In low trust and/or high concern situations, information attention and retention are limited to what percent range?

• A. 10% to 15%
• B. 15% to 20%
• C. 20% to 25%
• D. 25% to 30%

Answer: (B)

When trust is low or concern is high, people’s attention to and memory for information are limited because stress and skepticism narrow what they process. In these situations, only a small portion of the message is noticed and retained, typically about 15 to 20 percent. This means communications should be concise, highly actionable, and delivered through trusted sources and multiple channels, with clear visuals to aid recall. The other ranges imply either less or more retention than is commonly observed under low trust or high concern, so 15–20% best captures the typical effect in these contexts.