MANUSCRIPT IN PROGRESS Threatening communication: diffusing the scientific evidence on fear appeal effectiveness among intervention developers and other groups of key actors Short title: Fear appeals: diffusing the scientific evidence Gjalt-Jorn Y. Peters 1, 2 *, Robert A. C. Ruiter 1 , Peter Verboon 2 & Gerjo Kok 1 1 Department of Work & Social Psychology Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience Maastricht University 2 Department of Statistics & Methodology Faculty of Psychology & Education Science Open University * corresponding author: Gjalt-Jorn Peters Address: PO Box 2960 6401 DL Heerlen, the Netherlands E-mail: gjalt-jorn@behaviorchange.eu