Deck 44: Social Influence

Question 1

Groupthink is fueled by a desire for

A) self-disclosure.
B) harmony.
C) minority influence.
D) cognitive dissonance.

Answer 1

harmony.

Question 2

Which of the following most accurately states the effects of crowding on behavior?

A) Crowding makes people irritable.
B) Crowding sometimes intensifies people's reactions.
C) Crowding promotes altruistic behavior.
D) Crowding usually weakens the intensity of people's reactions.

Answer 2

Crowding sometimes intensifies people's reactions.

Question 3

Research participants who worked alongside someone who rubbed his or her face or shook his or her foot were observed to do the same thing themselves. This best illustrated

A) the mere exposure effect.
B) the chameleon effect.
C) social loafing.
D) the bystander effect.

Answer 3

the chameleon effect.

Question 4

In a study of social loafing, blindfolded students were asked to pull on a rope as hard as they could. The students tugged hardest when they thought

A) three others were pulling with them.
B) three others were pulling against them.
C) no others were pulling with them.
D) no one was monitoring how hard they pulled.

Question 5

Which of the following best summarizes the relative importance of personal control and social control of our behavior?

A) Situational influences on behavior generally are much greater than personal influences.
B) Situational influences on behavior generally are slightly greater than personal influences.
C) Personal influences on behavior generally are much greater than situational influences.
D) Situational and personal influences interact in determining our behavior.

Question 6

Conformity increased under which of the following conditions in Asch's studies of conformity?

A) The group had three or more people.
B) The group had high status.
C) Individuals were made to feel insecure.
D) All of these conditions increased conformity.

Question 7

In his study of obedience, Stanley Milgram found that the majority of participants

A) refused to shock the learner even once.
B) complied with the experiment until the "learner" first indicated pain.
C) complied with the experiment until the "learner" began screaming in agony.
D) complied with all the demands of the experiment.

Question 8

Research has found that for a minority to succeed in swaying a majority, the minority must

A) make up a sizable portion of the group.
B) express its position as consistently as possible.
C) express its position in the most extreme terms possible.
D) be able to convince a key majority leader.

Question 9

If a cluster of people stand gazing upward, passersby will often pause to do likewise. This best illustrates

A) the mere exposure effect.
B) the bystander effect.
C) social loafing.
D) the chameleon effect.

Question 10

Based on findings from Milgram's obedience studies, participants would be LESS likely to follow the experimenter's orders when

A) they hear the "learner" cry out in pain.
B) they merely administer the test while someone else delivers the shocks.
C) the "learner" is an older person or mentions having some physical problem.
D) they see another subject disobey instructions.

Question 11

Bonnie pedals an exercise bike at her health club much faster when other patrons happen to be working out on nearby equipment. This best illustrates

A) the bystander effect.
B) the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.
C) social facilitation.
D) group polarization.

Question 12

Which of the following conclusions did Milgram derive from his studies of obedience?

A) Even ordinary people, without any particular hostility, can become agents in a destructive process.
B) Under the proper circumstances, most people can suppress their natural aggressiveness.
C) The need to be accepted by others is a powerful motivating force.
D) He reached all of these conclusions.

Question 13

Although Frieda is typically very reserved, as part of a huge rock concert crowd she lost her inhibitions and behaved in a very sexually provocative way. Frieda's unusual behavior is best understood in terms of

A) the bystander effect.
B) social facilitation.
C) deindividuation.
D) the mere exposure effect.

Question 14

In making wedding preparations, Jason conforms to the expectations of his future bride's family simply to win their favor. His behavior illustrates the importance of

A) social facilitation.
B) normative social influence.
C) mirror-image perceptions.
D) the mere exposure effect.

Question 15

The phenomenon in which individuals lose their identity and relinquish normal restraints when they are part of a group is called

A) groupthink.
B) cognitive dissonance.
C) empathy.
D) deindividuation.

Question 16

Participants in Milgram's obedience experiments were informed that they were involved in a study of

A) aggression.
B) altruism.
C) learning.
D) visual perception.

Question 17

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Groups are almost never swayed by minority opinions.
B) Group polarization is most likely to occur when group members frequently disagree with one another.
C) Groupthink provides the consensus needed for effective decision making.
D) A group that is like-minded will probably not change its opinions through discussion.

Question 18

Using the Asch procedure, conformity to group judgments would be LEAST likely when

A) participants announce their own answers only after the other group members have done so.
B) participants are not observed by other group members when giving their answers.
C) it is very difficult to make correct judgments.
D) judgments are made in a group that has more than three people.

Question 19

Subjects in Asch's line-judgment experiment conformed to the group standard when their judgments were observed by others but not when they were made in private. This tendency to conform in public demonstrates

A) social facilitation.
B) overjustification.
C) informational social influence.
D) normative social influence.

Question 20

When a group of racially prejudiced high school students discussed racial issues, their attitudes became even more prejudiced. This best illustrates

A) group polarization.
B) the bystander effect.
C) social facilitation.
D) deindividuation.

Question 21

Participants in the Milgram obedience studies were ordered to

A) play the role of the prison guards.
B) write an essay supporting a position they didn't believe in.
C) deliver electric shocks to a learner for giving incorrect answers.
D) participate in a team tug-of-war by pulling on a rope as hard as they could.

Question 22

The Milgram obedience experiments were controversial because the

A) "teachers" actually seemed to enjoy shocking the "learners."
B) "learners" received painful electric shocks even if they had heart problems.
C) experiments were performed despite mass student protests against the research.
D) "teachers" were deceived and frequently subjected to stress.

Question 23

Hearing someone reading a neutral text in a happy-sounding voice is most likely to trigger

A) group polarization.
B) mood contagion.
C) social loafing.
D) deindividuation.

Question 24

Luella publicly agrees with her seventh-grade classmates that parents should allow 13-year-olds to date. Later that day, she writes in her diary that she actually believes parents should prohibit kids from dating until they are at least 15 years old. Luella's public conformity to her classmates' opinion best illustrates the power of

A) deindividuation.
B) normative social influence.
C) informational social influence.
D) social facilitation.

Question 25

Kentaro hates to wear ties but wears one to his sister's wedding to avoid his family's disapproval. Kentaro's behavior exemplifies the importance of

A) the mere exposure effect.
B) informational social influence.
C) normative social influence.
D) social facilitation.

Question 26

Adjusting one's behavior or thinking toward a group standard is called

A) the reciprocity norm.
B) peripheral route persuasion.
C) social loafing.
D) conformity.

Question 27

Normative social influence results from peoples' desire to

A) clarify reality.
B) maintain personal control.
C) gain social approval.
D) demonstrate self-restraint.

Question 28

Which of the following is most likely to promote groupthink?

A) The group's leader fails to take a firm stance on an issue.
B) A minority faction holds to its position.
C) The group consults with various experts.
D) Group polarization is evident.

Question 29

Professor Wang is a member of the faculty committee on academic standards. Other committee members want to begin accepting students with below-average grades. Professor Wang personally disagrees, but he will probably vote in favor of their plan if

A) the other committee members are all in favor of the plan.
B) he states his personal opinion early in the committee's discussion.
C) the committee votes by private ballot.
D) he has a high level of self-esteem.

Question 30

Which of the following is important in promoting conformity in individuals?

A) whether an individual's behavior will be observed by others in the group
B) whether the individual is male or female
C) the size of the group's meeting room
D) whether the individual is of a higher status than other group members

Question 31

A culture that promotes individualism is most likely to encourage

A) nonconformity.
B) ingroup bias.
C) groupthink.
D) superordinate goals.

Question 32

Research participants believed that the Asch conformity test involved a study of

A) altruism.
B) visual perception.
C) learning.
D) aggression.

Question 33

We tend to feel cheerful around happy people and sad around depressed people. This illustrates

A) the mere exposure effect.
B) mood linkage.
C) the reciprocity norm.
D) mirror-image perceptions.

Question 34

Alex thinks smoking is addictive, but other players on his hockey team insist that it's not. Alex is likely to conform to their opinion if

A) he has publicly voiced his opinion on this issue.
B) there is obvious disagreement among team players regarding the issue.
C) he feels insecure in his role as a new member of the team.
D) there are very few team members whom he currently wants to befriend.

Question 35

After hearing respected medical authorities lecture about the value of regular exercise, Raul, who has rarely exercised, begins to jog regularly. The change in Raul's behavior best illustrates the impact of

A) normative social influence.
B) the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.
C) social facilitation.
D) informational social influence.

Question 36

Accepting others' opinions about reality is to ________ as the desire to gain approval is to ________.

A) deindividuation; social facilitation
B) social facilitation; deindividuation
C) informational social influence; normative social influence
D) normative social influence; informational social influence

Question 37

Solomon Asch reported that individuals conformed to a group's judgment of the lengths of lines

A) only when the group was composed of at least six members.
B) even when the group judgment was clearly incorrect.
C) even when the group seemed uncertain and repeatedly altered its judgment.
D) only when members of the group were friends prior to the experiment.

Question 38

Which of the following is most likely to help us empathize with others?

A) the bystander effect
B) automatic mimicry
C) mirror-image perceptions
D) social facilitation

Question 39

Unconsciously mimicking those around us is known as

A) group polarization.
B) the chameleon effect.
C) social facilitation.
D) social loafing.

Question 40

Most people are likely to be surprised by the results of Milgram's initial obedience experiment because the

A) "learners" made so few learning errors under stressful circumstances.
B) "teachers" actually enjoyed shocking another person.
C) "teachers" were more obedient than most people would have predicted.
D) "learners" obediently accepted painful shocks without any protest.

Question 41

Social loafing has been found to be especially noticeable among

A) women in cultures that value collectivism.
B) women in cultures that value individualism.
C) men in cultures that value collectivism.
D) men in cultures that value individualism.

Question 42

In Milgram's obedience experiments, "teachers" exhibited a somewhat lower level of compliance with an experimenter's orders when the

A) experiment was not associated with a prestigious institution like Yale University.
B) "learner" complained of a slight heart condition just before the experiment began.
C) "learner" screamed as the shocks became more punishing.
D) "learner" was in another room where his physical well-being couldn't be observed by the "teacher."

Question 43

Comedy routines that are mildly amusing to people in an uncrowded room seem funnier in a densely packed room. This is best explained in terms of

A) the mere exposure effect.
B) social facilitation.
C) the bystander effect.
D) ingroup bias.

Question 44

Social loafing is MOST likely to occur among

A) audience members who are asked to applaud after a speaker is introduced.
B) factory workers paid on the basis of individual level of productivity.
C) a group of runners competing for first place in a race.
D) students who are each assigned a different topic for their course term papers.

Question 45

On which of the following tasks would the presence of others be MOST likely to lead to improved performance?

A) reciting the months of the year in alphabetical order
B) learning foreign language words
C) counting backward from 10 to 1
D) learning nonsense syllables

Question 46

To study social facilitation, Norman Triplett observed adolescents while they were

A) judging the lengths of lines.
B) winding fishing reels.
C) crossing a swaying footbridge.
D) playing violent video games.

Question 47

Expert pool players were observed to make 71 percent of their shots when alone. When four people watched them, they made 80 percent of their shots. This best illustrates

A) social facilitation.
B) group polarization.
C) the bystander effect.
D) the mere exposure effect.

Question 48

The enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through group discussion is called

A) group polarization.
B) social facilitation.
C) ingroup bias.
D) the mere exposure effect.

Question 49

Deindividuation refers to

A) lack of critical thinking due to a strong desire for social harmony within a group.
B) the tendency to overestimate the impact of personal dispositions on another's behavior.
C) a loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.
D) the enhancement of a group's prevailing attitudes through group discussion.

Question 50

When New York University women were dressed in Ku Klux Klan-style hoods, they demonstrated significantly more aggression. This finding is best explained in terms of

A) social facilitation.
B) groupthink.
C) deindividuation.
D) ingroup bias.

Question 51

Blindfolded university students were observed to pull harder on a rope when they thought they were pulling alone than when they thought three others were pulling with them on the same rope. This best illustrates

A) social loafing.
B) the chameleon effect.
C) group polarization.
D) social facilitation.

Question 52

After an exciting football game in which the home team loses by one point, angry fans throw bottles and begin to tear up the field. This behavior is best understood in terms of

A) the just-world phenomenon.
B) deindividuation.
C) the bystander effect.
D) social facilitation.

Question 53

Social loafing refers to the tendency for people to

A) perform a complex task more poorly when others are present.
B) exert less effort when they are pooling their efforts toward a common goal.
C) exert less effort when they are paid by the hour, not by the amount of work completed.
D) become more distracted from their tasks when working with friends than when working with strangers.

Question 54

Social facilitation refers to the tendency to

A) neglect critical thinking because of a strong desire for social harmony within a group.
B) perform well-learned tasks more effectively in the presence of others.
C) lose self-restraint in group situations that foster anonymity.
D) comply with a large request if one has previously complied with a small request.

Question 55

The impact of the foot-in-the-door phenomenon is most clearly illustrated by

A) the increased number of suicides shortly after Marilyn Monroe's highly publicized death.
B) President John F. Kennedy's ill-fated decision to invade Cuba.
C) the tragic murder of Kitty Genovese just outside her New York apartment.
D) the destructive obedience of participants in the Milgram experiments.

Question 56

In Milgram's obedience experiments, "teachers" were MOST likely to deliver high levels of shock when

A) the experimenter was perceived to be an ordinary college student like themselves.
B) the "learner" was placed in a different room from the "teacher."
C) they saw that other "learners" disobeyed the experimenter.
D) they saw how "learners" who disobeyed the experimenter were punished.

Question 57

According to Milgram, the most fundamental lesson to be learned from his study of obedience is that

A) people are naturally predisposed to be hostile and aggressive.
B) even ordinary people, who are not usually hostile, can become agents of destruction.
C) the desire to be accepted by others is one of the strongest human motives.
D) people value their freedom and react negatively when they feel they are being coerced to do something.

Question 58

In 1942, German reserve police officers obeyed orders to kill some 1500 Jews in the village of Jozefow, Poland. This incident illustrated that people are most likely to be destructively obedient when

A) they fail to realize their actions are morally wrong.
B) their victims are distant and depersonalized.
C) they perceive their orders to come from legitimate authority figures.
D) they derive personal satisfaction from destructive acts.

Question 59

Professional athletes perform better before an audience than when alone. This best illustrates

A) social facilitation.
B) group polarization.
C) the bystander effect.
D) the mere exposure effect.

Question 60

The presence of others does not always lead to social facilitation because

A) an increasing familiarity with novel stimuli facilitates liking.
B) the loss of self-restraint often accompanies arousal and anonymity.
C) arousal inhibits the correct performance of difficult tasks.
D) group discussion enhances whatever attitude is initially dominant in a group.

Question 61

Nora, Ko, Ian, and May each think that Ms. Akey may be a slightly better teacher than Mr. Schwenke. After discussing why each of them believes this to be so, they all conclude that Ms. Akey is definitely a much better teacher than Mr. Schwenke. This episode provides an example of

A) social facilitation.
B) the fundamental attribution error.
C) group polarization.
D) deindividuation.

Question 62

A terrorist mentality that becomes increasingly extreme among people who interact without outside moderating influences best illustrates

A) the bystander effect.
B) deindividuation.
C) group polarization.
D) social loafing.

Question 63

Anton is the only juror to favor acquittal of the defendant in a murder trial. To influence the majority he should

A) express some uncertainty about his position.
B) be self-confident and consistent in expressing his viewpoint.
C) be the last member to speak and present his argument as briefly as possible.
D) address his arguments specifically to the member of the majority who seems most disagreeable.

Question 64

Nineteen-year-old Latitia reported: "Although I was not at all sure that I really loved my boyfriend, he coaxed me into sleeping with him. After that, I convinced myself that I really did love him." Use your understanding of cognitive dissonance theory to explain why Latitia developed such positive feelings for her boyfriend. What could Latitia do in the future to ensure that her sexual behaviors are guided by her own true attitudes and desires?

Question 65

Those who feel socially pressured sometimes assert their freedom by doing the opposite of what is socially expected. This best illustrates

A) the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.
B) mirror-image perceptions.
C) the chameleon effect.
D) personal control.

Question 66

Which of the following processes most obviously operates in groupthink?

A) social facilitation
B) cognitive dissonance
C) group polarization
D) self-disclosure

Question 67

Individuals who believe that the death penalty should be abolished meet to discuss the issue. Research on group interaction suggests that after discussion the individuals will be

A) even more convinced that the death penalty should be abolished.
B) convinced that the death penalty should be retained.
C) sharply divided over whether the death penalty should be abolished.
D) in favor of a more moderate position on the issue.

Question 68

Which of the following comments is most likely to be made in a group characterized by groupthink?

A) "To proceed democratically, we need to know the honest opinions of all group members."
B) "We all seem to be in basic agreement, so there's no sense in continuing our discussion of this issue."
C) "Do any of you see any potential problem with our group's position?"
D) "As a group, we have to think carefully about all the pros and cons surrounding this issue."

Question 69

The ill-fated decision of President John F. Kennedy and his advisors to invade Cuba best illustrates the dangers of

A) deindividuation.
B) the bystander effect.
C) the mere exposure effect.
D) groupthink.

Question 70

A business leader who welcomes a variety of opinions from subordinates and invites experts' critiques of her company's developing plans is most likely to inhibit

A) groupthink.
B) cognitive dissonance.
C) social facilitation.
D) superordinate goals.

Question 71

By enabling like-minded White supremacists to pool their ideas, Internet social networking sites are likely to contribute to

A) the bystander effect.
B) social facilitation.
C) social loafing.
D) group polarization.

Question 72

Group polarization is most likely to occur in a group in which

A) little communication is possible.
B) individuals share a similar opinion.
C) each individual has a unique perspective.
D) individuals have not formed any opinion.