Foot in the door technique and reduction of driver's aggressiveness: A field study
Research has reported that the foot in the door technique is effective at increasing helping behavior. However, the effect of this technique on negative social behavior has never been examined. A field experiment was conducted to explore whether this technique could reduce aggressiveness. Drivers waiting at a traffic light were blocked by an experimental car. In the Foot in the door condition, when the traffic light was red, a passerby confederate asked the driver for directions to a well known store located in the area of the experiment. The confederate then thanked the driver and walked off in the direction indicated. In the control condition, no request was addressed to the car driver. When the traffic light turned green, the experimental car pretended to be blocked by an engine problem. The number of drivers who honked at the target car and the amount of time that elapsed before the drivers responded by honking their horns were the dependent variables. It was found that fewer drivers honked in the Foot in the door condition and drivers who honked displayed their behavior later than those in the control condition. Self perception theory was used to explain these results.