Researchers study why husbands ignore requests for help around the house; New term to learn: "Reactance"

In a debate that probably can be traced back to whose turn it was to take the dinosaur bones out of the cave, men and women have argued why men ignore requests by their wives to do basic chores around the house. This is not the sort of thing that scientists often tackle but researchers at Duke University did exactly that and their findings were surprising. The key is a term called "reactance."

Reactance is "a person's tendency to resist social influences that they perceive as threats to their autonomy." Stated another way it is when people act in a way simply to avoid doing what other people want them too. (Others would describe this as being a "normal married couple."). The essence of reactance is rebellion.

The surprising aspect of the research was how much reactance is unconscious. According to one of the study's authors:

"The main finding of this research is that people with a tendency toward reactance may nonconsciously and quite unintentionally act in a counterproductive manner simply because they are trying to resist someone else's encroachment on their freedom."

What should one do if one experiences reactance?

The researchers suggest that the most important thing is to be aware of the situations and people who trigger their reactant tendencies so that they can work to keep their sense of rebellion in check--especially if it leads to self-destructive behaviors.

Of course men and women will likely perceive the reactant studies differently. Even the husband/wife team that lead the experiments don't necessarily agree on what they mean:

Wife Tanya Chartrand believes her husband (Duke Professor Gavan Fitzsimons) "should now be better equipped to suppress his reactant tendencies." Fitzsimons, on the other hand, believes the "results suggest that reactance to significant others is so automatic that I can't possibly be expected to control it if I don't even know it's happening."