Psychological Reactance as a Factor Affecting Patient Compliance to Physician Advice

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Abstract
In the present study, psychological reactance was viewed and treated both as a motivational state and as a personality trait which could be aroused through characteristics of the situation and of the individual. Reactance was measured by the Therapeutic Reactance Scale, One hundred an four male veteran smokers were exposed to either high or low amounts of physician advice to quit smoking. The advice was delivered in either a positive or negative tone. The study used a 2×2×2 (Reactance × Amount × Tone) factorial design with reported cigarette consumption among several dependent measures. The results indicated a significant interaction between the patient's level of reactance and the reactance arousing properties of the situation; namely, tone of physician advice. Scores on the Therapeutic Reactance Scale revealed that, for patients high in behavioral reactance, a low amont of negatively toned advice was most effective in facilitating a redcuction in smoking. Conversely, for subjects low in behavioral reactance, a high amount of either negatively or positively toned advice was most effective in promoting a reduction in smoking.