Deck 9: Group Processes: Influence in Social Groups

Question 1

According to research, most people believe recall a room temperature that is ________ when they are asked to recall being rejected by others. Why is this?

A) higher; Rejection makes people angry.
B) lower; Rejection is chilling.
C) accurate; Rejection is depressing and depression increases accuracy.
D) lower; Fewer people in the room means the room is colder.

Answer 1

lower; Rejection is chilling.

Question 2

In Chapter 9, the authors describe decisions made as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This example illustrates that

A) it is preferable to make group decisions when groups are cohesive.
B) group decision making is not necessarily preferable to individual decision making.
C) at least in foreign policy matters, threats often work better than negotiations.
D) at least in foreign policy matters, negotiations are preferable to threats.

Answer 2

group decision making is not necessarily preferable to individual decision making.

Question 3

Although social groups vary tremendously (e.g., families, sororities, sports teams, religious congregations), they are all alike in that

A) members share the same space at the same time.
B) actions are guided by norms.
C) they tend to be heterogeneous.
D) they convey competitive advantage.

Answer 3

actions are guided by norms.

Question 4

"Don't talk during the movie" and "Cross the street at the corner or crosswalk" are examples of

A) social roles.
B) group processes.
C) prescriptive behaviors.
D) social norms.

Question 5

When social psychologists define a social group as a collection of interdependent people, they mean that

A) the group members interact with one another.
B) members influence one another.
C) minimal groups often evolve into social groups.
D) there is seldom interpersonal conflict in social groups.

Question 6

What do a sorority, your family, and the L.A. Lakers have in common?

A) They are all international organizations.
B) They are all groups.
C) They are all small groups.
D) They are all led by males.

Question 7

Why do group members tend to be homogeneous?

A) because many groups attract people who are similar and groups tend to operate in ways that encourage similarity in the members.
B) because many groups attract people who are similar and the membership of most groups never changes.
C) anyone who deviates from the group is immediately removed.
D) screen new members carefully to make sure they will "fit in."

Question 8

According to the definition provided in your text, which of the following qualifies as a true group?

A) people riding in an elevator together
B) members of a large church congregation
C) an author, an illustrator, and an editor working on a book together over the Internet
D) six students studying different topics at the same table in the library

Question 9

Which of the following is not a benefit associated with groups, according to the authors of your text?

A) making better decisions when the stakes are high
B) being an important source of information
C) helping us define who we are
D) establishing social norms

Question 10

In social groups, interdependence is reflected in

A) working toward a common goal.
B) finding alternatives to conflict.
C) influencing and being influenced.
D) communicating with one another.

Question 11

Researchers such as Baumeister and Leary (1995) argue that the need to belong to groups is present in all societies because

A) group membership has conferred evolutionary advantages to humans.
B) cultural norms everywhere dictate that people cooperate.
C) hunting and farming have been replaced by business and technology.
D) the Industrial Revolution brought about increased specialization in the workforce.

Question 12

According to your text, group members tend to ________ in age, sex, beliefs, and opinions.

A) come from a variety of backgrounds
B) range
C) be similar
D) seek people dissimilar from themselves

Question 13

"We will not talk about other members behind their backs, and we will never divulge one another's secrets to anyone, inside or outside this group." The preceding statement reflects

A) well-defined roles.
B) a consensual proscription.
C) a group norm.
D) a superordinate goal.

Question 14

Which person is least likely to be in a group with the other three?

A) Ben: age fifty, married, politically conservative accountant
B) Sam: age forty-seven, single, ultra-conservative lawyer
C) Sally: age forty-eight, married, politically conservative manager
D) Lauren: age twenty-five, single, liberal waitress

Question 15

The definition of a group provided in your text includes all of the following except

A) it includes two or more members.
B) members are physically in the same place at the same time.
C) members interact with each other.
D) members are interdependent.

Question 16

When former President Bush issued the final approval to invade Iraq, he asked whether anyone had any last thoughts or recommendations. When no one commented, the order was given. The authors give this as an example of how

A) groups can make good decisions when there is a strong leadership.
B) cohesive groups tend to disagree more frequently than groups of diverse experts.
C) groups do not always make good decisions when they are cohesive and want to please their leader.
D) groups make the best decisions when they are cohesive and want to please their leader.

Question 17

According to social-psychological reasoning, a large "student body" is not a social group because

A) students seldom share a common goal.
B) there is not consensus on the norms for appropriate behavior.
C) students vary tremendously in age, beliefs, backgrounds, and opinions.
D) each student cannot possibly interact with all other students.

Question 18

The idea that people have an innate need to belong to groups is consistent with the finding that people in all cultures

A) spend 90 percent of their time with other people.
B) spend more time thinking about others than themselves.
C) are motivated to form relationships with others.
D) seek to include everyone they meet.

Question 19

Which of the following will give the greatest sense of belonging to a group and a sense of distinctiveness from others?

A) being a student at the University of X
B) being a member of the psychology honors society
C) being an employee of Target
D) being a supporter of the New York Yankees

Question 20

Which of the following collections of people best represents the social-psychological concept of a true group?

A) deliberating members of a twelve-person jury
B) students in a large lecture course
C) undergraduates enrolled at a large public university
D) personnel employed at a large corporation

Question 21

You belong to a study group that your math instructor assigned you to in the beginning of the semester. Your group's task is to solve several problems every week. What type of group, according to your text, would lead to optimal performance?

A) a highly cohesive group
B) a group in which the members strongly dislike one another
C) a group that isn't all that cohesive
D) a mixed-gender group

Question 22

Women's roles have changed in the U.S. during the twentieth century-from being higher status and more educated, to a dip in status during the post-WWII era, to a rise in status with the feminist movement. The logical outcome of this change is that women's average level of the personality trait ________ has changed correspondingly.

A) assertiveness
B) intelligence
C) co-dependence
D) extraversion

Question 23

How do norms differ from roles? Norms ________, whereas roles ________.

A) are specific; are general
B) apply to all group members; apply to specific group members
C) are expectations; are requirements
D) apply to large groups; apply to small groups

Question 24

Recall that in the Stanford Prison Study conducted by Haney, Banks, and Zimbardo (1973), guards became increasingly aggressive and prisoners became increasingly submissive and withdrawn, all in under a week. Results of this (aborted) study suggest that

A) social roles can take on a power all their own.
B) norms in the real world are often adopted in artificial settings.
C) humans are inherently aggressive and will "act out" in the appropriate situation.
D) interdependence can be reduced in powerful situations.

Question 25

A historical study (Twenge, 2001) on the effects of changes in women's social roles in the United States during the twentieth century showed that ________ over the century.

A) both the opportunities for women and women's assertiveness steadily increased
B) the opportunities for women increased, but women's assertiveness stayed steady
C) the opportunities for women increased, but women's assertiveness decreased
D) both opportunities for women and women's assertiveness went up and down in tandem

Question 26

Which study, discussed in your text, best mirrors the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib?

A) Milgram's studies on obedience to authority
B) Asch's studies on conformity
C) Carlsmith and Festinger's study of cognitive dissonance
D) Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Study

Question 27

Whereas ________ specify how all group members should behave, ________ specify how individuals in particular positions should behave.

A) roles; norms
B) norms; rules
C) rules; roles
D) norms; roles

Question 28

In Dan's family, it's customary to wear a nice pair of jeans and a shirt to a wedding, but in Blake's family, it's typical to wear a suit and tie, if not a tuxedo, to weddings. This example demonstrates that norms

A) do not predict behavior very well.
B) can vary depending on the group.
C) were meant to be violated.
D) are a form of authoritarian control.

Question 29

A high level of group cohesiveness would be least beneficial to which of the following groups?

A) members of a simple living group who have a monthly potluck
B) members of a military unit carrying out a complicated maneuver
C) members of a political campaign team developing a strategy
D) members of a theatre troupe giving nightly performances

Question 30

When is high cohesiveness likely to be a problem for a group?

A) when the group's purpose is primarily social
B) when the group is encountering stressful times
C) when the group is working on a task that requires close cooperation between members
D) when the group's task is to solve a problem

Question 31

Shared group expectations about how particular group members are expected to behave are called

A) norms.
B) expectancy effects.
C) roles.
D) collective standards.

Question 32

Rachida is refuses to follow important social norms of her group. She will be

A) viewed as a rebel, and hold that niche in the group.
B) made the leader.
C) shunned by the other group members.
D) allowed to behave however he or she wants to.

Question 33

Research (Twenge, 2001) found that women's self-ratings of assertiveness mirrored the opportunities for women that were available socially, becoming more assertive during those times when women's roles were more independent and less assertive when women's roles became more dependent. According to the text, the "take-home" message of this finding is that

A) the social roles that people play can influence their personalities.
B) people's personalities determine the social roles they are willing to assume.
C) women are becoming more dominant than men.
D) women are becoming more independent.

Question 34

Group cohesiveness is almost always positively correlated with all of the following except

A) effective problem solving.
B) retention of group members.
C) participation in group activities.
D) recruiting of new, like-minded members.

Question 35

Josh is the president of his college residence hall, and he is therefore expected to act in a respectable, dignified manner when he attends campus functions. What social psychological phenomenon does this illustrate?

A) a social role
B) a group representativeness assumption
C) informational influence
D) a loss of personal identity

Question 36

The abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib best illustrates

A) the power of personality.
B) the strength of a powerful situation.
C) the role of prejudice in decision-making.
D) how attitudes lead to behavior.

Question 37

The qualities of a group that tie members together and promote liking between members are known as

A) attractants.
B) attachment.
C) group cohesiveness.
D) social norms.

Question 38

According to Zimbardo, why would U.S. soldiers abuse the prisoners they were ordered to guard?

A) The soldiers were a few "bad apples."
B) The situation of being a prison guard was a "bad barrel."
C) The prisoners were rioting.
D) The soldiers were extremely racist.

Question 39

Indira is a young accountant married to Rajeesh, a restaurateur. Indira is frustrated because she finds that Rajeesh expects her to do all of the housework, to provide childcare, and to attend to his ailing mother on top of her heavy work schedule, which is at least as busy as his. Indira is suffering from

A) role conflict.
B) superwoman syndrome.
C) role inhibition.
D) burnout.

Question 40

In Cirque du Soleil, performers include highly choreographed acrobats, dancers, actors, and gymnasts. In order to perform their best, these performers should be

A) part of a rather non-cohesive group.
B) a cohesive group.
C) allowed to violate norms.
D) given social roles depending on gender.

Question 41

Assume that you are playing pool at the student union when several of your buddies surround the table to watch you play. If you are ________ player, you would ________ because of the arousing effects of their presence.

A) an excellent; make most of your shots
B) an excellent; perform worse than usual
C) mediocre; play better than before
D) poor; perform better than you have in the past

Question 42

The evaluation apprehension explanation for the source of arousal that produces social facilitation posits that ________ leads to increased arousal-and thus to enhanced performance on simple tasks.

A) the mere presence of others
B) a social distraction, such as a loud party,
C) the presence of others who might judge us
D) vigilance and divided attention

Question 43

Which of the following explanations for social facilitation applies to humans but not to cockroaches? Humans are

A) alert and aroused in the presence of other members of their species.
B) distracted by a number of stimuli, including members of their own species.
C) aroused at the prospect of evaluation.
D) more likely to perform their dominant response when aroused.

Question 44

According to your authors, there are three theories that can explain the role of arousal in social facilitation. Which of the following best represents the three theories?

A) others make us alert; apprehension about being evaluated; and others are distracting
B) others distract us; we do not want to violate a norm by doing something wrong; we are more alert around others
C) people are no more distracting than a lamp; lamps provide visual distraction; distraction from easy tasks is unlikely to impact performance
D) easy tasks are made difficult if too much thought is devoted to the task; distraction from tasks positively impacts performance; we are less alert when distracted by others

Question 45

Benefits to performance due to social facilitation will most likely occur when

A) the task is difficult and involving.
B) the presence of others relaxes you.
C) the task is simple and well-learned.
D) individual efforts cannot be assessed.

Question 46

Complete the following analogy regarding social facilitation. Better: ________ :: worse: ________.

A) simple; complex
B) complex; simple
C) group; individual
D) physical; academic

Question 47

The presence of others will facilitate performance for

A) Tim, who is washing his car as his neighbors watch.
B) Jasmine, who gives a dress rehearsal of a long speech.
C) Arthur, who performs his first heart surgery with interns looking on.
D) Lola, who is learning a new gymnastics routine with her team.

Question 48

One explanation for social facilitation focuses on the role of evaluation apprehension-the anxiety associated with being judged by others-in creating a state of arousal in people. What is the weakness of this explanation?

A) Evaluation apprehension is probably not an important issue to cockroaches.
B) People often misattribute the reasons for their arousal.
C) Arousal can lead to the social inhibition effect.
D) Cognitive appraisal processes precede physiological arousal.

Question 49

In a study conducted by Zajonc and his colleagues (1969), they examined the question of whether organisms perform better in the presence of others or alone, using ________ as participants.

A) college undergraduates
B) cockroaches
C) dolphins
D) firefighters

Question 50

Social facilitation refers to the tendency of people to perform ________ on simple tasks and ________ on complex tasks when others are present.

A) better; worse
B) worse; better
C) faster; slower
D) slower; faster

Question 51

Adele has never driven a car with a manual transmission before-that is, she's never had to decide when to shift gears, push in the clutch, or stop suddenly when the car is in gear. She's just bought a car with manual transmission, and wants to practice driving it before she takes it onto the highway. What should she do?

A) Take her best friend along to provide instructions and support.
B) Drive the car alone until she gets the hang of it.
C) Have a group of friends follow along behind her to help pull her out of a ditch if something goes wrong.
D) Drive on the busiest road in the city.

Question 52

When your roommate enters the room while you're typing an email, it can make you uncomfortable. The roommate isn't judging you, but you may still feel uncomfortable, according to Zajonc, because the roommate's mere presence is

A) evaluative.
B) fear-arousing.
C) arousing.
D) pleasurable.

Question 53

Zajonc (1965) wrote an influential article in which he posited a theoretical explanation for the social facilitation effect. Elegantly simple, this explanation included two steps:

A) the presence of others causes arousal, and arousal makes it easier to do simple things and harder to do difficult or new things.
B) actors are concerned about evaluation, and the most dominant response is activated.
C) the presence of others is distracting, and distractions make it more difficult to perform.
D) performance of difficult tasks is arousing, and arousal impedes performance.

Question 54

Baron (1986) has found that flashing lights can cause the same social facilitation effects as the presence of other people. These findings support the idea that ________ is the source of arousal that enhances performance on simple tasks.

A) evaluation apprehension
B) increased vigilance
C) distraction
D) reactance

Question 55

Sometimes famous performers have horrible final rehearsals in empty auditoriums prior to a big performance, yet they end up having wonderful performances in front of audiences. Why would the presence of others increase performance on a well-rehearsed task, such as musical performance?

A) They are performing for money.
B) They experience cognitive dissonance.
C) They aim to impress the critics.
D) They are aroused.

Question 56

Which is the proper order of the processes in Zajonc's explanation for social facilitation?

A) presence of others > arousal > perform dominant response
B) arousal > perform dominant response > presence of others
C) perform dominant response > arousal > presence of others
D) present of others > perform dominant response > arousal

Question 57

Dozens of social-psychological experiments on the topic of social facilitation have employed people and a variety of animals and insects. One consistent finding has emerged from these many studies:

A) Simple tasks are not affected by the presence of others, but complex tasks are.
B) The presence of others enhances performance on simple tasks.
C) Simplicity is the most dominant response in the presence of others.
D) Difficult tasks are more arousing than simple tasks.

Question 58

Who will probably be most successful at performing his or her task?

A) Leon, an expert basketball player, throwing free throws alone in the gym
B) Tara, an expert bowler, bowling in a crowded alley with an audience of friends
C) Raymond, a novice pool player, making shots at a crowded bar
D) Lindsay, a novice archer, shooting at target practice as her coach watches

Question 59

Recall that Zajonc and his colleagues (1969) employed the lowly cockroach in their studies of social facilitation. In the presence of other cockroaches, roaches would run faster down a straightaway to escape a bright light than they would alone, but took longer in the presence of a cockroach audience when the escape route was more complicated (i.e., when they had to run a maze). These findings support the idea that

A) members of even the lowliest species experience evaluation apprehension.
B) cockroaches differ from humans in their response to other members of their species.
C) the presence of other members of a species elicits the most dominant response.
D) the presence of other members of a species impedes the most dominant response.

Question 60

When people or roaches undertake a difficult task, the presence of others ________ performance; when they undertake a simple task, the presence of others ________ performance.

A) enhances; impairs
B) diminishes; has no effect on
C) has no effect on; enhances
D) impairs; enhances

Question 61

All things being equal, ________ from ________ cultures would be most likely to engage in social loafing.

A) women ; Western
B) men; Western
C) women ; Asian
D) men; Asian

Question 62

One reason why the presence of others is arousing is that it can be ________, which is a very cognitive explanation as to why people tend to perform worse at more difficult tasks in the presence of others.

A) enlightening
B) stimulating
C) joyous
D) distracting

Question 63

Professor Smith has long used group projects in her courses. The groups have always performed extraordinarily well, and students seem to learn a great deal from such projects. Having just taken a new job at a different college, Dr. Smith finds that the group projects are of considerably lower quality. What might you conclude given the work of Karau and Williams (1993)?

A) Professor Smith used to teach at a women's college, but is now teaching at a men's college.
B) Professor Smith used to teach at an ivy league school, but now teaches at a state university.
C) Professor Smith used to teach at a men's college, but is now teaching at a women's college.
D) Professor Smith used to teach at a state university, but now teaches in the ivy league.

Question 64

Both social facilitation and social loafing are examples of the influence that the presence of others has on our behaviors. These phenomena differ, however, in that presence of others ________ in social facilitation situations and ________ in social loafing situations.

A) increases arousal; decreases arousal
B) impairs performance on simple tasks; impairs performance on complex tasks
C) decreases arousal; increases arousal
D) enhances performance on complex tasks; impairs performance on complex tasks.

Question 65

You are a project manager at your company, and you must choose the last member of your team. Which of the following people would be the least likely to social loaf?

A) Jim, a man from Texas
B) Spencer, a man from London, England
C) Tran, a man from Vietnam
D) Don, a man from New York City

Question 66

The resident assistant of a campus residence hall notices that when a team of five students is assigned to bathroom duty, the bathrooms are not as well cleaned as when only one student is assigned to clean them. What phenomenon does this example illustrate?

A) a minimal group paradigm
B) social loafing
C) social inhibition
D) social facilitation

Question 67

Social ________ refers to the tendency of people to do worse on simple tasks and better on complex tasks when they are in the presence of others and when their individual performance cannot be evaluated.

A) facilitation
B) inhibition
C) accountability
D) loafing

Question 68

Researchers (Karau & Williams, 1993) reviewed more than 150 studies on social loafing, and found that the tendency to loaf is stronger in men than in women. Why is this true, according to work by Eagly (1987) and Wood (1987)?

A) Men typically occupy positions of higher status than do women.
B) Women are higher in relational interdependence than men.
C) Women have less power than men, who induce women to do more work.
D) Women's tasks are typically more complex than the typical male task.

Question 69

According to the authors of your text, which of the following factors can help to predict how likely a person is to social loaf?

A) gender and personality
B) intelligence and culture
C) gender and culture
D) personality and intelligence

Question 70

Your roommate really detests studying in a quiet solitary space. Based on research presented in this chapter , what would you recommend your roommate do while studying for a difficult exam?

A) watch a favorite TV show while studying
B) study in front of a poster of his or her favorite TV character
C) have the TV on in the background, but only shows where none of the characters are really known
D) turn the TV off, but make sure the desktop background is visible and is a photo of his or her favorite actor

Question 71

Group or team learning activities are becoming more common in the university setting. That is, professors often assign students to work in groups. Given what you know about social loafing, what advice would you give a professor who is considering using group learning activities?

A) Make sure that the groups of students are cohesive, and appoint their own leader.
B) For simple assignments, the groups will likely do worse than you would expect from individuals.
C) For complex assignments, the groups will likely do worse than you would expect from individuals.
D) Beware of social loafing; it's always better to have students work alone if you want them to do well.

Question 72

In order to predict whether the presence of others will help or hinder performance, one needs two pieces of information: whether ________ and whether ________.

A) individual performance can be evaluated; the task is simple or complex
B) arousal is present; one holds individualistic or collectivistic values
C) arousal is high or low; the others are friends or strangers
D) individual performance can be evaluated; arousal is high or low

Question 73

Social loafing is likely to impair performance ________ and to enhance performance ________.

A) when we're with others; when we're alone
B) on simple tasks; on complex tasks
C) when we're alone; when we're with others
D) on complex tasks; on simple tasks

Question 74

You are a member of a group of five people whose task it is to address and stuff 1,000 envelopes for mailing. Research on ________ suggests that it would be better to give each person 200 envelopes to address alone, whereas research on ________ suggests that it would be better to have everyone work on the task together in the same room.

A) deindividuation; social loafing
B) social loafing; deindividuation
C) social loafing; social facilitation
D) social facilitation ; social loafing

Question 75

Research illustrated that even the presence of a(n) ________ impacted performance such that participants did better on ________ tasks and worse on ________ tasks.

A) favorite TV character; complex; simple
B) unknown movie star; simple; complex
C) unknown actor; complex; simple
D) favorite TV character; simple; complex

Question 76

Which of the following individuals is most likely to engage in social loafing?

A) Amanda, who sits alone in her office, licking stamps and placing them on envelopes
B) Tim, who washes a car with his friends
C) Phoebe, who works with her classmates on a difficult assignment
D) Danny, who struggles alone with a difficult calculus problem

Question 77

When a crowd of people clap or cheer, it is difficult to tell just how loud each individual is applauding or cheering. If people tend to clap louder when they are alone than when they are in a crowd, they are probably engaging in

A) social facilitation.
B) social loafing.
C) cognitive dissonance.
D) groupthink.

Question 78

Presently, there are three main ideas as to why the presence of others leads to greater arousal. Which of the following is not one of the three explanations? The presence of others

A) makes us vigilant.
B) causes us to become emotional.
C) is distracting.
D) leads to evaluation apprehension.

Question 79

Many Asian cultures are collectivistic; that is, they tend to place a greater emphasis on the welfare of the group than on the individual. Conversely, Western cultures tend to stress individual performance more than that of the group. A reasonable hypothesis would be that the social loafing effect is

A) stronger in Western cultures.
B) stronger in collectivist cultures.
C) unaffected by cultural norms.
D) almost nonexistent in collectivistic cultures.

Question 80

One reason why people may engage in social loafing in groups is that they feel

A) less noticeable.
B) more emotional.
C) conspicuous.
D) independent.