A Further Exploration of the Effects of Restoration Postscripts on Reactance. Issue 3 (27th May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bessarabova, Elena; Miller, Claude H.; Russell, Jason
• Is Part Of: Western journal of communication. Volume 81:Issue 3(2017)
• Page Start: 385
• Page End: 403
• Publication Date: 2017-05-27
• Subjects: Freedom Threat -- Persuasion -- Reactance -- Restoration; Oral communication -- Periodicals; 428.3
• DOI: 10.1080/10570314.2016.1254815
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1057-0314

Abstract

Abstract : This study examined the effectiveness of restoration of freedom postscripts at mitigating psychological reactance following recycling messages. Results of a 2 (freedom threat: high, low) × 2 (postscript: restoration, filler) plus 1 (offset no-message control) independent group experiment ( N = 134) replicated prior findings demonstrating how freedom threats can increase reactance and subsequently reduce perceptions of message quality while increasing anger toward the message source. Furthermore, as predicted, following high-threat messages, a restoration postscript increased intentions to recycle, whereas following low-threat messages, no such differences were found.