Final answer:
The concepts related to resistance to persuasion include cognitive dissonance, reactance, social proof, and the foot-in-the-door technique. Cognitive dissonance involves psychological discomfort from conflicting beliefs and behaviors, which can be resolved by changing one's behaviors or beliefs. The foot-in-the-door technique is used to gradually increase compliance by starting with a small request and following up with larger ones.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concepts in question regarding resistance to persuasion include cognitive dissonance, reactance, social proof, and the foot-in-the-door technique.
- Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort experienced when a person has conflicting behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs. For example, a person who values environmental conservation but drives a gas-guzzling vehicle may experience cognitive dissonance. To resolve this, they might justify the behavior by citing the need for a larger vehicle for safety reasons, or they could change their behavior by purchasing a more fuel-efficient car.
- Reactance is a motivational reaction to offers, persons, rules, or regulations that threaten or eliminate specific behavioral freedoms. It occurs when a person feels that someone is taking away their choices or limiting the range of alternatives.
- Social proof is the influence that the actions and attitudes of the people around us (either in real life or online) have on our own behavior. This is often harnessed in marketing where products are shown as being popular or endorsed by celebrities to encourage consumption.
- The foot-in-the-door technique is a strategy where a smaller request is made first in order to gain eventual compliance with a larger request. As in the given example, a store owner might first sell a customer a basic item before upselling a more expensive one.
When it comes to changing attitudes internally, individuals face cognitive dissonance and can resolve it either by changing their behavior, attitudes, or adding new cognitions to decrease the dissonance.
External forces of attitude change include the foot-in-the-door technique as part of compliance strategies, where persuasion plays a significant role.