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Information avoidance: An interchangeable strategy of self-protection.

William B Meese1, Jacqueline Hua1, Jennifer L Howell1

  • 1University of California, Merced, USA.

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People may avoid unwanted health information as a defense mechanism. This health information avoidance is interchangeable with other self-protective strategies, like derogating feedback.

Keywords:
DefensivenessInformation avoidanceRisk-perceptionSelf-evaluationSelf-protection

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Health Communication
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Health information avoidance is the deliberate decision to remain ignorant of available personal health information.
  • This avoidance may serve a defensive purpose, acting as a coping mechanism against unwanted health news.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine if health information avoidance functions as a defensive strategy.
  • To determine if health information avoidance is interchangeable with other defensive strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Two studies with five samples (N=1,850) were conducted.
  • Researchers examined the relationship between health information avoidance (dispositional and deliberate) and feedback derogation.
  • Self-uncertainty was experimentally manipulated to assess its effect on defensiveness.

Main Results:

  • Self-uncertainty, a state that reduces defensiveness, decreased both proactive avoidance and reactive defensiveness.
  • Individuals with a stronger defensive orientation toward personal health information were more likely to derogate health information.
  • Feedback derogation appeared to substitute for the decision to avoid feedback.

Conclusions:

  • Health information avoidance is likely part of a broader self-protective system.
  • This avoidance behavior is replaceable with other motivated self-protection strategies.
  • Understanding these defensive mechanisms is crucial for health communication interventions.