Deck 3: Commitment and Consistency

Question 1

Which of the following defenses are suggested in Influence to combat use of the weapon of Commitment and Consistency?

A) Always take time when performing a behavior to stop and evaluate whether behaving consistently with prior actions is the best decision.
B) Deliberate carefully about whether you would make the same past decisions if you could go back in time knowing what you know now.
C) Pay attention to your gut feelings and when you feel like you're being trapped by your own commitments, share that with whomever is trapping you.
D) All of the above.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

In a study by Jones and Harris, subjects were shown an essay that was favorable to Fidel Castro. Half were told that the essay's author had been assigned to write the pro-Castro essay, whereas the other half were told that the author had chosen to write the pro-Castro essay. All subjects were then asked to estimate the true attitude of the author toward Castro. What happened?

A) Only when the author was seen as having chosen to write the essay was he rated as liking Castro.
B) Only when the author was seen as required to write the essay was he rated as liking Castro.
C) The author was rated as liking Castro both when he was seen as having chosen and as having been assigned the essay.
D) The author was only rated as liking Castro if the subject making the rating liked Castro.

Answer 2

The author was rated as liking Castro both when he was seen as having chosen and as having been assigned the essay.

Question 3

Which of the following would be the best way to ensure that people do not discuss a survey they completed until the end of the semester?

A) "Do not discuss the survey until the end of the semester."
B) "Please do not discuss the survey until the end of the semester."
C) "Do you agree not to discuss the survey until the end of the semester?"
D) "I ask that you please do not discuss the survey until the end of the semester."

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Someone is especially vulnerable to the Commitment and Consistency principle if he/she is

A) young
B) raised in a Western society
C) coerced into making the initial commitment
D) a and b only
E) all of the above

Question 5

In a study by Deutsch and Gerard, subjects committed themselves to some initial judgments, privately, or not at all. Later they received information that their initial judgements may have been mistaken. They were then given the opportunity to change those first judgments. What happened?

A) Both public and private commitment produced equal loyalty to the initial judgments.
B) Both public and private commitment produced loyalty, but the public commitment produced more.
C) Both public and private commitment produced loyalty, but the private commitment produced more.
D) None of the above.

Question 6

An experiment done at a horsetrack measured bettors' confidence that their horse would win. Half of the bettors were approached immediately before laying down their bets and the other half were approached immediately after. What was found?

A) Those approached after their bets were significantly more confident than those approached before.
B) Those approached before their bets were significantly more confident than those approached after.
C) Both groups were equally confident.
D) None of the above.

Question 7

Automatic, unthinking consistency is a dangerous thing. Yet, in Influence, it was stated that many times we find it attractive. Why?

A) It offers one shortcut to use in deciding how to behave when we don't have the time to examine all the evidence.
B) Because we have a deep-seated need for occasional danger.
C) Because even unthinking consistency is preferable to emotional responding.
D) None of the above.

Question 8

The study by Aronson and Mills in which some college women were made to go through an embarrassing initiation ceremony in order to gain access to a discussion group:

A) found those who had the severe initiation disliked the discussion group as a result.
B) found those who had the severe initiation liked the discussion group more as a result.
C) has implications for understanding the actions of such diverse groups as college fraternities and primitive societies.
D) only a and c.
E) only b and c.

Question 9

Jonathan Freedman conducted a study in which students at an all-boys school were threatened with mild or severe punishment for playing with a "forbidden toy". Approximately 6 weeks later, were given another opportunity to play with the "forbidden toy." Which of the following is true regarding the boys' behavior?

A) Most of those who were threatened with mild punishment tended to play with the toy the first time, but few played with it the second time.
B) Most of those who were threatened with mild punishment tended to play with the toy the second time, but few played with it the first time.
C) Most of those who were threatened with severe punishment tended to play with the toy the first time, but few played with it the second time.
D) Most of those who were threatened with severe punishment tended to play with the toy the second time, but few played with it the first time.

Question 10

Which of the following is true regarding the foot-in-the-door technique?

A) People are more likely to agree to a second request after denying in initial, smaller request.
B) People are more likely to agree to a second request after agreeing to an initial, smaller request.
C) People are more likely to agree to a second request after denying in initial, larger request.
D) People are more likely to agree to a second request after agreeing to an initial, larger request.

Question 11

Which of the following alternatives best describes the explanation given in Influence for our strong desire to be and look consistent?

A) Consistency is adaptive; that is, most of the time we are better off with a consistent approach to things.
B) Most people in desire to remain consistent with themselves.
C) Most people see inconsistency as an undesirable trait in others.
D) All of the above.
E) Only a and c.

Question 12

A research project by Pallak and his associates demonstrated the effectiveness of the low- ball compliance technique often used by car dealers. In the Pallak work, Iowa homeowners were promised newspaper publicity if they conserved energy, which led to energy savings initially. A month later they were told that they would not get the publicity after all. What happened?

A) Canceling the publicity had no effect, they continued to save energy at the same rate as they did after first being told about the publicity.
B) Canceling the publicity caused them to revert to their old energy consumption levels.
C) Canceling the publicity resulted in even greater energy savings.
D) Only a and b.
E) Only a and c.

Question 13

In Influence several factors were discussed that increased the ability of a commitment to produce changes in a person's self-image and future action. Which of the following is not such a factor? When the commitment is:

A) active.
B) effortful.
C) public.
D) perceived as internally motivated.
E) none of the above; they are all such factors.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is true about commitments?

A) Once a person makes an initial commitment, he is more likely to agree to future requests that are in keeping with the prior commitment.
B) If a person makes a commitment but later finds out that the original reason for making the commitment was not valid, the original commitment will not affect his later behavior.
C) An initial commitment must be very large if it is going to affect later behavior.
D) All of the above

Question 15

Why do written commitments tend to be effective?

A) They are active.
B) They are difficult to deny once made.
C) They influence others to believe that the writer truly believes what was written.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.