When we do a person a favor, we tend to like them more as a result

The Ben Franklin Effect

When we do a person a favor, we tend to like them more as a result. This is because we justify our actions to ourselves that we did them a favor because we liked them.

Benjamin Franklin himself said, “He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another than he whom you yourself have obliged.”

The reverse effect is also true, and we come to hate our victims, which helps to explain wartime atrocities. We de-humanize the enemy, which decrease the dissonance of killing and other things in which we would never normally indulge.

Research

Jecker and Landy (1969) involved students in an intellectual contest where they could win significant money. Afterwards:

  • A: 1/3 were approached by the researcher and asked to return money as he had been using his own funds and was running short.
  • B: 1/3 were approached by a secretary and asked to return money as it was from the psychology department and funds were low.
  • C: 1/3 were not approached.

Then all were surveyed to see how much they liked the researcher. Group B rated him lower than Group C (so impersonal request for a favordecreases liking). Group A rated him higher than group C (so personal request for a favor increases liking).

via thisisnotpsychology:

This is one of those ways in which kindness leads to happiness. If you are nicer to someone, you will like them more, and the converse is also true.

(via talkingshrimp)

Source: thisisnotpsychology

40 Notes/ Hide

  1. draggingmyfeet-incircles reblogged this from thisisnotpsychology
  2. findingalifemanual reblogged this from talkingshrimp and added:
    This is one of those ways in which kindness leads to happiness. If you are nicer to someone, you will like them more,...
  3. like-avision-shedances reblogged this from thisisnotpsychology
  4. 1nspiration reblogged this from broadenme
  5. ydorbnosaj reblogged this from thisisnotpsychology
  6. talkingshrimp reblogged this from thisisnotpsychology
  7. pow3r-outage-bobsled reblogged this from thisisnotpsychology and added:
    this is so true. i’ll
  8. gotjilk reblogged this from thisisnotpsychology
  9. thisisnotpsychology posted this

Recent comments

Blog comments powered by Disqus