LOWBALLING: SOME IOWA ENERGY USERS, AND HOW MY DAD TRICKED ME INTO GETTING "As".



How can you influence and persuade others into doing the things that you want? This is a question pertinent to everyone – from politicians, to marketers, to managers, to students, to even parents raising a child. Here is one important overarching lesson I have learnt from my book of the month, “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert Cialdini: we commit better to our responsibilities in the absence – or in some cases, in just an iota – of extraneous strong pressures.

The book stated an impressive study carried out by some psychologists in 1980:

At the beginning of a winter season, a group of energy users in Iowa were trained on energy saving techniques; persuaded to save energy; and they all agreed to save energy. However, the researchers found that at the end of the winter, they failed to save energy.

The same study was carried out on a similar group, except for the addition of a public recognition reward for any household with substantial energy savings. As you might have presumed, there was a surge in energy savings. After the compliance, the reward was then intentionally withdrew by the researchers. Then, one will expect a drop in energy savings, on the contrary, they did not only maintained their present energy savings but it actually increased. So, what happened? In short terms, psychologists will say “their commitment grew their own legs”

 Here is the book:
 "...These people has been lowballed into a conservation commitment through a promise of newspaper publicity. Once made, that commitment started generating its own support: The homeowners began acquiring new energy habits, began feeling good about their public spirited efforts...began appreciating money saved on utility bills... with all these it is no wonder that the commitment remained firm even after...newspaper publicity  was kicked out"


As I was reading through this study, a similar personal experience came to memory.

Here is my story: My change was not over the winter, and has nothing to do with energy saving, it was during my transition from primary school to high school. In the earliest days of my primary school my academic performance was abysmal, but it got pretty good after my transition to high school and continue to soar ever since.
 
Just before the ‘transition’ I remembered my Dad promised me several gifts – most notable - a N1,000 note, only if I assume the first position in my class (it used to be a lot of money in those days. haha!) While I remembered achieving the feat on several occasions, I failed remembering my Dad giving me the N1,000 note (wittingly or otherwise, however, I will list towards the latter). Did that negatively affected my subsequent performances? NO! Why? Just like in the case of the energy users, my commitment grew its own legs.

How? I began to see myself as being ‘book smart’; friends began hailing me for my academic intelligence. This metamorphosed my self-image, and the consistency pressure began to form. The Yoruba proverb “Akin yago fun elesin ana” [One does not pave the way for the horse rider of yesterday] has definitely lured me into maintaining my performance, not the N1000 note which I did not receive in the first place.  
Social Psychologist called this compliance tactic – lowballing. In summary: One, make a promise to ensure compliance; two, the compliance may generate personal commitments; three, retract the promise; and four, observe the results.

Just like several other tactics, lowballing is not a panacea for compliance. An obvious pre-requisite for the success of this tactic would be that the compliant must have a propensity for the compliance task. The ‘trick’ wouldn’t have worked on me if the N1,000 note was promised and retracted for doing well in, uhmmm... say, a drama competition. Nah!