Reactance Theory, Freedom Seeking, Protesting, and Other COVID-19 Behaviors

Abstract

Abstract Reactance theory is a sociopsychological theory suggesting that when people have their freedom limited, they develop a strong motivational state directed toward re-establishing the threatened or eliminated freedom. For example, when people’s freedom to engage in a certain behavior is threatened, they become increasingly motivated to engage in the behavior. After the initial shock of COVID-19, policies were almost ubiquitously enacted to prevent people from working outside the home and having group and face-to-face interactions. According to reactance theory, these strong measures will make some people feel that their personal freedom is threatened, and they could consequently come to increasingly desire to engage in these forbidden activities even in violation of direct government orders. This explains why many people have protested stay-home and other government restrictions, sometimes even to the extent of offering violence. This chapter applies the psychological reactance theory to explain people’s freedom-seeking behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic and outlines the lessons to be learned from the pandemic situation in terms of the management and control of these behaviors.