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International Journal of Advertising
The Review of Marketing Communications
Volume 40, 2021 - Issue 7
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Research Article

The effects of user comment valence of Facebook health messages on intention to receive the flu vaccine: the role of pre-existing attitude towards the flu vaccine and psychological reactance

Hanyoung KimDepartment of Advertising and Public Relations, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USACorrespondence[email protected]
ORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5721-4104
ORCID Icon,
Youngji SeoDepartment of Advertising and Public Relations, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
,
Hye Jin YoonDepartment of Advertising and Public Relations, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
,
Jeong Yeob HanDepartment of Advertising and Public Relations, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
&
Youngjee KoDepartment of Advertising and Public Relations, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
Pages 1187-1208 | Received 11 Mar 2020, Accepted 09 Dec 2020, Published online: 04 Jan 2021
 
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Abstract

This study examined if and how Facebook user-generated comments about the flu vaccine influenced psychological reactance in conjunction with pre-existing flu vaccine attitude. Psychological reactance was further tested as a mediating factor influencing behavioural intention to receive the vaccine. An experimental study was conducted with 264 college students. The results showed that pre-existing attitude positively influenced participants’ intention to obtain the flu vaccine through an increase (a decrease) in psychological reactance when there was inconsistency (consistency) between the pre-existing attitude and valence of comments. Collectively, the results demonstrate that psychological reactance is one possible theoretical mechanism through which social media users’ health behaviours are influenced by user-generated comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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