Abstract
The purpose of this present study was to assess the impact of psychological reactance (Brehm, 1966) on brief types of self-directive (behavioral) and paradoxical psychotherapy. Subjects (N=42) consisted of undergraduate students who identified themselves to have a serious problem with procrastination and failed at attempts to control procrastination in the past. Subjects were randomly assigned to either self-directive or paradoxical treatment groups and either high or low reactance conditions. Psychological reactance was aroused in all subjects by means of the reverse of subjects' choice of condition. One-half of these subjects were later offered an additional experimental choice to restore the subject's sense of freedom and thereby lowering psychological reactance. Dependent measures of procrastination were obtained through self-report on the modified versions of the Procrastination Inventory and the Procrastination Log. Behavioral measures of procrastination were also employed but were found to be insufficient for statistical analysis. Results showed no clear effects in reported procrastination due to reactance. However, main effect differences were noted between self-directive and paradoxical treatments on aspects of procrastination controllability and expectation to change. Significant interactions between treatment and time and reactance and time were also noted. However, no significant changes, with respect to the frequency and severity of reported procrastination behaviors, were found. In general, the results did not support the research hypotheses regarding the impact of psychological reactance on these two types of treatment. Findings suggest further efforts to refine the measurement of reactance and its impact on the treatment of chronic procrastination.
Guilfoyle, Edmund Clyde (1986). The effects of psychological reactance and paradoxical and self-directive forms of brief psychotherapy on procrastination. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -590024.