Perceived Message Sensation Value and Psychological Reactance: A Test of the Dominant Thought Disruption Hypothesis

Abstract

The present study tests to see whether perceived message sensation value reduces psychological reactance within the context of anti-marijuana ads for television. After controlling for sensation seeking, biological sex, and marijuana use, the results indicate that message novelty is negatively associated with a freedom threat, whereas dramatic impact and emotional arousal were not associated with the antecedent to reactance. Results support the use of novel messages in future ads while at the same time offer an explanation to the challenges involved in creating effective anti-marijuana ads. Overall, the results provide partial support for the dominant thought disruption hypothesis and are discussed with an emphasis on the theoretical and practical implications for health communication researchers and practitioners.

What Limits the Effectiveness of Antibullying Programs? A Thematic Analysis of the Perspective of Teachers

“…These findings should be seen in the context of a broader set studies finding local participation in program selection and development linked to improvements in the implementation of prevention programs (Payne et al, 2006). The negative response of some educators is consistent with psychological reactance theory's prediction that prevention programs restricting choice may elicit emotional responses, negative cognitions, and efforts to reassert decision control (Quick, 2013).…”

Psychological Reactance and Persuasive Health Communication: A Review of the Literature

“…There is some evidence that message sensation value (specifically, message novelty) is associated with freedom threat and reactance (Quick, 2013). Xu (2015) found that message sensation value interacts with controlling language such that high sensation value and high controlling messages arouse the greatest anger.…”

“…Furthermore, high sensation messages are thought to be particularly appealing to high sensation seekers, as these messages meet their psychobiological needs for activation (Palmgreen et al, 2002;Stephenson, 2003). Quick (2013) found partial support for the role of perceived message sensation value as a message strategy for deterring reactance. In Quick's study (Quick et al, 2013), undergraduates were exposed to a series of anti-marijuana PSAs.…”

“…A variety of strategies for reducing reactance have been identified, including restoration postscripts (Miller et al, 2007;Bessarabova et al, 2017), provision of choice (Shen, 2015;Reynolds-Tylus et al, 2019), narrative appeals (Moyer-Gusé and Nabi, 2010;Gardner and Leshner, 2016), messageinduced empathy (Shen, 2010(Shen, , 2011, gain-framed messages (Reinhart et al, 2007;Cho and Sands, 2011;Shen, 2015), novel messages (Quick, 2013), other-referencing messages (Gardner and Leshner, 2016), and inoculation messages (Richards and Banas, 2015;. Though these studies add to an ever-growing list of the message features associated with diminished or elevated reactance, further examination of message and language features, particularly those that are theoretically derived, will add to our understanding of PRT in particular, as well as our broader understanding of persuasion in general.…”

Applying Psychological Reactance Theory to Communication between Adult Child Caregivers and their Older Adult Parents

“…Unlike the majority of persuasion theories, which predict when persuasive attempts will successfully elicit attitude or behavior change, PRT predicts when persuasive attempts are likely to be met with resistance or other unintended effects. For example, PRT has been identified as a viable explanation for the persuasiveness (or lack thereof) of television public service announcements (PSAs) on topics such as drunk driving, antismoking (Xu, 2015), condom use (Quick, 2013), and organ donation (Reinhart & Anker, 2012); college students' negative credibility appraisals of graphic warning labels on cigarette packages (LaVoie, Quick, Riles, & Lambert, 2015); and rates of underage alcohol consumption following changes in alcohol consumptions laws (Allen, Sprenkel, & Vitale, 1994).…”