Influence · Robert Cialdini

Reciprocity examples

Curated by · reviewed 2026-05-30

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

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5 examples of reciprocity

  1. The free sample

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

  2. A mint with the bill

    Diners tip more when the server leaves a mint. A tiny gift, a measurable return.

  3. Free address labels

    Charities that enclose free labels raise more, because the unasked-for gift triggers payback.

  4. 'I'll get this one'

    Pay for a friend's coffee and they feel they owe you the next round.

  5. Concessions in a deal

    Give a small concession first and the other side feels pressure to concede something back.

How to spot it in yourself

You'll forget most of this by next week.

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

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