How to Coach Yourself and Others How to Influence, Persuade and Motivate

motivated these residents to put forth substantial conservation efforts for a period of one month. Even during the months when their names weren't in the paper, the families continued to conserve gas. When a letter went out stating that their names would no longer be printed in the paper, the families did not return to their previous wasteful energy usage, as was expected; rather, they continued to conserve energy.[10] [6]M. Deutsch and H. B. Gerard, "A Study of Normative and Informational Social Influence upon Judgment," Journal of Abnormal Psychology 51 (1955): 629– 636. [7]E. Aronson and J. Mills, "The Effect of Severity of Initiation on Liking for the Group," Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 59 (1959): 177–181. [8]H. B. Gerard and G. C. Mathewson, "The Effects of Severity of Initiation on Liking for a Group: A Replication," Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 2 (1966): 278–287. [9]F. W. Young, Initiation Ceremonies (New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1965). [10]M. S. Pallak, D.A. Cook, and J.J. Sullivan, "Commitment and Energy Conservation," Applied Social Psychology Annual 1(1980): 235–253. Getting Your Foot in the Door One aspect of the law of dissonance is the urge to remain consistent with our commitments. Even if someone begins with a small request then follows it up with a larger request, we still tend to remain consistent in our behavior and answers. This technique of capitalizing on such a principle has been called by several names, including "foot-in-the-door" (FITD), self-perception theory, or the "sequential request." Basically, it is a means of using a person's self-perception to motivate her to partake of the desired action. When an individual complies a first time, she perceives herself to be helpful. If she is asked to comply a second time in an even greater way, she is likely to consent. In an effort to maintain consistency with the first impression and with her own self-perception, she agrees to give even more of themselves. 198

How to Coach Yourself and Others How to Influence, Persuade and Motivate | Página 198