A saber-toothed tiger enters the clearing. Your body reacts instantly and instinctively. Adrenaline floods your system. Blood rushes to your major muscle groups. You’re prepped for fight or flight.

Your brain responds just as quickly. As reflective thought shuts down your lower brain takes over. Your eyesight and hearing tune to the threat. Your reaction times quicken.

In this instant, your attention and intentions change as well. You focus on the enemy, and your motives become short term and selfish. It’s all about self preservation. These are the predictable and dependable results of fear.

These animal instincts explain why fear appeals—attempts to influence people or groups to change by scaring them into action—nearly always backfire.

Fear appeals were first studied during the Second World War The navy created films of horrifying diseases to scare young sailors away from prostitutes. Didn’t work. Later, public health officials used disgusting photos of tooth decay to scare people into brushing and flossing. Again, didn’t work. By the time “Scared Straight” was created to scare young hoodlums, every psychologist knew it would fail. And, it did. Completely.
But it’s not as if fear appeals don’t have influence. People do respond to them, often profoundly. But the way they respond can be very different from what the designers intended. Instead of reflecting on what they’ve seen and then deciding to change their ways, they respond as our ancestors did when they saw a saber-toothed cat.

Here’s an example. In the late 1990’s the Turner Foundation was concerned about global warming, and decided to test a fear appeal. They convened dozens of focus groups and showed them scary videos of the storms, floods, fires, diseases, and human migrations that are likely as the world heats up. Then, they left the groups alone to discuss what they’d seen.

They expected the groups to talk about the need for new energy technologies, new transportation systems, and a new emphasis on conservation. Instead, focus group after focus group talked about leaving the city, buying weapons, and holing up in the middle of the country. When people are scared, they don’t become reflective, creative, or innovative. They become defensive. They focus on “the enemy” and ultimately, self preservation.

Did you know the Reverend Martin Luther King once gave an “I Have a Nightmare” speech? Instead of describing his positive vision of peace and harmony, he painted a scary picture of division and violence. He saw how people reacted to this scary vision. Instead of reflecting, and thinking, “Maybe I should change,” they became defensive and looked for enemies to blame.

Now think of the fear appeals we hear in the media. What about when it comes to terrorism, immigration, and competition from overseas? Do they stimulate thought, creativity, and inclusiveness or do they stimulate defensiveness, short-sightedness, and selfishness? Do they cause people to look inward or to look for an enemy to blame?

When it’s your turn to influence, think twice about using fear appeals. Instead, paint your vision of a positive solution. Begin with the words, “I have a dream.”

For more information on fear appeals and on more effective ways to change minds, review chapter 3 of Influencer, Change the Way You Change Minds