Handshakes Lead To Compliance, Study
Christopher Philip
French researcher Nicolas Gueguen, University of South Brittany, has found that a simple handshake can boost compliance to a request from 53.3% to 95.5%.
A success rate of 95% is a stunning success rates and they come from nothing more than a simple handshake!
The study employed a door-to-door tactic which was simple in design. He simply instructed the confederates to introduce themselves as follow: “Hello Sir/Madam, I am a volunteer for AEM and I am collecting money for our organization to help children in Madagascar. Would you be wiling to make a donation of 1 Euro?”
Preceding this introduction, the confederates were asked only to shake hands or not shake hands, thus keeping all variables the same except for the handshake.
Results, as mentioned were 21/22 in the handshake condition and 8/15 in the no handshake condition.
The results support the idea that people who shake hands are seen more favourably than those who don’t.
This is in line with previous findings about impressions made by handshakes which have found them to be linked to extraversion, sociability, dominance, and negatively related to neuroticism and shyness. Particularly positive handshakes are those which are both firm and dry.
To date, other than this one, however, there hasn’t been an empirical real-life study looking at the powerful influence that handshakes have over others.
The data is conclusive, adding a proper handshake at the beginning of an interaction, is a
productive way to boost compliance on a request.
Image Credit: Flazingo Photos
Resources
Gueguen, Nicolas. Handshaking and Compliance With a Request – A Door-to-door Setting. Social Behavior and Personality. 2019. 41(10): 1585-1588.