Question 1

On the first day of school, Professor Wilson gave every student a pencil and a bookmark. The students immediately favored him over other professors. Which explanation for his pregiving strategy is the most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

The liking explanation suggests that Professor Wilson gave the pencils and bookmarks to create a positive impression among the students and increase their liking towards him.

Question 2

Which of the following has not been offered as an explanation for why the door in the face strategy is so effective?

Accepted Answer

Commitment

Question 3

While snooping around at a local yard sale, you inquire about the price of an Elvis puppet. "That Elvis puppet," the homeowner says, "Costs 4 dollars. That's only 400 pennies. What a deal!" This is an example of which sequential request tactic?

Accepted Answer

The statement by the homeowner is an example of the disrupt then reframe technique where they first mention a seemingly high price (4 dollars) and then reframe it as a low price (only 400 pennies). This is meant to catch the buyer off guard and make the purchase seem like a better deal.

Question 4

Biff has just seen an ad in the paper for a new Nissan pickup truck for $15,000. He hurries to his local dealership but is disappointed to learn that the truck is already been sold. "Don't worry," the salesman tells him, "I can make you a terrific deal on a similar truck for only a few dollars more per month." Which of the following tactics is the salesman using?

Accepted Answer

The salesman is using the bait and switch tactic by advertising a low-priced truck to get Biff into the dealership, then redirecting him to a similar but more expensive truck.

Question 5

Which of the following must occur for the door in the face tactic to work?

Accepted Answer

For the door-in-the-face tactic to be effective, it's crucial that the same individual makes both the initial, larger request (which is expected to be rejected) and the subsequent, smaller request (which is more likely to be accepted). This consistency in the requester helps to establish a sense of reciprocity and social commitment, which are key for the tactic's success.

Question 6

A boutique clothing store offers shoppers a glass of wine or a cup of coffee when they enter the store. This strategy is known as

Accepted Answer

This strategy is known as pregiving, as the store is offering customers a small gift as soon as they enter the store to create a positive first impression and build goodwill.

Question 7

The perceptual contrast effect has been used to explain why the _________________ persuasion tactic is so effective.

Accepted Answer

The "door in the face" persuasion tactic is effective due to the perceptual contrast effect, where an initially large request is made knowing it will be refused, followed by a smaller request (the actual desired outcome), which seems much more reasonable in comparison to the first, thus increasing the likelihood of compliance.

Question 8

Hiroshi acts nice to potential customers in order to get them to buy his wares. This is an example of which sequential persuasion tactic?

Accepted Answer

Pregiving involves acting kindly or providing a small favor to someone before asking them to comply with a request, in this case, buying something. Hiroshi's nice behavior towards potential customers before making a sale fits this description.

Question 9

What compliance-gaining strategy is the child using in the dialogue that follows? 
Child: "Mom, can I stay home from school today so we can go to Disneyland?"
Parent: "No."
Child, "Well, then can I at least go to a friend's house after school to play?"
Parent: "O.K."

Accepted Answer

The child is using the "door in the face" technique, which involves making a large request that is expected to be refused in order to increase the chances that a smaller, subsequent request will be accepted.

Question 10

A politician who was designing a campaign ad would be better off

Accepted Answer

Focusing on what voters stand to gain if they vote for the politician is a more positive and persuasive approach. It highlights the benefits of supporting the candidate, rather than negativity and attacking the opponent. This approach is likely to resonate with voters and encourage them to vote for the politician.

Question 11

The "norm of reciprocity" has been used to explain the effectiveness of which of the following sequential persuasion tactics?

Accepted Answer

The norm of reciprocity suggests that when someone does something for us or gives us something, we feel obligated to return the favor. Pregiving, where the persuader gives a small gift or favor before asking for something in return, is effective because it activates the norm of reciprocity and increases the likelihood of compliance. The other tactics (foot in the door, disrupt then frame, lowball) do not rely on the norm of reciprocity as the primary explanation for their effectiveness.

Question 12

Common greetings (e.g., "How are you today?") serve as the first step in which of the following sequential persuasion tactics?

Accepted Answer

The "foot in the mouth" technique involves starting a conversation with a greeting or question to engage someone, making them more likely to comply with a subsequent request.

Question 13

Dave asks Jan if she likes imported cars. "Gee, I must," Jan answers. "My last three cars were made in Japan." That Jan inferred her attitude about cars from her past behavior is consistent with which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Self-perception theory suggests that people infer their attitudes from their behavior, especially when there is no clear external explanation for their behavior. Jan's statement about her past cars indicates that she has inferred her positive attitude towards imported cars from her behavior of consistently buying cars made in Japan, which is in line with self-perception theory.

Question 14

Credit card companies that offer a low, introductory "teaser" rate, and then up the interest rate dramatically a few months later, are guilty of using which strategy below?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of a lowball tactic, where the credit card company lures customers in with a low initial rate and then increases it significantly after a short period.

Question 15

Gordon wants his wife to spend two weeks fishing with him in Hawaii, even though his wife hates fishing. To get her to agree, he first asks if she will go hunting (something she also hates doing) with him for six months in Alaska. When she rejects the Alaska offer, he says, "Well, then how about a two-week fishing trip to Hawaii?" Gordon's strategy is based on which of the following tactics?

Accepted Answer

Gordon's strategy is based on the door-in-the-face tactic, where an extreme request (the six-month hunting trip) is made first and then followed by a smaller request (the two-week fishing trip) that is more likely to be accepted in comparison.

Question 16

Which of the following is most true about the lapse of time between the first and second requests in the door in the face tactic?

Accepted Answer

The door-in-the-face tactic is most effective when the delay between the first (larger) request and the second (smaller) request is brief. This approach relies on the principle of reciprocity and the contrast effect, where the second, more reasonable request is more likely to be accepted immediately following the rejection of the first, more demanding request. A brief delay ensures that the contrast effect is still strong and that the principle of reciprocity is invoked.

Question 17

SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Which of the following statements about sequential strategies is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

Two doors in the face (DITF) is a strategy that can be more effective when used twice in succession, as it can increase the likelihood of compliance by making a second, more reasonable request seem even more acceptable after the initial, more extreme request is declined. This approach can enhance the effectiveness of the DITF technique.

Question 18

The norm of reciprocity suggests that we should

Accepted Answer

The norm of reciprocity involves the idea of repaying, in kind, what another person has provided us. This can include returning a favor or kindness, or reciprocating a gift. It is a social norm that encourages give-and-take relationships in which individuals feel obligated to help, cooperate with, or repay others who have previously helped, cooperated with, or provided a benefit to them. Options A, B, and D do not accurately reflect the norm of reciprocity.

Question 19

The foot in the door tactic is more effective when used for ________________ than when used for ________________.

Accepted Answer

The foot in the door tactic is more effective when used for prosocial causes rather than self-serving reasons because people are more likely to agree to a small request if it is in line with their values and beliefs. This initial agreement increases the likelihood they will agree to a larger request related to the same cause. However, for self-serving reasons, people may be suspicious of the requester's motives and may not be as willing to agree to the smaller request or follow through with the larger request.

Question 20

Serge is thinking about buying a new stereo. When the salesperson, Naomi, tells him that his favorite stereo is on sale for $2,000, he agrees to make the purchase. But then, as she starts to ring up the sale, she claims to have made a mistake. "I confused that stereo with another one," she claims. "The stereo you want is actually $2,250." If Serge agrees to purchase the stereo for $2,250, he will have succumbed to which of the following tactics?

Accepted Answer

Lowballing involves initially offering a product at a lower price to attract a customer and then raising the price, often with some excuse, once the customer has agreed to the purchase. This is what happened when Naomi initially told Serge the stereo was $2,000 and then raised the price to $2,250.

Quiz 1: Why Study Persuasion