Person Favor B Franklin Nice Bad Ben Effect

The Ben Franklin effect is a "psychological" (relating to the mind and how it affects behavior) "phenomenon" (something that is observed, but the reasons for it may not be understood) named after Benjamin Franklin, one of the "Founding Fathers" (leaders in the creation of the United States). He "observed" (noticed) that people are more likely to "do a favor" (do something nice for another person) for another person if they have previously done a favor for that person, even more than if that second person does a favor for them in return. In other words, if Person A does a favor for Person B, Person A will be more likely to do another favor for Person B than he/she would be if Person B had done a favor for Person A.

The "reverse" (opposite) is also true. If Person A "harms" (hurts) Person B, Person A is more likely to harm Person B again than Person B is to "retaliate" (doing something bad in return) against Person A.

Here is how Benjamin Franklin described the effect:

Having heard that he had in his library a certain very "scarce" (rare) and "curious" (interesting) book, I wrote a note to him, expressing my desire of "perusing" (reading) that book, and requesting he would do me the "favour" (British spelling of "favor") of lending it to me for a few days. He sent it immediately, and I return'd it in about a week with another note, expressing strongly my sense of the favour. When we next met in the "House" (legislative body; law-making group), he spoke to me (which he had never done before), and with great "civility" (kindness and politeness); and he ever after "manifested" (showed) a readiness to serve me on all occasions, so that we became great friends, and our friendship continued to his death.