In 1978, Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer conducted an experiment – she approached people waiting to use a copy machine, asking them if she could cut in front of them to make copies herself.
- When she said, “Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?,” 60 percent of people allowed her to go ahead of them.
- When she added her reason, asking, “Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I’m in a rush?,” her yes rate increased to 94 percent.
- In the third variation, she also gave a reason, but purposely designed it to be ridiculous: “Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies?” Shockingly, the number of people who accepted her request stayed about the same at 93 percent.
It demonstrates that people’s responses to a request are deeply influenced by knowing there is a reason behind it, no matter what that reason is.
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