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Waiting for a Match: Mitigating Reactance in Prosocial Health Behavior Using Psychological Distance
Sisi Hu1, Courtney D Boman2, Benjamin R Warner3
1Department of Strategic Communication, University of Missouri's School of Journalism.
Health Communication
|September 16, 2021
Summary
Leveraging psychological distance in health messages can reduce reactance. Far temporal and social distance positively influenced attitudes and intentions toward prosocial health behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Health Communication
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Psychological reactance can hinder prosocial health behavior.
- Understanding how to mitigate reactance in health messaging is crucial.
- Construal level theory and psychological reactance theory provide frameworks for this study.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the impact of social and temporal psychological distance on prosocial health behavior messages.
- To investigate the mitigation of perceived psychological reactance through message framing.
- To explore the relationship between psychological distance, threat to freedom, and health behavior intentions.
Main Methods:
- A 2x2 between-subjects factorial design was employed with 245 participants.
- Naturalistic messages for a prosocial communications campaign were manipulated.
- Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.
Main Results:
- Far temporal distance combined with far social distance significantly reduced threat to freedom.
- This combination positively affected attitudes and behavioral intentions toward prosocial health topics.
- The effect of social distance alone was not significant, contrary to some previous findings.
Conclusions:
- Framing prosocial health messages with greater temporal and social distance can be an effective persuasion strategy.
- Further research on psychological reactance in prosocial health behavior is warranted.
- Practical strategies for persuasion in prosocial messaging can be developed based on these findings.
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