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On the Nature of Reactance and Its Role in Persuasive Health Communication
Unformatted Document Text:  2 Abstract Reactance theory might be profitably applied to understanding failures in persuasive health communication but for one drawback: The developer of the theory contends that reactance cannot be measured. This paper develops four alternative conceptual perspectives on the nature of reactance (i.e., combinations of cognition and affect), then provides an empirical test of each. Two parallel studies were conducted, one which advocated flossing (N = 196), the other of which urged students to limit their alcohol intake (N = 200). In both cases, a composite index of anger and negative cognitions fully mediated the effects of threat-to-freedom and trait reactance proneness on attitude and intention. The data showed that, in fact, reactance can be operationalized as a composite of self-report indices of anger and negative cognitions. The implications for persuasive health communication, in general, are considered as well the specific findings for flossing and drinking.

Authors: Dillard, James. and Shen, Lijiang.
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Abstract
Reactance theory might be profitably applied to understanding failures in persuasive
health communication but for one drawback: The developer of the theory contends that
reactance cannot be measured. This paper develops four alternative conceptual
perspectives on the nature of reactance (i.e., combinations of cognition and affect), then
provides an empirical test of each. Two parallel studies were conducted, one which
advocated flossing (N = 196), the other of which urged students to limit their alcohol
intake (N = 200). In both cases, a composite index of anger and negative cognitions fully
mediated the effects of threat-to-freedom and trait reactance proneness on attitude and
intention. The data showed that, in fact, reactance can be operationalized as a composite
of self-report indices of anger and negative cognitions. The implications for persuasive
health communication, in general, are considered as well the specific findings for flossing
and drinking.


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