Deck 4: Social Proof

Question 1

In the Chicago-based doomsday cult studied by Festinger, Riecken, and Schacter, what happened after it became clear that the end of the world was not going to occur?

A) The group disbanded after members saw each other show disappointment.
B) The group members remained highly committed to the group.
C) The groups ceased in trying to gain publicity.
D) B and C only

Answer 1

The group members remained highly committed to the group.

Question 2

Which of the following is not true of the relationship between front page suicides and subsequent air and traffic deaths?

A) The wider the publicity given the suicide story, the greater the increase in subsequent deaths.
B) The relationship holds for noncommercial air fatalities but not for commercial i.e., airline) fatalities.
C) If the story concerns a single suicide, then there is an increase only in single-person air and traffic fatalities.
D) If the story concerns a suicide plus murder incident, then there is an increase only in multiple-person air and traffic deaths.
E) The age of the single-person suicide story victim is correlated with the age of the victims of subsequent single-person car wrecks.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is false regarding helping in an emergency?

A) When a bystander is surrounded by passive others, he or she is unlikely to take action.
B) When it is clear that an emergency exists, bystanders usually help.
C) Whether the situation is clear or unclear, help is more likely when one bystander rather than a group) is present.
D) In an unclear situation, a group of strangers is less likely to produce help than a group of friends.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The strange statistic showing that front page suicide stories lead to increases in airplane and automobile fatalities was argued in Influence to be best explained by which of the following interpretations?

A) Bereavement.
B) Secret Imitation Suicide.
C) Similar Social Conditions.
D) None of the above.

Question 5

Which of the following natural characteristics of urban environments are likely to lead to decreased bystander aid?

A) confusion.
B) populousness.
C) low levels of acquaintanceship.
D) a and b only.
E) all of the above.

Question 6

Someone is more likely to follow the lead of others who are

A) large in number
B) performing a behavior with some dissenters present
C) uncertain of their actions
D) All of the above

Question 7

Someone is likely to be more vulnerable to the social proof principle if he/she

A) is similar to those who are providing the social proof evidence
B) was raised in a collectivistic society
C) is uncertain of the best course of action
D) b and c only
E) All of the above.

Question 8

has the research on the principle of social proof shown?

A) It works best when the proof is provided by the actions of many other people.
B) It isn't strong enough to overcome deep-seated fears or phobias.
C) It works on adults but not children.
D) Live demonstrations of others' behavior are necessary for the effect to work; film clips don't produce good results.

Question 9

According to Influence, fast food ads are effective in part because they

A) change people's attitudes toward the food
B) allow viewers to see diverse groups of people eating fast food
C) make the act of eating fast food seem more common
D) All of the above

Question 10

Each of the following increase the chance that helping will occur in a situation EXCEPT

A) it is clear that help is needed
B) it is clear who is responsible for helping
C) it is clear what needs to be done to help
D) None of the above all will increase the chance of helping)

Question 11

Which of the following maximizes) the influence of the principle of social proof?

A) Uncertainty regarding the situation.
B) A feeling of obligation toward the others in the situation.
C) A feeling of similarity to the others in the situation.
D) Only b and c.
E) Only a and c.

Question 12

According to Influence, to defend oneself against the inappropriate use of social proof, we should

A) stay vigilant for plainly counterfeit social evidence.
B) never look to others to figure out what to do.
C) look only to dissimilar others for evidence of correct behavior.
D) None of the above.

Question 13

Which of the following statements is true about social proof?

A) Using social proof usually leads us to the wrong behavior.
B) Social proof can help to explain the inaction of the bystanders to the Kitty Genovese murder.
C) We often follow social evidence, even when it is clearly fake.
D) Both b and c.
E) All of the above.

Question 14

The concept of pluralistic ignorance:

A) defines a situation in which each person viewing a possible emergency decides that since nobody appears concerned, nothing is wrong.
B) helps explain the results of the bystander intervention studies done by Latane and Darley.
C) helps explain the tendency of Jonestown residents to wait calmly in line to take poison.
D) all of the above.
E) only a and c.

Question 15

Which of the following is false about laugh tracks?

A) Laugh tracks have a greater effect on poor jokes than good ones.
B) Audiences like laugh tracks.
C) Audiences laugh more when laugh tracks are present.
D) Audiences rate shows as funnier when they contain laugh tracks.