On inferring one's beliefs from one's attempt and consequences for subsequent compliance

D. J. Bem (1967, 1972) has suggested that a person may infer his or her bel iefs from his or her actions. With his information-processing viewpoint, D. J. Bem proposed that individuals, by observing their past behaviors, may d raw information for assessing their beliefs about themselves. There is a qu estion, however, about the mechanism of self-perception when there is incon sistency between one's attempt to realize an intended goal and the outcome of the action. In a series of field studies, participants who halt unsucces sfully tried to help a stranger were more willing to comply with a relative ly large request made later. Implications for self-perception theory as wel l as for enhancing susceptibility to influence techniques are discussed.