Persuasive Messaging Techniques

Table 8.1 in your textbook highlights various techniques used in persuasive messaging, including foot-in-the door, low-ball, door-in-the face, reciprocity, etc. After examining all the techniques, choose three to address in your discussion. For each of the three, describe the processes involved, and explain why such techniques are successful in persuading certain audiences, but are likely to fail with others. In addition, examine the overall resistance to persuasion. Although they may be undesirable, are we more vulnerable to these messages than we think?

Table 8.1 Persuasion Techniques: Definitions and Examples
Technique	Definition	Example
Foot-in-the-door	An initial small request is made and accepted. A large request, the target request, is then made.	You are asked to sign a petition to support blood donation. After you sign, you are asked to donate blood.
Low-ball	An initial request, the target request, is made, but only later are the full costs revealed.	You are asked to volunteer 20 minutes of your time. Only later is it revealed that the time will involve blood donation, with accompanying needles and slight pain.
Legitimization-of-paltry-favors	Small favors are described as acceptable, although not desired.	A small donation to support blood donation, just $0.25, is acceptable, although a larger donation would be appreciated.
Reciprocity	A request is made after a gift has been given.	After receiving a cookie you are asked if you would be willing to donate blood.
Door-in-the-face	A large request is made and refused. Then the target request is made.	You are asked if you could volunteer 2 hours a week for the next year. When you refuse, you are asked if you could spend just a half hour now donating blood.
That’s-not-all	A large request is made, but before the individual can refuse additional incentives are added.	You are asked to donate blood, but before you say no you are told you will get a cookie and a sticker and your name will be published in the paper.
Scarcity	A potential customer is told that an item will be at a certain price for a limited time, or that there is a limited supply.	On “Black Friday” a big box store offers TVs at hal

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