Abstract:
To study the effects of threatening messages and preference for consistency on psychological reactance. Participants were 180 Chulalongkorn University undergraduate students, 90 HIPFC (45 males and 45 females) and 90 LOWPFC (45 males and 45 females). The design was a 2 preference for consistency (high or HIPFC vs. low or LOWPFC) x 3 discrepant messages (high threat, low threat and no threat), with 30 students in each cell. Students in each group read different threatening messages, with either high threat, low threat, or no threat, and responded on scales measuring attitude toward human cloning and feeling while in the experiment. The psychological reactance was measured by the attitude of the students in high threat message group and low threat message group compare to no threat message group. The results are as follow 1. The students in the high threat group have their attitude toward the advocated position scores less than students in the low threat group and the no threat group. 2. Among the students who received high threat message, HIPFC students have their attitudes toward human cloning to the advocated position significantly less than LOWPFC students. 3. Among the students who received low threat message, HIPFC students do not have their attitudes toward human cloning to the advocated position differently from LOWPFC students.