CNE CNE Psychology of Persuasion & Influence 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which psychological principle, identified by Robert Cialdini, involves people feeling obligated to return a favor?
- Reciprocity (Correct answer)
- Scarcity
- Social Proof
- Authority
Correct answer: Reciprocity
Reciprocity is the human tendency to feel obligated to return favors or concessions, making it a powerful tool in negotiation when used ethically.
Question 2: What is 'anchoring bias' in the context of negotiation psychology?
- The tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered when making decisions (Correct answer)
- The fear of making the first offer in a negotiation
- A strategy to pin down the other party's true bottom line
- The process of setting a fixed price that cannot be changed
Correct answer: The tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered when making decisions
Anchoring bias means the first number presented in a negotiation disproportionately influences all subsequent offers and perceptions of value.
Question 3: In negotiation psychology, what does 'loss aversion' mean?
- People are more motivated to avoid losses than to acquire equivalent gains (Correct answer)
- Negotiators avoid making offers that could result in personal loss
- The tendency to walk away from deals that feel unfair
- The fear of losing face in front of peers during negotiations
Correct answer: People are more motivated to avoid losses than to acquire equivalent gains
Loss aversion, established by Kahneman and Tversky, shows that losing $100 feels roughly twice as painful as gaining $100 feels good, affecting how negotiators frame proposals.
Question 4: What is the 'door-in-the-face' technique in persuasion?
- Making a large request first, then following with a smaller, more reasonable request (Correct answer)
- Refusing initial offers to signal disinterest and lower the price
- Opening negotiations aggressively to intimidate the other party
- Presenting multiple large demands simultaneously to overwhelm the counterpart
Correct answer: Making a large request first, then following with a smaller, more reasonable request
The door-in-the-face technique uses contrast effect and reciprocity—after declining a big ask, people are more likely to agree to the smaller follow-up request.
Question 5: Which concept describes the tendency to favor information confirming existing beliefs during negotiations?
- Confirmation bias (Correct answer)
- Reactive devaluation
- Attribution error
- Cognitive dissonance
Correct answer: Confirmation bias
Confirmation bias causes negotiators to selectively process information that validates their position, potentially leading them to miss valuable data from the other side.
Question 6: What is 'reactive devaluation' in negotiation psychology?
- The tendency to dismiss a proposal simply because it came from an adversarial party (Correct answer)
- Reducing your offer value in response to the other party's aggression
- Lowering price expectations when market conditions decline
- The process of re-evaluating terms after a counteroffer is received
Correct answer: The tendency to dismiss a proposal simply because it came from an adversarial party
Reactive devaluation causes people to underestimate the value of concessions made by the opposing party just because of who offered them.
CNE CNE Psychology of Persuasion & Influence 1
Which psychological principle, identified by Robert Cialdini, involves people feeling obligated to return a favor?