Reverse psychology
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Reverse psychology is the term that describes the outcome where advocacy of one course of action persuades someone to do the opposite.
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[edit] Literary examples
In Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer, Tom is assigned as punishment the difficult job of whitewashing a fence. By pretending that the task is actually a cherished privilege, Tom convinces a succession of other boys not only to do the work for him—but also to pay Tom for allowing them to do it.
In one of Joel Chandler Harris's Uncle Remus stories, Brer Rabbit escapes from Brer Fox by repeatedly pleading "Please, Brer Fox, don't fling me in that briar patch." The fox does so, allowing the rabbit to escape.
In the television show Ed, Edd, and Eddy, in an attempt to demonstrate reverse psychology, Edd commands Ed not to eat a pile of dirt, so, naturally, that is the first thing he does.
Reverse psychology occurs several times on The Simpsons, but its appearances are neither common nor uniform enough for it to qualify as a running gag. A good example is in season 3, in an episode entitled Saturdays of Thunder, when Homer -- after reading a passage in Bill Cosby's parental-advice book Fatherhood (book) -- has a "conversation" with his brain:
- Homer's Brain: Don't you get it? You've gotta use reverse psychology.
- Homer: That sounds too complicated.
- Homer's Brain: OK, don't use reverse psychology.
- Homer: All right, I will!
Reverse psychology also occurs on Seinfeld, when a waitress warns Elaine not to touch a hot cup of coffee. Elaine, of course, promptly does.
Classic examples of reverse psychology in popular culture include a large, bright red button with a sign next to it saying "do not push," or a sign saying "jump at your own risk", such as in the computer game Neverhood, where a large drain is accompanied by signs that say "Do not jump in!" and "You will die!". Naturally, nevertheless jumping in the pipe is the only way to achieve game over in the whole game without finishing it. The Looney Toons are also well known for using such 'bright red button' gags.
Reverse psychology was also seen in the TV show Superboy in an episode where Superboy appears to be tainted by red kryptonite and teams up with the villain Metallo. Together they attack a military base when at the climax Superboy then reveals to Metallo it was a plot to entrap him and prepares to strike a lethal blow to kill him. The base's commanding officer convinces Superboy not to kill Metallo, they will try and rehabilitate Superboy from the kryptonite, but Lana Lang appears and encourages Superboy to kill the villain. Superboy then remembers killing Metallo would be dishonorable and does not do it, then asks Lana why she acted vengeful. Lana explains she knew his sense of honor could break the hold of the red kryptonite, so she says she used reverse psychology to bring it out in him.
Occasionally, humor is derived from reverse psychology backfiring, as in a FoxTrot strip when Jason, faced with punishment, begs his mom to take away his computer rather than make him eat a whole box of Ho-Hos, and she agrees. A similar example appears in Narbonic.
[edit] Real-Life examples
In order to promote Queen's song Bohemian Rhapsody, Freddie Mercury gave a copy to London DJ Kenny Everett, with specific instructions not to play the song (expecting him to do the opposite, which Everett did, leading to the song's huge success).
[edit] Adorno and Horkheimer
Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer characterized the effect of the culture industry as "psychoanalysis in reverse". Their analysis began with the dialectic that operated in Germany when heirs of the Romantic movement became seekers of "Strength through Joy" only to have their movement co-opted by a combination of the mass media and National Socialism. A modern example begins with the "fitness and jogging" boom in the United States in the 1970s. The "running craze" at the Boston Marathon and in California, dialectically, was the thesis that one did not have to be "rocky" in a sweaty gym to be physically fit and that body acceptance was the key to effective aerobic training. The culture industry responded to the thesis with major advertising campaigns from Calvin Klein and others that used images exploiting excessively toned models. People compared themselves to these models which created a sense of competition, and many high school students now avoid jogging because of body shame.
The culture industry mass produces standardized material. This would not be dangerous if the material was value-free, but it frequently offers and reinforces ideals and norms that represent implied criticism of those who fail to match up. Empirical studies show that mass culture products can lower self-confidence and self-esteem, and cause humiliation among men and women whose particular characteristics are outside the normalised range for appearance, behaviour, religion, ethnicity, etc. Similarly, advertising frequently seeks to create a need to buy by showing a difference between actual situation and ideal situation. The intention is to induce dissatisfaction with the present situation and to induce expectations of satisfaction through the acquisition of products that will effect the transformation into the idealized reality. Hence, if the peer group buys, all those who cannot afford the products will feel additional unhappiness and frustration until they join the group. Thus, sometimes the process of advocacy for the one intends to produce the opposite outcome as the motivation for purchase.
But, more often than not, the cause and effect is unintended. Marxist logic applied to the culture industry indicates that it is, per se, a dialectic in which declining profit margins and increasing costs make investors anxious for "sure things". Repeating winning formulas and stereotyping create the lowest common denominator products with the lowest costs. But the less the creative input, the more likely it becomes that roles will be cast in ways that match rather than challenge common prejudices which can inadvertently damage the esteem of those in the marginalized groups.
[edit] See also
- Reactance (psychology) - the psychological concept most related to "Reverse psychology".
- Empty Fort Strategy
- Don't Press this Red Button! (an example of reverse psychology at work)
[edit] References
- Adorno, Theodor W. Negative Dialectics Continuum International Publishing Group; Reprint (1983) ISBN 0-8264-0132-5
- Horkheimer, Max, Adorno, Theodor W. & Cumming, John (Translator) Dialectic of Enlightenment
