Foot-in-the-door

Since I (sort of) used this theory when trying to study in Peru, here's some photos of my adventures. Be warned: I ate guinea pig.

Foot-in-the-door is a simple theory to employ, but you have to understand how it works in order for it to be effective. The key to this theory is making two requests: the small one and then the target request. The first request is really just a warm-up; testing the waters, if you will. Now for the first request, you have to keep it small and reasonable---it has to be so small, that it is near impossible for your parents to refuse it. So, you should start with something like this:


"Hey, do you think I could spend a week traveling in Peru with some friends this summer?"


Since Peru is so rich in history and culture (cheap too!), your parents will feel like horrible people if they refuse you this chance of a lifetime. Plus, you've got the advantage of traveling with a pack (safety first, right?). So once you've buttered them up, you make your second request. This is actually the target request, the once you've been thinking about and working toward:


"Well then can I just stay the whole summer and take classes there too?"

It is important to note that foot-in-the-door relies on the idea of the prosocial request and no extra incentives. So remind your parents that instead of paying for your rent in your sub-par downtown Charleston apartment all summer while you lackadaisically 'search' for a job, they could be funding your exploration of the world while you test your boundaries in a foreign land. And make sure to throw in the fact that you'll be graduating on time, thanks to those few extra credit hours earned while abroad.