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The Xerox Study
In Dr. Ellen Langer’s study from the 1970s, folks are waiting in line to make copies at the department Xerox machine. A person walks up and asks to cut. The experiment is run three different ways:
Trial 1: “Can I get in front of you?”
Trial 2: “Can I get in front of you, because I’m running late for a meeting.”
Trial 3: “Can I get in front of you, because I need to make copies.”
What percentage of subjects do you believe allowed the person to cut in each of these three trials? The answer is going to blow your mind. Are you ready?
Trial 1: “Can I get in front of you?” 60%
Trial 2: “Can I get in front of you, because I’m running late for a meeting.” 94%
Trial 3: “Can I get in front of you, because I need to make copies.” 93%
Okay, wow. A few notes on that. First, can we agree that way too many people said yes in the first trial? I mean, come on, 60%?! Apparently we are more confrontation-averse than we might like to think.
More importantly, there was a statistically insignificant difference between trials 2 and 3. People were almost as likely to let someone cut when they had a legitimate excuse than when their excuse was absolutely nonsense.
What gives? What can we learn from this?
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave your response, lessons, and takeaways in the comments below. Or send them directly to me at contact at brianmillerspeaks dot com.
~Brian
Soft skills are hard. We make it easy.
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Just. Wow.
I think we’re programmed / conditioned (especially at work) to be mindlessly polite* and confrontation-averse. We’re not listening to each other and even if we are, we’re second-guessing ourselves and giving the other a greater benefit of doubt that they perhaps deserve. I’d like to think that I’d be nice to Trial #2 but respond to Trial #3 with “So do I.” Or a more snarky “Really? That’s why the rest of us are here!” 🙂
*Like the “Hi, How are you?” reflex when walking down a hallway and are already past the person by the time the last word exits your mouth!