Turner’s paper presents an Anger Activism Model (AAM) highlighting four distinct groups based on levels of anger and efficacy that can be used to predict differences in behavior for each of the groups. This theoretical paper is intended to help fill the gap in theorizing about anger appeals in persuasion literature. The AAM argues that anger-arousing messages may produce attitude and behavior change when 1) the audience is pro-attitudinal and 2) the audience perceives high efficacy.

The Anger Activism Model

The AAM makes predictions specifically for pro-attitudinal topics.

• Activist: The model predicts that individuals with high levels of anger and high levels of efficacy will be activist groups.  Activists will display positive attitudes and a willingness to participate in higher commitment activities.
• Empowered: Individuals with low levels of anger and high levels of efficacy will feel that the issue could be “fixed” but do not perceive the issue to be of great significance.
• Angry: Individuals who have high levels of anger but low levels of efficacy will be angry.  These individuals, although being very angry about the issue, do not feel that behaviors they could perform would make a difference.
• Disinterested: Individuals who have weak levels of anger as well as weak levels of efficacy will not be likely to take on behaviors because they are not as passionate about the issue and don’t feel that they could make a difference.

The AAM is grounded in persuasion literature on anger, anger intensity, efficacy, and prior attitude. Turner and colleagues have also completed several experiments to test AAM predictions.  For example, in the 2006 ICA conference paper, Does anger facilitate or debilitate persuasion? A test of the anger activism model1, Turner et al. conducted two experiments and found across both experiments that the data were consistent with the AAM.

At Turner concludes “No longer do researchers believe that people respond to messages either emotionally or rationally. The fact is that emotion and reason can work together hand in hand... Anger appeals are one effective method to get audiences to read a message carefully, respond favorably, and act mightily” (p. 118).

1 Turner, M. M., Bessarabova, E., Hambleton, K., Sipek, S., Weiss, M., & Long, K. (2006). Does anger facilitate or debilitate persuasion? A test of the anger activism model. Presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association.