Cognitive thoughts mediating compliance in multiple request situations

The purpose of this investigation is to examine the effects of two different cognitive sets in the foot-in-the-door paradigm which were expected to differentially affect compliance with a second request. A field experiment showed that subjects, for whom compliance with a first request is accompanied by a set implying a continuous involvement with a charitable cause will be more likely to comply with a subsequent request related to that cause, than will subjects whose initial compliance is accompanied by a set implying that their obligation to the cause has been fulfilled.