Last week, I stumbled upon a fascinating 1978 Harvard research study that explored the Power of the Word “Because.”

In this experiment, individuals were tasked with requesting permission to use a busy college campus copy machine. They were divided into three groups, each given a specific request:

Group 1: “May I use the xerox machine?” Group 2: “May I use the Xerox machine, because I have to make copies?” Group 3: “May I use the Xerox machine, because I’m in a rush?”

Group 2 achieved 93% acceptance, while Group 3 got 94%, while Group 1 managed 60%.

The addition of the word “because” accompanied by a reason increased the chances of acceptance, even when the reason wasn’t compelling (Group 2).

However, when a follow-up experiment was conducted, involving an increased request of 20 pages, Group 3’s acceptance rate dropped to 42%, while the other groups also experienced a decline to 24%.

So, the valuable lesson I could gather from this study is:

People are more inclined to accept your request if you utilize the word “because” and provide a rationale or explanation. For smaller requests, any reason will suffice. For more significant matters, the reason must be compelling.

This study highlights an unconscious shortcut we often employ: a bias to comply with a request when it includes “because” followed by a reason. We pay attention to reason only when stakes are high, else we agree without much resistance.

Undoubtedly, this insight will be a valuable addition to my arsenal the next time I need my wife to agree to a small request and see if it helps