Influence

It is essential to recognize that the requester who invokes the reciprocation rule (or any other weapon of influence) to gain our compliance is not the real opponent.

Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment.

The act of making a final decision—in this case, of buying a ticket—had been the critical factor.

Because commitment tactics were so much a part of the effective Chinese assault on hearts and minds, it is quite informative to examine the specific features of the tactics they used.

The more electric shock a woman received as part of the initiation ceremony, the more she later persuaded herself that her new group and its activities were interesting, intelligent, and desirable.

Once a stand is taken, there is a natural tendency to behave in ways that are stubbornly consistent with that stand.

An examination of the Chinese prison-camp program shows that its personnel relied heavily on commitment and consistency pressures to gain the desired compliance from prisoners.

Their efforts were highly successful. Because commitment tactics were so much a part of the effective Chinese assault on hearts and minds.

The strategy is to obtain a large purchase by starting with a small one.

Once an active commitment is made, then, self-image is squeezed from both sides by consistency pressures.