Is there a word for the desire or emotion of wanting to prove someone wrong?
Solution 1:
For my two-penneth, I'd say that the person is acting out of "sheer bloody-mindedness". Meaning, "I will do this just because people say I can't (whether or not I think it's still a desirable thing to do)".
Don't know if this is only British English.
Edit: Seems to be only BE in this context according to MW.
Solution 2:
The person who has been motivated by reverse psychology may be doing what they've been motivated to do out of spite.
Solution 3:
The desire or emotion of wanting to prove someone wrong? Here are some examples of words that express that sentiment, used in a phrase or sentence:
- Acting contrary
- Motivated to find fault as an expression of schadenfreude
- Behaving in a truculent manner
- Being ornery, contentious or gratuitously fussy.
Or either of the two answers provided already, both of which are quite adequate.