Is the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply letter with a larger request?

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.

suggests how we explain someone's behaviorâ€”by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition.

the tendency for observers, when analyzing another's behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition.

feelings often based on our beliefs, which predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events.

the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.

the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent..

adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

influence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality.

influence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.

stronger responses on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others.

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable.

the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.

the enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives.

unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group or its members.

an unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members. Prejudice generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action.

a generalized belief about a group of people.

"us"â€”people with whom one shares a common identity.

the tendency to favor one's own group.

"them"â€”those perceived as different or apart from one's ingroup.

the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.

the tendency of people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get.

any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy.

the principle that frustrationâ€”the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goalâ€”creates anger, which can generate aggression.

a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas.

a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behavior.

the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them.

the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined.

an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship.

a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it.

unselfish regard for the welfare of others.

the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.

an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them.

the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs.

an expectation that people will help those dependent upon them.

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation.

Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-Reduction, strategy designed to decrease international tensions.

social psychologist, conducted the Stanford Prison Experiment, criticized for unethical study

social psychologist (also cognitive), conducted conformity study

social psychologist, conducted the Milgram Experiment on Obedience, criticized for unethical study

a founder of social psychology, studied social norms, conducted Robber's Cave experiment

Occurs when interested people focus on arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.

Occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness.

A set of explanations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.

the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.

a standard, model, or pattern.

the greater difficulty people have in distinguishing between members of a different race compared to one's own race

a social phenomenon which tends to occur in groups of people above a cbertain critical size when responsibility is not explicitly assigned.

refer to the reciprocal views of one another often held by parties in conflict; for example, each may view itself as moral and peace-loving and the other as evil and aggressive.

prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between belief and behavior.

states that facial movement can influence emotional experience.

Reciprocity is a process of exchanging things with other people in order to gain a mutual benefit. The norm of reciprocity, sometimes referred to as the rule of reciprocity, is a social norm where if someone does something for you, you then feel obligated to return the favor.

The socialization process plays an important role in the development of this need to reciprocate. Through experience, children learn to share with others, take turns, and engage in reciprocal actions. Reciprocity plays an important role in the development and continuation of relationships. It also plays an important role in persuasion or getting others to adopt certain beliefs or behaviors.

Have you ever felt obligated to do something for someone because they first did something for you? The norm of reciprocity is just one type of social norm that can have a powerful influence on our behavior.

The reciprocity norm operates on a simple principle: People tend to feel obligated to return favors after people do favors for them.

When your new neighbors bring over a plate of cookies to welcome you to the neighborhood, you might feel obligated to return the favor when they ask you to take care of their dog while they are on vacation.

There are three main types of reciprocity:

Generalized reciprocity: This form often involves exchanges within families or friends. There is no expectation of a returned favor; instead, people simply do something for another person based on the assumption that the other person would do the same thing for them. This type of reciprocity is related to altruism.
Balanced reciprocity: This type involves a calculation of the value of the exchange and an expectation that the favor will be returned within a specified time frame. For example, someone might exchange something they have, whether it is a skill or tangible item, for something of perceived equal value.
Negative reciprocity: This form of reciprocity happens when one party involved in the exchange is trying to get more about it than the other person. Selling a much-needed item at an inflated price is one example of negative reciprocity.

One area where this norm is commonly employed is in the field of marketing. Marketers utilize a broad range of strategies to convince consumers to make purchases. Some are straightforward such as sales, coupons, and special promotions. Others are far more subtle and make use of principles of human psychology of which many people are not even aware.

More examples of reciprocity include:

A salesperson giving a freebie to a potential customer, hoping that it will lead them to return the favor by purchasing something
A leader offering attention and mentorship to followers in exchange for loyalty
Offering customers some valuable information in exchange for signing up for future marketing offers

Reciprocity has a few obvious benefits. For one thing, taking care of others helps the survival of the species.

By reciprocating, we ensure that other people receive help when they need it and that we receive assistance when we need it.

Reciprocity also allows people to get things done that they would not be able to do on their own. By working together or exchanging services, people are able to accomplish more than they would individually.

There are also a number of persuasion techniques that employ the tactic of reciprocity. These strategies are used by people who are trying to persuade you to take action or conform with a request, such as salespeople or politicians.

One of these is known as the "that's-not-all" technique. Let's say you're shopping for a new mobile phone. The salesperson shows your phone and tells you the price, but you're still not quite sure. If the salesperson offers to add a phone case at no additional charge, you might feel like they're doing you a favor, which in turn might make you feel obligated to buy the phone.

In many cases, the reciprocity norm is actually a good thing. It helps people behave in socially acceptable ways and allows them to engage in a social give-and-take with others. But what should you do if you are trying to overcome the urge to reciprocate, such as trying to avoid the need to purchase an item after receiving a freebie?

Some tips that can help:

Give it some time. Experts suggest that the urge to reciprocate is strongest immediately after the initial exchange. If you can wait, you will probably feel less pressure to return the favor.
Evaluate the exchange. Think about whether the favor measures up to the expected return. In many cases, the initial gift or favor is much smaller than the requested return favor.

Understanding how the reciprocity norm influences behavior may help you better evaluate persuasive messages and requests.

Reciprocity is not always an even exchange, which opens up the potential for imbalance or even abuse. Research has shown that people are often willing to perform a proportionately larger favor after someone has done something small for them.

Engaging in that first reciprocal exchange can make it more likely that you'll respond to other, often bigger, requests in the future. In marketing, this is often called the "foot-in-the-door" technique. Someone starts off by making a small request, and once you agree to it, they then make a much bigger request.

Another approach known as the "door-in-the-face" technique can also be used to take advantage of reciprocity. The persuaded starts by asking for a very large favor that they know you will reject. They then appear to concede by asking for a much smaller favor, which you might then feel obligated to fulfill.

In reality, the small favor was the intent all along, but by appearing to do you a favor by making a smaller request, you then feel compelled to return the favor by saying yes to the smaller request.

One seminal experiment showed how powerful reciprocity can be in the real world. In 1974, sociologist Phillip Kunz conducted an experiment. He mailed out handwritten Christmas cards with a note and photograph of him and his family to approximately 600 randomly selected people. All of the recipients of the cards were complete strangers. Shortly after mailing the cards, responses began trickling in.

Kunz received nearly 200 replies. Why would so many people reply to a complete stranger? This is the rule of reciprocity at work. Since Kunz had done something for them (sent a thoughtful note during the holiday season), many recipients felt obligated to return the favor.