Session 1 – The Power of because

While making requests, there’s an interesting technique you can use to garner compliance or approval almost every time you use it.

It’s known as the ‘Power of because’ technique.

The following experiment by the behavioral scientist Ellen Langer and her colleagues demonstrate the working of this technique:

Ellen Langer set up 3 scenarios:

1) A stranger approaches someone waiting in line to use a photocopier and simply asks,”Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?” Sixty percent of people agreed to allow the stranger to cut in line when faced with this direct request.

2) Next, a stranger made the same request but added a reason: “May I use the Xerox machine, because I’m in a rush?” Nearly everyone (94 percent) agreed.

3) Finally, the stranger approached and gave a totally senseless reason for the request, but still employed the word ‘because’: “May I use the Xerox machine, because I have to make copies?” Despite the inanity of the reason, 93 percent of people still complied with the request.

So, this social experiment clearly demonstrates that we are more likely to comply with someone’s requests if we are given reasons even if they sound ridiculous.

The reason the use of the word ‘because’ increases the chances of compliance is due to the fact it tricks your brain into believing that a reason is provided.

Even if the reason is ridiculous, the brain accepts it because, at that very moment, it doesn’t process it fully.

So, this is one of those ‘shortcuts’ or ‘stereotypes’.

Of course, nothing works with 100% success rate.

Even the original experiment drew some refusals. That’s how it works!

So, this brings us to the conclusion of today’s 1st session.