New CED - Social Psychology Practice Test 2025 - Free Social Psychology Practice Questions and Study Guide

The foot-in-the-door technique demonstrates that small initial requests can lead to larger requests being fulfilled later. This psychological strategy relies on the principle of consistency; once a person has agreed to a minor request, they are more likely to agree to a subsequent, larger request. The underlying assumption is that individuals want to appear consistent in their beliefs and behaviors. So, after committing to a small favor, they are inclined to align their actions with that initial commitment when presented with a more significant request.

In contrast, other options like the lowball technique involve initially offering a favorable deal that is later changed to be less appealing; the door-in-the-face technique starts with a large request that is likely to be rejected, followed by a smaller request that seems more reasonable in comparison; and social proof refers to the influence of others' actions on an individual's behavior, rather than building commitment through successive requests.