Effects of Color Appeal, Perceived Risk and Culture on User’s Decision in Presence of Warning Banner Message

Abstract

Color is present in every aspect of human life, and color is driving our decisions. In the digital computer warning realm, in which a warning message is a communication mechanism, color represents an important design element, which aims at preventing the hazard and reducing negative outcomes from the user’s action. Interestingly, we are lacking the understanding of how color appeal influences behavioral intentions in culturally distinct countries when it comes to paying more attention to warning messages. We conducted a cross-cultural investigation by running an online experiment, followed by a survey of 258 participants from the United States and India. Supported by the color-in-context theory, we found that culture is an important dimension in the specific warning message context in which color appeal is a salient antecedent to behavioral intentions in culturally distinct countries. We derive several theoretical contributions and practitioners’ insights.