Instructional Crisis Communication: Connecting Ethnicity and Sex in the Assessment of Receiver-Oriented Message Effectiveness

This study explored the responses of receivers of risk messages that included all elements of the Internalization-Distribution-Explanation-Action (IDEA) learning cycle model to determine if culture, sex, and socio-economic status had any impact on receptivity and behavioral intention. Using a pre- and post-measures experimental design, 746 participants from different geographic areas within the United States watched prepared news clips. Participants identified their learning styles, the perceived message effectiveness, and their behavioral intentions following their observation. Results suggest that messages addressing all elements of the IDEA model were perceived as more effective by participants. Ethnicity and sex of participants in some cases made a difference regarding perception of message effectiveness.