An Examination of EPPM Predictions When Threat Is Perceived Externally: An Asthma Intervention With School Workers

Little research informs the use of the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) of persuasion when threat and efficacy judgments are rendered for someone other than the message recipient. Nevertheless, a wide range of health promotion consists of influencing such judgments. Two studies examine the utility of using the EPPM in a context involving threats to others. Results show that the expected measurement models hold in this new context, and that an additive model is a stronger fit than a multiplicative one when considering how threat and efficacy combine to affect behavioral intentions but not when considering behavior. The study also examines the effects of a print intervention implemented with school employees in Michigan derived from the EPPM. The results are discussed in terms of their theoretical import and their application in this new context.