What is an example of reciprocity?

The free sample: A taste at the supermarket makes you feel you ought to buy — the small gift quietly creates an obligation.

Where do you see reciprocity in everyday life?

The free sample; A mint with the bill; Free address labels; 'I'll get this one'; Concessions in a deal.

Give first and genuinely — useful help, attention, credit — and trust that goodwill tends to return over time.

Influence · Robert Cialdini

Curated by Paulo de Vries · reviewed 2026-05-30

Reciprocity is the near-automatic pull to give back when someone gives to us first. Examples:

The free sample
A taste at the supermarket makes you feel you ought to buy — the small gift quietly creates an obligation.
A mint with the bill
Diners tip more when the server leaves a mint. A tiny gift, a measurable return.
Free address labels
Charities that enclose free labels raise more, because the unasked-for gift triggers payback.
'I'll get this one'
Pay for a friend's coffee and they feel they owe you the next round.
Concessions in a deal
Give a small concession first and the other side feels pressure to concede something back.

Give first and genuinely — useful help, attention, credit — and trust that goodwill tends to return over time.
Notice when a free gift or favor is engineering an obligation in you, and decide on the merits, not the guilt.
To build a relationship or network, lead with value before you ask for anything.

That's just how memory works. Lock reciprocity in with a 5-minute active-recall session — spaced repetition, no signup.

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