When telemarketers call to ask if you care about poverty and then ask you to donate to a homeless shelter, which social influence technique is being used?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Foot-in-the-door technique involves obtaining a small initial agreement to increase the likelihood of compliance with a larger subsequent request.

1. Relevant concepts and knowledge points
- Foot-in-the-door (FITD): start with a minor request that most people will accept; after compliance, follow with a larger related request. Compliance with the small request increases self-perception as helpful or consistent, making later assent more likely (Freedman & Fraser, 1966).
- Door-in-the-face (DITF): begin with a large, likely-refused request, then retreat to a smaller request.
- Reciprocity: compliance produced by giving something first or doing a favor, creating an obligation to return it.
- Commitment/consistency: a psychological principle explaining why people stick to prior commitments; FITD exploits this principle.

2. Step-by-step reasoning applied to the scenario
- Step 1: Telemarketer asks, “Do you care about poverty?” This is a minimal, non-costly request asking for agreement or a verbal commitment.
- Step 2: Once the person agrees or signals concern, the telemarketer asks for a donation — a larger, costlier request.
- Step 3: The prior small agreement makes the person more likely to comply with the donation request because they want to remain consistent with their earlier expressed values.

3. Intermediate steps / evidence
- Small commitment (verbal agreement) → change in self-perception (“I care about poverty”) → desire to act consistently → increased probability of donating.

4. Why the correct answer is correct
- The sequence exactly matches FITD: small benign request followed by a larger related request. FITD specifically describes this two-step escalation to secure compliance.

5. Why the other options are incorrect
- Reciprocity: would require the caller to give something first (e.g., a free item) to create obligation; that is not happening here.
- Door-in-the-face: would start with a large request (e.g., ask for a big donation) and then follow with a smaller one; the scenario does the opposite.
- Commitment to consistency: this is the underlying psychological principle that explains why FITD works, but the asked-for technique (the behavioral tactic used) is FITD itself, not merely the general principle.

6. Conclusion
The telemarketer’s strategy is the foot-in-the-door technique, which matches the provided answer: foot in the door.

When telemarketers call to ask if you care about poverty and then ask you to donate to a homeless shelter, which social influence technique is being used?Single choice

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