Research and Stats Social Psychology

Episode 78: The Psychology of Tipping

 

How can servers increase their tips? Would you believe psychologists have devoted a great deal of research to this question? We’ve looked at the effect of smiley faces, touching, crouching, telling jokes, giving customers a fun task to do, and drawing suns on checks (yes, suns). Join me as we take a look at what servers can do to increase the amount of the tip their customers give them.

 

Web Resources on How to Increase Your Tips

  • One of there researchers listed below and an experienced “…bartender, busboy, and waiter..” is William Michael Lynn. His website has a good deal of information about what you can do to increase your tips.

 

Research Articles on the Psychology of Tipping

  • van Baaren, R.B., Holland, R.W., steenaert, B. & van Knippenberg, A. (2003). Mimicry for money: behavioral consequences of imitation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 39, 393-398.
  • Gueguen, N. (2002). The effects of a joke on tipping when it is delivered at the same time as the bill. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32, 1955-1963.
  • Rind, B. & Strohmetz, D. (2001). Effect on restaurant tipping of presenting customers with an interesting task and of reciprocity. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 31, 1379-1384.
  • Gueguen, N & Legoherel, P. (2000). Effect of Tipping of Barman Drawing a Sun on the bottom of customer’s checks. Psychological Reports, 87, 223-226.
  • McCall, M. & Belmont, H. J. (1996). Credit card insignia and restaurant tipping: Evidence for an associative link. Journal of Applied Psychology,81(5), 609-613.
  • Rind, B. & Bordia, P. (1995). Effect of server’s “thank you” and presonalization on restaurant tipping. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 25, 745-751.
  • Hornik, J. (1992). Tactile Stimulation and Consumer Response. Journal of Consumer Research, 19, 449-457.
  • Lynn, M. & Mynier, K. (1993). Effect of server posture on restaurant tipping. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 23, 678-685.
  • Stephen, R. & Zweigenhaft, R. (1985). The effect on tipping of a waitress touching male and female customers. Journal of Social Psychology, 126(1), 141-142.

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Michael

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5 Comments

  1. Psychology of Fundraising | The Psych Files

    November 10, 2008

    […] “Prime the tip jar”. Priming the tip jar with money is an example of social proof at work. If your cause needs more than just change – and people have contributed $5, $10, $20 or more -then you might want to put large bills in that jar. This creates a social norms indicating that larger sums of money are what other people are doing and is the amount that is “expected” in this situation. More info on how to increase tips can be found in this episode: The Psychology of Tipping […]

  2. Avatar

    Michael

    November 10, 2008

    Nicholas: thanks for your very kind words. I hope your younger brother can use this episode to make a little more money for college! And you’ve only listened to 100 episodes? Got 80+ to go! thanks again

  3. Avatar

    Nicholas Ritchey

    November 10, 2008

    Hello Michael,

    First time commenting on your blog although I’ve listened to almost 100 episodes of your amazing show! I’m a fellow podcaster and positive psychologist, so I’m happy to finally be here thanking you for sustained efforts and generosity!

    The reason I’m here outside of iTunes is because my younger brother’s getting himself through college as a waiter and was thinking, “HE HAS TO LISTEN TO THIS!” So I’m sharing the link with him — perhaps you’ll get another listener!

    Thanks again for your generosity & your wonderful show! You’re a star!

  4. Mindblogs: Part 9 « Law & Mind Sciences

    November 10, 2008

    […] brain) to the controversial (the development of sexual orientation) to the just plain interesting (the psychology of tipping). And as far as appearances go, the site layout and graphics are beauuutiful — I don’t […]

  5. Tipping… are they playing us?! | Law Legalese and Psychos...

    November 10, 2008

    […] done by our favorite Psych Files creator, Michael Britt. The discussion in this podcast was about Tipping and what experiments and research has learned about the “psychology of tipping” and ways customers can be manipulated to tip better. […]

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