Harvard social scientist Ellen Langer conducted a series of experiments into the idea that if you’re trying to persuade someone to do something, it’s best to provide a reason. She approached a group of people waiting in line to use a photocopying machine in the library and asked, “Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?” Sixty percent of people said yes. She then repeated the experiment but changed the request to, “Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine, because I’m in a rush?” This time, ninety-four percent of people said yes. When you provide a reason, more people are willing to step aside.
What’s interesting is that when the experiment was repeated a third time and Langer asked, “Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine, because I have to make some copies?” ninety-three percent of people let her skip the line. It seems that the appearance of an explanation is more important than the explanation itself. The key to success was in the word because, rather than the reason given.