A new name for rebellion

According to certain psychologists, if you instinctively resist being told what to do, being deprived of complete freedom of choice, and want to do the opposite of what your mother/wife/boss suggests, you're not being rebellious, you're "reactant."

Tanya Chartrand and Gavan Fitzsimons had just gotten married when they came to Duke University as psychology professors. Then Tanya noticed that Gavan had a really annoying habit. Whenever she'd ask him for help around the house, he would do exactly the opposite. What's more, he didn't even seem to know he was doing it.
So they designed a formal research study. And for the first time, they proved that some people (like Gavan), unconsciously act in certain ways simply to avoid doing what their significant others want them to do. They call it 'reactance'.

Listen to "You're not listening" via The Story from American Public Media.