Best Practices in Instructional Risk Communication: The IDEA Model for Effective Message Design

• In Event: Putting Theories to the Test

Abstract

Much instructional communication research published to date examines such communication that occurs in conventional classroom contexts. Instructional communication also may occur in other contexts. This analysis contributes to that growing body of literature by examining instructional communication in the context of risk and crisis messages. More specifically, this study employed the IDEA learning cycle model to design and test a television news report about a contaminated food product. The researchers compared affective, cognitive, and behavioral learning outcome results reported by viewers of the IDEA model message (treatment) with those of viewers that watched the status quo (control) message. IDEA model message viewers reported significantly higher perceptions of message effectiveness (affective and cognitive learning), as well as behavioral intention (cognitive and behavioral learning) than control message viewers. The study confirms the utility of the IDEA model for designing effective instructional risk messages and for extending instructional communication research into such contexts.

Authors

• Deanna Dee Sellnow, U of Kentucky

• Derek Ray Lane, U of Kentucky

• Timothy Sellnow, U of Kentucky

• Robert Littlefield, North Dakota State U