Uma answers a call from a telemarketer, who asks her how she is today. Uma says she is fine, and the telemarketer launches into his spiel. By the time he has finished, Uma feels bad saying no to him, because he was nice to her at the beginning of the call. The telemarketer used the
A)foot-in-the-door technique.
B)door-in-the-face technique.
C)norm of reciprocity.
D)lowballing technique.
E)burden sharing.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The telemarketer used the norm of reciprocity, which is a social norm where if someone does something nice for you, you feel a pressure to return the favor. In this case, by being nice at the beginning of the call, the telemarketer made Uma feel obligated to listen and possibly agree to what he was selling, leveraging this social norm to his advantage.

Uma Answers a Call from a Telemarketer, Who Asks Her