Second harmonic generation (SHG) was used to measure the temperature dependence of the reorientation activation volume of 4‐(diethylamino)‐4′‐nitrotolane (DEANT) in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The decay of the SHG signal from films of DEANT/PMMA was recorded at hydrostatic pressures up to 3060 atm and at different temperatures between 25°C below the glass transition temperature to 35°C above it. The activation volume, ΔV*αβ associated with the long range α‐type motion of the polymer remained constant at 213 ± 10 Å3 between Tg − 25°C and Tg + 10°C. At higher temperatures, ΔV*αβ decreased linearly with increasing temperature. The activation volume, ΔV*αβ, associated with short range secondary relaxations was constant over the entire temperature range with a value of 77 ± 10 Å3. The data suggest that above Tg chromophore reorientation is coupled to both the long range and local motions of the polymer; whereas, well below Tg chromophore reorientation is closely coupled to the local relaxations of the polymer. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 901–911, 1998