Listen up, I've done this before: The impact of self-disclosure on source credibility and risk message responses

Abstract

The role of self-disclosure has gone understudied in risk and crisis communication, despite its demonstrated relevance in other literature. The current quasi-experimental study examined the impact of self-disclosure on perceptions of source credibility, motivation to seek information, and behavioral intentions. Such variables are essential for the protection of people's physical health before a risk event. The results fail to reveal main effects for self-disclosure, but suggest indirect effects whereby disclosure may drive elaboration, which in turn impacts the variables of interest. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for risk communicators and policymakers, and in directions for future research.

Keywords

• Self-disclosure
• Source credibility
• Risk information processing
• Risk warnings