Situational Influences on the Selection of Strategies to Resist Compliance-Gaining Attempts

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of situational variables on the likelihood of use of four types of strategies to resist compliance-gaining attempts: identity managing, negotiation, justifying, and non-negotiation. Subjects rated strategies on the probability that they would actually use them to resist complying in each of eight situations, which vaned systematically in the level of agent-target intimacy, the consequences to the target-agent relationship of noncompliance, and the rights of the target to resist. Significant second-order interactions of the situational factors were obtained for the likelihood of use of each of the four types of strategies. Resistance message selection was concluded to be based upon an assessment of the relative risk associated with the implementation of a given strategy in conjunction with a particular combination of situational constraints.A growing body of literature is addressing issues pertaining to the selection of compliance-gaining messages (Marwell & Schmitt, 1967;Miller, Boster, Roloff, & Seibold, 1977). Studies have investigated how strategies can be meaningfully grouped and how situational and personality factors influence the selection of available message strategies (Miller et al., .To date, research interest in compliance-gaining activity has been one-sided, focusing only on the potential persuader (the agent) as an active element in the interpersonal persuasive attempt; yet the recipient of a particular compliance-gaining message (the target) may, for whatever reason, choose to resist compliance. Our observations of daily transactions suggest that first-attempt compliancegaining messages are not always successful. Furthermore, the type of strategy selected by the target to resist the compliance-gaining attempt is just as important as the agent's strategy in affecting relational definitions. Since little is known about how individuals select resistance strategies, the present research was conducted in order to explore two fundamental issues. First, we proposed a typology of strategies to resist compliance-gaining attempts. Second, we hypothesized and tested several relationships among situation factors and resistance strategy preferences.

The Academic Advisor's Playbook: Seeking Compliance from College Student-Athletes

“…However, in all three situations studied, student-athletes were least likely to be persuaded by negative altercasting. Therefore, advisors should refrain from communicating with student-athletes by pointing to noncompliance as characteristic of bad personal traits (Burroughs, 2007;McLaughlin et al, 1980). This outcome supports research that purports targets respond with compliance with positive or reward-oriented, not negative, messages (Hunter & Boster, 1987;Kearney et al, 1988).…”

“…Compliance resistance refers to noncompliance or resistance to persuasion; it characterizes a situation in which the influence agent's attempt to convince the target to perform a desired action is rejected (Burroughs, 2007;Burroughs, Kearney, & Plax, 1989;McLaughlin, Cody, & Robey, 1980). Thompson (2005) posited that student-athletes exercise compliance resistance when they skip a scheduled meeting with a tutor or mentor or when they disregard an academic advising appointment.…”

“…Noncompliance impacts the interactions and overall interpersonal relationship between two individuals (Burroughs et al, 1989;McLaughlin et al, 1980). Research undertaken prior to 1989 mainly consisted of studies on the role of the teacher or advisor in the persuasive process, and the communication was portrayed as linear.…”

A typology of drug resistance strategies

“…Social influence research shows that message strategies differ with the desired effect (Hecht, 1984) and the situation (McLaughlin, Cody, & Robey, 1980). Thus, the situational efficacy of message strategies suggests that research should explore similarities and differences between influence attempts and refusal strategies associated with alcohol and controlled substance offers.…”

Communication strategies for managing sexual harassment in organizations: Understanding message options and their effects

“…Other frameworks for classifying message types may also prove to be useful for conceptualizing interpersonal responses to sexual harassment. For example, research on interpersonal compliance-gaining (McLaughlin, Cody, & Robey, 1980;Wiseman & Schenk-Hamlin, 1981) and persuasive communication (e.g., Clark & Delia, 1976;Delia, Kline, & Burleson, 1979) suggests arrays of message strategies for influencing people. The purpose of this section is to illustrate how theoretical frameworks can be employed to generate and evaluate a set of message options for managing sexual harassment rather than to provide an exhaustive list of potential message strategies.…”