تجربه توسل به ترس به عنوان یک چالش و یا تهدید ارزش دستیابی و خودکارآمدی اکادمیک را تحت تاثیر قرار می دهد

Fear appeals are persuasive messages that highlight the negative consequences of a particular course of action. Studies have shown that attainment value and academic self-efficacy predict how fear appeals are appraised. In this study we examined how the appraisal of fear appeals might also influence subsequent attainment value and academic self-efficacy. Self-report data were collected from 1433 students in their final two years of secondary education over three waves. Findings revealed that when students saw fear appeals as a challenge attainment value and academic self-efficacy were higher. When students saw fear appeals as a threat, attainment value and academic self-efficacy were lower. These results highlight the functional importance of how fear appeals are appraised. Challenge and threat appraisals were not mere by products of attainment value or academic self-efficacy but impacted on attainment value and academic self-efficacy; variables that are likely to make a critical impact on educational progress and attainment. We conclude that initial teacher education and teacher professional development programs would benefit from enhanced interpersonal and relational-skills training to enable teachers to judge more effectively how fear appeals are appraised.

This study examines how academic self-efficacy and attainment value relate to the appraisal of fear appeals used by secondary school teachers prior to a high-stakes examination. Fear appeals are used by teachers as a motivational strategy; a ‘scare tactic’ to attempt to persuade and encourage their students to work hard and prepare thoroughly for forthcoming examinations (Putwain, 2009; Putwain & Roberts, 2009). Although these messages may be used with the intention to benefit students, evidence suggests that the use of fear appeals may not always have the desired effect. When appraised as threatening fear appeals result in higher test anxiety, lower motivation, and lower grades (e.g., Putwain and Remedios, 2014a, Putwain and Symes, 2011a and Putwain and Symes, 2011b). However, fear appeals can be appraised as challenging as well as threatening. For example, when attainment value and academic self-efficacy are high, students perceive fear appeals as challenging (Putwain et al., 2014 and Putwain and Symes, 2014). This finding begs a question about directionality. If attainment value and academic self-efficacy influence the appraisal of fear appeals, does the appraisal of fear appeals also have an impact on attainment value and academic self-efficacy? This study sets out to answer this question in a longitudinal design by examining whether the appraisal of fear appeals predicts subsequent academic self-efficacy and attainment value over and above the variance explained by prior academic self-efficacy and attainment value.