Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

Enhancing Well-Being with Psychology489ENHANCING WELL-BEING WITH PSYCHOLOGYThe Persuasion GameOur daughter, Laura, was 3 1/2 years old, happily munching herCheerios and doodling pictures in the butter on her bread. Donsat across from her at the kitchen table, reading a draft of thischapter. “Don’t play with your food, Laura,” Don said withoutlooking up.“Okay, Daddy,” she chirped.“Daddy, are you in a happy mood?”Don paused. “Yes, I’m in a happy mood, Laura,” he saidthoughtfully. “Are you in a happy mood?”“Yes, Daddy,” Laura replied as she made the banana peeldance around her placemat. “Daddy, will you get me a MermaidBarbie doll for my birthday?”Ah, so young and so clever! From very early in life, we learnthe basics of persuasion—the deliberate attempt to influencethe attitudes or behavior of another person in a situation inwhich that person has some freedom of choice. Clearly, Laurahad figured out one basic rule: She’s more likely to persuadeMom or Dad when they’re in “a happy mood.”Professional persuaders often manipulate people’s attitudesand behavior using techniques based on two fundamental socialnorms: the rule of reciprocity and the rule of commitment (Cody& Seiter, 2001). Here we’ll provide you with some practical suggestionsto avoid being taken in by persuasion techniques.The Rule of ReciprocityThe rule of reciprocity is a simple but powerful social norm (Cialdini& Trost, 1998). If someone gives you something or does you a favor,you feel obligated to return the favor. So after a classmate lets youcopy her lecture notes for the class session you missed, you feel obligatedto return a favor when she asks for one.The “favor” can be almost anything freely given, such as a freesoft drink, a free food sample in a grocery store, a free gardeningworkshop at your local hardware store, a free guide, booklet,planning kit, or trial. The rule of reciprocity is part of the salesstrategy used by companies that offer “free” in-home trials oftheir products. It’s also why department stores that sell expensivecosmetics offer “free” makeovers.Technically, you are under “no obligation” to buy anything.Nonetheless, the tactic often creates an uncomfortable sense ofobligation, so you do feel pressured to reciprocate by buying theproduct (Cialdini, 2000).One strategy that uses the rule of reciprocity is called the doorin-the-facetechnique (Dillard, 1991; Perloff, 1993; Turner &others, 2007). First, the persuader makes a large request thatyou’re certain to refuse. For example, Joe asks to borrow $500.You figuratively “slam the door in his face” by quickly turninghim down. But then Joe, apologetic, appears to back off andmakes a much smaller request—to borrow $20. From your perspective,it appears that Joe has made a concession to you andis trying to be reasonable. This puts you in the position of reciprocatingwith a concession of your own. “Well, I can’t lend you$500,” you grumble, “but I guess I could lend you 20 bucks.”Of course, the persuader’s real goal was to persuade you to complywith the second, smaller request.The rule of reciprocity is also operating in the that’s-not-alltechnique (Zimbardo & Leippe, 1991). First, the persuader makesan offer. But before you can accept or reject it, the persuaderappears to throw in something extra to make the deal even moreattractive to you. So as you’re standing there mulling over theprice of the more expensive high-definition, flat-panel television,the salesperson says, “Listen, I’m offering you a great price butthat’s not all I’ll do—I’ll throw in some top-notch HDMI connectorcables at no charge.” From your perspective, it appears asthough the salesperson has just done you a favor by making aconcession you did not ask for. This creates a sense of obligationfor you to reciprocate by buying the “better” package.The Rule of CommitmentAnother powerful social norm is the rule of commitment. Onceyou make a public commitment, there is psychological and interpersonalpressure on you to behave consistently with your earliercommitment. The foot-in-the-door technique is one strategythat capitalizes on the rule of commitment (Cialdini, 2000;Perloff, 1993). Here’s how it works.First, the persuader makes a small request that you’re likely toagree to. For example, she might ask you to wear a lapel pinpublicizing a fund-raising drive for a charity (Pratkanis & Aronson,2001). By agreeing to wear the lapel pin, you’ve made a commitmentto the fund-raising effort. At that point, she has gottenher “foot in the door.” Later, the persuader asks you to complywith a second, larger request, such as donating money to thecharity. Because of your earlier commitment, you feel psychologicallypressured to behave consistently by now agreeing to thelarger commitment (Gorassini & Olson, 1995).The rule of commitment is also operating in the low-ball technique.First, the persuader gets you to make a commitment bydeliberately understating the cost of the product you want. He’sthrown you a “low ball,” one that is simply too good to turndown. In reality, the persuader has no intention of honoring theartificially low price.Here’s an example of the low-ball technique in action: You’venegotiated an excellent price (the “low ball”) on a used car andfilled out the sales contract. The car salesman shakes your handand beams, then takes your paperwork into his manager’s officefor approval. Ten minutes pass—enough time for you to convinceyourself that you’ve made the right decision and solidifyyour commitment to it.At that point, the salesman comes back from his manager’soffice looking dejected. “I’m terribly sorry,” the car salesman says.“My manager won’t let me sell the car at that price becausewe’d lose too much money on the deal. I told him I would eventake a lower commission, but he won’t budge.”Notice what has happened. The attractive low-ball price thatoriginally prompted you to make the commitment has beenpulled out from under your feet. What typically happens?Despite the loss of the original inducement to make the purchase—thelow-ball price—people often feel compelled to keep