Information avoidance: An interchangeable strategy of self-protection

Across two studies, using five samples (N = 1,850), we examined whether health information avoidance—the deliberate decision to remain ignorant of available but unwanted personal health information—serves a defensive purpose and is interchangeable with other defensive strategies. We tested this idea by examining the relationship between health information avoidance—both as a dispositional tendency and deliberate decision—and feedback derogation. In Study 1, we experimentally demonstrated that a situation known to reduce defensiveness—self-uncertainty—decreased both proactive avoidance and reactive defensiveness relative to a control group. Study 2 demonstrated, across four samples, that people with a greater defensive orientation toward personal health information were more likely to derogate health information. These results are consistent with the idea that feedback derogation replaced the decision to avoid feedback. Together, results suggest that health information avoidance is likely part of a broader self-protective system and is replaceable with other motivated self-protection strategies.