Question

Which of the following is the best example of the foot-in-the-door effect?

1) Amanda wanted her supervisor to purchase a new computer for the lab. She started asking for a new computer, then a small monitor, and then finally asked for a cheap keyboard.
2) Hilary wanted to get a statue put into the lobby so she requested funding for posters, then paintings, and then finally asked for funding for the statue.
3) Faria wanted get the newest iPhone. She signed up for a plan, and then realized how many hidden costs were associated with her signed agreement.
4) Allie wanted to convince her parents to buy her a really nice dress for her prom. She first asked her parents for a very expensive dress that she knew they would refuse, and then asked for a cheaper (but still expensive) dress as a compromise.

Answer 1

Option 4) Allie asking for an expensive dress and then settling for a slightly less expensive one best exemplifies the foot-in-the-door effect. It shows how agreeing to a smaller request may increase the likelihood of agreeing to a larger subsequent request, which is a technique widely used in sales and persuasion strategies.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best example of the foot-in-the-door effect is option 4) Allie wanted to convince her parents to buy her a really nice dress for her prom. She first asked her parents for a very expensive dress that she knew they would refuse, and then asked for a cheaper (but still expensive) dress as a compromise. This scenario illustrates the psychological strategy where Allie secures a smaller agreement from her parents before requesting the larger one, which is purchasing the prom dress. This effect operates on the principle that compliance with a small request increases the likelihood of agreement to a subsequent, larger request.

The foot-in-the-door technique is often used by individuals to gain compliance. The persuader starts with a small favor or purchase and later escalates to a larger request. Research has shown that once someone commits to an action, they strive for consistency by agreeing to further actions. This methodology is commonly used in sales and marketing strategies, such as convincing a customer to purchase additional features after agreeing to buy a basic model of a product.