Research Proposal

 For this assignment, you will need to create a research proposal and survey instrument using one of the sequential persuasion theories.  The proposal should include a literature review citing at least 3 research articles on your theory, a proposal for a study you would like to do using that theory, a 10 question survey to test your hypothesis, and a discussion of your results.  The assignment will include both a paper and presentation.

Please use the "Communication and Mass Media Complete database"  and search for your specific strategy (Pregiving, foot in the door, foot in the mouth, door in the face, that's not all, lowball, bait and switch, disrupt then reframe, legitimizing paltry contributions, fear then relief).

For example, you may need to borrow $20 from a friend.  You could propose in your study that door in the face would be an effective sequential persuasion technique.  You would argue that by first asking $100, the actual $20 request would be more likely to work.  You will then introduce a 10 point survey with 5 positive questions and 5 negative questions to see if the class agrees. Positive questions confirm what you are testing, negative questions disprove the opposite of what you are testing.  

After compiling your data you will then report your results.

For this assignment, you will need to turn in a 5-7 page paper covering the following material:

I. Introduction

II. Introduce a sequential persuasion strategy.

III. Introduce 3 articles and explain the findings.

IV. Introduce a Communication Scenario where you could use the sequential persuasion strategy and introduce a hypothesis on whether you think it would be successful. 

V. Introduce your Survey Results testing your hypothesis from section IV.

VI. Discuss your results (was your hypothesis supported?)

VII. Conclusion

VIII. Works Cited (MLA 7th Edition)

IX. Copy of your survey

X. Summary of Data

Paper Rubric (PDF)

Sample Survey Instrument | Sample from Class

Positive EXAMPLES (based on your hypothesis, you'd expect strongly agree/agree)

Negative Examples  (based on your hypothesis, you'd expect strongly disagree/disagree)

Rubric