How to Coach Yourself and Others How to Influence, Persuade and Motivate | страница 200

Naturally, most people refused, but in one particular group, an incredible
76 percent actually consented. The reason for their compliance was this:
Two weeks prior, these residents had been asked by another volunteer to
make a small commitment to display a three-inch-square sign that read
"Be a Safe Driver" in their windows. Since it was such a small and simple
request, nearly all of them agreed. The astounding result was that the
initial small commitment profoundly influenced their willingness to
comply with the much larger request two weeks later.
With another group of homeowners, Freedman and Fraser sent petitions
requesting their signatures in support of helping to keep California
beautiful. Of course, nearly everyone signed. Two weeks later, another
volunteer went around and asked them if they'd allow the big "Drive
Carefully" sign to be placed in their yards. Amazingly, about half of the
homeowners consented, even though their previous small commitment
was to state beautification and not safety.[11]
Freedman and Fraser were also interested in discovering whether or not
they could persuade homemakers to carry out a very large request. They
asked the women of the house if they would permit a group of five or six
strangers to freely look through their cupboards and storage spaces for
two hours, for the purpose of classifying the women's household products.
Prior to this request, however, researchers had asked some of the women
to take a survey about household products. Of those surveyed,
approximately 50 percent consented to allowing the men to go through
their household products. Of the women who had not been surveyed, only
25 percent agreed to let the men examine their storage spaces.
Another study involved testing to see whether introductory psychology
students would rise early to take part in a 7:00 ?.?. study session on
thinking processes. In one group, the students were told at the beginning
of the call that the session would begin promptly at 7:00 ?.?. Of these
students, only 24 percent agreed to participate. In the second group, the
students were first told what the study was and that their participation was
desired. The 7:00 ?.?. time was not mentioned until after they had
consented to take part, which 56 percent of them did. When the
opportunity to change their minds was presented to them, however, none
of them took advantage of it. Ninety-five percent of students actually
followed through and showed up for the 7:00 ?.?. session.[12]
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