Last week, we were pleased to host a thought-provoking talk by Prof. Christoph Fuchs from the University of Vienna, covering an increasingly relevant topic: public reactions to system-level policies, especially those addressing pressing societal issues such as climate change and global health crises.

Prof. Fuchs presented his recent findings on psychological reactance—a resistance to authority or imposed restrictions—and how it impacts public acceptance of broad, impactful policies. He explained that while policymakers often shy away from large-scale interventions (like car bans or vaccination mandates) out of concern for public backlash, this opposition is not as enduring as traditionally assumed. Instead, the resistance people feel towards system-level policies is transient and fades significantly once these policies are in place.

To shed light on this issue, Prof. Fuchs and his co-authors explored how psychological reactance varies before and after a policy’s implementation. Their findings reveal that resistance is higher before a policy is enacted—when people focus on anticipated personal inconveniences—than after implementation, when the policy’s societal benefits become clearer. Importantly, they found that a policy’s perceived social value can mitigate initial resistance, suggesting a potential pathway for policymakers to garner public support. The implications of this research are far-reaching, offering valuable (especially at the time of changing political landscapes) insights into how policymakers can better design and communicate transformative policies for optimal public acceptance.

We thank Prof. Fuchs for an engaging session and a rich discussion on this pressing issue!