Do you know – writing things down – as opposed to thinking about it or taking notes on a computer or an IPAD – increases the commitment of the writer?
An experiment was conducted with 3 groups. All 3 groups were asked to estimate the length of some lines.
- Group A – Were asked to write their answers on paper but not to sign it. They were also told that they would not be turning in the sheets of paper.
- Group B – were asked to write their estimates on a ‘magic pad’ – after that the estimates were erased without showing it to any one.
- Group C – were told to write their estimates on paper and sign it. They were also told it would be collected at the end.
The result:
Group B was most likely to change their answers.
Group A & C were less likely to change their answers.
Signing the paper and being told it was going to be handed in did not make any difference. But the act of writing it on something permanent was enough to make (Group A & C ) them commit.
Writing (with a pen or pencil) V Typing
Research by Shadmehr and Holcomb (1997) suggests that when people wrote with something longhand (as opposed to typing it) they involve a different muscle which increases memory consolidation.
You may want to consider this?
When you are involved in a situation (one to one or a group presentation) where you would like people to commit, why don’t you get them to write things down.
Resource:
Deutsch, Morton, and Harold B. Gerard. 1955. A study of normative and informational social influences upon individual judgment. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. Vol 51(3), 629-636.
Shadmehr, Reza and Holcomb, Henry H. 1997. “Neural Correlates of Memory Motor Consolidation.” Science 277. www.sciencemag.org
+ Ravi Peal-Shankar
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