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Published on: March 1, 2019
Self-compassion and resistance to persuasion
Maeva Genin1, Eloïse Vinson1, Alexandre Lagrange2
1Aix Marseille Univ, LPS, Aix-en-Provence, France.
Objective:
Persuasive health messages sometimes induce resistance. This article explores the link between self-compassion and resistance to health messages that threaten autonomy.
Design:
A pilot study (N = 100) tested whether threatening health messages versus non-threatening messages damage needs for autonomy, which translates into emotional resistance and behavioural intentions of resistance. The main study (N = 83) tested self-compassion and reactant traits as moderators of observable health-behaviour (soft drink consumption) faced with threatening messages versus non-threatening messages.
Outcome Measures:
The pilot study tested whether threatening health messages create resistance using self-reports of anger and resistant behavioural intentions. Observable health-behaviour (soft drink vs. water consumption) was measured in the main study.
Results:
The pilot study showed that the perceived threat to autonomy, which was induced by threatening health messages about soft drink consumption, creates resistance (self-reports of anger and resistant behavioural intentions). The main study shows that the most self-compassionate people act in favour of the arguments of the threatening messages (drinking water rather than soft drinks), whereas the least self-compassionate do not.
Conclusion:
These innovative results are discussed in regard to the compliance role of self-compassion through self-regulatory functions.
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