Lecture Notes on Compliance Tactics and Close Relationships
Charity Compliance Techniques
Charities often use a series of compliance techniques to encourage donations from potential donors.
Petition Signing
Organizations might first request individuals to sign a petition.
This initial commitment creates a sense of obligation, making it more likely for individuals to donate when subsequently approached. For example:
Someone signs a charity's petition, and a week later, they might feel compelled to donate after they've already agreed to support a cause.
Free Trials
Companies may offer no-obligation free trials of products or services.
Upon experiencing the product, consumers are more likely to purchase it later.
Common practice among streaming services.
Lowball Technique
This technique involves getting a person to commit to an attractive proposition before revealing hidden costs.
Example:
Car salespeople might get buyers to agree on a car price before revealing additional fees related to the purchase, such as taxes and dealer fees.
Once a customer has committed, they often feel disinclined to back out.
Hidden Costs in Non-Monetary Terms
Example:
A friend invites someone to stay at a cabin for a weekend, and later requests them to perform laborious tasks in exchange, exploiting the initial commitment to attend the gathering.
Reciprocity Principle
The principle that individuals feel an obligation to return favors or kindness.
When someone receives something (like a free book from a charity), there is typically a psychological expectation to reciprocate.
This obligation exists even when the gift is from a person one does not particularly like.
Door-In-The-Face Technique
This involved making a large request likely to be declined, which sets the stage for a smaller, more reasonable request.
Key understanding is that there should be no significant delay between requests.
Example:
A teenager asks their mother for $50 knowing she will refuse, and then immediately follows with a request for $20, making the smaller request seem more agreeable.
Another example is seen in restaurant patrons who decline dessert but are then more likely to order coffee when prompted immediately afterward.
Scarcity Principle
The concept that items or opportunities seem more attractive when they are perceived as scarce or limited.
This principle drives demand because people inherently desire what they cannot readily obtain.
Example Practices:
Marketing tactics include phrases like “limited supply available” or “going out of business sales” to urge immediate purchases.
Reference to a specific store that falsely advertised a bankruptcy sale for an extended time, leading to continual customer engagement.
Limited edition products also leverage this principle to heighten perceived value.
Awareness of Compliance Techniques
Recognizing these persuasive tactics can help individuals reduce the likelihood of being manipulated into compliance.
Transition to Course Content
The next section discusses the emotional and social dynamics of friendship and relationships as outlined in a new chapter.
Close Relationships Overview
Definition: Close relationships are characterized as important, interdependent, and long-lasting, significantly impacting well-being.
These relationships can encompass various forms, not only romantic interests but also friendships and family ties.
They can yield both positive outcomes like health improvements and negative outcomes like emotional distress.
Relationship Development Stages
The stages of close relationships are classified into three main sections:
Initial Encounters
Becoming Acquainted
Maintaining Relationships
Initial Encounters
Attraction serves as the foundational catalyst for developing close relationships.
Three major factors influencing initial attraction include:
Proximity: Geographic and spatial closeness which allows for interaction.
Example: Classes, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
Familiarity: The mere exposure effect, leading to increased attraction through repeated interactions.
Note: Prolonged exposure can diminish attraction if the person becomes annoying.
Physical Attractiveness: Often noted as a significant factor, especially in romantic situations.
Differences between genders; while men emphasize this feature more than women do, attractiveness remains crucial for friendships too.
Similarity in Preferences
Familiarity also includes attraction to individuals who share similar traits or qualities, such as:
Shared interests, personal backgrounds, or physical attributes.
Research confirms people may be more attracted to faces resembling their own.
An example study: Participants found composite images of their partners—mixed with their features—more attractive than those mixed with random features.
Factors of Physical Attractiveness
Cunningham’s Four Categories of Qualities:
Baby facial features (neonate type)
Mature facial features
Facial Expressiveness
Grooming Standards and practices
Women rated most attractive have a blend of youthful and mature features while men with strong jawlines are considered attractive.
Grooming influences perceived attractiveness—cosmetics, hairstyles, and clothing play a key role.
Evolutionary perspective: Women’s beauty amplified by factors like wearing red, indicating sexual availability.
Matching Hypothesis
Suggests individuals of similar attractiveness tend to form romantic relationships.
Observations confirm couples often display comparable levels of physical attractiveness and body types.
In heterosexual relationships, men may prioritize physical attractiveness, whereas women may prioritize social and economic status.
Reciprocity in Relationships
Reciprocal liking occurs when individuals perceive mutual attraction, enhancing their interest in one another.
Self-disclosure (sharing personal information) is crucial for relationship development, especially when it reciprocates between parties.
Self-exploration correlates positively with relationship satisfaction, notably in face-to-face settings compared to online interactions.
Importance of Similarity
Presence of similar attitudes, belief systems, and values fosters stronger connections among individuals.
Benefits of similarity in relationships include:
Easier alignment on interests, shared values, and predictability in behaviors, leading to reduced conflict and enhanced validation.
Established Relationships
Acquaintance relationships can grow into established friendships or romantic partnerships.
Relationships require maintenance through various strategies:
Common approaches among college students include effective communication, openness, maintaining commitment, and using technology like email to stay connected.
Antisocial Behaviors Observation
Not all relationship maintenance strategies are positive; some strategies may involve manipulative behaviors (such as teasing or controlling actions).
Relationship Satisfaction and Social Exchange Theory
Relationships are evaluated based on the perceived rewards and costs involved.
Social Exchange Theory: Relationships are maintained when rewards outweigh costs; abandonment occurs when costs exceed rewards.
Importance of benefits vs. costs in determining satisfaction and commitment to relationships.
Benefits of relationships include emotional support, companionship, and shared experiences.
Costs may include emotional burden, time, or negative experiences in partnerships.
Comparison Level Concept
In social exchange, personal standards of acceptable rewards and costs are known as a comparison level.
A higher satisfaction rate is associated with high reward perception paired with low cost valuation.