People convince others to do things all the time, even when they don't really want to do it. This is known as compliance, which is the change in our behavior due to other people making requests (Kassin, Fein & Markus, 2011). There are three major techniques that people use to try to get others to comply to their requests. The first technique is known as the foot-in-the-door technique, which is when someone asks you to comply to a small request first, and then afterwards asks you to comply to a bigger request (Freedman & Fraser, 1966). The reasons this technique works is because of self-perception theory, as once the target has complied to the initial request, they change their self-image therefore making more susceptible to complying to the future larger request. The other reason this works is because of their commitment to the original request makes them more likely to commit to the future request.
The second technique is known as the door-to-the-face technique, where the persuader starts off by making a large request (that they have no intention of getting), and then works their way down to a smaller request that they originally intended (Cialdini et al, 1975). Because the second request is much more reasonable, the target is far more likely to comply. The reason this technique works so well is because of the contrast that the target perceives in the initial offer and the final offer. Also, many sports teams use this technique when trying to buy players from other teams, and then they work the offer down by using reciprocal concessions, where both teams are trading offers. Because of these offer trades, the team that inevitably gives up the player doesn't feel cheated in any way as they had as much as a role to play in the persuasion.
The last technique, and by far the most looked down upon, is known as the low-ball technique, where the target agrees to a deal that is very attractive, and then sometime later the persuader changes the terms of the deal (Cialdini et al, 1978). As you can tell, this is probably the sleaziest move that a person can do, and yet car salespeople and various other assholes are masters at it. The reason this technique works is because of the time in between the initial very attractive offer, and the later change in terms. Once the initial offer is committed to, the target is making a bunch of reasons as to why this is the best idea in his/her life. Once the asshole car dealer comes back and delivers the bad news, the target already has a bunch of justifications to maintain going through with the decision, and then has been low-balled (or kicked in the nuts, as I like to call it).
Though I didn't realize at the time that this was a social psychological compliance tactic, I have definitely used the foot-in-the-door technique against my mom. Way back when, my mom really didn't want to have any pets in the house, for whatever reason, but my brother and I did. How did we solve that problem you ask? By getting her to take us to the pet store so that we could "at least pet the dog" as we couldn't get one anyway. So she took us there, and we ended up leaving with a German Shepard puppy. I won...
Word Count: 564
References:
Bem, D. J. (1967). Self-Perception: An Alternative Interpretation of Cognitive Dissonance Phenomena.
Psychological Review, 74, 183-200.
The second technique is known as the door-to-the-face technique, where the persuader starts off by making a large request (that they have no intention of getting), and then works their way down to a smaller request that they originally intended (Cialdini et al, 1975). Because the second request is much more reasonable, the target is far more likely to comply. The reason this technique works so well is because of the contrast that the target perceives in the initial offer and the final offer. Also, many sports teams use this technique when trying to buy players from other teams, and then they work the offer down by using reciprocal concessions, where both teams are trading offers. Because of these offer trades, the team that inevitably gives up the player doesn't feel cheated in any way as they had as much as a role to play in the persuasion.
The last technique, and by far the most looked down upon, is known as the low-ball technique, where the target agrees to a deal that is very attractive, and then sometime later the persuader changes the terms of the deal (Cialdini et al, 1978). As you can tell, this is probably the sleaziest move that a person can do, and yet car salespeople and various other assholes are masters at it. The reason this technique works is because of the time in between the initial very attractive offer, and the later change in terms. Once the initial offer is committed to, the target is making a bunch of reasons as to why this is the best idea in his/her life. Once the asshole car dealer comes back and delivers the bad news, the target already has a bunch of justifications to maintain going through with the decision, and then has been low-balled (or kicked in the nuts, as I like to call it).
Though I didn't realize at the time that this was a social psychological compliance tactic, I have definitely used the foot-in-the-door technique against my mom. Way back when, my mom really didn't want to have any pets in the house, for whatever reason, but my brother and I did. How did we solve that problem you ask? By getting her to take us to the pet store so that we could "at least pet the dog" as we couldn't get one anyway. So she took us there, and we ended up leaving with a German Shepard puppy. I won...
Word Count: 564
References:
Bem, D. J. (1967). Self-Perception: An Alternative Interpretation of Cognitive Dissonance Phenomena.
Psychological Review, 74, 183-200.
Cialdini, R.B.; Cacioppo, J.T.; Bassett, R.; Miller, J.A. (1978). "Low-ball procedure for producing
compliance: Commitment then cost". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 36 (5): 463–
476. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.36.5.463
Cialdini, R.B.; Vincent, J.E., Lewis, S.K., Catalan, J., Wheeler, D., & Darby, B. L. (1975). "Reciprocal
concessions procedure for inducing compliance: the door-in-the-face technique.". Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology 31: 206–215.
Freedman, J.L. & Fraser, S.C. (1966). Compliance without pressure: The foot-in-the-door technique.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 4, 195-202.
Kassin, S., Fein, S., & Markus, H. (2011). Social psychology. (8th ed., p. 268). Belmont: Wadsworth.
Reminds me of what Dr. G told us in class about her daughter! When I was about 10 my first dog passed away, and I was heartbroken, and after a few months, even a year had passed, I was ready for a new dog in my life. My parents had other feelings about it though. Finally one day as I was browsing an online Great Dane breeding site my dads favorite breed), and I told him just to come look at the male and female they were breeding since they were so pretty. Of course, I knew that they were actually expecting a litter and as soon as my dad scrolled down the page and saw the posting, he was calling them up and we were driving down 8 weeks later to pick up our newest family addition! Veda. She will be 9 this summer. Got to love that foot-in-the-door technique. Works great with pets!
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