Inoculation Theory and Affect

Abstract

Although affect factors into most theoretical explanations for inoculation-conferred resistance to influence, it has received comparably less attention than its cognitive features. What we do know from extant research, however, is important for our understanding of resistance to influence. This review surveys research in affect and inoculation theory with special attention to how affect can bolster or thwart resistance; how affective messages function in comparison with other approaches; and the role of specific emotions, like anger, in inoculation. It provides an overview of the conventional inoculation theoretical model and a careful reading of what we can learn from research exploring issues of affect in inoculation.