Reciprocal favor exchange and compliance

Abstract

Three experiments examined the effect of exchanging small favors on compliance to a subsequent request. In Experiment 1, undergraduate participants walked up a flight of stairs to sharpen a pencil for a confederate, and the confederate brought the participants a bottle of water. These participants were more likely to agree to a request from the confederate than participants who had not exchanged favors or who had performed a favor without receiving one in return. The order in which the favors were performed did not affect compliance rates. In Experiment 2, students selling bake sale treats retrieved a “fresh” treat for customers, and customers picked up some spilled pencils for the students. The percentage of customers who subsequently purchased treats replicated the pattern uncovered in the first investigation. In a partial replication of the first experiment, Experiment 3 findings ruled out explanations for the results based on mood and modeling of helping behavior. Taken together, the research suggests that a reciprocal exchange of favors with a stranger may trigger a friendship heuristic that people rely on when responding to a subsequent request.