Psychological reactance to classroom cell phone policies: Noncompliance and instructional dissent as consequences of policy threat

This study employed Brehm’s psychological reactance theory (PRT) to understand why students do or do not choose to follow classroom cell phone policies. Results (N = 750) from this study demonstrate that when instructors discourage cell phone use for noninstructional reasons, students feel their autonomy has been threatened. These perceptions of freedom threat ultimately induce a reactance process, leading sequentially to negative cognitions and anger, which predict policy noncompliance. This reactance process is also predictive of students’ enactment of other uncivil classroom behaviors (i.e., instructional dissent). Theoretical implications are discussed, and practical suggestions are given for instructors hoping to increase cell phone policy compliance and limit reactance among students in the classroom.