The Influence of Temporal Frame on Guilt and Shame Appeals

Abstract

This work examines guilt and shame appeals through the lens of construal level theory in health messaging. An experiment was conducted to examine the interplay between emotional appeal and temporal frame used to convey risk. Results reveal that temporal frame moderates emotional appeal such that guilt appeals are more persuasive when paired with a proximal frame, and shame appeals are more persuasive when paired with a distal frame. Processing fluency mediates these effects. Implications for health communication practitioners and social marketers are offered.