Boomerang Effect: A Sale Too Big Never Sells

The boomerang effect in social psychology outlines the unintended consequences of an attempt to persuade, resulting in the adoption or reinforcement of the opposite position instead. Put differently, it is when we pick the opposite of what something or someone is saying or doing because of how it is presented to us. Typically, this is evoked when a position or message is communicated aggressively. It is also more likely to occur when the arguments are weak, when the persuasion is unclear, when it triggers aggression or arousal, when non-conformity to the group results in feelings of guilt or punishment, and when the communicator’s position is too far from the recipient’s.

Jack Brehm conducted an experiment to observe this phenomenon. He examined the behaviors of eight graders eating a disliked vegetable. Half of his subjects were told their parents would be informed on the vegetable they ate. Then Brehm measured how much kids liked the vegetable before and after the procedure. The result was that the kids’ initial liking of the vegetable did not change or was reinforced when they were enforced to consume it. By trying to make our kids like veggies, we make them dislike the vitamin-filled crunchiness even more.

Pushing too hard can backfire. A parent who sternly tells their kids to stay away from the cookie jar should not be surprised to see the little one sneaking cookies while nobody’s watching. The boomerang effect essentially means an attempt to sway our behavior result in the exact opposite outcome. Instead of complying with the advice or instruction given, we become even more entrenched in our original stance. A textbook case is the parent advising their teenage child not to hang out with a particular group of friends. In lieu of heeding the advice, the teenager feels an intensified desire to see those very friends. Similarly, anti-smoking campaigns often increase smoking in certain groups, especially when the campaigns are aggressive or patronizing.

The core mechanism behind the boomerang effect is reactance. Psychological reactance is a motivational state to restore freedom which stems from when folks feel their freedom is being limited. When individuals detect they are being coerced, they resist or counterargue, resulting in the opposite effect of the intended persuasion. If external rewards or pressures overshadow intrinsic motive, individuals further reduce their compliance and engagement with the desired behavior, especially when the message conflicts with deeply held values or beliefs.

Real life implications of the boomerang effect:

• Health campaigns: anti-smoking or anti-drug campaigns can sometimes increase use among certain demographics like teenagers, especially if the message is aggressive or authoritarian—adolescents may interpret the message as a challenge to their independence;

• Marketing: aggressive sales tactics often drive potential customers away, as they feel pressured or mistrustful about the product;

• Relationships: when a partner is pushed to change a habit, they might resist and double down on it instead, as their autonomy is threatened and resistance is likely;

• Policy: overly aggressive attacks on a political candidate can backfire, increasing their support as the target audience perceives the attacks as unneeded and unfair, strengthening their alignment with the competitor;

• Parenting: strict rules or authoritarian parenting can result in rebellious behavior in kids and/or teenagers, as children resist perceived control and seek independence.

How you might employ the boomerang effect as a mental model: (1) anticipate resistance before you present persuasive messages, considering how the audience might react, adjusting your approach to minimize the perception of coercion; (2) empower autonomy, designing interventions that allow individuals to feel in control of their decision-making, like by offering choices instead of mandates; (3) leverage reverse psychology where appropriate, like by telling a stubborn person they won’t like a certain activity to make them more curious; (4) foster dialogue, not debate, avoiding an adversarial atmosphere; (5) avoid triggering reactance by making your messages less preachy, authoritarian, aggressive, and/or manipulative.

Situational applications of the mental model: (1, communication) avoid overbearing pressure, using subtle and collaborative approaches in lieu of direct confrontation and/or high-pressure tactics; (2, persuasion) try framing messages in ways that empower the audience, allowing them to feel they are making their own choices; (3, marketing) underpromise and overdeliver, as excessive hype and unmet expectations can result in a bad reputation and skepticism down the line; (4, advertising) demonstrate how others benefit from your product or service as that is often more effective than aggressive persuasion; (5, behavior) use nudges, using the environment to guide decisions naturally instead of pushing directly, like by placing healthy snacks at eye level rather than forbidding junk food.

Thought-provoking insights. “The harder you push, the harder they push back.” reflects the reactive nature of human behavior when freedom feels constrained. “What you resist, persists.” suggests that direct opposition can entrench the very thing you are trying to change. Aesop’s fable on the wind and sun encapsulates this effect perfectly. The wind and the sun compete to make a traveler remove his coat. The wind blows and blows, but the traveler only tightens their coat in resistance. The sun, by shining warmly, succeeds effortlessly. The lesson here is simple. Gentle persuasion is better than brute force. Design your communication strategies in the empathetic and empowering way. Not only can you avoid backlash this way, but foster genuine, lasting change.