Question

Groups seeking donations often ask people to simply sign a petition first. This approach illustrates which of the following social influence techniques?​:

a. Foot-in-the-door technique
b. Door-in-the-face technique
c. Central route persuasion
d. Peripheral route persuasion

Answer 1

Seeking donations by first asking people to sign a petition exemplifies the foot-in-the-door technique, a social influence strategy that involves starting with a small request to increase the likelihood of subsequent agreement to a larger request.

Step-by-step explanation:

The approach of asking people to sign a petition before seeking donations is an illustration of the foot-in-the-door technique. This is a persuasion strategy where a persuader starts by asking for a small favor, which is more likely to be granted, and later follows up with a larger request. The idea behind this technique is that agreeing to the small initial request increases the likelihood of agreeing to a subsequent larger request. It leverages our desire to act consistently with our past behavior.

Applying this technique can be effective in various contexts. For example, if you agree to a salesperson's suggestion of purchasing the best data plan for a new smartphone you're buying, they may then suggest a larger purchase such as a three-year extended warranty. Having agreed to the smaller request, you're now more likely to consent to the larger one.