Final answer:
Cialdini's Low-Ball Study aimed to investigate commitment and consistency in behavior. The study varied the Low-Ball technique by revealing additional requirements or costs after participants had committed to an initial request. The surprise element in the technique increased compliance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The goal of Cialdini's Low-Ball Study was to investigate the concept of commitment and consistency in influencing people's behavior. In this study, participants were first asked to agree to a small request, such as signing up for a task or volunteering for an experiment. Then, after they had committed to the initial request, the researchers revealed additional requirements or costs associated with the task. Despite the increased demands, many participants continued to comply with the requests.
What made the Low-Ball technique unique in this study was the variation introduced by Cialdini. He used two conditions: one in which participants were informed about the additional requirements or costs upfront, and another in which they were informed after they had committed to the initial request. The results showed that participants in the second condition, where the information was revealed later, were more likely to comply with the additional demands. This suggests that the element of surprise or unexpectedness can enhance the effectiveness of the Low-Ball technique.
For example, in the study, participants who had agreed to participate in a psychology experiment were told that it would start at 7 am. However, on the day of the experiment, they were informed that it would actually start at 5 am. Even though it was an inconvenience, the majority of participants still showed up at the revised time, demonstrating the power of the Low-Ball technique.