371. The Reactance Bias

0:00Have you ever wondered how two people could look at the exact same thing and come away with two very different opinions on what it means? Or have you been baffled how someone could believe something that, to you, is obviously untrue? This kind of thing happens all the time. But how can you be sure you're the one seeing things accurately? Hi, I'm Kathy, a homeschool mom, passionate about teaching critical thinking to the next generation, so they're propaganda proof and impossible to fool with bad arguments. And I like to have fun doing it. Welcome to the Filter Through a Brain Cell Podcast. Hey, what is up, thinkers? Welcome back to another episode where you're going to get a little harder to fool a little bit better at thinking every time you listen. So let's start off like we like to do by reviewing a type of media bias that we covered earlier in season two called Word Choice. All right, one hit pause real quick and see if you can remember or even just guess, try to figure out what Word Choice in Media Bias might be. So Word Choice in Media Bias happens when journalists or news outlets use very specific words and often words that are emotionally charged or suggestive in order to influence

1:05the way that readers or listeners perceive a particular story. So if you want to review or hear more about this bias, you can go back and check it out in episode 291. Okay, let's dive into today's new bias called the reactance bias. And yes, that's like the word react, meaning how we respond to something or to someone. So the reactance bias is our tendency to push back or to want something more simply because we feel like someone is trying to control us or take away our freedom to choose. And the more we feel pressured, the more we often want to do the exact opposite, even if it isn't in our best interest. So let me give you some examples. Maybe your mom says, don't touch the cookies until after dinner. And suddenly those cookies are all you can think about. Now maybe granted, it's cookies and you're probably hungry, so maybe you were thinking about them anyways. But being told, no, sometimes makes you want them even more. Or your friend says, you've got to watch this show. It is the best.

2:06And now you don't even want to watch anymore because it feels like you're being told what to do. They're bossing you around. Or maybe your teacher assigns a classic book that honestly you probably would have enjoyed on your own, but now it feels like a chore simply because it's been assigned to you. Or let's say maybe somebody tells you, don't listen to that band, don't listen to that music. And suddenly you're curious enough that you go look them up and you want to listen to them. So why does our brain do this? Well our brains commit the reactance bias because we naturally value freedom and independence. And I think that's something that God has kind of put into the human spirit. And when we sense that our choices are being restricted, our brains see it as a threat. And the brains become motivated to get that freedom back, even if it means making a less than wise decision. So this idea was first described in 1966 when a psychologist came up with the theory that people feel uncomfortable when they believe their freedom to choose has been limited.

3:07And in fact, there's a well-known study that researchers found that when preschool children were shown two identical toys, but one was behind a clear barrier. So the kids could see it, but they couldn't touch it. They wanted the toy that they couldn't touch much more than the one that they could easily reach even though they were the same. So simply making something less available made it seem more desirable. Isn't that interesting? Here's a real life example of the reactance bias. It happened in the United States during the prohibition period. So to explain, during the 1920s, the US government made it illegal to make sell and transport alcohol. It was prohibited. And the goal was to reduce crime and to try to improve people's lives. But for many Americans, the ban had the opposite effect because alcohol was suddenly forbidden. Some people wanted it even more. And secret bars called Speakeezies popped up across the countries and criminals made a lot

4:07of money selling alcohol illegally. And now, of course, there were many factors that contributed to this. So I were really simplifying this down in this example. But it did show an important lesson about human nature that sometimes when people feel that a choice has been taken away, they become even more determined to make that choice. So what about you? Have you ever found your brain experiencing the reactance bias? And if so, when? And if you do, here's a question you can ask yourself. Am I reacting against the message or have I actually evaluated whether the message is true? Let me say it again. Am I just reacting against the message or have I actually evaluated whether or not it's true? Alright, y'all, that's it for today. Remember, biases happen automatically and will affect your ability to discern the truth. You can slow down your thinking by asking. What am I not seeing and how could my view be incomplete?