A-Z Popular New Human Factors Search »
Motivation
 
Related Guides

What is Reactance?

 , updated on
Reactance is a motivation that occurs in response to an attempt to limit freedom such as freedom of choice, expression or privacy.
People tend to be highly motivated to preserve their freedom and may react negatively to commands, rules or actions that are perceived as a threat to certain individual freedoms. Reactance has implications for leadership, management, sales, marketing and other domains that depend on social influence.

Reverse Psychology

A manipulative technique known as reverse psychology is an intentional attempt to trigger reactance. For example, a car salesperson may suggest that the cheapest car in the showroom is most suitable for a customer in the hopes the customer will react by choosing an expensive model.

Nudges

A nudge is a technique that seeks to influence without triggering reactance using positive reinforcement and subtle suggestions. For example, a car salesperson may walk a customer through a carefully designed set of choices intended to guide the customer towards selecting expensive options.
Overview: Reactance
Type
Motivation
Definition
The motivation to defend your personal freedoms such as choice, expression and privacy.
Value
Considered a common and strong motivation that explains a broad range of behaviors.
Related Concepts

Motivation

This is the complete list of articles we have written about motivation.
Alienation
Ambition
Angst
Attitude Change
Avoidance
Bucket List
Complacency
Curiosity Drive
Determination
Effort
Employee Motivation
ERG Theory
Esprit De Corps
Expectancy Theory
Expectations
Extrinsic Motivation
Flow Theory
Inspiration
Intrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic Reward
Locus Of Control
Mediocrity
Morale
Optimism
Peak Experiences
Procrastination
Pull
Push
Silent Goal
Skin In The Game
Status Seeking
Ubermensch
Work Motivation
More ...
If you enjoyed this page, please consider bookmarking Simplicable.
 

Motivation

An overview of motivation.

Art For Art's Sake

An overview of art for art's sake.

Thought Processes

A list of thinking approaches and types.

Employee Satisfaction

Common elements of employee satisfaction.

Skin In The Game

The definition of skin in the game with examples.

Employee Motivation

The definition of employee motivation with examples.

Achieved Status

The definition of achieved status with examples.

Ubermensch

An overview of the ubermensch or superman.

Angst

The definition of angst with examples.

Discipline vs Motivation

A comparison of discipline and motivation.

Logic

A few logic terms explained.

Cognitive Biases

A list of common cognitive biases explained.

Abstract Ideas

A few dangers of being too abstract.

Objective vs Subjective

The difference between objective and subjective.

Intellectual Diversity

A definition of intellectual diversity with examples.

Creative Value

The definition of creative value with examples.

Anecdotal Evidence

The definition of anecdotal evidence with examples.

Benefit Of Doubt

The definition of benefit of doubt with examples.

Pessimism

The definition of pessimism with examples.
The most popular articles on Simplicable in the past day.

New Articles

Recent posts or updates on Simplicable.
Site Map