Agreeing to a small request raises compliance with a larger one later.
Freedman and Fraser's 1966 study: householders who agreed to a small window sticker were far likelier to accept a large lawn sign weeks later. Self-perception is the mechanism — having complied, you are now the sort of person who does.
In practice
- An employee who agrees to "just chair one session" is running the working group by the autumn.
- A donor who gives £5 once is far more likely to accept a monthly ask than one who has never given.
- Further reading
- Wikipedia
- Subject
- Psychology & Behavior
- Essay
- A century and a half of measuring the mind