Which of the following is the best example of the foot-in-the-door technique of persuasion?

• A. A teacher gives you a difficult assignment and then makes it easier after you protest.
• B. A salesperson offers you a large discount if you buy immediately.
• C. A friend asks you to donate a large sum of money to charity without any prior request.
• D. A neighbor first asks you to sign a petition, and later asks you to volunteer for the cause.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the foot-in-the-door technique: it involves making a small initial request that a person is likely to agree to, followed by a larger request related to the first one.
2. Identify the key feature of this technique, which is the progression from a small commitment to a larger one, leveraging the initial agreement to increase compliance.
3. Analyze each option to see if it starts with a small request and then follows up with a larger request connected to the first.
4. Recognize that the example where a neighbor first asks you to sign a petition (a small request) and later asks you to volunteer (a larger request) fits this pattern perfectly.
5. Conclude that this example best illustrates the foot-in-the-door technique because it uses the initial small agreement to increase the likelihood of agreeing to a bigger request.