Participants in an experiment by Miho Toi and Daniel Batson (1982)listened to an (alleged)radio interview in which a student in their Introductory Psychology class described an accident that caused her to fall behind in the course.Think for a moment about the method and results of their study.Now assume that you need help from someone,and you have reason to doubt that the other person will be able to empathize with your situation.What should you say to that person to increase the odds that he or she will come to your aid?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best option is to emphasize the relationship between the speaker and the listener, without directly asking for help. Option B does this by implying that the speaker expects to see the listener, and is not explicitly asking for assistance. The other options either use pressure or incentives to try to elicit help, which could backfire and reduce the likelihood of receiving aid.

Participants in an Experiment by Miho Toi and Daniel Batson