← all facts
influence
A tiny, unsolicited gift alters your future decision-making process.
The reciprocity norm creates an internal discomfort that compels you to repay favors.
If someone gives you something small, you feel an obligation to return the favor, regardless of whether you wanted the gift. This was found in a study where participants who received a soft drink from a researcher were twice as likely to buy raffle tickets. You do not repay the favor; you repay the discomfort.
Your debt is to your peace of mind, not the donor.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Regan, 1971
- What the check found
- The core finding and attribution to the Regan study are supported by the provided text, though the specific focus on 'internal discomfort' is an interpretive framing of the psychological mechanism.
- Confidence
- Solid, with limits
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.