For example, the empirical foundation of cognitive dissonance theory was research demonstrating that after choosing between two relatively attractive items, individuals enhanced the attractiveness of the chosen item and depreciated the rejected item brehm. Jack brehm was born in 1928 and grew up in des moines, iowa. On the basis of the approachavoid dynamics assumed by reactance theory s. According to the theory, people are motivated to restore a. Observing the restriction of another person vicarious reactance and the role of selfconstrual and culture. State reactance, and reactance restoration brian l. They argued that the primary limiting factor in the application of reactance theory to persuasive. Since brehm first proposed reactance theory in 1966. In his words, psychological reactance refers to the idea that when individual freedoms are reduced or threatened with reduction, people tend to be motivationally aroused to regain those freedoms.
The current research assesses the relationship between autonomy and trait reactance, and suggests that they may lead to opposite responses when healthrisk information is pro. We present an overview of research that has been done since then. Nudging people too hard using overlyassertive language or forcing people to make choices that dont feel natural may trigger reactance. The current virtual special issue builds off the work of tian and colleagues to reveal reactances explanatory power for the study of seemingly disparate communication phenomena. Reactance theory assumes there are free behaviors individuals perceive and can take part in at any given moment. Reactance theory suggests that attempting to prevent alcohol consumption among underage college students will create reactance motivation and lead to increased drinking among such students. Linn, 2004, it was predicted that interpersonal similarity can reduce reactance by increasing compliance and by. The article begins with an overview of psychological reactance theory. This book discusses a number of special topic areas to which the reactance theory seems especially relevant. Brehm noted that reactance is defined not simply as an unpleasant tension but rather a motivational state with a specific direction, namely, the.
Inductive reactance is associated with the magnetic field that surrounds a wire or a coil carrying a current. According to the theory when an individual feels forced into a certain behavior, they will react against the coercion. The arousal of such reactance creates a motivation to reassert thethreatened freedom. We conclude that although there has been impressive development in the reactance.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. A theory of psychological reactance, 1966, jack williams. Therefore, reactant individuals have a strong urge to do something. Reactance theory, following the tradition of dissonance theory, is a theory of motivation. Psychological reactance theory is a commonly relied upon framework for understanding audience members resistance to persuasive health messages. Since brehm first proposed reactance theory in 1966, many studies have. For a behavior to be free, the individual must have the relevant physical and psychological abilities to partake in it, and must know they can engage in it at the moment, or in the near future. Theory and applications, in na advances in consumer research volume 16, eds. We have analyzed the investigation about reactance theory since its proposition and we have identified that the theory is studied in different areas of knowledge, as psychology, consumer behavior and health studies. Reactance theory is still considered to be one of the basic psychological theories. Perspective taking to reduce psychological reactance in individualists and collectivists. Psychological reactance a theory of freedom and control pdf. Since july of 1987, it has been illegal throughout the usa for those under 21 yr.
Interpreting parents resistance to services through the lens of reactance theory rebecca g. A theory of freedom and control provides information pertinent to the fundamental aspects of reactance theory. Brehm s reactance theory also states that the larger the threat of freedom, the larger the resistance to it. Brehm, posits that when something or eliminates peoples freedom of behavior, they experience psychological reactance, sense of lost control or surrender wortman and. Psychological reactance theory brehm 1966 accounts for how individuals become aversively aroused when perceived freedoms are threatened by overtly persuasive messages. Psychological reactance a theory of freedom and control pdf pdf psychological reactance theory prt. Wicklund, 1974, yet, according to the theory, threats to freedom do not inevitably reduce compliance. Congruent with reactance theory, a large literature shows that social influence is more successful when it does not threaten important freedoms s. Understanding reactance is a must if you want to apply behavioral research effectively. One could argue that thinking about blindly following anothers advice, especially if that other has no privileged knowledge. Building on the inception of reactance theory where brehm emphasized that reactance is a highly motivational construct, with this section, we aim to demonstrate the value of reactance. The current virtual special issue builds off the work of tian and colleagues to reveal reactance s explanatory power for the study of seemingly disparate communication phenomena. Frontiers psychological reactance and persuasive health. Reactance is an unpleasant motivational arousal reaction to offers, persons, rules, or regulations that threaten or eliminate specific behavioral freedoms.
The theory suggests conditions in which people will. Reactance theory has also been applied to explicate findings in a variety of other areas. The theory of psychological reactance the theory of psychological reactance states that people react against attempts to control their behavior and threats to their freedom of choice brehm 1966. Review article understanding psychological reactance. Reactance theory is a standard psychological belief that we see today in countless ways. Responses to the loss of freedom a theory of psychological reactance, jack williams brehm, 1972, choice psychology, 26 pages. Psychological reactance theory dr simon moss sicotests.
Dillard and shen 2005 took issue with brehm and brehms 1981 conceptualization of reactance as a motivational state that cannot be measured. Jack williams brehm, a theory of psychological reactance philpapers only if the freedom threat affects aspects that are important to the self do people show reactance. This reaction is often exemplified by an increased desire for the behavior. Psychological reactance was first defined by brehm 1966 as the the motivational state directed toward the reestablishment of a threatened or eliminated freedom p. Reactance theory 40 years later social psychology vol. When threats to freedom come from the ingroup versus the outgroup. From our perspective, there are two competing possibilities, and one could make a reasonable case for each. The explanatory power of reactance journal of communication. Mirick, phd, msw, licsw families in society 2018 93. Wicklund, 1974, one of the most widelystudied theories of resistance to social influence, proposes that the motivation to maintain personal freedoms creates resistance to persuasion. Reactance is the internal motivation to reclaim our sense of freedom when we feel it being taken away from us.
Brehm and sensenig reported a simple experiment that demonstrated psychological reactance. Examining the role of trait reactance and sensation. It pertains to some areas of our decisionmaking and those effects are thought to occur before the decision making itself. Psychological reactance and persuasive healthcommunication. Review article understanding psychological reactance new developments and findings christina steindl, 1 eva jonas, 1 sandra sittenthaler, 1 eva trautmattausch, 1 and jeff greenberg 2 1 department of psychology, university of salzburg, austria, 2 department of psychology, university of arizona, tucson, az, usa abstract. Dillard and shen 2005 took issue with brehm and brehm s 1981 conceptualization of reactance as a motivational state that cannot be measured. Reactance theory was developed by a guy by the name of jack brehm in the early 60s. Brehm, 1966 posits that when something threatens or eliminates peoples freedom of behavior, they experience psychological reactance, a motivational state. After graduating from harvard, jack attended graduate school at the university of minnesota, working with leon festinger. Brehm, 1966 are used to infer the existence of reactance. They argued that the primary limiting factor in the application of reactance theory.
Also, if several freedoms are threatened there will be a large reaction. Aug 28, 2019 jack williams brehm, a theory of psychological reactance philpapers only if the freedom threat affects aspects that are important to the self do people show reactance. Reactance occurs when a person feels that someone or something is taking away their choices or limiting the range of alternatives. Resistance is unaffected by the rate of change of voltage or current and remains the same whether dc, or ac of any frequency is applied. The theory suggests reactance may be minimized through the use of implicit, autonomysupportive language and message forms designed to protect and restore threatened freedoms. For example, if individuals think they are free to. Brehm, 1966 posits that when something threatens or eliminates peoples freedom of behavior, they experience psychological reactance, a. Two factors determining the reaction to restrictions are the absoluteness of a ppsychological and selfrelevance. Psychological reactance theory was first proposed by the social psychologist jack brehm in 1966.
Reactance can occur when someone is heavily pressured to accept a certain view or attitude. Brehm and brehm 1981, and has been termed by some researchers as reactive autonomy koestner and losier 1996. After high school, he served in the navy and then attended harvard college. Reactance has been the focus of a wide range of research appearing in journal of communication.
Behavioral scientists have long studied the idea of reactance, a concept pioneered by jack brehm in 1966. Reactance why controlling peoples sense of freedom can. This motivation to restore threatened or lost freedom, which brehm. Reactance also occurs for short intervals when direct current is changing as it approaches or departs from steady flow, for example, when switches are closed or opened. In a game that required cooperation, a subject actually a confederate of the experimenter passed one of two notes to the other subject. We conclude that although there has been impressive development in the. In studies conducted from 1960s to early 21 st century, the activation and the magnitude of psychological reactance were inferred from its antecedents and outcomes. The theory describing a motivational state consisting of distress, anxiety and desire to restore freedoms taken away when an individual responds to a perceived threat or to loss of a freedom.