Analysing your IQ
Please Wait
AKA: "Forbidden Fruit Effect"
When freedoms are restricted, you desire those options more—even if you didn't want them before.
Reactance is one of the most common cognitive errors—and one of the hardest to spot in yourself. This page explains what it is, why your brain does it, and how to mitigate it.
Being told you can't have something makes you want it more. Prohibition increases appeal.
Reactance isn't just an abstract concept—it affects real decisions about money, relationships, career, and health. The cost of ignoring it compounds over time.
This error is driven by Autonomy is a core psychological need; threats to freedom trigger defensive desire..
This bias exists because human brains evolved for survival, not accuracy. Autonomy is a core psychological need; threats to freedom trigger defensive desire. served our ancestors well. In modern contexts, it often misfires.
In investing: Reactance leads to holding losing positions too long or selling winners too early.
In relationships: This bias causes people to interpret ambiguous signals in ways that confirm existing beliefs about partners.
In work: Reactance makes it harder to update strategies when market conditions change.
In health: People ignore symptoms that contradict their self-image as "healthy" or "young."
The scientific literature on Reactance spans behavioral economics, cognitive psychology, and decision science. The finding is robust across cultures and contexts.
Recognize when your desire is reactance rather than genuine preference. Separate "want" from "want because forbidden."
Seek disconfirming evidence: Actively look for data that challenges your current belief.
Use decision journals: Write down predictions before outcomes are known, then review accuracy.
Consult diverse perspectives: People with different backgrounds spot different biases.
Implement decision rules: Pre-commit to criteria before emotionally charged situations arise.
Time-box decisions: Revisit important conclusions after a cooling-off period.
Some brains are more susceptible to this than others. Test your Emotional Health to find out.
When freedoms are restricted, you desire those options more—even if you didn't want them before.
The alternate name "Forbidden Fruit Effect" captures the intuitive essence of the bias. Reactance is the formal psychological term, while "Forbidden Fruit Effect" describes what it feels like in practice.
Recognize when your desire is reactance rather than genuine preference. Separate "want" from "want because forbidden."
The underlying mechanism is autonomy is a core psychological need; threats to freedom trigger defensive desire.. Human brains evolved heuristics for speed and survival, not accuracy in modern contexts.
Yes. Intelligence doesn't provide immunity—sometimes it makes the bias worse because smart people are better at rationalizing. Awareness and structured decision processes are more protective than raw IQ.
Being told you can't have something makes you want it more. Prohibition increases appeal.