Discussion:
Reactance Theory
Reactance theory was proposed by Jack Brehm (1966) in which he concluded that when individuals feel that their freedom is being threatened, they react in an oppositional manner (Brehm & Brehm, 1981). Specific behavioral elements of reactance theory explain that individuals who perceive a threat to their freedom often demonstrate a boomerang effect in which they become more inclined to enact the very behavior that was restricted or demonstrate a related boomerang effect in which they might engage in acts that are similar to the behavior that has been restricted (Brehm, 1966).