How it works
In the original research by Barbara Price Davis and Eric Knowles, a seller stated a price in an odd unit, such as a number of pennies, and then added that it was a bargain. Sales rose compared with a normal statement of the price. Neither the disruption nor the reframe had the same effect by itself in those studies.
Proposed explanation
The disruption is thought to use up the attention that people would normally spend scrutinising an offer. During that short window, a simple cue is accepted more readily. Later work has explored the idea that the effect relates to temporarily limited self-control and reduced critical thinking.
Evidence and ethics
A meta-analysis reported a small to moderate average effect across studies. Most of the work involves modest requests in controlled or field settings, so it should not be generalised to major decisions. Because the technique relies on interrupting careful thought, it also raises obvious questions about manipulation.
Further reading
- Davis, B. P., & Knowles, E. S. (1999). A disrupt-then-reframe technique of social influence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 192-199.
- Carpenter, C. J., & Boster, F. J. (2009). A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of the disrupt-then-reframe compliance gaining technique. Communication Reports, 22, 55-62.