Question 1

Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

A) Discussion to consensus is the best method to use to solve routine problems. 
B) Voting takes longer than discussion to consensus. 
C) The behind-the-scenes strategizing by group members aimed at manipulating the group's decision is called a social decision scheme. 
D) Consensus is generally preferred when the group is grappling with sensitive issues. 
A) Discussion to consensus is the best method to use to solve routine problems. 
B) Voting takes longer than discussion to consensus. 
C) The behind-the-scenes strategizing by group members aimed at manipulating the group's decision is called a social decision scheme. 
D) Consensus is generally preferred when the group is grappling with sensitive issues. D

Question 2

The ODDI process model traces good group decision-making to

Accepted Answer

A) the intelligence of the group members. 
B) members' ability to resist their biases. 
C) the degree of training the group members have received. 
D) the use of teamwork procedures. 
E) appropriate interpersonal processes during the decision-making phases. 
A) the intelligence of the group members. 
B) members' ability to resist their biases. 
C) the degree of training the group members have received. 
D) the use of teamwork procedures. 
E) appropriate interpersonal processes during the decision-making phases. E

Question 3

Give an example of each of these decisional "sins": commission,omission,imprecision.

Accepted Answer

Decision-making "sins" refer to common errors that individuals make when they are making decisions. These errors can lead to suboptimal outcomes and can be categorized into different types, such as sins of commission, omission, and imprecision. Here are examples of each:

1. Sin of Commission:
A sin of commission occurs when a decision is made that results in a negative outcome due to an action that was taken. This type of error is associated with doing something that one should not have done.

Example: A marketing manager decides to launch a new advertising campaign without properly researching the target audience. The campaign ends up being offensive to that audience, leading to a public relations disaster and a loss of sales. The manager's decision to go ahead with the campaign without adequate research is a sin of commission.

2. Sin of Omission:
A sin of omission happens when a decision leads to a negative outcome because of inaction or failure to do something that should have been done.

Example: A financial advisor fails to diversify a client's investment portfolio, sticking only to stocks without considering bonds or other asset classes. When the stock market experiences a downturn, the client's portfolio suffers significant losses. The advisor's failure to diversify, which would have potentially mitigated the losses, is a sin of omission.

3. Sin of Imprecision:
A sin of imprecision occurs when a decision is made with insufficient or vague information, leading to an outcome that is not optimal or is flawed due to the lack of clarity.

Example: A project manager estimates the time required to complete a project without conducting a detailed analysis of the tasks involved. The estimate turns out to be overly optimistic, causing the project to run over budget and miss deadlines. The manager's imprecise estimation is a sin of imprecision, as it led to poor planning and project management.

In each of these examples, the decision-maker could have avoided the negative outcome by taking a different approach: in the case of commission, by being more cautious and doing more research; in the case of omission, by being more proactive and thorough; and in the case of imprecision, by seeking out more accurate and detailed information before making a decision.

Question 4

You arrange for the group to make the decision,although you provide the group with assistance if they ask.In Vroom's normative model you would be using a(n)___ decision-making method.

Accepted Answer

A) facilitating 
B) consulting 
C) delegating 
D) laissez-faire 
A) facilitating 
B) consulting 
C) delegating 
D) laissez-faire

Question 5

The weather forecaster on Channel 6 says that tomorrow with be hot.The forecaster on Channel 8 says that tomorrow will be hot and humid.Because of the ___,you think that Channel 8's forecast is more accurate.

Accepted Answer

A) case-data bias 
B) false consensus effect 
C) dilution effect 
D) conjunction error 
E) irrelevance error 
A) case-data bias 
B) false consensus effect 
C) dilution effect 
D) conjunction error 
E) irrelevance error

Question 6

When Bales used his Interaction Process Analysis (IPA)to study the content of group's discussions during decision making,he discovered that the most frequent type of behavior displayed by group members was

Accepted Answer

A) showing solidarity. 
B) giving opinions. 
C) asking for suggestions. 
D) planning the process. 
E) disagreeing. 
A) showing solidarity. 
B) giving opinions. 
C) asking for suggestions. 
D) planning the process. 
E) disagreeing.

Question 7

Groupthink is

Accepted Answer

A) an increase in conformity pressures in mobs. 
B) a decision making method used to facilitate creativity. 
C) a pooling-of-information method of group problem solving. 
D) the deterioration of mental and group efficiency. 
A) an increase in conformity pressures in mobs. 
B) a decision making method used to facilitate creativity. 
C) a pooling-of-information method of group problem solving. 
D) the deterioration of mental and group efficiency.

Question 8

Changing decision-making techniques,limiting premature seeking of concurrence,and correcting misperceptions and biases are some of the ways to avoid groupthink.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Groups tend to make more cautious,conservative judgments than individuals.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

A hidden profile exists if

Accepted Answer

A) members are not given enough information to solve the problem. 
B) the leader deliberately withholds key information about the problem. 
C) the correct solution,even if suggested,seems incorrect. 
D) the majority opposes the correct solution,but the minority knows the right answer. 
E) groups,to identify the best solution,must pool unshared information effectively. 
A) members are not given enough information to solve the problem. 
B) the leader deliberately withholds key information about the problem. 
C) the correct solution,even if suggested,seems incorrect. 
D) the majority opposes the correct solution,but the minority knows the right answer. 
E) groups,to identify the best solution,must pool unshared information effectively.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a symptom of groupthink?

Accepted Answer

A) The existence of self-appointed mindguards 
B) The self-censorship of dissenting ideas 
C) Social pressures encouraging excessive dissent 
D) Illusions of invulnerability 
E) Defective decision-making strategies 
A) The existence of self-appointed mindguards 
B) The self-censorship of dissenting ideas 
C) Social pressures encouraging excessive dissent 
D) Illusions of invulnerability 
E) Defective decision-making strategies

Question 12

Which of the following is a symptom of groupthink?

Accepted Answer

A) Group members feel that they are on the brink of making a bad decision. 
B) Members question the morality of their proposed solution. 
C) Everyone in the group seems to agree with everyone else. 
D) Deviants surface in the group and disrupt discussion. 
E) The opponent,if one exists,is overrated. 
A) Group members feel that they are on the brink of making a bad decision. 
B) Members question the morality of their proposed solution. 
C) Everyone in the group seems to agree with everyone else. 
D) Deviants surface in the group and disrupt discussion. 
E) The opponent,if one exists,is overrated.

Question 13

Individuals,during group discussion,spend more of their time introducing new topics for discussion rather than reviewing items of information that are widely known by the group.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Marjorie Shaw,when comparing individual performance to group performance on difficult problems,found that

Accepted Answer

A) individuals solved more problems than groups did. 
B) individuals who performed poorly alone did not do any better when placed in a group. 
C) groups solved more problems than individuals. 
D) groups need less time than did individuals. 
A) individuals solved more problems than groups did. 
B) individuals who performed poorly alone did not do any better when placed in a group. 
C) groups solved more problems than individuals. 
D) groups need less time than did individuals.

Question 15

Polarization theory makes predictions opposite that of risky shift theory when

Accepted Answer

A) the average of members' prediscussion judgments is close to the cautious pole. 
B) diffusion of responsibility is controlled. 
C) diffusion of responsibility is not controlled. 
D) the average of members' prediscussion judgments falls at the midpoint of the continuum. 
E) the average of members' prediscussion judgments is close to the risky pole. 
A) the average of members' prediscussion judgments is close to the cautious pole. 
B) diffusion of responsibility is controlled. 
C) diffusion of responsibility is not controlled. 
D) the average of members' prediscussion judgments falls at the midpoint of the continuum. 
E) the average of members' prediscussion judgments is close to the risky pole.

Question 16

Which of the following errors was not identified by Kerr and colleagues?

Accepted Answer

A) sins of commission: Errors in how information is used 
B) sins of omission: Errors caused by overlooking useful information 
C) sins of imprecision: Reliance on methods that do not generate accurate results 
D) sins of indecision: Avoiding making the decision altogether 
A) sins of commission: Errors in how information is used 
B) sins of omission: Errors caused by overlooking useful information 
C) sins of imprecision: Reliance on methods that do not generate accurate results 
D) sins of indecision: Avoiding making the decision altogether

Question 17

According to Parkinson's law,groups spend too much time discussing important issues.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Studies of groups making decisions indicate that they spend too little time in the ___ stage of decision-making.

Accepted Answer

A) orientation 
B) identity 
C) decision 
D) implementation 
E) judging 
A) orientation 
B) identity 
C) decision 
D) implementation 
E) judging

Question 19

Individuals who mostly work on individual projects are the ones who are most dissatisfied with group meetings,in general.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

A risky shift is said to occur when groups make riskier decisions than individuals do.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Which of the following statements is true?

The ODDI process model traces good group decision-making to

Give an example of each of these decisional "sins": commission,omission,imprecision.

You arrange for the group to make the decision,although you provide the group with assistance if they ask.In Vroom's normative model you would be using a(n)___ decision-making method.

The weather forecaster on Channel 6 says that tomorrow with be hot.The forecaster on Channel 8 says that tomorrow will be hot and humid.Because of the ___,you think that Channel 8's forecast is more accurate.

When Bales used his Interaction Process Analysis (IPA)to study the content of group's discussions during decision making,he discovered that the most frequent type of behavior displayed by group members was

Groupthink is

Changing decision-making techniques,limiting premature seeking of concurrence,and correcting misperceptions and biases are some of the ways to avoid groupthink.

Groups tend to make more cautious,conservative judgments than individuals.

A hidden profile exists if

Which of the following is NOT a symptom of groupthink?

Which of the following is a symptom of groupthink?

Individuals,during group discussion,spend more of their time introducing new topics for discussion rather than reviewing items of information that are widely known by the group.

Marjorie Shaw,when comparing individual performance to group performance on difficult problems,found that

Polarization theory makes predictions opposite that of risky shift theory when

Which of the following errors was not identified by Kerr and colleagues?

According to Parkinson's law,groups spend too much time discussing important issues.

Studies of groups making decisions indicate that they spend too little time in the ___ stage of decision-making.

Individuals who mostly work on individual projects are the ones who are most dissatisfied with group meetings,in general.

A risky shift is said to occur when groups make riskier decisions than individuals do.

An Introduction to Group Dynamics

Studying Groups

Inclusion and Identity

Formation

Cohesion and Development

Structure

Influence

Power

Leadership

Performance

Teams

Conflict

Intergroup Relations

Groups in Context

Growth and Change

Crowds and Collectives

Filters

Exam 12: Decision Making

Which of the following statements is true?

The ODDI process model traces good group decision-making to

Give an example of each of these decisional "sins": commission,omission,imprecision.

You arrange for the group to make the decision,although you provide the group with assistance if they ask.In Vroom's normative model you would be using a(n)___ decision-making method.

The weather forecaster on Channel 6 says that tomorrow with be hot.The forecaster on Channel 8 says that tomorrow will be hot and humid.Because of the ___,you think that Channel 8's forecast is more accurate.

When Bales used his Interaction Process Analysis (IPA)to study the content of group's discussions during decision making,he discovered that the most frequent type of behavior displayed by group members was

Groupthink is

Changing decision-making techniques,limiting premature seeking of concurrence,and correcting misperceptions and biases are some of the ways to avoid groupthink.

Groups tend to make more cautious,conservative judgments than individuals.

A hidden profile exists if

Which of the following is NOT a symptom of groupthink?

Which of the following is a symptom of groupthink?

Individuals,during group discussion,spend more of their time introducing new topics for discussion rather than reviewing items of information that are widely known by the group.

Marjorie Shaw,when comparing individual performance to group performance on difficult problems,found that

Polarization theory makes predictions opposite that of risky shift theory when

Which of the following errors was not identified by Kerr and colleagues?

According to Parkinson's law,groups spend too much time discussing important issues.

Studies of groups making decisions indicate that they spend too little time in the ___ stage of decision-making.

Individuals who mostly work on individual projects are the ones who are most dissatisfied with group meetings,in general.

A risky shift is said to occur when groups make riskier decisions than individuals do.

An Introduction to Group Dynamics

Studying Groups

Inclusion and Identity

Formation

Cohesion and Development

Structure

Influence

Power

Leadership

Performance

Teams

Conflict

Intergroup Relations

Groups in Context

Growth and Change

Crowds and Collectives

Filters