In social psychology, the boomerang effect, also known as "reactance", refers to the unintended consequences of an attempt to persuade resulting in the adoption of an opposing position instead.
It is sometimes also referred to as "the theory of psychological reactance", stating that attempts to restrict a person's freedom often produce an "anticonformity boomerang effect".
[2] Hovland, Janis and Kelly[3] first recorded and named the boomerang effect in 1953, noting that it is more likely under certain conditions: Later in 1957, Hovland, Sherif and Harvey[4] further discussed the necessity of understanding these unintended attitude changes in persuasion communication and suggested possible approaches for analysis via underlying motivational processes, psychophysical stimuli, as well as ego-involving verbal material.
Jack Brehm[5] first raised attention to the phenomenon a fait accompli that might conceivably create dissonance if an event has led to the opposite behavior predicted at a prior point.
In Jack Brehm's experiment it shows how even at a young age we are greatly impacted by the boomerang effect and it can have positive or negative outcomes that come with it.
Although Festinger himself was ambiguous about the role of commitment in the theory, later researchers such as Brehm[12] and Cohen[13] have emphasized its importance in providing a general conceptualization of the boomerang effect.
Earlier studies by Thibaut and Strickland[14] and Kelley and Volkhart[15] have also provided support to this line of reasoning by Dissonance Theory despite that they were not phrased using the exact terminology.
[16] Showing how the dissonance theory directly correlates to the boomerang effect has made impact on our knowledge of why humans act and can be influenced the way that they are.
In his experiment, he presented factors that can lead to a boomerang effect, while suggesting a broader view of the unintended consequences than simply the case of a response to attempted attitude change.
The data showed that the difference between dissonance conditions was largely confined to and exaggerated for those subjects who originally rated their partners to be relatively more likable and friendly.
Dissonance theory suggests that the basic issue is under what conditions a person strengthens his original attitude as a way of reducing some attitudinal inconsistency.
Their results helped managers to evaluate the effects from implementing consumer retention measures and advised a cautious and limited application of loyalty programs.
In Studies 2 & 3, we hypothesized that the boomerang effect predicted by self-affirmation literature (Schumann & Dweck, 2014; Sherman & Cohen, 2006; Steele, 1988) would be a result of participants being motivated to justify their actions and stay set in their ways in order to avoid being labeled as chauvinistic or misogynistic.
Ringold argued that some consumer's negative reactions on alcoholic beverage warnings and education efforts can be explained concisely by Brehm's psychological reactance theory.
Dillard and Shen also emphasized the importance of reactance theory to understand failures in persuasive health communication but argued that there be a measurement problem.
Hyland and Birrell[23] found that a government health warning on cigarette advertisements published in 1979 led to a "boomerang effect" leading to an increase desire to smoke after viewing the campaign.
289 undergraduate students from the University of Georgia participated, and each of them was assigned to a random section of laptop computers, which would play public service announcement videos on different message topics (on drunk-driving and anti-smoking) and with varying levels of empathy present.
For example, when state representative David Hollister introduced that there would now be a monetary fine if a driver is found not wearing a seatbelt, he received hate mail comparing him to Hitler.
[26] Mann and Hill[28] investigated the case of litter control and showed that the combination of different positive influence strategies could actually create boomerang effect and decrease the amount of appropriate disposal of waste.
First, when individuals perceived the framing of a help appeal to have excessive statements of need, they become suspicious and concern the motive and the true severity of the original request (i.e., mistrust).
The findings suggest that using celebrities in public service messages to discuss mental health issues like depression and advocating for support would cause the boomerang effect in its reached audience.
There were billboard ads, commercials, signs, and many more different kinds of visual and audio messages for the public to wear a mask if they needed to go out and to maintain a distance of six feet between others at all times in order to minimize the spread of the virus.
A 2020 study revealed that depressed nurses exhibited lower levels of reaction compared to their calmer counterparts, emphasizing the importance of addressing the mental well-being of healthcare professionals.
"[42] This underscores the broader conclusion that the mental health of those in demanding occupations, like nursing and medicine, is at a higher risk due to the challenging nature of their work.
"[45] Brown’s life-changing experience on the field highlights the potential consequences of sustained physical impact, prompting a broader discussion about mental health within the sports community.
The concept of a sports "bubble," where rigorous protocols allow for competition in a controlled environment, played a role in positively affecting both fan's and player's mental health.
The University of Michigan quoted, "The Bubble provided the NBA with a unique marketing opportunity of highlighting its tight-knit community to the rest of the world.
[48] The murder of George Floyd triggered a global movement, particularly in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) community, influencing the sports world significantly.
Colin Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the national anthem as a form of protest for the Black Lives Matter movement serves as a pivotal example.
Other significant organizations, such as the NBA[56] and the NHL,[57] recognized the impact Kaepernick's decision had and began to promote the Black Lives Matter movement.