This study aimed to persuade Chinese women between the ages of 35 and 54 to take a Pap smear test every three years in a certified hospital. Cognitive-related vs. affective-related risk messages were created to reflect the two ways people experience risk (risk-as-analysis vs. risk-as-feelings). Following the risk perception attitude framework (RPA), these messages were then examined for their impact on risk perception, attitude, and intention. This study further tested the interaction effect between risk messages and processing styles (need for cognition vs. need for affect). Based on a between-group experiment with three conditions, the results demonstrated that women high in need for affect reported more favorable attitude towards taking a Pap smear test every three years in a certified hospital when reading the affective-related message compared to those who were low in need for affect. Additionally, the data revealed reading the affective-related message, having higher need for affect, self-efficacy, and past Pap smear test predicted a positive attitude, and self efficacy and having past Pap smear tests also predicted greater intention to take a Pap smear test every three years in a certified hospital. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.
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