The Ben Franklin effect is a psychological phenomenon in which people tend to develop a more positive attitude towards someone they have performed a favor for. This effect is named after Benjamin Franklin, who wrote about it in his autobiography. According to Franklin, he once had a political rival whom he disliked. To try to improve their relationship, he asked the rival to do him a small favor. After the rival complied, Franklin found that he had a more positive attitude towards him and was more likely to be friendly and cooperative in the future. The Ben Franklin effect suggests that people’s attitudes and behaviors are influenced by their past actions, and that performing a favor for someone can make them more favorable towards us.
