This paper explores the effect of messaging type and reactance on the receptiveness individuals have towards a message meant to boost their self-esteem. A 2 (Messaging: Implicit | Explicit) x 2 (Reactance: High | Low) between-subjects study was conducted to test the hypothesis that an indirect (implicit) message will have…
This paper explores the effect of messaging type and reactance on the receptiveness individuals have towards a message meant to boost their self-esteem. A 2 (Messaging: Implicit | Explicit) x 2 (Reactance: High | Low) between-subjects study was conducted to test the hypothesis that an indirect (implicit) message will have the most positive effect on self-esteem when people experience low reactance compared to people who receive direct (explicit) messages and experience high reactance. To test these hypotheses, we recruited 708 psychology students. We found that messaging type did not influence self-esteem, nor a messaging type by reactance condition interaction. However, we found that reactance, when high, had a more positive effect on self-esteem than when low. In conclusion, a message inducing a high reactance is more receptive than a message inducing low reactance.
Correctional officers are increasingly being trained in evidence-based practices and the willingness of officers to implement what they have learned is crucial for organizational reform. Most of the literature in this area has examined officer attitudes about rehabilitation and punitiveness. Left out are additional characteristics, such as self-control,…
Correctional officers are increasingly being trained in evidence-based practices and the willingness of officers to implement what they have learned is crucial for organizational reform. Most of the literature in this area has examined officer attitudes about rehabilitation and punitiveness. Left out are additional characteristics, such as self-control, that may affect an officer’s receptivity to learn and implement new techniques. The present study examines officer receptiveness to motivational interviewing using 280 surveys administered to correctional officers tasked with both delivering and supervising program delivery to inmates within the Arizona Department of Corrections. Three broad questions are asked: 1) Are officer attitudes about punishment associated with receptivity toward implementing rehabilitative techniques? 2) Are officer levels of self-control associated with receptivity toward implementing rehabilitative techniques? and 3) Is the association between officer attitudes toward punishment and receptivity toward implementing rehabilitation techniques moderated by officer self-control? The results suggest that punitiveness and self-control both have statistically significant direct effects on correctional officer receptivity to training and that self-control does not moderate the relationship between punitiveness and receptivity to training. However, these findings could be due to limitations in the present study’s sampling and statistical methods. Policy implications and future research are discussed.
