Psychological reactance in college students: Family-of-origin predictors

This study examined the relationship between psychological reactance and dimensions of functioning in the family of origin. Psychological reactance is the tendency to exhibit resistance in relation to one's freedoms being restricted. Three hundred participants completed the Therapeutic Reactance Scale (E. T Dowd, C. R. Milne, & S. L. Wise, 1991), the Family Environment Scale (R. H. Moos & B. S. Moos, 1986), and demographic questions. Results showed that 5 family dimensions (i.e., cohesion, conflict, moral-religious emphasis, independence, and achievement orientation) significantly predicted psychological reactance. Results also showed that college students from divorced families were more psychologically reactant than students from intact families. Implications of these results for counselors and for future researchers are provided.