Deck 4: Social Influence

Question 1

A basic prediction of the principle of social influence is that

A) groups tend to develop cohesion as they work together.
B) groups tend to develop social identity as they work together.
C) groups tend to become more similar as they work together.
D) groups tend to become more efficient as they work together.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The change in opinion or behavior that is the result of social influence is known as

A) conformity.
B) social acceptance.
C) social identity.
D) social cohesion.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following was found by Sherif in his studies using the autokinetic effect?

A) Groups made more accurate judgments about the point of light than did individuals.
B) Individuals made more accurate judgments about the point of light than did groups.
C) Individuals made more similar judgments in groups than they did alone.
D) Individuals made more extreme judgments in groups than they did alone.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

In Sherif's studies using the autokinetic effect,

A) individual judgments tended to cluster around the large estimates made by a confederate.
B) group judgments tended to cluster around the small estimates made by many individuals.
C) individual judgments became more extreme in the group.
D) individual judgments became less extreme in the group.

Question 5

When individuals in Sherif's studies using the autokinetic effect were tested alone after having given their judgments in the group,

A) their judgments were less extreme.
B) their judgments were more extreme.
C) their judgments reverted to their initial opinions.
D) their judgments still followed the group norms.

Question 6

Christian Crandall found which of the following in his studies on bulimia in sororities?

A) The most popular women binged more.
B) The most popular women binged less.
C) The most popular women binged in accord with the norms of the sorority.
D) The least popular women binged in accord with the norms of the sorority.

Question 7

The results of Christian Crandall's studies on bulimia in sororities are consistent with which of the following statements?

A) Following the social norm made one more popular.
B) Following the social norm made one less popular.
C) Engaging in extreme behaviors made one more popular.
D) Engaging in extreme behaviors made one less popular.

Question 8

In Stanley Schachter's study on reactions to opinion deviance in small groups, more communications were directed toward

A) the "slider" who initially disagreed but then agreed.
B) the "mode" who always agreed.
C) the "nitpicker" who initially agreed but then disagreed.
D) the "deviant" who always disagreed.

Question 9

Who was assigned by the other group members to the lowest status committees in Stanley Schachter's study on reactions to opinion deviance in small groups?

A) The "slider" who initially disagreed but then agreed.
B) The "whiner" who initially agreed but then disagreed.
C) The "deviant" who always disagreed.
D) The "mode" who always agreed.

Question 10

In Kurt Lewin's studies designed to increase the consumption of meats such as kidneys and hearts during World War II, women indicated that they would be more likely to engage in the behavior when

A) there was only a group discussion but no lecture.
B) there was a group discussion in addition to a lecture.
C) the was only a lecture, but no group discussion
D) the meats were described as being very tasty.

Question 11

Franklin turns on the weather report in the morning and hears that the forecast is for rain. He takes his umbrella with him when he leaves for school. Franklin has just engaged in

A) normative conformity.
B) informational conformity.
C) social comparison.
D) public compliance.

Question 12

Normative conformity is to _____ as informational conformity is to _____.

A) public compliance; private acceptance
B) private acceptance; public compliance
C) public cohesion; private cohesion
D) private influence; public influence

Question 13

A change in behavior but not opinion describes which of the following?

A) Majority influence.
B) Minority influence.
C) Private acceptance.
D) Public compliance.

Question 14

In general, we can say which of the following?

A) Conformity is almost always either informational or normative.
B) Conformity is often both informational and normative.
C) Most conformity is informational.
D) Most conformity is normative.

Question 15

The line perception studies of Solomon Asch demonstrate the operation of

A) minority influence.
B) majority influence.
C) private acceptance.
D) social identity.

Question 16

Solomon Asch's line perception studies demonstrated that

A) all of the men conformed on every trial.
B) about ¾ of the men conformed on at least one trial.
C) very few men conformed overall.
D) conformity was much lower than expected.

Question 17

Social impact refers to which of the following?

A) The increase in conformity produced by each new group member.
B) The increase in conformity produced by a larger number of groups.
C) The influence of group size on psychological reactance.
D) The influence of group size on creative thinking.

Question 18

According to the principle of social influence,

A) larger groups always produce more conformity.
B) larger groups produce more conformity but only up to a given point.
C) larger groups only produce more informational conformity.
D) larger groups only produce more normative conformity.

Question 19

In an experiment conducted by David Wilder, research participants viewed individuals giving their opinions either as individuals or as members of social groups. The influence of each individual was

A) greater when he or she was perceived as an individual.
B) greater when he or she was perceived as a group member.
C) not influenced by whether he or she was perceived as an individual or a group member.
D) greater when the group members could communicate with each other.

Question 20

In the one of the conditions of Solomon Asch's study on line matching, the majority of the confederates gave a wrong answer (for instance line 2 when the correct answer was line 3) but one confederate gave an answer that was also wrong but different than the answer given by the majority of the confederates (for instance line 1). In this case

A) most research participants conformed to the majority.
B) almost no conformity was observed.
C) research participants ignored the response given by the unusual confederate.
D) conformity was equivalent to conditions in which all of the confederates gave the same incorrect answer.

Question 21

Having a supporter or ally when faced with a larger number of individuals who give a different opinion

A) makes it easier to conform to the majority.
B) produces psychological reactance.
C) creates more anxiety and more conformity.
D) makes it easier to resist the social influence of the majority.

Question 22

Which of the following results was found in the research conducted by Baron, Vandello, and Brunsman in which participants completed either easy tasks or difficult tasks that they believed were either of high or low importance?

A) Participants conformed more on easy tasks.
B) Participants conformed more on difficult tasks.
C) Participants conformed more on difficult tasks but conformed less on easy tasks.
D) Participants conformed more on easy tasks but conformed less on difficult tasks.

Question 23

The basic assumption of Serge Moscovici's ideas about minority influence is that

A) majorities will almost always produce more influence than minorities.
B) minorities will almost always produce more influence than majorities.
C) both majorities and in minorities can produce influence.
D) it is not possible to compare the influence produced by majorities and minorities.

Question 24

In Serge Moscovici's experiments on minority influence,

A) minorities were effective in producing opinion change regardless of whether they were inconsistent or consistent.
B) minorities were effective in producing opinion change only when they were consistent.
C) minorities were effective in producing public compliance but not in producing private acceptance.
D) minorities were not as effective as majorities in producing opinion change.

Question 25

In Serge Moscovici's experiments on minority influence, research participants were tested again after they had heard the opinions of the confederates and expressed their own opinions in the group setting. Moscovici found which of the following in this follow-up testing?

A) Participants gave more blue than green responses.
B) Participants were less sure of their judgments.
C) Participants reverted to the opinions they held before the group meeting.
D) Participants maintained the opinions that had been expressed by the confederates.

Question 26

Which of the following statements supports the single-process approach to understanding minority influence?

A) Unanimity (consistency) is essential for both minority and majority influence.
B) Unanimity (consistency) is more essential for majority than for minority influence.
C) Minorities tend to produce private acceptance, whereas majorities produce public compliance.
D) Minorities tend to produce more creative thinking than do majorities.

Question 27

Which of the following would support the dual-process approach to understanding majority and minority influence?

A) Minorities influence majorities in different ways than majorities influence minorities.
B) Minorities require about twice as many group members to produce influence as do majorities.
C) Both majorities and minorities can create opinion change.
D) Only communications from majorities can produce psychological reactance.

Question 28

Which of the following findings would support a dual-process approach to minority and majority influence?

A) Minority influence is more likely to produce long-term opinion change than is majority influence.
B) Opinion change is equivalent regardless of whether it comes from minority or minority groups.
C) The principal of social impact applies to both majority and minority groups.
D) Minority groups are smaller than majority groups.

Question 29

Research has demonstrated which of the following?

A) The social context is more important than personality variables in producing conformity.
B) Personality variables are more important than social context in producing conformity.
C) The social context is more important in producing changes in behavior, whereas personality variables are more important in producing changes in opinion.
D) Personality variables are more important in producing changes in behavior, whereas the social context is more important in producing changes in opinion.

Question 30

Which of the following is true about gender differences in conformity?

A) Most studies that have been reviewed find substantial gender differences.
B) When gender differences are found it is usually the case that men conform more than women.
C) Overall the difference between men and women in conformity is very small.
D) Women tend to conform more than men, but only on behaviors and not on opinions.

Question 31

Which of the following gender differences in conformity have been confirmed by research?

A) Men tend to conform more on behaviors than on opinions.
B) Women tend to conform more on behaviors than on opinions.
C) Women tend to conform more in public than in private.
D) Men tend to conform more in public than in private.

Question 32

Candace is walking down the streets of New York one day when a stranger asks her to sign a petition. But just at this moment another stranger yells "Don't sign that petition whatever you do!" According to the principles of psychological reactance,

A) Candace will not sign the petition.
B) Candace will sign the petition.
C) Candace will read the petition more carefully.
D) Candace will read the petition less carefully.

Question 33

Define normative conformity, informational conformity, public compliance, and private acceptance. How does the compliance-acceptance distinction relate to the normative-informational influence distinction? Consider which of these types of influence was occurring in the studies discussed in Chapter 4 (for instance, Crandall, Sherif, Asch, and Milgram).

Question 34

If you wanted to create a social situation that would be most likely to produce conformity, how would you arrange it? Be sure to consider the variables that are known to influence conformity.

Question 35

What is social impact? Draw a figure that shows the expected effects of social impact on conformity.

Question 36

When and how can minorities influence majorities? And what are the outcomes of such influence? Under what conditions is minority influence likely to be successful? Consider the results of research that has demonstrated minority influence in your answer.

Question 37

Do majority and minority influence represent two different underlying processes, or one common process? What research evidence supports your opinion?

Question 38

Which people are most likely to conform?

Question 39

Consider a situation in which the perception that one is being forced to conform produces the opposite of conformity and explain why this might happen.

Question 40

Is conformity good or bad? Justify your answer.