Personality and psychological reactance: extending the nomological net

Abstract

Psychological reactance is a construct that has potential wide ranging counseling implications. Recently, researchers have argued that reactance is characterological in nature and have attempted to delineate its nomological network. This study extends the nomological network of psychological reactance using the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Therapeutic Reactance Scale (TRS). Personality type was found to be related to psychological reactance as measured by the TRS. The relationship between the TRS and MBTI, while significant, is complicated by a significant three-way interaction between Extraversion-Introversion, Intuition-Sensing and Thinking-Feeling. More specifically, thinkers consistently reported higher levels of psychological reactance than did Feelers, and intuitive-thinkers tended to report higher levels of psychological reactance than did sensing-thinkers.