Predicting compliance with interpersonal masking requests: insights from relational framing and reactance theories

ABSTRACT

During the COVID-19 pandemic, myriad factors contributed to disagreements around the use of masks to curb the public health crisis. Against this backdrop, this study spotlights how interactional processes predict masking compliance following an interpersonal discussion. The sample included 345 U.S. adults who were requested to put on a face mask in a conversation. The results showed control variables, such as gender, political orientation, and attitude toward masking, are associated with post-interaction masking compliance. Controlling for these factors, involvement and reactance both reduced compliance; involvement amplified the negative impact of reactance on compliance, supporting the general intensifier hypothesis in relational framing theory. The discussion advocates for a close examination of interpersonal conversations as a result of health campaigns.

KEYWORDS:

• Psychological reactance
• relational framing theory
• interaction involvement
• COVID-19
• health campaigns

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Professors Lijiang Shen and James Dillard for their feedback on an earlier version of this manuscript.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data underlying this manuscript are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yuwei Li

Yuwei Li is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Communication Arts & Sciences at the Pennsylvania State University.

Timothy Worley

Timothy Worley is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of North Alabama.