Message effects on psychological reactance: meta-analyses

Abstract

Psychological reactance is one of the underlying mechanisms of message effects on persuasion outcomes. We conducted meta-analyses across 28 articles, comprising 33 studies and 146 effect sizes (2005–2024), to examine (a) message effects on psychological reactance and (b) the influence of psychological reactance on persuasion outcomes. Results showed that high freedom-threatening language increased anger (k=28, r=.21), negative cognitions (k=25, r=.17), and psychological reactance (k=53, r=.20) compared to low freedom-threatening language. These effects were moderated by behavior repetitiveness and communication modality. However, gain vs. loss framing showed no significant differences in anger (k=6, r=–.03), negative cognitions (k=6, r=–.01), or psychological reactance (k=12, r=–.02). Both anger (r=–.23, k=42) and negative cognitions (r=–.18, k=39) were negatively associated with persuasion outcomes.