An Examination of Message Elaboration as a Moderator of Psychological Reactance |
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Authors: | Tobias Reynolds-Tylus |
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Institution: | School of Communication Studies, James Madison University |
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Abstract: | The current study advances the literature on psychological reactance theory by examining the moderating role of message elaboration on the reactance process. Participants (N = 512) were randomly assigned to a message condition (freedom-threatening vs. non-freedom-threatening language) in a between-subjects quasi-experimental design. Message elaboration was not manipulated but rather varied naturally. Two topics were examined (energy conservation and organ donation). Results demonstrated that freedom-threatening language was positively associated with perceived freedom threat for both topics. No interaction effect of message elaboration and freedom-threatening language on perceived freedom threat was observed for either topic. Findings are discussed in terms of the theoretical and practical contributions of the current study. |
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Keywords: | Energy Conservation Freedom-Threatening Language Message Elaboration Organ Donation Psychological Reactance |
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