ORCiD logo with link | The University of Texas at Austin
ORCiD logo with link | Tsinghua University
Published online: 6 July 2023
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.22009.jia
Abstract
Guided by the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM), this paper explicates the messaging strategies in Chinese public signs of COVID-19 prevention in local communities. 162 signs were collected from Internet posts. Our results show that the EPPM is a viable fear appeal framework to explain the communication of public health risks. Most signs communicated the threat of the virus to the public, whereas fewer signs emphasized the efficacy to effectively control the threat. In addition to communicating individual threat and efficacy, quite a few signs also highlighted collective threat and efficacy. Moreover, the language used in these signs is tailored to local cultural and social conventions. These findings not only contribute to the growing body of research on the interpersonal function of public signage from a Chinese perspective, but also demonstrate the utility of combining pragmatic research with messaging strategies in health communication research.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Research on public signs in pragmatics and persuasive health messaging strategies
    • 2.1Pragmatic investigations of public signs
    • 2.2Fear appeal in health communication campaigns
    • 2.3Research questions
  • 3.Method
    • 3.1Data collection
    • 3.2Data analysis
  • 4.Fear appeal strategies in Chinese COVID-19 signs
    • 4.1Overall fear message design
    • 4.2Threat appeal strategies
    • 4.3Efficacy appeal strategies
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
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