An attributional analysis of compliance‐gaining interactions

Abstract

We investigated the applicability of Weiner's (1986) attribution theory to compliance‐gaining interactions. Participants telephoned trained confederates and attempted to persuade those confederates to honor a previous commitment to participate in a research project. Participants’ persistence and strategy use were expected to vary depending on the locus, stability, and controllability of the excuses for not complying offered by the targets (confederates). Transcripts of telephone interactions and participant ratings were analyzed. Attributional dimensions did affect participants’ persistence at seeking compliance, use of particular strategies, and perceptions of target sincerity. Implications for compliance gaining and for attribution theory are discussed.