Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Despite more than 30 years of research on the legitimization of paltry favors technique (LPF), there is still not agreement on the mediating mechanism. Cialdini and Schroeder (1976), in the first LPF study, proposed that the effect made subjects feel smaller donation amounts were more acceptable than did subjects in a control condition, but this explanation was never tested directly. An experiment was designed to investigate the validity of this hypothesis. The data provided support for the hypotheses, with subjects reporting a smaller amount in the LPF condition than control condition when asked what they would consider the smallest acceptable donation. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study investigated which speech act is more preferred in favor asking between apologies and thanks in the US and Japan and further attempted to explore how positive and negative face concerns (Brown & Levinson, 1987) relate to preferences for apologies or thanks. For these goals, two survey studies were conducted. In study 1, 152 participants were asked to compose an email message for a situation where a favor was asked. In study 2, 634 participants were asked to fill out one of four versions of a questionnaire, which included a prototype of an email message for the situation described in study 1 and negative and positive face threats measurements. The findings showed that 1) a greater number of Japanese included apologies in their favor asking messages while a greater number of American messages contained, 2) Americans had stronger intentions to use thanks in their favor asking messages than did Japanese, whereas Japanese had stronger intentions to use an apology than Americans did, and 3) including an apology and/or thanks reduced the amount of some types of face threat perceived in favor asking message. Finally, implications and future research directions were discussed.

Publication Type: Proceeding

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Uncovering the foundations of power has been the major objective of exchange research for the past two decades and previous research has succeeded in identifying several structural dimensions that influence the use of power in exchange relations. Surprisingly, given that exchange theories perceive social interaction as an exchange of valued resources, the characteristics of resources themselves have been largely ignored as researchers have focused on variation along other dimensions. As a consequence of this omission, studies of exchange have not addressed resources such as information, one of the most commonly exchanged resources. This paper reviews the definitions of resources provided by major exchange theorists and explores several dimensions along which they can vary. I explain how resource movement and the relative power of positions in a network is contingent upon the nature of the resources exchanged. Finally, I outline how the impact of mechanisms known to generate power is mediated by resource characteristics and use simulations to make predictions of power use for different resource types. A laboratory experiment designed to test these predictions is currently underway.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study tests the effects of favor and socioeconomic status on female’s compliance with a males request to escalate a romantic relationship. Video vignettes were created by trained professionals to carry out the experimental variations of favor and status. Participants watched one of these videos either alone or in small groups and responded to a subsequent questionnaire designed to measure the dependent variables of interest and a number of potential explanations for any potential effect for favor or status. Results provide some compelling insight into how favors and status interact to affect compliance with a males request to escalate a romantic relationship. They also provide some insight into how favor and status have such effects on compliance.
The “pick-up”: The roles of favor and socioeconomic status in initial barroom interactions