The Intertwined Model of Reactance for Resistance and Persuasive Boomerang

<jats:p> Recently, Kim, Levine, and Allen have successfully demonstrated that the intertwined model of psychological reactance is applicable for message features other than freedom threat (i.e., personal insult, poor argument). The supporting evidence was obtained where resistance prevailed. The current study further extends the utility of the intertwined model by replicating Kim et al.’s experiment in a content domain where persuasive boomerang was observable. Consistent with Kim et al.’s findings, results indicate that both poor argument and personal insult produced negative thoughts and anger in an intertwined manner as freedom threat does. The factor structure of reactance remained similar whether the message produced resistance (i.e., freedom threat, poor argument) or persuasive boomerang (i.e., personal insult). Anger constituted a more powerful sub-construct of reactance than negative cognition across conditions. </jats:p>