Getting children to do more academic work: Foot-in-the-Door versus Door-in-the-Face

In this study we explored whether compliance-without-pressure techniques, known to encourage adults to behave more altruistically, can be used to encourage children to do more academic work. Using three different approaches – Foot-in-the-Door, Door-in-the-Face, and Single-Request – we asked 60 6- to 8-year-old Hong Kong Chinese children to complete a 20-item arithmetic worksheet. The Door-in-the-Face technique was the most effective, eliciting the highest percentage of children who agreed to do the target task, requiring the least adult input to sustain engagement in the task, and producing the greatest amount of accurate work.

► Compliance-without-pressure techniques can get adults to behave more altruistically. ► Can such techniques get young school children to do more academic work willingly? ► This experiment compared Foot-in-the-Door, Door-in-the-Face, and Single-Request. ► The Door-in-the-Face technique was the most effective. ► Benefits included doing more homework accurately and requiring the least supervision.