measuring psychological reactance

This note last modified January 12, 2026

The Hong and Page scale is hard to find. Here it is, taken from “A UNIDIMENSIONAL MEASURE OF HONG’S PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTANCE SCALE PETER K. JONASON AND HEATHER M. KNOWLES”

  1. Regulations trigger a sense of resistance in me.
  2. I find contradicting others stimulating.
  3. When something is prohibited, I usually think “That’s exactly what I am going to do.”
  4. The thought of being dependent on others aggravates me.
  5. I consider advice from others to be an intrusion.
  6. I become frustrated when I am unable to make free and independent decisions.
  7. It irritates me when someone points out things which are obvious to me.
  8. I become angry when my freedom of choice is restricted.
  9. Advice and recommendations induce me to do just the opposite.
  10. I am content only when I am acting of my own free will.
  11. I resist the attempts of others to influence me.
  12. It makes me angry when another person is held up as a model for me to follow.
  13. When someone forces me to do something, I feel like doing the opposite.
  14. It disappoints me to see others submitting to society’s standards and rules.
  15. When someone forces me to do something I say to myself: “Now that’s exactly what I don’t want to do.”
  16. It pleases me to see how others submit to social norms and constraints.“
  17. Strong praise makes me skeptical.
  18. I react negatively when someone tries to tell me what I should or should not do.

“Trimming the Fat Reveals a One-Factor Construct of Hong’s Psychological Reactance Scale” by Peter K. Jonason et. al has a smaller, single factor scale:

  1. Regulations trigger a sense of resistance in me.
  2. I find contradicting others stimulating.
  3. When something is prohibited, I usually think “That’s exactly what I am going to do.”
  4. I become frustrated when I am unable to make free and independent decisions.
  5. It irritates me when someone points out things which are obvious to me.
  6. I am content only when I am acting of my own free will.
  7. It makes me angry when another person is held up as a model for me to follow.
  8. When someone forces me to do something, I feel like doing the opposite.
  9. It disappoints me to see others submitting to society’s standards and rules.
  10. When someone forces me to do something I say to myself: “Now that’s exactly what I don’t want to do.”
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