Money Fix: Aim high in pay talks

For job candidates looking for a higher salary offer, here's an unusual, and not for everyone, technique. When money comes up, just joke that you would really like, say, a million dollars.

Though psychology professor Todd Thorsteinson says he has not studied real-life job negotiations, he does tell of his research with students playing the role of employers and their awarding higher (pretend) salaries after such jocular -- and over-the-top -- requests.

For example, if he were to jokingly ask for $100,000, the employer realizes that's too high and starts adjusting down, which is "cognitively demanding [it requires time and effort]." So they may stop "as soon as they reach a plausible value."