Objective: Persuasive health messages sometimes induce resistance. This article explores the link between self-compassion and resistance to health messages that threaten autonomy.
Design: A pilot study (N = 100) tested whether threatening health messages versus non-threatening messages damage needs for autonomy, which translates into emotional resistance and behavioural intentions of resistance. The main study (N = 83) tested self-compassion and reactant traits as moderators of observable health-behaviour (soft drink consumption) faced with threatening messages versus non-threatening messages.
Outcome measures: The pilot study tested whether threatening health messages create resistance using self-reports of anger and resistant behavioural intentions. Observable health-behaviour (soft drink vs. water consumption) was measured in the main study.
Results: The pilot study showed that the perceived threat to autonomy, which was induced by threatening health messages about soft drink consumption, creates resistance (self-reports of anger and resistant behavioural intentions). The main study shows that the most self-compassionate people act in favour of the arguments of the threatening messages (drinking water rather than soft drinks), whereas the least self-compassionate do not.
Conclusion: These innovative results are discussed in regard to the compliance role of self-compassion through self-regulatory functions.
Keywords: Resistance; health behavior; persuasive communication; self-compassion.