What Is Reciprocity?Reciprocity is a process of exchanging things with other people in order to gain a mutual benefit. The norm of reciprocity, sometimes referred to as the rule of reciprocity, is a social norm where if someone does something for you, you then feel obligated to return the favor. Show
The socialization process plays an important role in the development of this need to reciprocate. Through experience, children learn to share with others, take turns, and engage in reciprocal actions. Reciprocity plays an important role in the development and continuation of relationships. It also plays an important role in persuasion or getting others to adopt certain beliefs or behaviors. How Do You Know?Have you ever felt obligated to do something for someone because they first did something for you? The norm of reciprocity is just one type of social norm that can have a powerful influence on our behavior. The reciprocity norm operates on a simple principle: People tend to feel obligated to return favors after people do favors for them. When your new neighbors bring over a plate of cookies to welcome you to the neighborhood, you might feel obligated to return the favor when they ask you to take care of their dog while they are on vacation. Types of ReciprocityThere are three main types of reciprocity:
UsesOne area where this norm is commonly employed is in the field of marketing. Marketers utilize a broad range of strategies to convince consumers to make purchases. Some are straightforward such as sales, coupons, and special promotions. Others are far more subtle and make use of principles of human psychology of which many people are not even aware. More examples of reciprocity include:
Impact of ReciprocityReciprocity has a few obvious benefits. For one thing, taking care of others helps the survival of the species. By reciprocating, we ensure that other people receive help when they need it and that we receive assistance when we need it. Reciprocity also allows people to get things done that they would not be able to do on their own. By working together or exchanging services, people are able to accomplish more than they would individually. Reciprocity and PersuasionThere are also a number of persuasion techniques that employ the tactic of reciprocity. These strategies are used by people who are trying to persuade you to take action or conform with a request, such as salespeople or politicians. One of these is known as the "that's-not-all" technique. Let's say you're shopping for a new mobile phone. The salesperson shows your phone and tells you the price, but you're still not quite sure. If the salesperson offers to add a phone case at no additional charge, you might feel like they're doing you a favor, which in turn might make you feel obligated to buy the phone. Tips for Navigating ReciprocityIn many cases, the reciprocity norm is actually a good thing. It helps people behave in socially acceptable ways and allows them to engage in a social give-and-take with others. But what should you do if you are trying to overcome the urge to reciprocate, such as trying to avoid the need to purchase an item after receiving a freebie? Some tips that can help:
Understanding how the reciprocity norm influences behavior may help you better evaluate persuasive messages and requests. Potential PitfallsReciprocity is not always an even exchange, which opens up the potential for imbalance or even abuse. Research has shown that people are often willing to perform a proportionately larger favor after someone has done something small for them. Engaging in that first reciprocal exchange can make it more likely that you'll respond to other, often bigger, requests in the future. In marketing, this is often called the "foot-in-the-door" technique. Someone starts off by making a small request, and once you agree to it, they then make a much bigger request. Another approach known as the "door-in-the-face" technique can also be used to take advantage of reciprocity. The persuaded starts by asking for a very large favor that they know you will reject. They then appear to concede by asking for a much smaller favor, which you might then feel obligated to fulfill. In reality, the small favor was the intent all along, but by appearing to do you a favor by making a smaller request, you then feel compelled to return the favor by saying yes to the smaller request. History of ReciprocityOne seminal experiment showed how powerful reciprocity can be in the real world. In 1974, sociologist Phillip Kunz conducted an experiment. He mailed out handwritten Christmas cards with a note and photograph of him and his family to approximately 600 randomly selected people. All of the recipients of the cards were complete strangers. Shortly after mailing the cards, responses began trickling in. Kunz received nearly 200 replies. Why would so many people reply to a complete stranger? This is the rule of reciprocity at work. Since Kunz had done something for them (sent a thoughtful note during the holiday season), many recipients felt obligated to return the favor. Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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 By Kendra Cherry
Thanks for your feedback! How does social interaction influence behavior?When we interact with others, the context in which our actions take place plays a major role in our behavior. This means that our understanding of objects, words, emotions, and social cues may differ depending on where we encounter them.
How a person interacts with others and acts in harmony with other people is called?Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff. Conformity is the tendency for an individual to align their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors with those of the people around them.
What is the example of social interaction?What's an example of social interaction? Examples of social interaction can be seen in all walks of life. A professor communicating information to their students is an example of the exchange form of social interaction. Two friends arguing over a restaurant is an example of the conflict form of social interaction.
What is the concept of social interaction?Social interaction is the process of reciprocal influence exercised by individuals over one another during social encounters. Usually it refers to face-to-face encounters in which people are physically present with one another for a specified duration.
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