Give a Reason, Any Reason
Compliance with a small request rose from 60% to 93% when the ask included the word “because” — even with a meaningless reason.
- Evidence
- solid
- Topic
- Influence
- Things to do
- 3
- Read
- 1 min
solidHow strong is the evidence?
Good evidence behind it, but fewer people have checked it independently.
- Langer, Blank & Chanowitz, JPSP, 1978
- the photocopier study
Why it works
For small asks, the form of a justification is processed rather than its content. For large asks, the content starts to matter — the effect disappeared when the favour was big.
What to do about it
- Never make a request without a because-clause. “Can you review this by Thursday, because the client call is Friday morning.”
- Use it in writing especially — email asks arrive with no context unless you supply it.
- For anything significant, make the reason real and material. The shortcut only covers the trivial.
Where people go wrong
Assuming it scales. A hollow reason on a big ask reads as manipulation and costs you.
Where this fits in your day
Before any ask
Attach a because-clause and a specific cue for when it should happen.
Read next
- Small Yes FirstAgreement to a tiny request substantially raises agreement to a much larger related one later.solid
- The Seven LeversReciprocity · Commitment & consistency · Social proof · Authority · Liking · Scarcity · Unity.proven
- Name What They're Feeling“It seems like…” / “It sounds like…” — naming the other side's emotion defuses it and gets you information.solid
- Repeat Their Last Three WordsReflecting the other person's own words back — as a question — makes them keep talking and makes them like you.solid