Blog #6: Orange Alert

Persuasion (attempts to change an attitude) can be found everywhere. People think about a persuasive message by taking either a central route to persuasion, a critical and logical approach to the contents of a persuasive message, or by taking a peripheral route to persuasion, an approach that focuses on the superficial content of a persuasive message (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986). The type of persuasive message and the content it conveys is often telling of the audience the message targets. Often, messages use fear to persuade their audience. Specifically, numerous political messages utilize the Terror Management Theory (the theory that humans are terrified of their inevitable mortality and cope with this fear by constructing views that preserve their self-esteem) to target our need for self-preservation (Greenberg et al., 1997; Pyszczynski et al., 2002). When reminded of the terrifying fact of mortality, people attempt to decrease their anxiety by rallying around their leaders (Landau et al., 2004). Gallup polls show that when the US government issues terror warnings, presidential approval ratings increase (Willer, 2004).

Over fall break, I travelled to Colorado with my roommates. Due to Braden and Jenny's generous early birthday present of a plane ticket, we were all able to fly to and from Colorado, and thus spent some time in the Denver and Austin international airports. As we trekked across large expanses of carpet and tile, searching for our gate, it struck me as odd that the the overhead speakers constantly reminded us that, according to the Homeland Security Advisory System, we were at the orange level of high risk of terrorist attacks. These messages were accompanied by reminders to do our "patriotic duty" and alert airport security of any suspicious behavior we observed. While there were no sirens or flashing lights of alert, I found these messages to increase my anxiety. This heightened anxiety certainly did not prevent me from travelling, but it did lead me to wonder what had brought about the predicted high risk of terrorist attack. In light of fear tactics of persuasion, these warnings make more sense. With the upcoming elections and constant criticism of President George W. Bush, it would certainly be strategic of both the current administration and the campaigning republican party to convey fear-based messages of the probability of terrorist attacks. Although my personal approval of the current administration did not improve, I did notice my slightly heightened anxiety due to a reminder of my own mortality. I can see how the average American, unaware of such techniques, could be swayed by a timely persuasive application of the Terror Management Theory and the findings of Willer (2004).


Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., & Pyszczynski, T. (1997). Terror management theory of self-esteem and cultural worldviews: Empirical assessments and conceptual refinements. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 29, 61-139.

Landau, M. J., Solomon, S., Greenberg, J., Cohen, E., Pyszczynski, T., Arndt, J., Miller, C. H., Ogilvie, D. M., & Cook, A. (2004). Deliver us from evil: The effects of mortality salience and reminderrs of 9/11 on support for President George W. Bush. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 116-1150.

Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). Communication and persuasion: Central and peripheral routes to attitude change. New York: Guilford.

Pyszczynski, T. A., Solomon, S., & Greenberg, J. (2002). In the wake of 9/11: The psychology of terror. Washington, DC:American Psychological Association.

Willer, R. (2004). The effects of government-issued terror warnings on presidential approval ratings. Current Research in Social Psychology, 10, 1-12.