A
social psychology term, referring to the practice of soliciting a favor by first asking for
something one couldn't possibly hope to receive. This is followed by asking for what you really wanted to begin with, which now looks like a very small favor by comparison.
An example of this would be a
charity solicitor asking you to donate several hours of your time to hand-washing a
pile of kittens who have been involved in a tragic
oil spill. You would probably not have the time or desire to clean oily kittens, but you are more likely to say yes to the solicitor's follow-up question: "Would you be willing to make
a small donation to our cause?"
The Door-in-Face Technique utilizes The
Compromise Effect and is the opposite of the
Foot-in-the-door technique. It is one of the three
Compliance Traps, along with
Foot-in-the-door technique and
Low ball technique.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini