"Shots reported on campus" : an experimental study of crisis communication and emergency message design and dissemination
Abstract
[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The purpose of this study is to test emergency messages that are communicated to campus communities during a human-caused crisis event. Research shows that campus communities are experiencing human-caused crises such as active shootings but are not well-equipped to handle such crises. This study uses experimental methods to test various emergency messages within two mediated contexts: official university email and university Facebook. This study tested the effects of emergency messages on three key outcome variables of interest: perceptions of message effectiveness, perceptions of organizational credibility, and individual emotional reaction. Results from the current study provide evidence that including detailed information (about the location of the event and/or actions to take) increases perceptions of organizational credibility and decreases feelings of anger, disgust, and contempt. Furthermore, evidence suggests that the aforementioned emotions mediate the relationship between message exposure and perceptions of message effectiveness. Specifically, when such feelings are decreased then perceptions of message effectiveness increases. Findings from this study contribute to a foundation of research dedicated to college campus crises. Furthermore, results from this study provide practical suggestions for crisis management teams that will positively influence cultures of preparedness and effective emergency communication.
Degree
Ph. D.
Thesis Department
Rights
Access to files is limited to the University of Missouri--Columbia.