Message framing and trust as moderated mediating mechanisms for effective government response to uncertain risk messages

Abstract

This study explores moderating and mediating mechanisms that determine the effectiveness of government responses to media messages about a risk. Focusing on the risk of radiation-contaminated water originating from Japan, it investigates how uncertainty, gain and loss frames, and trust affect the risk communication process. A survey experiment tested the extent to which media messages about a risk in conjunction with government responses to those messages would either amplify or dampen an unwarranted reaction to the risk (in this case, the intention to refrain from consuming seafood). The experiment was conducted among 982 adult residents of South Korea and consisted of a 2 message uncertainty (mentioned vs. not mentioned) × 2 government response frame (gain vs. loss) between-subjects design with conditions randomly assigned. Our conditional process model (Model 12 using PROCESS macro) yielded three main findings. First, neither the uncertainty of the message nor the type of government response frame had significant direct or interaction effects on unwarranted behavioral intention (UBI). Second, among those with a high level of basic trust in government (BTG), government messages with a gain frame generated a higher level of trust in the government’s response (TGR). Third, a gain-framed government response also generated a lower level of UBI via TGR, but only among those with a high level of BTG.