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Both the real surveys and the experiments show that reactance to restrictive measures is much stronger prior to their introduction than afterwards. This is true regardless of test subjects鈥� attitudes to the specific issue, for example to vaccines. 鈥淩eactance is often only temporary and declines substantially after the introduction of restrictive measures,鈥� says study leader Dr. Armin Granulo. 鈥淩esistance is less robust than many politicians fear.鈥�

What causes this effect? The researchers suspected that a known mechanism of our perception was involved: When confronted by change, people focus more on the change itself than on the prevailing state before and after the change. But once the transitional process is complete, they can view the new condition more impartially.

Psychologist Prof. Robert B枚hm explains: 鈥淲hen a new rule is announced, people initially focus on what they will lose: freedom, habitual behavior, comfort. After the introduction, these personal losses recede into the background. We are then much more conscious of the societal gains, for example for public health or climate protection.鈥�

With their experiments the researchers were able to confirm that this mechanism is an important cause of reactance. Among other questions, they asked the test subjects how much they felt the measures would restrict their personal freedom and whether they were more focused on the personal or societal consequences. The test subjects who were told that measures were already in place showed attitudes that were dominated less by individual concerns and more by the societal situation as compared to the subjects in the experiment based on an impending measure.

The study also points to ways of communicating new measures more effectively. Prof. Christoph Fuchs says: 鈥淚n one experiment we stressed the societal benefits of a systemic measure before it was introduced. The study participants who learned about the benefits at the beginning were much less inclined to reject a measure prior to its introduction.鈥�

The researchers see these insights as an important basis for societal debates and for policy makers and recommend research into further psychological factors that might influence reactance. 鈥淩egulatory measures are not the only way of overcoming societal challenges. But they are an important component,鈥� says Armin Granulo. 鈥淭hose who are aware of the psychological mechanisms will have a better understanding of how people react, the course of public debate and the prospects of new laws succeeding. They can then be guided by these insights.鈥�