The Foot-In-The-Door Compliance Procedure: A Multiple-Process Analysis and Review

Reviewed research on the social compliance procedure known as the foot-in-the-door (FITD) technique. Several psychological processes that may be set in motion with a FITD manipulation are identified: self-perception, psychological reactance, conformity, consistency, attributions, and commitment. A review of relevant investigations and several meta-analyses support the notion that each of these processes can influence compliance behavior in the FITD situation. The author argues that the combined effects of these processes can account for successful FITD demonstrations as well as studies in which the technique was ineffective or led to a decrease in compliance. The experimental conditions most likely to produce an FITD effect are identified and insights into the processes underlying the FITD effect are reviewed.