?Read the following extract from an article about the advantages of making the first offer/demand in negotiation. ?For each question 15—20, mark one letter (A, B, C, or D) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose. Making the first offer/demand can give a psychological advantage. During a negotiation, issues, positions, and even interests shift and realign in accordance with a managed disclosure of information. Understanding the power of perception is paramount. If one person acquires the power to manipulate the perception of others, that person enjoys a subtle but powerful advantage. Making the first significant move can be a powerful statement and can affect others' perceptions of the one making the offer and of the situation in general. In military terms, the opening gambit is 'taking the initiative'. Once one party takes the initiative, the other side frequently finds it difficult to regain its own momentum. Making a competent first offer/demand can take control of the entire negotiation. A competent opening gambit goes hand in hand with the idea of creating a psychological advantage. The concept is analogous to the theory of 'primacy' in a courtroom trial. That is, once a participant gets the initiative and competently runs with it, the other side usually remains in a reactive mode. There are techniques that good strategists can sometimes use to regain the initiative, but such procedures tend to be 'dicey'. Unless recovery strategies are executed deftly by an experienced negotiator, the party trying to regain the initiative runs the risk of turning a negotiation into a confrontational/adversarial event. Such an outcome gives rise to a host of difficulties. Making a well-thought-out first offer/demand shows confidence in your position. It has been said that the law is what is forcefully stated and plausibly maintained. Likewise, in negotiation, if one party makes a strong plausible opening, that opening can often convince the other party that this offer merits careful consideration — that it is credible. If presented in the right way, a well-thought-out first offer can send a message that the party making the offer is strong and confident. Such an offer can cause the other party to rethink his or her position. It is important to note, however, that this confidence factor edge is limited to a good faith offer made with the intent of actually making a deal. If the offer or demand is merely a fishing expedition, that is tantamount to positioning by making a very low or very high opening. Then the tone and words used to couch the offer should be chosen so that they effectively transmit the intent behind the offer. Giving unsupportable figures wrapped in a mantle of credibility is very confusing and could sabotage the whole negotiation process. Making an effective first offer/demand shows preparation. A well prepared, strong, confident opening offer/demand sends a message that 'This person did his/her homework'. Unfortunately, too many times the parties do not adequately prepare for a negotiation. When one party prepares well and the other does not, the result can be intimidating to the less prepared person. Without even intending to, the better prepared party takes the initiative and does not lose it. The prepared negotiator is usually the one who claims the larger surplus in a given negotiation. However, in some circumstances a better prepared person might choose to wait and let the other party make the first offer. Such a strategy still can be consistent with the overall theme presented here, namely, that the first move—the opening gambit—should be a thoughtful, considered move. It should not be a default. What might be the first significant move in negotiating process?