When a service request precedes the target request: another compliance without pressure technique?

Abstract

Empirical observation led us to identify a particular and widespread form of solicitation involving requesting a service before making the target request. Relating this form of solicitation to compliance paradigms based on consistency, we hypothesized that the technique would increase the compliance rates of individuals. 167 passersby were approached in the street for a money donation according to two conditions: the appeal for money was preceded by a service request or not. We found that those passersby receiving the service request and the monetary appeal were significantly more compliant than those receiving the monetary appeal only. The discussion focuses on the psychological mechanisms at work in the acceptance of the requests, and avenues for future research are suggested.

Keywords:

• Compliance without pressure
• service
• consistency
• commitment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The searching money behavior was counted as an acceptance of the request in order to measure the willingness to give more than the financial capacity to do it.