Abstract

ABSTRACT The current study examined behavioral recommendations to reduce Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure through the lens of psychological reactance theory. This study conceptually replicated previous work by [Reynolds-Tylus, T., Martinez Gonzalez, A., & Quick, B. L. (2019). The role of choice clustering and descriptive norms in attenuating psychological reactance to water and energy conservation messages. Environmental Communication, 13(7), 847–863. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2018.1461672)] by examining two antecedents to psychological reactance: choice and descriptive norms. Participants (N = 607) were randomly assigned to one of five message conditions in a 2 (choice: choice, no choice) X 2 (descriptive norm: high vs. low) factorial design with a no message control. Results indicated that messages providing choice (vs. no choice) within a cluster of environmental health behaviors decreased freedom threat perceptions. As expected, reactance was negatively associated with intention to reduce BPA exposure. Descriptive norm (high vs. low) was unrelated to freedom threat but indirectly influenced behavioral intention to reduce BPA exposure as mediated through perceived descriptive norm. Our results speak to the importance of replication in communication research and provide evidence-based message design advice for environmental health campaigns. Findings are discussed in terms of the theoretical and practical contributions of the current study.

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