What component is required and must be perceived as high threat in the Extended Parallel Process Model?

In the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM), the component that must be perceived as high threat is indeed threat itself. This model emphasizes the importance of two key perceptions: threat and efficacy. For a communication campaign to effectively motivate individuals to take protective action, it is essential that the audience first acknowledges a significant threat related to a particular behavior or situation.

When the perceived threat is high, it generates fear, prompting individuals to engage with the message. However, the intended outcome of the model relies heavily on the audience feeling that the threat is serious enough to warrant concern and action. Therefore, establishing a high threat perception is fundamental to moving individuals toward a positive behavioral change; without this critical step, the next components, like self-efficacy and response efficacy, may lack the necessary urgency.

While self-efficacy refers to individuals' beliefs in their ability to perform actions to mitigate the threat, and response efficacy pertains to their belief in the effectiveness of the actions they could take, these concepts rely on the initial recognition of a threat. Hence, the core of the model hinges on the presence of a high perceived threat to motivate further evaluation of efficacy components.