Psychological reactance

General scientific definition

Psychological reactence theory was developed by Brehm (1966) and states that "freedom of behavior is an important, beneficial, and pervasive aspect of people’s lives; when that freedom is threatened, they become motivated to restore it" (Rosenberg & Siegel 2018, p. 281)

Relevant substantive theories

Psychological reactance theory

Sources

Brehm, J. W. (1966). A theory of psychological reactance. Oxford, England: Academic Press.

Rosenberg, B. D., & Siegel, J. T. (2018). A 50-year review of psychological reactance theory: Do not read this article. Motivation Science, 4(4), 281-300. doi:10.1037/mot0000091

Examples