Overview
The metaphor of forbidden fruit refers to the desire for something forbidden. When applied to adolescents, it is best understood through psychological reactance theory. Reactance theory posits that a perceived encroachment on an individual’s freedom motivates them to act in ways that they might not otherwise in order to maintain their sense of agency. How this theory explains some forms of adolescents’ tendencies can be seen in the manner products are marketed to youth (including film ratings/media labels), how forbidden risky behaviors can become romanticized, and how explicitly discouraging interpersonal (platonic to sexual) relationships can encourage them. Research primarily explores the role of parents in creating forbidden fruits and the dynamics of adolescents’ responses in the context of psychological reactance. While research continues to grow, existing findings provide insight into the dynamics of what can be understood more popularly as adolescent contrarianism....
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Levesque, R.J.R. (2018). Forbidden Fruit. In: Levesque, R.J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Adolescence. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33228-4_673
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33228-4_673
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