case of Laos, the government lacked information from the fourth source (personal observations by U.S. representatives) but forged ahead with the misinformation it had received from the other sources anyway, demonstrating the importance of multiple sources in persuasion: "If the information presented is strong, logical, and compelling, multiple sources are more effective than solitary ones" (Brewer and Crano, 1994, p. 47).
Adding to the persuasiveness of the misinformation provided by the Laotian officials was the element of fear. Laos is located in a very strategic position in Southeast Asia. U.S. officials feared that Communist aggression in Laos would quickly spread to Thailand, South Vietnam, Malaya, Burma, Cambodia, and even Japan. Social psychology has proven that fear has a very powerful effect on persuasion and motivation, which is why fear is used extensively in advertising.
When advertisers use fear appeal they design ads to stimulate an emotional response to a particular threat, and then present some means (their product) for the consumer to respond to that threat. Hovland, Janis, and Kelley (1953) classify fear appeal as a negati
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