Reactance theory grew out of research on consumer behavior. This psychological theory describes how people react when they sense a threat to their freedom of choice. The theory extends to many other ...

The theory of psychological reactance originates in the 1960s with Jack Brehm, who developed it when he was a professor at Duke University. Brehm said that humans are negatively aroused when they ...

This mechanism is present in all human beings, but it manifests itself with greater or lesser intensity depending on factors such as the individual’s perception of freedom, the importance given to ...

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