Self-disclosure

Customer Behavior at a Coffee Shop

A new employee, Alex, spends their lunch break helping a coworker, Ben, finish a difficult report. Which of the following circumstances would make Alex's action the clearest example of reciprocity?

Reciprocal Behavior in Business

The Dynamics of Responding in Kind

Match each scenario with the social preference it best exemplifies. Each scenario describes an interaction between two individuals, Person A and Person B.

A person donates a significant amount of money to a disaster relief fund for a community they have never visited and have no personal connection to. This action is a clear example of reciprocity.

A software company unexpectedly gives all its employees a significant mid-year bonus. The following month, one of the engineers voluntarily spends their weekend fixing a critical, non-urgent bug in the company's main product. Which statement best analyzes the engineer's action?

A small bakery owner, Maria, notices that a neighboring cafe owner, David, has been recommending her bakery to his customers, leading to a noticeable increase in her sales. Based on the social tendency to respond to the actions of others with similar actions, which of the following is Maria's most likely response?

A software company unexpectedly gives all its employees a significant mid-year bonus. The following month, one of the engineers voluntarily spends their weekend fixing a critical, non-urgent bug in the company's main product. Which statement best analyzes the engineer's action in the context of social preferences?

After a heavy snowstorm, Sarah spends her morning clearing the public sidewalk in front of her house and also clears the sidewalk for her elderly neighbor, Mr. Chen. The following week, Mr. Chen, who is an avid baker, leaves a freshly baked pie on Sarah's doorstep with a thank-you note. Which principle of social preference best explains Mr. Chen's action of baking the pie?

Self-disclosure

Alex spent his entire Saturday helping his friend Ben move into a new apartment. A month later, Alex's car was in the shop, and he asked Ben for a ride to an important job interview. Ben replied that he was too busy watching a movie. Based on the principles of interpersonal relationships, how will Ben's response likely affect their friendship?

For the past month, Alex has consistently offered to help his new neighbor, Ben, carry in his groceries. This week, Alex was struggling to assemble a new bookshelf, and Ben came over and spent an hour helping him finish the project. Alex now feels a much stronger, more positive connection to Ben. Which of the following psychological principles best explains why their bond strengthened?