Role of attribution processes in mediating amount of reciprocity for a favor.

Abstract

Results from a pilot experiment unexpectedly showed that individuals receiving a favor reciprocated significantly less than those who had not received a favor. These results and those of other reciprocation studies were interpreted in terms of the recipient's attributions about the donor's motives for initiating the favor. A 2nd study was conducted to demonstrate that manipulating the interpersonal context of a standard interaction, in a manner assumed to effect attributions, would reduce or enhance reciprocation. The predicted effect was obtained. Assessments of the mediating processes were only partially successful. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)