On the Nature of Reactance and its Role in Persuasive Health Communication
Dillard first author. Two parallel studies, one advocating flossing with 196 participants and one urging students to limit their drinking with 200, specified and tested four competing models of reactance as combinations of cognition and affect. In both, a composite index of anger and negative cognitions fully mediated the effects of threat to freedom and of trait reactance on attitude and intention. The outcomes were self-reported attitude and intention, not behaviour.
Dillard first author. Two parallel studies, one advocating flossing with 196 participants and one urging students to limit their drinking with 200, specified and tested four competing models of reactance as combinations of cognition and affect. In both, a composite index of anger and negative cognitions fully mediated the effects of threat to freedom and of trait reactance on attitude and intention. The outcomes were self-reported attitude and intention, not behaviour.
Written from the abstract read 2026-10-18.
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Dillard, J. P., & Shen, L. (2005). On the Nature of Reactance and its Role in Persuasive Health Communication. Communication Monographs, 72(2), 144-168. doi:10.1080/03637750500111815.