The Boomerang Effect is often considered a subtype of “psychological reactance,” a term introduced by Jack W. Brehm in 1966. Reactance theory postulates that individuals have a set of “freedoms” and when those freedoms are threatened or reduced, they are motivated to regain them, often by doing the opposite of what is being urged. Over time, research on the Boomerang Effect has extended into various fields like marketing, healthcare, and even software development.

The effect was initially researched in the context of communication studies and public relations. Its most common application was in understanding the counterproductive outcomes of public campaigns, such as anti-smoking or safe-driving initiatives, where the intended message resulted in opposite behavior among a subset of the target audience.

You’ve probably come across campaigns by leadership at work or politicians who are trying to influence behavior in some way. How often do these campaigns completely fail?

Often the way that a campaign is promoted has a positive or negative effect on how it is adopted by the masses.

An aggressive sales pitch or overly persistent advertising may turn potential customers away, causing them to not only reject the product but also to develop a negative attitude towards the brand.

In families, the Boomerang Effect can be seen when parents exert too much control or issue outright bans on certain activities, prompting children to engage in those very activities out of a sense of rebellion or independence.

Quite often, our job as UX Designers is not to design, but to influence. To guide a team towards a vision or north star. And more often than not, our ideal vision isn’t shared with the larger team.

Instead of dictating what we think should happen, we’re often better off inspiring the teams to want to buy into our vision.

People don’t like being told what to do. Embrace this idea and help them come up with the correct path on their own.