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The Instant Drama Resolution Technique

Closely related to the previous technique, these experiments reveal that other emotions, aside from fear and relief, can increase compliance. Read each to see how you could tailor this to your situation(s).

Happiness Followed by Disappointment

The first experiment that Narwat and Dolinski did to test this was on the streets of Wroclaw, Poland.1 (As I recall, that is pronounced roughly, Frahtswahf!)

People would see what looked like a 50 zloty ($15) bill on the sidewalk and pick it up. It wasn’t. It only looked like money. It was an ad for a new car wash.

Most people threw the ad in the garbage. (I was impressed!)

Soon after, a female confederate appeared with a suitcase that needed to be watched: “I urgently have to see my friend who is on the fifth floor in the building here, and my bag is too heavy!”

The key result was that the people who had picked up the “money” (really the car wash ad) were twice as likely to watch the bag for the girl as those people who found nothing on the street!

What?! Wait just a minute.

Someone is superexcited to find what looks like money. Then they find out it’s just a stupid car wash ad. Then they are asked to watch a piece of heavy luggage for a girl, and these people are twice as likely to do so as people who found nothing?! What?

In a related experiment, German students in one group were told they received an A on a test, and then were told they truly received a C. The professor had made a mistake.

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