Uncertainty management in mass shootings: antecedents, appraisals, and communication behavior
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[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This study focuses on expanding the theoretical knowledge of perceived uncertainty in risk communication research. This study investigates the relationship between three situational antecedents (i.e., problem recognition, constraint recognition, and involvement recognition) and perceived uncertainty. Also, this study examines the relationship among perceived uncertainty, three types of appraisals (i.e., danger, loss, and opportunity), and three types of communication behavior (i.e., information seeking intention, information attending intention, and information avoidance intention) in the context of mass shootings. A cross-sectional online survey collected a sample from introductory journalism and communication courses at a large mid-western university. A total of 637 responses were analyzed through an ordinary least squares (OLS) multiple regression and a series of parallel mediation models. The results revealed that the three situational antecedents were significantly associated with perceived uncertainty in the context of mass shootings. The results showed that perceived uncertainty had a positive indirect effect on information seeking intention via anxiety and hope. Also, perceived uncertainty had a positive indirect effect on information attending intention via anxiety and sadness. The findings of this study advance uncertainty management theory and the situational theory of publics by investigating the causes and outcomes of perceived uncertainty. At the same time, the findings provide important insights for gun safety related communicators and organizations by suggesting knowledge of how publics evaluate uncertainty about mass shootings and how they acquire information to address the uncertain risk.
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