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Control, Its Loss, and Psychological Reactance

Published 1 January 1993
Jack W. Brehm
Citations87

Abstract

Reactance theory was formulated to deal with certain phenomena of social influence (Brehm, 1966; Brehm & Brehm, 1981; Wicklund, 1974). It held that people believe they have specific behavioral freedoms, and when those freedoms are threatened or eliminated in any way, the individual becomes motivated (reactance) to reinstate them.

Keywords

Psychology