The Art of Compromise: Door-in-the-Face Strategy in Securing Financial Assistance from Family Members

Abstract

The Door-in-the-Face (DITF) technique, a cornerstone of compliance research, employs an initial exaggerated request anticipated to be rejected, followed by a more modest true request, capitalizing on reciprocity norms and perceptual contrast. This single-case naturalistic field experiment examines DITF efficacy within familial financial negotiations via WhatsApp, a context underexplored in recent digital literature. Objectives include applying DITF principles—compromise perception, reciprocity, and contrast—to elevate compliance rates from a projected 0% to higher acceptance. Findings showed that the target (subject's brother) rejected RM100 for a fabricated "traffic fine" but acquiesced to RM50 subsequently, yielding 100% compliance on the target request which affirm DITF robustness and underscore relational trust as a key moderator in close-knit dyads using digital channels. Theoretical contributions refine social influence models, practical implications span family dynamics, digital negotiation training and everyday persuasion.