sequential persuasion

oftentimes persuasion is not as simple as making a single request or giving one speech.

Persuasion, quite frequently, is a process that requires a number of steps.

Pregiving

entails trying to get someone to comply by acting nice or doing favors for him or her in advance

Ex: free samples at supermarkets

Ex: soda example then asking to buy raffle tickets

Ex: one of the authors was a suit salesperson and would ask people if they wanted their jackets pressed while shopping. Very fe refused, but what they didn't understand was that not only was it a good way to get them to spend more time shopping, but when it came to purchasing a suit, who better to buy from then the nice salesperson who had already done them a favor?

Ex: men buying women a drink, men think women are obligated to return the favor sexually later

Common explanations for why pregiving works or doesn't work

-liking

-physical attraction

-perceived ulterior motives

-gratitude

-impression management

-internalized social norms

liking explanation

suggests that people who give something to others are perceived as kind and good

physical attraction explanation

suggests that doing favors leads people to be seen as more attractive, which, in turn, leads them to be more persuasive

perceived ulterior motives

suggests that when a favor is seen as a tool of manipulation, it is less likely to lead to compliance

gratitude explanation

receiving a favor leads to positive emotional states that motivate benevolent behavior

(people comply because the favor creates a spirit of thankfulness)

impression management and internalized social norm

based on norm of reciprocity, which says it is desirable to repay what another person had provided us

impression management explanation

don't want to look like an ungrateful freeloader

internalized social norm explanation

repaying favors is desirable because it makes people feel good about themselves when they do the right thing.

foot-in-the-door strategy (FITD)

involves making a small request first and then making a second, larger request

-it is the 2nd, larger request that most interests the persuader

-the first, small request is merely a setup

Example - Lady at mall with child "would you tell me what time it is"..."also I was wondering if you could spare me a few dollars"

When people comply with a smaller request...

it makes them more likely to comply with a second, larger request

Why is a Foot in the Door so persuasive?

The most common explanation for the effectiveness of a foot in the door technique is based on self-perception theory

-people come to know about their attitudes, emotions, and other internal states by inferring them from their own behavior

-So, when you agree to comply with a small request, you see yourself as an altruistic person who is likely to help. Once you form that impression, you are motivated to behave in a manner consistent with that impression

size of initial request

conditions that play an important role in effectiveness of FITD

the initial request should be neither too large nor too small

prosocialness of the request

conditions that play an important role in effectiveness of FITD

the FITD tactic is more effective when used for prosocial causes (raising money for homeless people) than it is when used for self-serving reasons (commissioned salesperson)

external incentives to comply

conditions that play an important role in effectiveness of FITD

people are less susceptible to FITD if they are offered external incentives

-if you receive a gift for agreeing to list, you do not form an impression of yourself as someone who is willing to comply readily with requests

-pregiving strategies should not be used with FITD because it involves external incentives

who makes the requests

conditions that play an important role in effectiveness of FITD

the same person needn't make both the initial and follow up requests

-research has found that when a different person made the second request, compliance was more likely than when the same person made both requests

labeling

conditions that play an important role in effectiveness of FITD

Ex: donate blood and nurse tells you how generous you are or gives you a pin/bumper sticker that says "I Care Enough to Donate Blood". This type of labeling increases the odds that you will comply with larger follow up requests.

preference for consistency

conditions that play an important role in effectiveness of FITD

people want their attitudes and behaviors to be consistent

If you agree to an initial request, you should be motivated to behave consistently by also agreeing to the second request.

self-concept clarity

conditions that play an important role in effectiveness of FITD

some people have a clearer picture of their self concept than others. These people have "high self-concept clarity"

These people are more susceptible to the FITD tactic than are people with a fuzzier idea of self because people with high self-concept clarity are more likely to change their self concepts.

foot in mouth effect

"How are you today?"

"Great"

by telling someone that you're feeling wonderful, you may make yourself feel committed to behave in a way that is consistent with that declaration. Thus, you may be more likely to comply.

door in the face technique (DITF)

first making a request so large that it is turned down, then following it up with a second, smaller request

the perceptual contrast effect

Why is door in the face so persuasive?

suggests that people are likely to comply with a second, smaller request because compared to the initial larger request, the second request seems much smaller than it normally would have

self-presentation explanation

Why is door in the face so persuasive?

suggests that when people reject an initial request, they become concerned that they will be perceived negatively and thus comply with a second request in order to make themselves look better

reciprocal concessions

Why is door in the face so persuasive?

when a persuader employing the DITF tactic makes a concession by following up with a smaller request, we may be motivated to "return the favor" by complying with the second request

guilt-based account

Why is door in the face so persuasive?

refusing an initial, prosocial request leads persuaders to experience guilt, which they attempt to reduce by agreeing to a second request

social responsibility position

Why is door in the face so persuasive?

suggests that we comply because of internal standards. That is, if we think it is socially acceptable to help people who deserve it, we're more likely to comply when follow-up messages ask for our help.

size of the initial request

When does a door in the face work?

For the DITF strategy to work, the first request must be large enough to guarantee rejection by the persuadee but not so large as to appear incredulous

type of compliance sought

When does a door in the face work?

DITF is not effective when used for self-serving purposes but can increase compliance when used for altruistic purposes

-the DITF tactic is more effective than a single request when compliance is more difficult to achieve

elapsed time between first and second requests

When does a door in the face work?

compliance is increased when the delay between the two requests is short

can a different person make the second request

When does a door in the face work?

the DITF strategy does not work if the first and second requests are made by different people

but wait, that's not all strategy

can include adding on items to make the deal look better or lowering the price of an item.

Ex: food and vegetable slicer on tv, then they say they will throw in an add-on knife.

lowball tactic

First, the salesperson makes you a deal that looks too good to refuse.

But then, a number of things might happen.

For instance, the salesperson might inform you that the quoted price did not include an expensive option that you thought was included.

Another example: colleges say tuition costs $20k but actually ends up costing more because of add-ons, etc.

Why lowballing works

-commitment - when the customer agrees to the initial offer, he or she becomes psycho logically committed to the idea of owning the car.

-unfulfilled obligations - people agree to the second, more costly request because they feel obligated to make good on their promises

The Bait and Switch Tactic

shown one item on sale, told it is out of your size, then they show you a similar item at full price

The disrupt-then-reframe tactic

certain confusion techniques can be used to divert people's minds from maintaining resistance

The cards are $3, its a bargain

vs.

The cards are 300 pennies... thats $3, its a bargain!

legitimizing paltry contributions

"even a penny will help"

-not only because it diffuses excuses, but it also makes the request seem like less of an imposition and might make people who refuse the request worry that they'll be perceived as heartless cheapskates

fear-then-relief procedure

fear causes people to react in a certain way. Specifically, the emotion launches an "action program" that typically stops all other activities while at the same time increasing cautiousness and behaviors such as freezing, fleeting, and so forth. When the fear is suddenly relieved a break between programs occurs that leaves a person disoriented and prone to acting rather mindlessly.

happiness-then-disappointment procedure

(finding a note that looked like money)

dump-and-chase

persuaders don't give up when their initial attempt is refused, instead they continue to chase compliance by asking "why not?"