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Janeen taught a class for her colleague when he was ill last month. He now feels an obligation to do the same for her. This is an example of __________.

A. the norm of reciprocity
B. referent power
C. a mediated settlement
D. the zone of indifference

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Janeen's action of teaching a class for her sick colleague is an example of 'the norm of reciprocity', where there's an expectation that kindness will be returned with a similar act of kindness.

Step-by-step explanation:

Janeen taught a class for her colleague when he was ill last month. He now feels an obligation to do the same for her. This is an example of the norm of reciprocity. The norm of reciprocity refers to the expectation that people will respond to each other in kind, returning benefits for benefits, and responding with either indifference or hostility to harms. In this scenario, Janeen's colleague feels the need to repay the kindness she showed when he was unable to teach his class.

In social interactions, particularly those among friends, the expectation of balanced reciprocity often guides behavior. When one person does a favor for another, there is an unspoken understanding that the favor will be returned when the opportunity arises. This forms a fundamental part of maintaining social bonds and trust within various types of relationships.

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