The effects of message threat on psychological reactance to traffic safety messaging |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Center for Health and Safety Culture, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States;2. Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States;3. Department of Psychology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States;1. Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q), Australia;2. Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia;1. Road Safety Research Collaboration, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Dr, Sippy Downs, Queensland 4556, Australia;2. Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland (CARRS-Q), Australia;1. Center for Urban Transportation Research, The University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, United States;2. Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States;3. Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, United States;1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mississippi State University, 501 Hardy Road, 235 Walker Hall, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA;2. ICF Incorporated LLC, 1725 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA;3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 750 Drillfield Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA |
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| Abstract: | Psychological reactance to persuasive messages can undermine and contradict the goals of those messages. This study examined the effect of message characteristics (forcefulness and framing) on psychological reactance to traffic safety messages that promoted safe behavior (seat belt wearing) and prohibited risky behavior (distracted driving) in terms of threat appraisal, emotional reaction, and message attitude. The study also included perceiver characteristics (reactance proneness, behavior attitude, and risk-taking propensity). Using a within-subject design, subjects completed an online experiment that presented short traffic safety messages followed by questions that measure psychological reactance. The results demonstrated that forceful messages could increase psychological reactance. However, the perceiver characteristics were often significant as covariates affecting this relationship. The study concludes that the design of effective traffic safety messages must consider both the characteristics of the message content and the characteristics of the message audience. |
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