It took me over three years before I decided it was time to move out of my parents' house and find a place closer to my university. Turns out it is not as easy as I expected (well, I actually didn't expect it to be easy). The room I had hoped would come on my path during the last three years had still not made its announcement. Probably need to do a bit of searching myself.
I want a room of a least 25 square metres. I want a room close to the city centre, and close to the train station. I want to pay no more than 300 euros a month. I want a place of my own. I want a clean kitchen and a fresh smelling toilet. I want a separated room to sleep. I want...
Then comes the moment you start to make admendments.
I could live with a smaller room - 14 metres is just fine. I could live with a room of over 300 euros - no way I can find another place like this for this price. I could live with...
I ended up in an overpriced, way-too-small-for-my-standards, darkish room. Close to the city centre and train station, though. Thing is, I need to move out in no more than a month. It is only temporary. Meaning, I had to find yet another room.
I found one. However, it's smaller than the one I'm living in now. It may be less expensive, but only just a little. It has no window. It needs some redoing.
How did that happen?
Foot in the door
Foot in the door, that's what happened. I gave in to a somewhat smaller settlement, and thereby making this new decision less disagreeable. By first agreeing to live in a place that was somewhat below my standards, living in a place which was even less in compliance with what I though I could live with became more desirable.
This may be a little modification to the real foot-in-the-door technique, as it actually means getting a person to agree to a large request by first having him agree to a modest request. It could be the small sticker you adhere to your front door, showing you support safe driving; having you end up with a large sign in your backyard. You don't believe you would? These people in the Freedman and Fraser study (1966) probably neither would have believed it.
Many salespeople and collectors know the rules. Ever been approached with the question "Do you want to sign this petition?" followed by "Would you donate to our cause?". It may not always work, but it works better than asking the last question straightaway.
Door in the face
Another popular compliance method is the door-in-the-face technique. It could also be the case for my new room. First I get offered a huge request, and then I settle with a smaller one. If the second room would have been a better option than the first (well at least in price it is). And if I would have turned the first room down and then would've decided to go with the other room. I guess it is what happened when I was first trying to find a room. When I couldn't get one fitting my standards I settled with less favorable option.
It is like slamming the door in the salesperson's face after he has made this enormous request you leaves you amazed. But also feeling guilty. Which is what the other wants. You feel guilty and therefore you decide to go with the second request. Which is what the other wants. Because this second request you probably wouldn't have accepted if it was demanded of you in isolation.
Cialdini (a great psychologist when it comes to social psychology, and especially persuasion) made people escort a group of children to a zoo after having asked them to do the same with a group of delinquents. People who were asked the large request before the smaller one were more likely and willing to escort the group of children than people who were only asked the smaller request.
That's not all
I gave away the FITD- and the DITF-technique, but... THAT'S NOT ALL!
There is yet another technique, recognizable if you have ever watched a tell-sell commercial. The that's-not-all technique. By offering you additional items you are given the idea you get them as free gifts - even though the other would have given it to you anyway.
Burger (1986) tried this technique in several experiments. By adding an extra package of cookies while the customers were still considering to buy a cupcake, more people were inclined to buy the cupcake. That is, more true customers when they were offered the package of cookies and the cupcake at the same time.
So, here you have several psychological phenomena, applicable to daily life. My question to you: Have you ever used or witnessed one or more of these techniques?
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