# Compliance techniques

> IB Psychology · IB Psychology 2027 First Assessment
> Source: https://www.owlsprep.com/study/ib-psychology-hr-compliance-techniques/

The application of one or more compliance techniques to change group behaviour(s).

## Learning objectives

- The application of one or more compliance techniques to change group behaviour(s).

## Core concept

Compliance is publicly changing behaviour in response to a direct request — not to a group norm or an order from an authority. Researchers have identified reliable techniques that raise it. In the foot-in-the-door technique, agreeing to a small request makes people more likely to agree to a larger one later; in the low-ball technique, people who have committed to a deal tend to stay committed even after a hidden cost is revealed. Both exploit a drive for commitment and consistency, and are used in sales, charity and health campaigns to change group behaviour.

## Key studies

IB Psychology answers must be supported by named studies. Learn these to cite as evidence:

**Freedman and Fraser (1966)** — Women who first agreed to a small request (answering questions about soap) were more than twice as likely to later comply with a large, intrusive request (a home survey). — *Anchors the FOOT-IN-THE-DOOR technique — a small prior commitment raises later compliance.*

**Cialdini et al. (1978)** — Students asked to sign up for a study before being told it started at 7am were more likely to agree, and to show up, than those told the time first. — *Anchors the LOW-BALL technique — commitment made before the true cost is revealed tends to hold.*

## Evaluation (AO3)

**Strength — field evidence with behavioural outcomes** — Effects are shown in real settings with actual behaviour (turning up, signing up), and a 1978 follow-up found low-ball (60% compliance) clearly outperformed foot-in-the-door (10%), showing the techniques are distinct and ecologically valid.

**Limitation — ethics & boundary conditions** — The techniques work by exploiting commitment and consistency, which raises ethical concerns about manipulating free choice; and their size depends on context (who asks, the gap between requests), so they do not always transfer.

## Scope

> **note**
>
> The application of named compliance techniques to change group behaviour is the focus; the base treatment is SOC_2, and conformity is HR_3. Cialdini's six principles of influence are background here, not each a separate card.

## Common pitfalls

- **Wrong:** Treating compliance, conformity and obedience as the same thing.
  - Why it fails: A frequently penalised misconception in IB Psychology exams.
  - Correct: Compliance = behaviour change from a direct REQUEST; conformity = change to match a GROUP norm; obedience = change from an ORDER by an authority. Match the process to the source of influence, and name the specific technique.

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