Guilt or Fear Appeal

Guilt or Fear Appeal

Clarksville Community Counseling Center

RE: Many People Are Dying For Not Speaking Up

We all fear death. Death is a necessary evil, but some of the actions we take or fail to take in life can push us closer to death before our imminent time comes. Stress, which may ultimately lead to anxiety, depression, and a host of mental conditions and risky lifestyles, is one area most people ignore. If an individual does not speak to someone whenever they feel mentally overwhelmed, depression will bring them down or make them harm the people close to them. In addition, one is equally guilty if they let someone battling depression or a mental condition, but you did not help or encourage them to reach out to local therapists for help.

Many people have lost their lives. Do you want to be one of them? Or do you want to take the blame for not helping someone to speak out when you had the chance? No, you don’t. Clarksville is here to help you overcome the mental exhaustion that could cost your life. Visit the facility today and speak to the ever-welcoming team of therapists. Remember, there is no shame in speaking out. Your therapist will attend to you in the most confidential manner possible.

The Choice of Appeal

The factor that instills fear in the message is death. Also, guilt is reinforced through tendencies to harm someone or failure to assist the persons who need help. This message is meant for individuals battling depression or other mental conditions and those around them. The message is effective because it instills fear in the affected individuals that the result of not visiting therapists is possible death or harming the people close to them (Perloff, 2021). The guilt of not failing to take relevant action will make individuals close to family members and loved ones to encourage them to visit a counselor. The message is also effective because it reminds the target audience that their sessions are confidential (NOHS, 2015). It upholds the ethical standards of psychotherapy.

References

Perloff, R. M. (2021). The dynamics of persuasion: Communication and attitudes in the 21st century (7th ed.). Routledge.

National Organization for Human Services (NOHS). (2015). Ethical standards for human service professionals. https://www.nationalhumanservices.org/ethical-standards-for-hs-professionals

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Discussion: Guilt or Fear Appeal
Bring to mind pictures of sad puppy eyes and scrawny cats in dirty cages. Or think of images of impoverished children and messages about how a small gift can make a huge difference in their lives. Or recall public service announcements that feature frightening images of the effects of drug use and smoking. Consider how these and similar types of appeals use guilt or fear to try to persuade you to take action.

Guilt or Fear Appeal

What are the ethical issues around using persuasive techniques that are intended to make recipients feel uncomfortable but for beneficial reasons? That is one of the issues you will explore this week through this Discussion. You will respond to a scenario in which you, as a professional in the line of work you currently do or would like to do, are tasked with designing a strong message using either the guilt or the fear appeal. As you create your messages, consider the relationship between the outcome you hope to achieve and the ethics of how you choose to get there.

To prepare:

Review Chapters 11 and 13 in the textbook.
Develop the scenario by incorporating the following details. You may make up these details or base them on your workplace experiences. Include:
Name and type of agency or organization
Its purpose or mission
Purpose of the message you are creating and what issue(s) it aims to address
Target audience for the message
Consider whether the fear or guilt appeal will be more effective for the target audience and to achieve the message goals.
Create the text of the message, to include in your Discussion post.
Check your message for ethical compliance using the code of ethics associated with the type of professional organization you chose.
By Day 3
Post responses to the following:

Present the text of your message and the relevant contextual details, including the sponsoring agency/organization, message purpose, and target audience. Explain how your message demonstrates the fear or the guilt appeal and your assessment of the message’s compliance with ethical standards.
Justify your choice of appeal and why it should be effective for the target audience and issue(s).
Note: Be sure to support the responses within your initial Discussion post (and in your colleague reply) with information obtained from the assigned Learning Resources, including in-text citations and a reference list for sources used. For information regarding how your Discussion will be evaluated, please review the Rubric, located in the Course Information area of the course

references

Perloff, R. M. (2021). The dynamics of persuasion: Communication and attitudes in the 21st century (7th ed.). Routledge.

Chapter 12, “Emotional Message Appeals: Fear and Guilt”
Chapter 13, “Cognitive Dissonance Theory”
These chapters of your text cover the key themes for the week. Complete the reading in Chapter 12 to prepare for your Week 5 Discussion post and Chapter 13 to prepare for your Assignment.

Note: Review the codes of ethics from the Week 1 Learning Resources. You will use one or more codes of ethics that are most relevant to the content of your Discussion post and to your Assignment this week