In organic chemistry, neighbouring group participation (NGP, also known as anchimeric assistance) has been defined by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) as the interaction of a reaction centre with a lone pair of electrons in an atom or the electrons present in a pi bond contained within the parent molecule but not conjugated with the reaction centre.^[1] When NGP is in operation it is normal for the reaction rate to be increased. It is also possible for the stereochemistry of the reaction to be abnormal (or unexpected) when compared with a normal reaction. While it is possible for neighbouring groups to influence many reactions in organic chemistry (e.g. the reaction of a diene such as 1,3-cyclohexadiene with maleic anhydride normally gives the endo isomer because of a secondary effect {overlap of the carbonyl group π orbitals with the transition state in the Diels-Alder reaction}) this page is limited to neighbouring group effects seen with carbocations and S_N2 reactions.