The "Because" Heuristic

People are more likely to comply with a request if a reason is provided, even if the reason is not logical or informative. The word "because" triggers a mental shortcut that the request is justified.

In an experiment, people were asked to cut in line to use a copy machine.

• When the request was "May I use the Xerox machine?", the compliance rate was 60%.
• When the request was "May I use the Xerox machine because I'm in a rush?", the compliance rate was 94%.
• When the request was "May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies?", the compliance rate was 93%.

The third request shows that the reason itself doesn't have to be compelling. The word "because" was enough to trigger compliance.

This is an example of a Trigger Feature that activates a fixed-action pattern of compliance.