The Effects of Altercasting and Counterattitudinal Behavior on Compliance: A Lost Letter Technique Investigation

A field experiment was conducted to test the effectiveness of altercasting (Weinstein & Dutschberger, 1963 Weinstein , E. A. , & Deutschberger , P. ( 1963 ). Some dimensions of altercasting . Sociometry , 26 , 454 – 466 .[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) as a compliance-gaining technique. The central hypothesis predicts that positive altercasting messages should produce greater compliance than direct requests. Following Milgram's (1969 Milgram , S. ( 1969 ). Comment on a failure to validate the lost letter technique . Public Opinion Quarterly , 33 , 263 – 264 .[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) lost letter technique, 2,400 ostensibly “lost” letters were placed on car windshields throughout a metropolitan area along with a business card containing a handwritten altercasting or direct request message to mail the letter. The frequency of letters returned was used as a primary measure of compliance. The results do not demonstrate the effectiveness of altercasting as a compliance-gaining technique; on the contrary, they indicate that negative altercasting significantly reduces compliance.