A Study on the Psychological Response Mechanism of the Public to Government Health Information Self-Disclosure from the Perspective of Health Psychology

Yilin Wang; Dengfeng Tang

doi:10.54691/1nyqj257

A Study on the Psychological Response Mechanism of the Public to Government Health Information Self-Disclosure from the Perspective of Health Psychology

Yilin Wang, Dengfeng Tang

Frontiers in Humanities and Social Sciences, (2026), Vol.6, No.6, pp.124-133

Published: July 6, 2026

DOI: 10.54691/1nyqj257

PDF: Download Full Text PDF

Abstract

This study uses the 2026 U.S. Dietary Guidelines self-disclosure of capital manipulation as a case, applying the cognitive-affective-behavioral model to text-mine and sentiment-analyze 6,533 YouTube comments. Cognitively, the public focused on pre-existing frames—historical lessons, nutrient controversies, and institutional accountability—rather than the official admission itself. Affectively, neutral comments dominated, polarity fluctuated cyclically without polarization, and low-to-mid subjectivity scores indicated predominantly rational discourse. Behaviorally, interactions revolved around technical dietary debates rather than collective deliberation on government action, and likes showed no emotional mobilization. The findings demonstrate that official self-disclosure was “technicized” into a knowledge-validation arena instead of triggering a trust crisis or emotional polarization. This challenges the linear “honesty repairs trust” assumption in crisis communication and suggests that trust rebuilding in health communication should account for cognitive inertia, knowledge-centered discussion, and long-term psychological contracts, offering empirical and theoretical insights for health psychology-based public opinion analysis.

Keywords: Health Psychology; Self-Disclosure; Cognitive-Affective-Behavioral Model; Public Opinion; Health Communication; Trust Rebuilding.

APA Citation: Yilin Wang, Dengfeng Tang (2026). A Study on the Psychological Response Mechanism of the Public to Government Health Information Self-Disclosure from the Perspective of Health Psychology. Frontiers in Humanities and Social Sciences, 6(6), 124-133. https://doi.org/10.54691/1nyqj257

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