Exam 12: Groups

With his roommates, Jason participates in a group discussion on the merits of gun control. Once the discussion is over, Jason finds that he and his roommates have all adopted similarly strong pro-gun control attitudes. This is an example of

Are decisions made in groups more likely to be risky or cautious? Justify your answer on the basis of social psychological research and theory.

According to research on group polarization, people who make decisions in groups tend to make more ________ decisions than people who make decisions on their own.

Bill is standing on the ledge of a tall building. He yells out to the gathering crowd, "I have nothing left to live for!" Research suggests that people are more likely to chant, "Jump! Jump! Jump!"

Kari is practicing lines for a school play. According to the research reviewed in the textbook, under what conditions will the presence of others detract from her ability to learn the lines?

Imagine that a group of corporate managers are experiencing groupthink. Which of the following behaviors might they display?

Consider the following explanations for why certain people are more likely to become leaders than others. Which one has the most empirical support?

Research on social facilitation warrants some practical advice. All of the following recommendations are supported by this research EXCEPT when

Describe the spotlight effect. Then describe an experiment you could conduct that could demonstrate this effect.

Matt ran for student body president at Arlen High School. He won the election, which thrust him into a position of great power and prestige. Research on power suggests that after becoming president, Matt might be

Who will likely perform better on an upcoming test?

The approach/inhibition theory of power suggests that ________ individuals are more inclined to pursue their goals, whereas ________ individuals are more inclined to constrain their behavior.

Explain the approach/inhibition theory of power and describe a situation in which high-power and low-power people are likely to behave differently.

John wants to examine whether social comparison processes help explain why the group polarization effect occurs, beyond the effects of persuasive arguments. He decides to conduct an experiment. John should expose individual group members to ________ to see if group polarization still occurs.

In order to prevent the occurrence of groupthink, a group leader should

Define the phenomenon of social facilitation and explain Robert Zajonc's three-component theory of when and why it occurs.

Imagine you are playing a video game when five strangers arrive to watch you. According to Robert Zajonc's work on social facilitation, the ________ created by the presence of these strangers would impair your performance if you ________ this particular video game.

Early studies showed that decisions made in groups were riskier than decisions made on one's own. Later research, however, showed that group decisions are not always riskier than individual decisions but do tend to be more extreme. This phenomenon is captured by the concept of

Evaluate the statement "power corrupts" based on research described in the textbook. Under what circumstances is power likely to promote prosocial versus antisocial behavior?

In which of the following situations can the presence of others mask the typical social facilitation effects?