Reactance and therapeutic noncompliance

We explored the behavioral correlates of reactance in actual psychotherapy relationships. Ninety client-therapist pairs participated. Clients completed a well-being improvement rating and two reactance measures. Therapists rated improvement in client global functioning, medication compliance, 61 client behaviors during therapy, and premature termination. Reactance was negatively associated with global improvement, positively with premature termination, but not with medication compliance. Reactance was positively associated with a set of interpersonal distancing behaviors labeled Boundary Augmentation and weakly with boundary reducing behaviors. Reactance was not associated with behaviors indicative of a collaborative relationship nor of disengagement from therapy. Improvement was positively associated with a collaborative relationship and negatively with boundary-reducing behaviors.