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ABSTRACT
This study assessed the relative effects of reactance mitigation strategies specifically designed to prevent or restore threatened autonomy according to message recipients’ levels of reactance proneness. An experiment (N = 230) using a 2 (inoculation mitigation: present vs. absent) × 2 (freedom threatening language: high vs. low) × 2 (restoration postscript mitigation: present vs. absent) between-subjects design was performed in the context of a safe-sex campaign message. Results showed that message strategies affected state reactance differently across levels of trait reactance. In particular, for those high in trait reactance, inoculation uniquely reduced perceived threat to freedom, which indirectly increased safe-sex intention via state reactance and attitude toward the health behavior. These results demonstrate the importance of using trait reactance as an audience segmentation variable.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Adam S. Richards
Adam S. Richards (Ph.D., University of Maryland) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Furman University.
Elena Bessarabova
Elena Bessarabova (Ph.D., University of Maryland) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma.
John A. Banas
John A. Banas (Ph.D., University of Texas) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma.
Micah Larsen
John A. Banas (Ph.D., University of Texas) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma.
Micah Larsen (M.S., Texas Christian University) is a consultant in Missoula, MT.