When a refusal turns into donation: the moderating effect of the initial position toward blood donation in the door-in-the-face effectiveness

Abstract

This research aimed to test the moderating effect of people's initial position to blood donation on the actual acceptance to donate blood in a door-in-the-face situation. This position (attitude, self-importance, normative beliefs) was measured one month prior to the request (Study 1, N = 99) or immediately before (Study 2, N = 80). The results revealed that the doorin-the-face effect is moderated by the importance of blood donation to the self, all the more so when the position is made salient. This highlights the specific character of blood donation in France and the centrality of the importance of donating for the self at the heart of the DITF technique. These results offer new insights into the conditions that must be met to achieve acceptance to donate blood after an initial refusal.

Negative affect related to door‐in‐the‐face strategy

“…Several mechanisms could explain the development of this negative emotional state. First, a large request refusal may introduce inconsistencies between participants' ideal behavior and their effective behavior (Cann et al ., 1975; Rogers, 1976) or initial position on the issue (Mauny et al ., 2022). According to cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957) and some of its subsequent reformulations (Aronson, 1992; Cooper & Fazio, 1984), inconsistency between behavior and attitude, self‐concept, or adherence to moral norms produces a state of psychological discomfort (i.e., dissonance state) that individuals then seek to reduce (e.g., through behavior change).…”

“…Consistent with this view, Mauny et al . (2022) observed that after refusing a large request of making five platelet donations over 1 year, in the knowledge that each donation takes approximately 2 h, only participants for whom blood donation is important agreed to donate blood (i.e., target request). However, in the classic dissonance paradigm, dissonance reduction is only observed among people with a high preference for consistency (Bator & Cialdini, 2006; Cialdini, Trost & Newsom, 1995), whereas with the DITF strategy, compliance increases when there is a low preference for consistency (Cantarero, Gamian‐Wilk & Dolinski, 2017).…”

“…It has been suggested that the emotional state triggered by refusing the large request can explain the DITF effect (e.g., Cann, Sherman & Elkes, 1975; Mauny, Mange, Mortier, Somat & Sénémeaud, 2022; Millar, 2002; Rogers, 1976): if rejection of the first request induces a negative emotional state, acceptance of the second request (perceived as more reasonable) may be viewed as a means of avoiding the unpleasantness of two successive refusals. Emotion can be understood from two theoretical perspectives that are both important and well documented (Harmon‐Jones, Harmon‐Jones & Summerell, 2017): a dimensional approach (e.g., Barrett, 2006; Russell & Barrett, 1999), and a discrete approach (e.g., Ekman & Cordaro, 2011; Izard, 2007).…”

How to increase first‐time donors' returns? The postdonation letter's content can make a difference

“…A growing number of studies have shown that donor identity (i.e., the degree to which a person considers himself or herself a blood donor) is a significant determinant of the return of first-time donors and maintenance of long-term donation behaviors. 2,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] According to identity theory, role-based identities develop as individuals repeatedly experience situations that require them to occupy specific roles. 16,17,21 In turn, the more individuals form an idea of themselves based on social roles, the more likely they are to act congruently with the central characteristics of such a self-conception.…”

“…A growing number of studies have shown that donor identity (i.e., the degree to which a person considers himself or herself a blood donor) is a significant determinant of the return of first‐time donors and maintenance of long‐term donation behaviors 2,13–20 . According to identity theory, role‐based identities develop as individuals repeatedly experience situations that require them to occupy specific roles 16,17,21 .…”