Should Ads Be Assertive? A Meta-Analytic Review of the Effects of Assertive Language on Perceived Freedom Threat, State Reactance, and Persuasion Outcomes
Chu first author. A meta-analytic structural equation model over 142 samples found that assertive advertising language substantially raised perceived threat to freedom, moderately raised state reactance, and reduced persuasion outcomes only slightly. The model supported a serial chain from assertive language to perceived threat to state reactance to weaker persuasion. The only significant moderator was advertising domain, with nonprofit contexts drawing more reactance than for-profit ones.
Chu first author. A meta-analytic structural equation model over 142 samples found that assertive advertising language substantially raised perceived threat to freedom, moderately raised state reactance, and reduced persuasion outcomes only slightly. The model supported a serial chain from assertive language to perceived threat to state reactance to weaker persuasion. The only significant moderator was advertising domain, with nonprofit contexts drawing more reactance than for-profit ones.
Written from the full text read 2026-10-18.
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Chu, T. H., Liu, D., & Gan, H. (2026). Should Ads Be Assertive? A Meta-Analytic Review of the Effects of Assertive Language on Perceived Freedom Threat, State Reactance, and Persuasion Outcomes. Journal of Advertising, advance article, 1-20. doi:10.1080/00913367.2026.2725644.