Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M1848

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

Foot-in-the-Door Technique
BehaviorHigh supportSocial Psychology
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

By first getting someone to agree to a small request, their self-image becomes anchored, making them more likely to agree to a larger request later, akin to gradually entering a house.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Start with a small request, then escalate to a larger one; compliance increases step by step.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Foot-in-the-door: After a small request is accepted, a larger request is more likely to be accepted due to self-perception consistency.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Practice this model in one real situation:

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Source support: Explicit

  • link
    zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%BE%97%E5%AF%B8%E8%BF%9B%E5%B0%BA%E6%B3%95ZH · Explicit
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