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Theories about being contrary

Explanations > Theories > Theories about being contrary

Here are academic theories about how we seek to avoid conforming or otherwise acting in contrary ways.

Doing contrary things

• Compensation: acting to disconfirm negative perception from others.
• Counter-Attitudinal Advocacy: sometimes we say something we don't believe.
• Counterfactual Thinking: we can change our own memories.
• Expectancy Violations Theory: going against behavioral expectations. 
• Rationalization Trap: justifications can lead to silly or immoral acts.
• Reactance Theory: prevention of action leads to action (to prove control).
• Urban-Overload Hypothesis: city life leads to retreat and loneliness.

Acting against others

• Polarization: Taking extreme views.
• Politeness Theory: we act politely or rudely depending on whether we care.
• Realistic Conflict Theory: limited resources leads to conflict.
• Repulsion Hypothesis: we dislike those who are not like us.
• Scapegoat Theory: blaming others for problems.
• Self-Evaluation Maintenance Theory: reacting to threat of others.
• Social Facilitation: the presence of others helps the competent and hinders the unskilled.
• Social Loafing: we hide in a crowd, using them to conceal laziness.
• Spiral of Silence Theory: we are vocal if we are in the majority (and vice versa).

See also

Conformity, Values, Identity

Theories about conforming

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