- See Schwartz (1980) for evidence of such a process.
- See Lynn (1989). Without wishing to minimize the advantages of
this type of shortcut or the dangers associated with it, I should note
that these advantages and dangers are essentially the same ones we
have examined in previous chapters. Accordingly, I will not focus on
this theme in the remainder of the present chapter, except to say at this
point that the key to using properly the shortcut feature of scarcity is
to be alert to the distinction between naturally occurring, honest scarcity
and the fabricated variety favored by certain compliance practitioners. - The original reactance-theory formulation appeared in Brehm
(1966); a subsequent version appears in Brehm and Brehm (1981). - Brehm and Weintraub (1977) did the barrier experiment. It should
be noted that two-year-old girls in the study did not show the same
resistant response to the large barrier as did the boys. This does not
seem to be because girls don’t oppose attempts to limit their freedoms.
Instead, it appears that they are primarily reactant to restrictions that
come from other people rather than from physical barriers (Brehm,
1983). - For descriptions of the two-year-old’s change in self-perception,
see Mahler et al. (1975), Lewis and Brooks-Gunn (1979), Brooks-Gun
and Lewis (1982), and Levine (1983). - The occurrence of the Romeo and Juliet effect should not be inter-
preted as a warning to parents to be always accepting of their teenagers’
romantic choices. New players at this delicate game are likely to err
often and, consequently, would benefit from the direction of an adult
with greater perspective and experience. In providing such direction,
parents should recognize that teenagers, who see themselves as young
adults, will not respond well to control attempts that are typical of
parent-child relationships. Especially in the clearly adult arena of mat-
ing, adult tools of influence (preference and persuasion) will be more
effective than traditional forms of parental control (prohibitions and
punishments). Although the experience of the Montague and Capulet
families is an extreme example, heavy-handed restrictions on a young
romantic alliance may well turn it clandestine, torrid, and sad.
A full description of the Colorado couples study can be found in
Driscoll et al. (1972). - See Mazis (1975) and Mazis et al. (1973) for formal reports of the
phosphate study. - For evidence, see Ashmore et al. (1971), Wicklund and Brehm
(1974), Worchel and Arnold (1973), Worchel et al. (1975), and Worchel
(1991). - The Purdue study was done by Zellinger et al. (1974).
222 / Influence