Door in the Face Technique: The Fastfood Experience

"Do you like to have peach mango pie to go with your order ma'am?"
Me: No, I just want the cheese burger and coke float.

"How about extra fries?"
Me: Uh. . . (grudgingly) I guess ok, extra fries.

"Large fries?"
Me: Uh. . . (what the heck) ok make it large fries.

The above is actually one of the common conversations that I have every time I order at fast food restaurants. Since I have been reviewing for my GRE exams, I have been frequenting a lot of these joints to study because there are simply too many distractions for me at home.

Now, I am not actually an avid fan of fast food -I know that all the fried food isn't healthy for me. But since the McDonalds in our area is just 10 minutes walk from where I live, I have been frequenting this joint for about over a month now. Needless to say, my weight has increased a whole lot as a result of my "stress eating" and eating all the fries that I could handle.

Anyway, before actually entering McDonalds, I pysche myself up to just order what I really want to eat. I have noticed that I tend to order more than I actually want and could eat. And the same thing would happen:

1. The young crew would smile that sweet friendly smile and would ask me for my food order,

2. I'd be forced (if I am not in the mood) to smile back since it seems impolite not to return
the smile.

3. I would give my order (my defenses disarmed) and she would innocently offer that I try
their promo product or the pie or the sundae.

4. I tell myself and her: NO, thanks but I don't want it.

5. But the girl would not be daunted. Instead of just letting it go, she would offer another
alternative for me like to upsize my drinks or get a small fries, or to get a vanilla sundae
cone instead of the regular sundae.

6. I would feel my defenses crumbling down and would find myself giving in to her.(And end up with extra calories than what I was prepared to take in . . . )

Actually most sales marketers employ this tactic which is apparently proven effective by research. Social psychologists call this tactic the "Door in the Face" technique. According to research, we often given in to smaller favors requested from us by a person whose bigger request we have turned down initially.

I don't know about others but I definitely see this technique at work every time I enter any fast food joint. It made me thinking, are people generally embarrassed to say NO to someone twice in a row? Others would say it is similar to a compromise, when someone asks you of a big thing but later on agrees to lessen his/her demands, we are able to give in. But is it because we want to give in and please the person or we are simply wired to somehow give in? Does society dictates this on us that we have unconsciously been socialized to fall for this technique over and over again? Or am I just such a "people pleaser"?

Whatever the reason is, McDonalds will no longer hold me hostage with this tactic. Tomorrow, I will put my resolve to test.

P.S. Wish me luck! :)

Adrenaline Rush

Nine more days before I take the GRE Advance Subject Test (Psychology). Needless to say, I am starting to have panic attacks. Technically, I have not seriously prepared for it. Being a "crammer" all my student life, I guess old habits are hard to change. I have been fighting the complacency and forcing myself to read materials for the test. The thing is I need to ace the exam so that I could make it to good universities in the US and eventually get some teaching assistantship.

People who found out that I plan to take doctoral studies in psychology often always ask me why I have to still take further studies. But why not? I have made it to MA, might as well get a doctoral degree. So last June, I resigned from the university since I told myself that I would use the free time to prepare (who was I kidding?!) for the GRE General and Suject Test . Math has always been my waterloo and the last time I had math subjects was almost 10 years ago. And being out of school for two years, I feel that I have become "rusty". Hence I rationalized my resigning for work as something I needed to do for the GRE.

I did have a lot of free time on my hands after giving up 2 projects (field research and writing projects) BUT I have not utilized it wisely. Although I told myself I was not going to cram, I guess as the cliché goes, time flies! (so fast).

And so here I am. With nine days to go, I am starting to be anxious. Strangely enough, I actually need this feeling of anxiety. I think it is healthy in minimal doses since it always makes me roll up my sleeves and get down to serious business. I tend deliver more when I feel the pressure is mounting. And oftentimes, I find myself churning out better work when "pushed to the wall" than if I had a long time to prepare it. (But maybe because the only time I work is when I am already at almost deadline time:).

Paradoxical? I guess not. In times of stress, the sympathetic nervous system triggers the release of adrenaline(I read that somewhere in my prep book). The adrenaline is both a neurotransmitter and a hormone that regulates the body's "fight or flight response. This could explain why a small frail woman caught in fire was able to push the piano out of her house and carry out various appliances! (It's a true story that I read in the news some time ago. . .)

In my case, taking the GRE exams is the stressor - and before, my response was to avoid it (flight). But now that I have only 9 days to go (of which half would be devoted to work - I do need the income since I have given up projects. .. .), I really have no choice but to face it (fight) and deal with it by studying.

I think this could explain why some people develop the habit of cramming. When you feel pressured, the sudden rush of adrenaline gives you a natural high, keeps you in a certain state of vigilance (depending on the type of stress you encounter) and focus. This is precisely what I need right now, sort of a sugar or caffeine fix but in a more sustained manner.

So how do I get to focus? One is to think of the $150 I spent for the GRE Subject Test registration and the $170 for the GRE General Test. Living in a third world country, that is quite a sum, considering I still have to enlist for the TOEFL (maybe another $150 or so). Thinking of all that money going to waste if I fail the tests is quite an anxiety booster for me. The real challenge now is to channel that anxiety in a positive way - and that is by heading for the books!