Compliance techniques
IB PsychologyΒ· Sociocultural approachΒ· 14 min read
1. Core concept
Compliance techniques are specific tactics that make people more likely to say yes to a direct request. The foot-in-the-door technique opens with a small request almost no one refuses, so that agreeing to a much larger request later feels consistent with what you have already done. The low-ball technique gets someone to commit to an attractive offer and only then reveals a hidden cost β yet the commitment tends to hold. Both work by exploiting our wish to act consistently, not by force or reward.
2. 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 a few questions about household soaps) were more than twice as likely to later agree to a large, intrusive request (a two-hour home survey). β Anchors the FOOT-IN-THE-DOOR technique β a tiny first 'yes' sharply raised compliance with a much bigger second request.
Cialdini et al. (1978)
Students asked to join a study, and only then told it started at 7 am, were more likely to take part β and to actually turn up β than students told the early time upfront. β Anchors the LOW-BALL technique β a commitment made before the hidden cost was revealed still held.
3. Evaluation (AO3)
Strength β tested in real field settings β The effects appear in genuine door-to-door and sign-up situations, giving them ecological validity rather than only lab support.
Limitation β bounded effect and ethics β Compliance depends on context (size of request, who asks) and can fail; and deliberately steering people's choices raises consent and deception concerns.
4. Scope
5. Common Pitfalls
Wrong move:
Compliance is the same as conformity or obedience.
Why:
A frequently penalised misconception in IB Psychology exams.
Correct move:
Compliance is a change in behaviour in response to a direct REQUEST (which you can refuse). Conformity is matching a group's norm; obedience is following an authority's order. Match the term to the situation.
Going deeper
- Cognitive dissonancethe consistency drive these techniques exploit is the cognitive-dissonance mechanism (SOC_1).
- Conformityconformity is the contrasting group-pressure form of social influence (SOC_3).