What does reactance mean?
Reactance is a formal term for the instinctive resistance that can arise when someone attempts to influence a person in a way that seems to threaten their freedom or autonomy. Its use became especially prominent in psychology through Jack Brehm's theory of psychological reactance, which proposed that threatened independence motivates people to oppose attempts at control. The reaction may appear as argumentativeness, defiance, anger, or a renewed commitment to the threatened behavior. Reactance is not simply any disagreement: it involves a perceived attempt to restrict choice or self-determination. The word also has a separate technical meaning in electrical engineering, referring to the opposition that inductance or capacitance creates in an alternating-current circuit. In everyday discussion, reactance is more common in psychology, education, persuasion, and the study of attitude change than in general conversation.
nounIn psychology, reactance is a motivation to resist or oppose an attempted influence, especially when that influence is perceived as a threat to one's freedom or autonomy. In electrical engineering, it denotes the opposition to alternating current caused by inductance or capacitance.
- A psychological motivation to resist or oppose an attempted influence, especially when it is perceived as a threat to freedom or autonomy.
- In electrical engineering, the opposition offered to alternating current by inductance or capacitance.
"The children showed considerable reactance when their teacher abruptly restricted their choices."
"The display of reactance was strongest among participants whose autonomy had been challenged."
"The coil was selected to provide the required capacitive reactance at the operating frequency."
Reactance is normally used as an uncountable noun, especially in its psychological sense.
"The study measured reactance among participants who had been given fewer choices."
Psychological reactance explains why people may become more determined to do something when someone tries to forbid it: the attempt at control can create the very defiance it hopes to prevent.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reactance come from?
The word belongs to an English word family based on Latin reagere, meaning “to return” or “to drive back,” formed from re- and agere, “to do” or “to act.” English developed several related forms, including react, reaction, reactive, and reactant, before reactance became established for psychological opposition and, later, electrical impedance. The psychological concept was given systematic treatment in Jack Brehm's influential theory of psychological reactance.
How reactance is actually used
In psychology, reactance is chiefly a mass noun used in formal or clinical discussion; plural forms are uncommon. In electrical engineering, it is a technical quantity and is often used with terms such as capacitive, inductive, reactance, and impedance.
Easily confused with reactance
Reactance specifically emphasizes an instinctive opposition to perceived pressure or a threat to autonomy, whereas resistance is the broader term for opposing or resisting a force, action, or influence.