The Psychology and Communication Behind Flight Anxiety: Afraid to Fly

(Hardback)

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Description

Drawing from psychology, journalism, and communication studies, The Psychology and Communication Behind Flight Anxiety: Afraid to Fly discusses how flight anxiety manifests in both healthy and unhealthy ways. Lindsay A. Harvell-Bowman analyzes decades of research and explores how journalists, aviation professionals, and the public can curb flight anxiety and create safer environments both in the air and on the ground. Scholars of communication, psychology, and journalism will find this book particularly interesting.

Reviews

"Despite how common it is, and how debilitating it can be, psychologists have not given fear of flying the attention it deserves - until now. Harvell-Bowman does a wonderful job of explaining both the subjective experience of fear of flying and the psychological processes that drive this common source of distress that is a major hindrance to the lives of many. As they point out, fear of flying is fear of death, perhaps the most basic of all human fears. Through engaging prose, real-life examples, and application of cutting-edge psychological theory and research, the author provides an important overview of this field that will be of great value to scholars and laypeople alike. Highly recommended!"

--Thomas Pyszcynski, University of Colorado, co-founder of Terror Management Theory

"In The Psychology and Communication Behind Flight Anxiety: Afraid to Fly, Lindsey Harvell-Bowman convincingly supports her argument that a fear of flying is not irrational but a real and debilitating condition for some that is exacerbated by the 24-hour news cycle. Through in-depth discussions of a number of real-world and high-profile airplane crashes and subsequent media coverage, she sets the stage for why flight anxiety exists and offers solutions for how it might be tempered by the individual experiencing it and in the way media outlets and journalists cover such events."

--Jerry Sibenmark, Senior Editor - Aviation International News

Author Bio

Lindsey A. Harvell-Bowman is associate professor at James Madison University.