Brehm's Reactance Theory: Definition & Overview | Study.com

The answer lies in what is referred to as reactance theory. This theory states that when people are restricted in some way they feel a strong need to resist and ... forTeachers forSchools forWorkingScholars® forCollegeCredit Login SignUp Menu forWorkingScholars® forCollegeCredit Plans Plans Courses Courses FindCoursesbySubject Science Math Business Psychology History English SocialScience Humanities Spanish ProfessionalDevelopment ByEducationLevel College HighSchool MiddleSchool TestPrep PopularTests… PopularTests SAT ACT TOEFL GMAT GRE CLEP GED ASVAB RealEstate TeacherCertification… TeacherCertification AEPA CEOE CSET/CBEST FTCE GACE ILTS MTEL MTLE MTTC MoGEA/MEGA NES NYSTCE OAE Praxis RICA TExES VCLA WEST Nursing… NursingTests HESI TEAS NCLEX PAXRN CNE OtherTests… OtherTests AP ASCP ASWB Accuplacer CHSPE CTEL DSST Finance FSA HSPT ISEE MBLEx NCE PERT PHR SHSAT TASC TECEP UExcel Exploreover 4,600 videocourses BrowseAllCourses SAT ACT TOEFL GMAT GRE CLEP GED ASVAB RealEstate AEPA CEOE CSET/CBEST FTCE GACE ILTS MTEL MTLE MTTC MoGEA/MEGA NES NYSTCE OAE Praxis RICA TExES VCLA WEST HESI TEAS NCLEX PAXRN CNE AP ASCP ASWB Accuplacer CHSPE CTEL DSST Finance FSA HSPT ISEE MBLEx NCE PERT PHR SHSAT TASC TECEP UExcel Credit Credit CreditOptions CreditOptions OnlineCollegeCredit HighSchool&GED CertificatesofCompletion HowitWorks TransferCredit TransferCredit AllTransferCredit FindYourSchool CollegeCoursesforCredit TransferringCredit HowItWorks EarnTransferableCredit&GetyourDegreefast Learnmore ContactSupport Copyright Instructor: SharonLinde Showbio SharonhasanMastersofScienceinMathematicsandaMastersinEducation ReactanceTheoryissomethingthatprobablyhappenstoeveryone,evenifwedon'tknowwhatitis.Readontogetabetterunderstandingofyourfeelingsandreactionstosocialpressureandlearnaboutthemanwhointroducedthetheory,JackBrehm. Createanaccount ReactanceTheoryBasicsWhenIwasingradeschool,thegirlsweregivenaredballtoplaywithandtheboysweregivenayellowone.Theteacherswereveryclearthattheseballsweretostaywiththeintendedgroupandwouldcomeouteverysooftentocheckuponus.Eventhoughtheballswereexactlythesame,wefeltastrongurgetotradethemout.Infact,wespentsomuchtimeandenergyswitchingballsandmonitoringthedoorwatchingforateacher(sowecouldswitchbackintime),thatIsuspectwehadlittleactualplaytime.Whydidwedothis?Theanswerliesinwhatisreferredtoasreactancetheory.Thistheorystatesthatwhenpeoplearerestrictedinsomewaytheyfeelastrongneedtoresistandfightbacktogaintheirfreedom.Justaswetradedtheplaygroundballs,peoplewhoaretoldnottodosomethingoftenfeelanurgetodotheverythingthey'redenied. Lesson Quiz Course 17K views JackBrehmandReactanceTheoryAmericanpsychologistJackBrehmfirstintroducedreactancetheoryinanarticlepublishedintheJournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychologyin1966.Thisandfurtherworkonthetopicgivesusareasonwhypeoplearemotivatedtorebeltoforceddecisionsandtellsuswhatmotivatesthesebehaviors. AmericanpsychologistJackBrehm Brehmwentoninhiscareertoexplainandexpanduponthereactancetheory,focusingonfreedomsandthechoicespeoplemakewhentheirfreedomisthreatened.FreedomandReactanceTheoryThebasisofBrehm'sreactancetheoryisfoundedontheremovaloffreedomfromchoices.Aswesawwithmychildhoodexperiencewiththeball,ourbehaviorintradingballswasprettyirrational.Afterall,thecoloroftheballdidn'tmatteratall;theywereotherwiseexactlythesame.Wewantedtotradeballsonlybecauseweweretoldnotto--ourfreedomwastakenaway.Thinkofatimeyoufeltyourfreedomtochoosewastakenaway.Howdidyoureact?Yourstorymaybealittledifferentfrommine,butallrelyonaperceivedfreedom,orbeliefbytheindividualthatafreedomdoesinfactexist.Inmycaseitisthebeliefthatwewerefreetochoosewhatevercolorballwewanted.Thinkaboutyourstory--howwasyourperceivedfreedomthreatened?TheNutsandBoltsofBrehm'sReactanceTheoryFreedomandBrehm'sreactancetheoryhastwoguidingprinciples: Themoreimportanttheperson'sfreedomisperceivedtobe,thelargerthereactiontotheremovalofit.Inotherwords,ifthefreedombeingthreatenedisperceivedasveryimportanttotheindividual,theywillreactonalargerscalethanifthefreedomisseenasnotsoimportant.Thestrongerthefeelingoffreedom,thelargertheresistancetothelimitations. Whenseveralfreedomsarethreatened,thereactionisgreater.Forexample,ifourfirstgradeteachershadalsolimitedwhocouldplaywiththeball,wherewecouldplay,andwhatthegameswere,therebellionwouldhavebeenstronger. Howdoyouseereactancetheoryintheimagebelow? Thissignshowsevidenceofreactancetheory.Canyouspotit? ReactanceTheoryinOurLivesIcan'thelpthinkingofoneofmyfavoritestoriesasachildaswetalkaboutBrehm'sreactancetheory:PeterRabbit.Doyourememberthestory?Peter'smotherwasgoingshoppingandtoldhimandhissisterstostayhomeandbesafe--andespeciallyawayfromMr.McGregor'sgarden.OfcoursePeterslippedawayandwenttothegarden,onlytobefoundoutbymeanMr.McGregor,chased,andsnaggedonthefence.ReactancetheoryexplainswhythelittleguywouldrisklifeandlimbsneakingouttoMr.McGregor'sgardenwhenhehadplentyoffoodathome.Anexampleofhowreactancetheoryexistsinourcurrentlivesisguncontrol.YouwouldthinkwiththerecentmassgunviolenceintheUnitedStatesthatpeoplewouldbegettingridoftheirgunsandthepurchasingofthemwouldbeonthedecline.However,researchshowsthatgunsalesactuallyriseaftermajorshootingevents,aswellasattendanceatgunshows.Brehm'sreactiontheoryisactivatedinthissituationasthepublicperceivesapossiblethreattotheirfreedomtocarryguns,andtheyreactbybuyingmoreguns.LessonSummaryWe'veallhadtheexperienceofwantingsomethingthatwe'retoldwecan'thave,evenifitdoesn'tmakesenseorwedon'treallyevenwantit.In1966,psychologistJackBrehmintroducedhistheoryofreactance.Hestatedthatpeoplereactstronglywhenfreedomisbeingthreatened.Thetermperceivedfreedomreferstothebeliefoftheexistenceoffreedom,likemybeliefthatwecouldplaywithwhateverballwewanted.Brehm'sReactanceTheoryalsostatesthatthelargerthethreatoffreedom,thelargertheresistancetoit.Also,ifseveralfreedomsarethreatenedtherewillbealargereaction.Reactancetheoryisastandardpsychologicalbeliefthatweseetodayincountlessways.Keepaneyeoutandyou'llseeevidenceofitinyoureverydaylife. TounlockthislessonyoumustbeaStudy.comMember. Createyouraccount Practice: Brehm'sReactanceTheory:Definition&OverviewQuiz Instructions:Chooseananswerandclick'Next'.Youwillreceiveyourscoreandanswersattheend. 1/5completed Whatisoneprincipleofrectancetheory? Allpeoplereacttofreedomsallthetime. Thelargerthethreattofreedom,thelargerthereaction. Reactancedeclineswithage. Reactanceincreaseswithage. Next CreateYourAccountToTakeThisQuiz Asamember,you'llalsogetunlimitedaccesstoover84,000lessonsinmath, English,science,history,andmore.Plus,getpracticetests,quizzes,andpersonalizedcoachingtohelpyousucceed. Tryitnow Itonlytakesafewminutestosetupandyoucancancelanytime. Alreadyregistered? Loginhereforaccess Registertoviewthislesson Areyouastudentorateacher? Iamastudent Iamateacher UnlockYourEducation Seeforyourselfwhy30millionpeopleuseStudy.com BecomeaStudy.commemberandstartlearningnow. BecomeaMember Alreadyamember?LogIn  Back WhatteachersaresayingaboutStudy.com Tryitnow Alreadyregistered? 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MotivationandEmotion:TutoringSolution EmotionsinPsychology:Definition,BiologicalComponents&Survival 4:00 CategoriesofEmotion:6BasicEmotions,OppositionalPairs&Biology 7:22 TheoriesofEmotion:James-Lange,Cannon-Bard,Two-Factor&FacialFeedbackHypothesis 6:15 FightorFlightResponse:Definition,Physiology&Examples 6:59 UnderstandingStress:Eustress,Distress&CopingStrategies 3:57 PositivePsychology:Optimism,Self-Efficacy&Happiness 4:02 TheoriesofMotivation:Instinct,DriveReduction&Arousal 4:52 UnderstandingHunger:Physical&PsychologicalFactors 9:04 Maslow'sHierarchyofNeeds:Definition,Theory&Pyramid 6:11 Brehm'sReactanceTheory:Definition&Overview NextLesson CarlLangeandPsychology:Theory,Overview Introspection:Definition&Explanation MisattributionTheory:Definition&Explanation 4:36 PairedAssociation:Definition&Explanation RobertPlutchik'sWheelofEmotions 6:05 WalterCannon:Stress&FightorFlightTheories 6:24 WhatIsaPsychologicalStressor?-Definition&Examples 4:32 WhatIsEmotionalIntelligence?-Definition&Explanation 4:16 WhatIsOptimism?-Definition&Explanation 3:20 AynRand'sViewonAltruism OverviewoftheStagesofAnger 5:05 ThePsychologyofAdvertising TheRelationshipBetweenAsperger's&Anger 4:06 OptimisticvsPessimisticThinking 5:14 RealisticvsOptimisticThinking 3:59 ActivitiestoIdentifyAngerTriggers Goto MotivationandEmotion:TutoringSolution Ch8. 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