Examining Reactance to Visual and Verbal Features of Mask Promotion PSAs

Area of Science:

• Health Communication
• Social Psychology
• Message Design

Background:

• Health promotion research primarily examines language, neglecting visual message components.
• The influence of visual elements, such as depicted individuals' characteristics, on health message reception is understudied.
• Understanding reactance to health messages requires considering both verbal and visual cues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of verbal and visual message features on psychological reactance and intentions to wear masks.
• To examine how message forcefulness (verbal and nonverbal) and model demographics affect reactions to a COVID-19 mask PSA.
• To extend research on reactance by incorporating visual elements in health communication.

Main Methods:

• An experiment involving 856 U.S. adults evaluated reactions to a public service announcement (PSA) about mask-wearing.
• Verbal appeal forcefulness (forceful vs. courteous) and model nonverbal gestures (stop gesture vs. neutral) were manipulated.
• Demographic characteristics (gender, race) of PSA models were analyzed for their influence on participant responses.

Main Results:

• A forceful verbal appeal significantly lowered mask-wearing intentions, mediated by psychological reactance.
• A forceful nonverbal gesture did not increase perceived freedom threat or reduce intentions.
• Demographic factors of the models, including gender and race, unexpectedly influenced PSA reception.

Conclusions:

• Verbal message design is crucial in health campaigns to avoid triggering reactance and maintain compliance.
• Visual elements, particularly model demographics, play a significant role in how health messages are perceived and influence behavior.
• Future research should systematically explore the multifaceted effects of visual features in health promotion to optimize message effectiveness.