Thursday, October 29, 2009

Foot-in-the-door Phenomenon


Foot-in-the-door Phenomenon

This phenomenon is the likelihood that someone who first agrees to a small commitment will be more likely to comply later with a larger commitment.


Religious cults like the Jehovah Witnesses utilize this foot-in-the-door phenomenon when walking door to door on their recruitment tours. I had the opportunity to have some Jehovah’s Witness recruiters visit me at my house and I opened my door to them since I have a since of humor. They talked to me in a friendly manor and handed me a watchtower track. The publication they gave me is very deceptive, because it doesn’t truly express the extreme doctrines that JW church holds. The watchtower track they handed me paints a picture of the JW as a normal church. They slowly reveal the true nature of their doctrines but of course not right away because the newly converted might realize that it is a cult. This illustrates the foot-in-the-door phenomenon because JW because if they came out front with what they really believed no one would ever join them.

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