Self-image matters: Examining individual differences in resistance to loss framing messages

Abstract

In response to the growing prevalence of overweight and obesity, public service advertisements (PSAs) promoting healthy eating have been placed throughout consumers’ online retail experiences. Some of these advertisements highlight the benefits of healthy diets (gain framing), while others warn against the negative consequences of unhealthy eating (loss framing). Understanding consumer resistance to PSAs, particularly psychological reactance, has become increasingly important due to shifts in how people access information. In an era when content platform algorithms personalize information exposure, health content continues to appear only if consumers actively engage with it. Yet consumer reactance, which often leads to information avoidance, can substantially reduce continued exposure. Through three online experiments, we found that loss framing messages are more likely to elicit greater psychological reactance compared to gain framing, particularly among individuals with a lower promotion focus trait or higher concern for face. This increased reactance results in more negative attitudes toward PSAs and further reduces willingness to engage with the information provider. This research offers practical insights for public health communicators and online food retailers on the effective placement of PSAs.