Have you ever been attracted to something that you know you couldn’t have or was too dangerous for you? If yes, then you know about the impact of reverse psychology! But have you tried to use this tactic on someone else and it didn’t work out? If this has happened too, then you are probably wondering if reverse psychology is nothing but a gamble. Probably you are right. Here is the truth about reverse psychology:
How does reverse psychology work?
Reverse psychology essentially works on the need for humans to be in control and exercise their free will. According to Jeff Greenberg, professor of social psychology at the University of Arizona, “Reverse psychology is part of a phenomenon of psychology called reactance. The idea of reactance is that people are deeply motivated to protect their freedoms. When people feel that their freedom is threatened — for example, they think someone is taking away their ability to make their own choices — they react against that threat and try to reverse it.” Thus, when you tell a person that they “cannot” or “should not” do a particular thing, they choose to go against this prescription, exercise their free will, and do the thing that they are advised against.
Does it always work?
No, reverse psychology doesn’t always work. Studies show that people who are rebellious, emotional, irritable, or have a high sense of self-esteem or confidence are more prone to fall for reverse psychology. When someone challenges their worth or asks them to follow something blindly, they rebel and often end up doing the opposite of what was suggested to them. On the other hand, complacent people or those with a relaxed personality might just listen to what is being told to them as they are less likely to feel reactance.
Besides, how one uses reverse psychology is an important factor too. If they do it without enough preparation, they will likely fail. The same is the case with people who use reverse psychology too often. People will know what they are up to, thus resulting in reverse reverse psychology!
Is it ethical?
What is ethical and what is not is subjective. If you use reverse psychology to make your toddler eat nutritious food and stay away from junk, we might call it ethical. If you use reverse psychology to make your colleague do your work for you, then it is unethical. At the end of the day, reverse psychology is just a way to manipulate people into doing what you want them to do.
Also, if people know that you use reverse psychology often, you might lose your credibility and it might become difficult for others to take you for your word!
What should you do instead?
It is always good to be fair and considerate towards others. If you think that one should do a particular thing, then tell the pros and cons of it to the said person and leave the decision to them. You have done your part; now let them exercise their reflective powers and free will to make their decision.
However, if your 3-year-old is not eating their meals and wants to survive on candies, then you should probably make use of reverse psychology to make the child fall in love with carrots and peas! After all, food has superpowers. Here is a blog on superfoods that can help us combat air pollution to make our case.
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Originally published at https://www.fuzia.com.