Predicting the Effectiveness of Guilt on Gaining Compliance From Others

• In Event: For a Good Cause: Compliance, Political Participation, and Climate Change

Abstract

Predicting the effect of guilt on gaining others’ compliance behavior is important because guilt is a common emotion in interpersonal interactions, and making a prediction can help people maneuver social resources. Yet, there are competing alternatives to the extent to which people can accurately predict the effectiveness of guilt. Based on two experiments, this study finds that people are accurate at predicting the effectiveness of guilt on others’ compliance behavior. The process underlying the prediction is consistent with the negative state relief model that guilt induction exerts a direct effect of people’s guilt judgment on others, which in turn, impacts their compliance gaining prediction. Implications and limitations are also discussed.

Authors

• Ying Cheng

• Reed Reynolds, Michigan State U

• Franklin J. Boster, Michigan State U