Effect of a favor which reduces freedom.

The purpose was to show that when a favor reduces a person's freedom, it arouses "psychological reactance," a motivational state aimed at restoration of this freedom. Ss, run individually, learned they were to make Ist-imprcssion ratings of another S (confederate) and then were given a soft drink by this S, prior to making the ratings. In a 2 X 2 design, the Ist-imprcssion ratings were given low or high importance, and I of each importance group received the favor, I, not. An opportunity was presented for S to do a favor for the confederate after the ratings. In the low-importance condition, the favor increased the likelihood that S would perform a favor in turn for the confederate, and in high importance, the favor reduced the likelihood that S would perform the return favor.