Guilt Appeals in Persuasive Communication: A Meta-Analytic Review. Issue 4 (4th July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Turner, Monique; Rains, Stephen
• Is Part Of: Communication studies. Volume 72:Issue 4(2021)
• Page Start: 684
• Page End: 700
• Publication Date: 2021-07-04
• Subjects: Guilt -- emotional appeals -- persuasion -- marketing -- anger; Communication -- Periodicals; Oratory -- Periodicals; 302.205
• DOI: 10.1080/10510974.2021.1953094
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1051-0974

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Research examining the effects of guilt appeals on attitudes and behavioral intentions has been inconsistent. Some scholars have found that guilt appeal intensity has a curvilinear relationship with attitudes and intentions, whereas others have reported that the relationship is linear. Random-effects meta-analysis ( k = 26) was used to investigate this issue. More intense guilt appeals led to greater levels of perceived guilt ( r = .29, k = 24). Meta-regression analyses showed that the amount of perceived guilt caused by guilt appeals was not linearly nor curvilinearly related to the impact of guilt appeal intensity on attitudes/behavioral intentions. Guilt appeals did, however, cause feelings of anger ( r = .24, k = 8). The implications of these findings for guilt scholarship are considered.