PERCEPTIONS OF COMPLIANCE-GAINING SITUATIONS

Abstract

This study examines environmental influences on compliance gaining by focusing on situation types. Much of the research in this area has examined compliance-gaining messages or strategies while paying scant attention to the complexities of situational variation. Three respondent samples judged compliance-gaining situations in terms of their similarities. The data were submitted to multidimensional scaling analysis to determine the dimensions characterizing respondents' perceptions. Four dimensions emerged from each sample. Three of these dimensions were replicated across at least two of the samples. The relationship of the present findings to previous research is discussed along with implications for future research.