TY - JOUR
T1 - Defensive Reactions to Threatening Health Messages
T2 - Alternative Structures and Next Questions
AU - Dillard, James Price
AU - Meczkowski, Eric
AU - Yang, Chun
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 (James Price Dillard, Eric Meczkowski, and Chun Yang). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd). Available at http://ijoc.org.
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Defensive reactions offer an explanation for why people reject persuasive messages. Surprisingly, little research has focused on the basic question of how they are structured with regard to one another. Understanding this would enable more informed theorizing. Using data from two studies (N = 849 and N = 311), we tested four possible structures via confirmatory factor analysis, frequency analysis, and latent profile analysis. Results indicated that defensive reactions are best conceptualized as several related concepts that are positively correlated but cannot be reduced to a single phenomenon. Having addressed the structure issue empirically, we conclude with a series of questions that may guide efforts to explicate the concept known as defensive reactions.
AB - Defensive reactions offer an explanation for why people reject persuasive messages. Surprisingly, little research has focused on the basic question of how they are structured with regard to one another. Understanding this would enable more informed theorizing. Using data from two studies (N = 849 and N = 311), we tested four possible structures via confirmatory factor analysis, frequency analysis, and latent profile analysis. Results indicated that defensive reactions are best conceptualized as several related concepts that are positively correlated but cannot be reduced to a single phenomenon. Having addressed the structure issue empirically, we conclude with a series of questions that may guide efforts to explicate the concept known as defensive reactions.
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M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85088279448
SN - 1932-8036
VL - 12
SP - 973
EP - 995
JO - International Journal of Communication
JF - International Journal of Communication
ER -