When Counterarguing Becomes the Primary Task: Examination of Dogmatic Anti-Vaping Messages on Psychological Reactance, Available Cognitive Resources, and Memory

Abstract

Abstract This study tested Psychological Reactance Theory and the Limited Capacity Model of Motivated Mediated Message Processing by examining participants’ (N = 155 young adult, ever-vapers) cognitive and affective responses to anti-vaping public service announcements (PSAs) featuring dogmatic or suggestive language. Ever-vapers in the dogmatic PSA condition were predicted to report greater perceived freedom threats, anger and counterarguments, and intentions to vape relative to ever-vapers in the suggestive PSA condition. This study also examined how counterarguing, as the cognitive component of psychological reactance, influences available cognitive resources and encoding of message content. The results indicated that ever-vapers in the dogmatic PSA condition reported significantly greater freedom threats and state psychological reactance but not intentions to vape relative to ever-vapers in the suggestive PSA condition. Moreover, counterarguing dogmatic anti-vaping PSAs resulted in fewer available cognitive resources for encoding as evidenced by slower Secondary Task Reaction Times (STRTs) and reduced encoding of message content. The results from this study provide considerable theoretical and practical implications while advancing the STRT measure.