“Thanks in advance” – The negative effect of a polite phrase on compliance with a request-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

“Thanks in advance” – The negative effect of a polite phrase on compliance with a request

Published:2021-09-18 Issue:1 Volume:23 Page:61-78
ISSN:1468-0475
Container-title:German Economic Review
language:en
Short-container-title:

Author:

Bruttel Lisa¹,Nithammer Juri¹^ORCID,Stolley Florian¹

Affiliation:

1. University of Potsdam , Department of Economics and Social Sciences , August-Bebel-Str. 89 , Potsdam , Germany

Abstract

Abstract This paper studies the effect of the commonly used phrase “thanks in advance” on compliance with a small request. In a controlled laboratory experiment we ask participants to give a detailed answer to an open question. The treatment variable is whether or not they see the phrase “thanks in advance.” Our participants react to the treatment by exerting less effort in answering the request even though they perceive the phrase as polite.

Publisher

Walter de Gruyter GmbH

Subject

Economics and Econometrics

Link

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/ger-2021-0020/pdf

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