Behavioural conversion in a compliance paradigm: A replication and a refinement

Abstract : While a compliance strategy induced almost all subjects to agree to forego first a lunch and then a dinner and the following breakfast, simply observing an accomplice break his commitment to forego lunch was enough to produce a significant reduction in subjects' commitment to forego two meals even though the effect was not immediate. This pattern of influence, similar to a 'behavioral conversion', appeared if the accomplice had first agreed to the initial request and only later refused to continue, but not if he refused to make the commitment at the outset.