Increasing Altruistic Behavior by Using Compliance Techniques

Abstract
Two studies were conducted to examine whether two procedures which have served to increase compliance (the-door-in-the-face and the-foot-in-the-door) would also prove useful for enhancing altruism. Forty men and 40 women who were walking in shopping areas served as Ss for the first study which found that a modification of both the “face” and “foot” procedures produced significantly more altruistic behavior than a control condition. Statements from Ss indicated that a “worthy-person” explanation might account for the increased help obtained when using the face procedure. The second study tested the worthy-person model with 30 male and 30 female Ss, and the results significantly supported the model. Both studies also demonstrated that only contact with the Ss was not sufficient to produce higher levels of altruistic behavior.

This publication has 12 references indexed in Scilit: