Showing papers in "Applied Psychology in 2012"

Experiencing Range in an Electric Vehicle: Understanding Psychological Barriers

Abstract: Range of electric vehicles (EVs) has long been considered a major barrier in acceptance of electric mobility. We examined the nature of how range is experienced in an EV and whether variables from other adaptation contexts, notably stress, have explanatory power for inter-individual differences in what we term comfortable range. Forty EVs were leased to a sample of users for a 6-month field study. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of range experiences were performed, including regression analyses to examine the role of stress-buffering personality traits and coping skills in comfortable range. Users appraised range as a resource to which they could successfully adapt and that satisfied most of their daily mobility needs. However, indicators were found that suggested suboptimal range utilisation. Stress-buffering personality traits (control beliefs, ambiguity tolerance) and coping skills (subjective range competence, daily range practice) were found to play a substantial role in comfortable range. Hence, it may be possible to overcome perceived range barriers with the assistance of psychological interventions such as information, training, and interface design. Providing drivers with a reliable usable range may be more important than enhancing maximal range in an electric mobility system.

For Fun, Love, or Money: What Drives Workaholic, Engaged, and Burned‐Out Employees at Work?

Abstract: Previous research has distinguished between two types of working hard: workaholism, a “bad” type of working hard, and work engagement, a “good” type of working hard. However, the motivations underlying workaholism and work engagement have not been examined extensively. Building on Deci and Ryan's Self-Determination Theory, the present study examined the motivational correlates of workaholism, work engagement, and burnout (a possible consequence of working hard), using data from Chinese health care professionals (544 nurses and 216 physicians), and controlling for job demands and resources. As expected, structural equation modeling revealed that high levels of workaholism were associated with high levels of introjected regulation and identified regulation; that high levels of work engagement were mainly associated with high levels of intrinsic regulation; and that high levels of burnout were mainly associated with low levels of intrinsic regulation. Thus, different types of motivational regulation are associated with different types of job-related well-being.

Flexible Work Arrangements Availability and their Relationship with Work‐to‐Family Conflict, Job Satisfaction, and Turnover Intentions: A Comparison of Three Country Clusters

Abstract: The present study explored the availability of flexible work arrangements (FWA) and their relationship with manager outcomes of job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and work-to-family conflict (WFC) across country clusters. We used individualism and collectivism to explain differences in FWA availability across Latin American, Anglo, and Asian clusters. Managers from the Anglo cluster were more likely to report working in organisations that offer FWA compared to managers from other clusters. For Anglo managers, flextime was the only FWA that had significant favorable relationships with the outcome variables. For Latin Americans, part-time work negatively related with turnover intentions and strain-based WFC. For Asians, flextime was unrelated to time-based WFC, and telecommuting was positively associated with strain-based WFC. The clusters did not moderate the compressed work week and outcome relationships. Implications for practitioners adopting FWA practices across cultures are discussed.

Volunteer Engagement: Does Engagement Predict the Degree of Satisfaction among New Volunteers and the Commitment of Those who have been Active Longer?

Abstract: This study examines the concept of engagement in samples of volunteers from different non-profit organisations. Study 1 analyzes the psychometric properties of the abbreviated version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) (Schaufeli, Bakker, & Salanova, 2006a). Two factorial structures are examined: one-dimensional and three-dimensional structures. Based on the Three-Stage Model of Volunteers’ Duration of Service (Chacon, Vecina, & Davila, 2007), Study 2 investigates the relationship between engagement, volunteer satisfaction, and intention to remain in a sample of new volunteers and the relationship between engagement, organisational commitment, and intention to remain in a sample of veteran volunteers. Moderated mediation analysis is provided using duration of service as a moderator in order to set a splitting point between new and veteran volunteers. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis suggest that the three-factor model fits better to the data. Regarding the structural models, the first one shows that engagement is crucial to volunteer satisfaction during the first stage, while volunteer satisfaction is the key variable in explaining intention to continue. The second structural model shows that engagement reinforces the participant’s commitment to the organisation, while organizational commitment predicts intention to continue. Both models demonstrate a notable decline when samples are changed.

Cultural Intelligence and International Leadership Potential: The Importance of Contact for Members of the Majority

Abstract: Integrating distinctiveness theory and contact theory, we develop a conceptual model proposing that prior intercultural contact has mediated effects on international leadership potential via cultural intelligence—but that these effects are stronger for majorities. Results of two samples of working adults, using both self-report (n = 441, Study 1) and matched employee-observer (n = 181, Study 2) data provide strong support for the model. Cultural intelligence mediates the effects of prior intercultural contact on international leadership potential. Further, moderated mediation analyses demonstrate that cultural intelligence mediates the relationship between prior intercultural contact and international leadership potential for majorities, but not for minorities. The current study offers contributions to theory and practice in at least two ways. First, the proposed model is theoretically important because it provides a more complete picture of predictors of international leadership potential and it reconciles prior inconsistent findings by showing the mediating role of cultural intelligence and moderating role of minority status. Second, the study adds to the increasing evidence suggesting that prior intercultural contact and cultural intelligence are meaningful criteria for developing international leaders. More important, results show that prior intercultural contact is especially important for majorities.

Identity, Perceived Religious Discrimination, and Psychological Well‐Being in Muslim Immigrant Women

Abstract: The study investigated perceived religious discrimination and three facets of Muslim identity (psychological, behavioural, and visible) as predictors of psychological well-being (life satisfaction and psychological symptoms) of 153 Muslim women in New Zealand. The results indicated that although visibility (wearing hijab) was associated with greater perceived discrimination, it predicted positive psychological outcomes. Analysis further revealed that the psychological (pride, belongingness, and centrality) and behavioural (engaging in Islamic practices) facets of Muslim identity moderated the relationship between perceived religious discrimination and well-being. A strong psychological affiliation with Islam exacerbated the negative relationship between perceived religious discrimination and well-being. Conversely, engaging in Islamic practices buffered the negative impact of discrimination. The research highlights the complexity of Muslim identity in diasporic women.

Promoting creativity at work: the role of problem-solving demand

Abstract: We propose that problem-solving demand (PSD) is an important job attribute for employees' creative performance. Applying job design theory, we examined the relationship between PSD and employee creativity. The theorised model was tested with data obtained from a sample of 270 employees and their supervisors from three Chinese organisations. Regression results revealed that PSD was positively related to creativity, and this relationship was mediated by creative self-efficacy. Additionally, intrinsic motivation moderated the relationship between PSD and creative self-efficacy such that the relationship was stronger for individuals with high rather than low intrinsic motivation. We discuss our findings, implications for practice, and future research.

Five‐Factor Model of Personality and Job Satisfaction: The Importance of Agreeableness in a Tight and Collectivistic Asian Society

Abstract: Results from predominantly US-based research have shown that personality can partly explain job satisfaction As the issue of globalisation grows in importance for organisations, I researched in this study whether meta-analytic findings on the relationships between job satisfaction and the Big Five personality traits extraversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism would hold in a tight and collectivistic Asian society Additionally, I expected that in a tight and collectivistic society the personality trait agreeableness would have a strong positive relationship with job satisfaction Study participants were 354 employees from organisations in Singapore Results confirmed that extraversion, conscientiousness, non-neuroticism (emotional stability), and also agreeableness were related to job satisfaction The study advises scholars and practitioners that even in a tight and collectivistic Asian society—despite situations that demand abiding by norms and fulfilling obligations—job satisfaction is related to stable personality traits

Energy‐Related Behaviors in Office Buildings: A Qualitative Study on Individual and Organisational Determinants

Abstract: An analysis of individual and organisational determinants of energy-related behaviors in office buildings and the interplay between the two is presented. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with office workers from four organisations in two Dutch provinces. The results indicate that, overall, work efficiency and productivity was prioritised over energy conservation. In general, self-efficacy was the most salient individual determinant, and social norm the least discussed determinant of current office energy-related behaviors. Nevertheless, both self-efficacy and social norm elements were encountered in employees' proposed strategies to achieve future office energy-saving. Formal and informal aspects of the organisational context were found to equally affect individual determinants and their related behaviors. Facility managers' and general office workers' views differed in a few but important ways. Interorganisational comparisons showed that differences in organisational foci were linked to the relative salience of normative, gain, and hedonic motivations.

The Utility of Positive Orientation in Predicting Job Performance and Organisational Citizenship Behaviors

Abstract: The contribution of positive orientation to organisational behavior has been assessed in three studies. Positive orientation has been conceptualised as a basic disposition to view life and experience from a positive outlook and operationalised as the common latent factor at the core of self-esteem, life satisfaction, and optimism. In Study 1 (n= 203), positive orientation predicted in-role job performance over the effects of its lower-order components (self-esteem, optimism, and life satisfaction), the Big Five, and positive affectivity. In Study 2 (n= 372), positive orientation predicted extra-role performance (Organisational Citizenship Behaviors), beyond the effects due to its lower-order components, the Big Five, and positive affectivity. In Study 3 (n= 311), a brief self-reported measure of positive orientation predicted in-role job performance above Core Self-Evaluations and the conscientiousness trait. The contribution of positive orientation to a better understanding of organisational behavior is discussed.

Young Adolescents' Perceptions of Teachers' and Peers' Goals as Predictors of Social and Academic Goal Pursuit

Abstract: Young Mexican American adolescents' perceptions of socially derived goals of teachers and peers were examined as predictors of their pursuit of social goals (to be prosocial and responsible) and academic goals (to learn and to perform well), while controlling for perceived parental goals. The role of perceived emotional caring in mediating relations between socially derived goals and goal pursuit also was examined. Results of multiple regression analyses indicated that social and academic expectations from peers were the most consistent positive predictors of students' social and academic goals; findings indicated significant relations within-domain (e.g. social expectations predicted social goal pursuit) as well as across-domain (e.g. social expectations predicted academic goal pursuit). Mediating effects were also found such that perceived caring from teachers and peers partly explained relations between socially derived goals and students' academic and social goal pursuits.

Fit of Political Skill to the Work Context: A Two-Study Investigation

Abstract: A two-study investigation was designed to examine the role of job type (i.e. fit of political skill to work context) as a contextual moderator of the political skill–job performance relationship. Specifically, it was hypothesised that political skill operates most effectively in enterprising job contexts, and thus is most predictive of job performance in such contexts, but political skill would demonstrate no relationship with job performance in job contexts that did not emphasise interpersonal interaction and effectiveness. In Study 1, enterprising job demands interacted with political skill to affect job performance. That is, political skill positively and significantly predicted job performance in enterprising job contexts, as hypothesised. Study 2 selected one specific job context (i.e. insurance sales) high in enterprising job demands, and hypothesised that political skill would significantly predict objective measures of insurance sales (i.e. sales volume, performance-based income, performance-based commission rate, and performance-based status). The results demonstrated significant predictive effects of political skill (i.e. beyond age, sex, education level, tenure on the job, and experience in sales) on all four measures of sales performance. Contributions and implications of this research, strengths and limitations, and directions for future study are discussed.

The Influence of Conflict Issue Importance on the Co‐occurrence of Task and Relationship Conflict in Teams

Abstract: Task conflicts may be beneficial for team performance whereas relationship conflicts are associated with negative team outcomes. Because the two conflict types are typically correlated within teams, it is difficult to enhance task conflicts and simultaneously avoid relationship conflicts. This study examines how importance of the conflict issue moderates the association between task and relationship conflict. In addition, the hypothesis was tested that the interaction between task conflict and issue importance on relationship conflict is mediated by task conflict emotionality. A sample of 50 teams provided data for this study. Results confirmed the buffering effect of conflict issue importance. When teams fight about important task issues, no association between task conflict and relationship conflict was found. This effect could be partially attributed to the decrease in negative emotions present in teams during important task conflicts. The implications of this study are described and directions for future research are indicated.

The Relation of Self-Control Demands to Job Strain: The Moderating Role of Organisational Commitment

Abstract: Drawing on recent theoretical developments in cognitive and social psychology, self-control demands were introduced as a new source of stress at work. Affective organisational commitment was expected to operate as a buffer in the relation between self-control demands and indicators of job strain. Data provided by 260 nurses in homes for elderly people revealed both significant relationships of self-control demands and commitment to a broad spectrum of strain indicators that included not only self-report measures (burnout, psychosomatic complaints, intentions of quitting), but also a measure of absenteeism. Self-control demands were positively related to all indicators of job strain, whereas the associations were negative for affective commitment. In addition, the results provided clear evidence for the buffer hypothesis of commitment. The positive relations of high self-control demands to all strain indicators were attenuated as a function of affective commitment. The results suggest that the buffer effect of commitment is mainly due to stress-contingent appraisal processes rendering highly committed employees less vulnerable to the adverse effects of high stress.

Antecedents of Underemployment: Job Search of Skilled Immigrants in Canada

Abstract: We investigate factors that skilled immigrants can improve in order to have better job search outcomes, in particular to avoid underemployment. We test an unfolding model which considers barriers faced by skilled immigrants during their job search (language and cultural barriers, and the lack of social support in the receiving country), job search constructs and job search outcomes (including underemployment). We collected data through an online questionnaire and obtained 357 usable responses from skilled immigrants in Canada. The hypotheses were tested with partial least squares (PLS). Language fluency and cultural knowledge were positively related to both job search clarity and job search self-efficacy. Social support was only related to job search self-efficacy. Job search clarity was related to job search intensity. Job search intensity was related to the number of interviews, which in turn, was related to the number of job offers. Finally, the number of job offers was negatively related to underemployment. Our paper contributes to the understanding of the job search of skilled immigrants by examining factors that can help them overcome obstacles and obtain better job search outcomes.

The Moderating Effect of Core Self‐Evaluations on the Relationships between Job Attitudes and Organisational Citizenship Behavior

Abstract: Several studies in the organisational citizenship behavior (OCB) literature have focused on the main effects of employee dispositions and job attitudes. The current study builds upon previous findings by examining whether core self-evaluations (CSE) moderate the relationship between job attitudes and OCBs. Consistent with our hypotheses and with the notion that CSE contributes to one's general level of initiative and self-confidence, data collected from 200 New Zealand workers found that the job attitude–OCB relationship was stronger for workers who were high in CSE than for workers who were low in CSE.

Conceptual and Methodological Challenges in Multiple Goal Research among Remote and Very Remote Indigenous Australian Students

Abstract: This paper reports on a large-scale quantitative psychometric study conducted in very remote and remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory Australia. Thirteen school sites and 1,044 participants contributed to the study. The full study is concerned with examining the inter-relationships between multiple achievement goals, future goals, self-regulation, and learning processes and their relationship to achievement outcomes in communities that are very remote geographically and culturally from Western settings. The study reported in this paper sets out to examine four key issues: the construct validity and reliability of the multiple motivational scales drawn from Personal Investment theory for very remote and remote Indigenous students in Australia; the level of endorsement of these motivational scales for remote and very remote Indigenous students; any differences between groups considered collectivist and individualist on these multiple goals, and lastly, the theoretical, methodological, cultural, and logistical difficulties encountered in conducting the research that may have impacted on its external validity.

Can Personal Values Predict Performance? Evidence in an Academic Setting

Abstract: In this paper we briefly review the construct of personal values, and we examine whether achievement values may be incrementally related to performance beyond personality. We also consider the motivational processes that may mediate the relationships between characteristics of the individual (personality and values) and performance. In an academic setting, achievement values were related to course performance even after controlling for the relevant personality factors of Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Extraversion. Further, motivational processes of goal content and goal striving mediated the relationships between individual characteristics (personality and values) and performance.

The Role of Trait Anger in the Relationship between Stressors and Counterproductive Work Behaviors: Convergent Findings from Multiple Studies and Methodologies

Abstract: Across three studies, we investigated the moderating role of trait anger in the relationship between workplace stressors and counterproductive work behaviors (CWB) In Study 1, all the variables were measured using self-reports In Study 2, workplace stressors were measured using co-worker reports, trait anger was measured using significant other reports, and CWB was measured using self-reports In Study 3, we measured workplace stressors at Time 1, trait anger at Time 2 (6 months later), and objective indicators of CWB at Time 3 (12 months after Time 2) Convergent results were obtained across the three studies, with positive associations between workplace stressors and CWB, trait anger and CWB, and with trait anger moderating the relationship between stressors and CWB

Rethinking motivation goals for adolescents: Beyond achievement goals

Abstract: For the past two decades the prime focus of motivation research in adolescence has been concerned with achievement goals, namely mastery and performance goals. In the real life learning contexts in which students participate, however, such goals are inextricably linked to other goals such as social goals and broader life and future goals. Moreover, goals are not pursued in isolation but as components of complex and dynamic motivational systems which individuals shape to suit context and purpose. Using a multiple goals perspective, and focusing on both why students want to achieve at school (achievement goals) and what goals students are trying to achieve at school (goal content), this paper presents findings from a study investigating the goals of 29 secondary school students (juniors, ages 12–13, and seniors ages 16–17). With data gathered during focus group interviews, the study shows that students pursue multiple goals and that those goals are related to four main goal domains, those being future goals, achievement goals, social goals, and personal well-being goals. Furthermore, the study reveals relationships between goals in particular domains and highlights the important role played by future goals in adolescents' motivation at school. Methodological challenges in investigating multiple goals for adolescents are discussed. The findings suggest that to further understanding about multiple goals for adolescents, future research should consider multiple goals across the four domains and more closely examine the role of future goals in influencing other goals and adolescents' motivation at school.

Destructive Criticism Revisited: Appraisals, Task Outcomes, and the Moderating Role of Competitiveness

Abstract: Destructive criticism is negative feedback that is inconsiderate in style and content, which exists at the intersection of performance feedback and interpersonal mistreatment. The current research integrates these literatures with an investigation of the effects of destructive versus constructive criticism from a co-worker on recipients' relational appraisals, emotions, and task outcomes. Drawing from theorising about cognitive appraisals after personal affronts, we first propose that those who experience destructive criticism are more likely than those who experience constructive criticism to (a) perceive that the feedback-giver intended to harm them, (b) blame the feedback-giver, (c) distrust the feedback-giver, and (d) feel anger. Second, with regard to task-related outcomes, we extend research on trait moderators of feedback responses to the study of destructive criticism. We draw from feedback intervention theory (Kluger & DeNisi, 1996) regarding how feedback may alter the locus of attention to be either self- or task-focused, and investigate a trait that may shift one's attention to the self after destructive criticism. Specifically, we proposed that trait competitiveness—i.e. a desire to win over others—interacts with type of criticism to predict task-related outcomes. The results of two experiments—a scenario study and a behavioral experiment—provide support for our arguments.

Effectiveness and Effects of Promotion Strategies for Behaviour Change: Solar Water Disinfection in Zimbabwe

Abstract: Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is a sustainable method of water treatment. Despite the simplicity and many advantages of SODIS, past behaviour change campaigns have seen limited success. This study aims to compare intervention strategies in their efficiency in changing behaviour and to analyse which behavioural factors are differentially affected. The following factors were analysed in this study: intention, subjective norm, behavioural control, beliefs, habits, frequency of talking, knowledge and tension. The promotion strategies used in this intervention study were promoters, a pass-on task, prompts, public commitment and disseminating knowledge with inducing tension. Inhabitants of high-density areas near Harare, Zimbabwe, were interviewed at different points in time. High SODIS consumption was achieved when the promoter intervention was followed by a memory-aiding technique such as prompts or public commitment. Consequently, this combined-intervention strategy increased all behavioural factors and kept them at a high level. A continued pass-on task alone did not change behaviour and had decreasing effects on several behavioural factors. When the pass-on task was combined with disseminating knowledge with inducing tension, high SODIS water consumption was also reached, but several behavioural factors stayed at a low level. More effective intervention strategies are identified and discussed.

The Effect of Perceived Advantage and Disadvantage on Performance: The Role of External Efficacy

Abstract: This experiment examined how perceptions of advantage and disadvantage determine performance in a competitive context. We distinguished between internal and external efficacy, and manipulated external efficacy by inducing perceptions of advantaged or disadvantaged starting positions in a competition, keeping the actual positions equal. The treatment increased the performance of the advantaged party and decreased the performance of the disadvantaged party. In addition, measured external and internal efficacy had qualitatively different effects on performance. The results are explained by the idea that losses loom larger than gains.

Salient Goals Direct and Energise Students' Actions in the Classroom

Abstract: In this exploratory study, a multidimensional unfolding technique is used to visualise goal salience. A total of 1,733 students from secondary vocational education reported on the importance of 16 goals, using the GIFI, which is based on the 24 goal taxonomy proposed by Ford and Nichols (1991). Results show that students make a clear distinction between ego and non-ego goals and that non-ego goals are reported as most important by most students. Also, differences within the group of boys and the group of girls, and differences between boys and girls, are shown. The results and possibilities of multidimensional unfolding for future research on goals are discussed.

Attributional Style and Engagement/Disengagement Responses in the Chinese Workforce

Abstract: Internal attribution for bad events, along with stable and global attributions, has been regarded as a component of pessimism, a precursor of negative work outcomes. Most evidence in support of this conceptualisation has come from research conducted in individualist cultures. We questioned if internal attribution has the same pessimistic implication in a collectivist culture. Findings from two studies conducted on Chinese employees supported our expectations that the stability and globality dimensions (but not the internality dimension) would predict disengagement responses (such as quitting and being neglectful at work) and lack of engagement responses (such as voicing suggestions and being loyal to the organisation). A reconceptualisation of pessimism in the workplace is therefore necessary. A dimensional, rather than a composite, scoring method is proposed for maintaining the predictive and construct validities of attributional style as an indicator of pessimism.

Perceived Distributive Fairness of European Transfer Payments and EU‐Taxes in Austria, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom

Abstract: The present research compared a distributive fairness model of EU transfer payments (Hartner, Rechberger, Kirchler, & Wenzel, 2011) between three countries: Austria, the Czech Republic, and the UK. The model postulates an interplay between EU-tax compliance, distributive fairness, outcome favorability as well as national and European identification. Results across countries showed that EU-tax compliance was positively related to distributive justice, which was in turn related to outcome favorability and identification. National identifiers perceived EU membership as unfavorable in financial and socio-political terms, and thus considered the transfer payments as less fair. Dual identifiers perceived the socio-political outcomes as more favorable, and thus evaluated the transfer payments as fairer. Although the basic structure of the model was valid across all three countries, two country-specific results were found. First, in the UK individual tax paying behavior was influenced by outcome favorability, whereas in Austria and the Czech Republic this relationship was mediated via distributive fairness. Second, in the Austrian sample, the differentiation between patriots and nationalists proved fruitful since nationalists considered the EU transfer payments as unfair, unlike patriots. In the UK and the Czech Republic the distinction between nationalists and patriots did not add any further information.

Topografija nepoštenja: mapiranje suprotnog pola crte ličnosti poštenje/skromnost

Abstract: Recent emic research of personality structure has revealed a broad and comprehensive trait not found in previous studies: the Honesty- Humility trait. The present research is an exploratory study, conducted in an attempt to investigate the opposite pole of the Honesty factor. A broad set of measures that are conceptually linked to amoral and dishonest behavior (Amorality, psychopathy, Disintegration, Negative Valence and Militant Extremism Mind Set), together with the facets of the Honesty factor, was administered to a sample of students (N = 345, 65% females). Maximum likelihood factor analysis clearly isolated a latent Honesty-Dishonesty dimension. Dishonesty is best described by the manipulative and Machiavellistic traits, followed by resentment, brutality and sadism. Disintegration modalities are not part of the Dishonesty space, but they are correlated with it. The results of cluster analysis indicate that there is a discontinuity between the group of honest and dishonest individuals. Those two groups differentiate on their scores on the traits of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness from the Big Five personality model. The results of the research contribute to a more precise and accurate understanding of the morally relevant personality dispositions.

Combating HIV/AIDS in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Effect of Introducing a Mastery Motivational Climate in a Community‐Based Programme

Abstract: The study investigated whether mastery motivational strategies could enhance the effectiveness of life skills interventions for HIV education through sport. A quasi field experimental study was conducted in Tanzania with at-risk children (n= 564) randomly grouped into two intervention groups and one control group. The intervention groups received AIDS education using trained peer coaches in football, with one group using mastery strategies. Children in the intervention groups all reported significantly greater HIV knowledge, and positive attitudes and safe-sex behavioural intentions. The mastery motivational strategies reliably enhanced risk reduction for some of the variables. Canonical correlation analysis revealed meaningful relationships of mastery strategies with the variables. The life skills intervention through sport for HIV risk reduction was effective, and mastery motivational strategies enhanced that effectiveness.

The Nature of the First Small Request as a Decisive Factor in the Effectiveness of the Foot-in-the-Door Technique

Abstract: In the literature on the foot-in-the-door technique it is usually assumed that the first of the two sequentially posed requests should not be extremely easy (trivial) An uncomplicated request would not activate self-perception mechanisms which, as it is commonly understood, lie behind the effectiveness of the technique This article proposes that when the initial request is exceptional or odd, then even if it is easy and is fulfilled by nearly everyone it will still enhance people's inclination to fulfill the subsequent, much more complicated request This assumption was verified in three experiments