Deck 9: Group Processes: Influence in Social Groups

Question 1

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

Answer 1

making better decisions when the stakes are high

Question 2

A group is defined as __________.

A) a club or political organization that hopes to have social influence
B) two or more people who interact and are interdependent, and can influence each other
C) individuals who gather together to discuss competing agendas
D) two or more people who gather together but don't interact with each other

Answer 2

two or more people who interact and are interdependent, and can influence each other

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

They are all groups.

Question 4

Generally, people are more attracted to __________ groups.

A) social
B) large
C) small
D) reference

Question 5

"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 6

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 7

In social groups, __________ is reflected in individuals influencing and being influenced by others.

A) deindividuation
B) comparative individuality
C) interdependence
D) affluence

Question 8

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 9

In Chapter 9, the authors mention the 2016 election where Donald Trump won the presidency. Which of the following is NOT presented as a potential reason for the surprising loss for Hillary Clinton?

A) The investigation by James Comey of Clinton's private e-mail and the potential issue that she used that personal e-mail for official business.
B) The general reluctance to elect a female president.
C) Trump increased his advertising by over a billion dollars in the last week before the election.
D) Clinton's team made poor strategic decisions in managing resources and rally schedules.

Question 10

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 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

What is the primary benefit of joining a group?

A) It improves your self-esteem.
B) It helps you see other perspectives.
C) It allows us to accomplish things that would be more difficult by ourselves.
D) It allows us to influence others to think like we do.

Question 13

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 14

Which of the following examples BEST expresses interdependence?

A) Jakim shaves his head to mimic his favorite action movie star.
B) Martia, a member of a social service group, makes a convincing argument for the group to expand their services to include children.
C) Glinida tells her mother she needs to update her wardrobe, unsuccessfully.
D) The president of the university passes a new policy requiring new students to complete an orientation week at the university.

Question 15

Which of the following collections of people best represents the social-psychological concept of a 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 16

According to the definition provided in your text, which of the following qualifies as a 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 17

Which of the following is NOT part of the definition of a group?

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 18

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

Question 19

How do groups help us to define who we are?

A) Their mission statements clearly define our beliefs.
B) Groups help us resolve ambiguity about the nature of our social world.
C) They help us care for children and find mates.
D) They help us defend ourselves against threats.

Question 20

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

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

Question 21

Rashida 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 she wants to

Question 22

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 23

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 24

Which of the following is NOT often positively correlated with group cohesiveness?

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

Question 25

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 26

Group cohesiveness is defined as qualities of a group that __________.

A) provide diversity
B) lead to improved problem solving
C) tie members together and promote liking between members
D) bring varied expertise to a problem-solving task.

Question 27

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 28

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 29

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 30

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 31

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 32

What is the primary benefit of having diversity within a group?

A) Different perspectives lead to improved problem solving.
B) It leads to more liking of other group members.
C) It helps group members to know what to expect from each other.
D) The personal identities and personalities are less likely to get lost.

Question 33

In Karim's family, it is required that cell phones be locked in a drawer during dinner time. However, in Marco's family, cell phones are encouraged to be brought to the table and used extensively during dinner. This example illustrates that norms __________.

A) can be violated
B) can differ across different groups of people
C) can only be defined by the head of household
D) are a form of authoritative control

Question 34

"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 35

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 36

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 37

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 38

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 39

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 40

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 41

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 42

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) presence of others > perform dominant response > arousal

Question 43

The results of Zajonc's study on cockroaches and social facilitation showed __________.

A) the presence of other cockroaches facilitated performance in all conditions
B) the presence of other cockroaches decreased performance in all conditions
C) the presence of other cockroaches enhanced performance, but only in a simple task
D) the presence of other cockroaches enhanced performance, but only on a difficult task

Question 44

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 45

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

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

Question 46

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 47

__________ refers to the tendency of people to perform better on simple tasks and worse on difficult tasks when others are present.

A) Social facilitation
B) Social loafing
C) Social diffusion
D) Deindividuation

Question 48

You are asked to provide a talk about the composition and function of groups. Aligned with your text, what will be the topics you cover in your talk?

A) social norms, social roles, diversity, and cohesiveness
B) self-definition, self-identity, self-esteem, self-integrity
C) decision-making, problem solving, project management
D) social norms, self-esteem, cohesiveness, problem-solving

Question 49

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 improve performance on a well-rehearsed task, such as a 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 50

According to the 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 51

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 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

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 54

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 55

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 56

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 57

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) the 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) the performance of difficult tasks is arousing, and arousal impedes performance.

Question 58

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 59

Why do group members tend to be homogeneous?

A) Many groups attract people who are similar and groups tend to operate in ways that encourage similarity in the members.
B) 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) New members are screened carefully to make sure they will "fit in."

Question 60

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 61

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 62

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 63

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 64

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 65

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 66

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 67

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 68

Gender and culture can help to predict who is likely to engage in __________.

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

Question 69

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. According to this text, why is this true?

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 70

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 71

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 72

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 73

Evaluation apprehension is __________.

A) concern about being judged which results in arousal
B) test anxiety
C) the fear of the presence of others
D) the tendency to do worse on a task that is simple

Question 74

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 75

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 76

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

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

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 79

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 80

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

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