Deck 10: Norms and Behavior

Question 1

When attitudes and norms conflict, which will be most likely to influence behavior?

Answer 1

When attitudes and norms conflict, their influence on behavior is determined by their relative accessibility. Whichever is more accessible will have greater influence on behavior.

Question 2

In a 1982 study by Gamson and colleagues, participants met in groups to take part in a study of ""community standards"" arranged by an organization called the Manufacturer's Human Relations Consultants, Inc. (MHRC) When the consultant for MHRC asked the participants to behave in ways that were unfair, the majority of them refused. What could explain the low levels of obedience in this study?

A) The consultant was using reverse psychology on the participants.
B) The participants engaged in a great deal of superficial thought.
C) The participants formed a consensus against compliance.
D) The consultant was perceived to be a legitimate authority figure.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following is the best example of reactance?

A) A parent using reverse psychology tells his daughter that it's her bedtime and that he does not want her to go to bed. The daughter promptly goes to her room and falls asleep.
B) An employee obeys her boss's request to stay late at work and help him finish a report that is due the next day.
C) A political leader encourages all of her supporters to head to the polls and vote in the next election. The next day, the majority of her supporters vote.
D) All of the above

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Randy, a fraternity member, has been told by the president of his fraternity to lead the new fraternity initiates through a particularly harsh hazing ritual. How might Randy decrease the dissonance caused by this demand?

A) He can convince himself that the new initiates deserve the harsh hazing.
B) He can think about how much his president will praise him for being an obedient fraternity member.
C) He can focus on how he is doing a service for his fraternity by weeding out the weak initiates.
D) All of the above

Question 5

More recent research on obedience has shown that __________ can lead to increased obedience.

A) identification with the learner
B) identification with the general community
C) walking in synchrony with an experimenter
D) wearing a lab coat

Question 6

Milgram conducted a number of variations on his classic obedience study. In which of the following conditions were participants LEAST likely to obey the experimenter?

A) When the experimenter prompted the participant to continue.
B) When a confederate posing as another participant delivered the instructions to obey.
C) When the participant heard the learner cry out and bang on the wall.
D) When the learner was in a different room and could be neither seen nor heard.

Question 7

Two important factors that will increase obedience to authorities are:

A) Authority figures must be seen as legitimate and the individuals that they command must accept personal responsibility for their actions.
B) Authority figures must be seen as agentic and the individuals that they command must have submissive personalities.
C) Authority figures must be seen as legitimate and must also accept responsibility for the actions of those they command.
D) Authority figures must be seen as agentic and the individuals that they command must accept personal responsibility for their actions.

Question 8

According to the text, which of the following individuals is most likely to be seen as a legitimate authority figure?

A) A manager talking to factory workers from above the factory floor.
B) A tall boss who discusses quarterly profits with his team in a loud, booming voice.
C) A police officer in her uniform who interviews witnesses.
D) All of the above

Question 9

In 1966, nurses at a hospital were contacted over the phone by a ""doctor"" that they did not know and asked to administer an unauthorized drug to a specific patient. The results of this study showed that:

A) Few of the nurses obeyed because these orders violated their workplace norms.
B) Most of the nurses immediately prepared to obey.
C) Those nurses with greater medical training were less likely to obey.
D) Nurses were more likely to obey when they knew the drug could not harm the patient.

Question 10

Over the years, researchers have conducted a number of variations on Milgram's classic study. Which of the following findings using paradigms similar to the Milgram obedience study has NOT been found?

A) Obedience has been found primarily in men.
B) Obedience rates in the U.S. are similar to obedience rates in other countries.
C) fMRI scans of participants' brains suggest they experience personal distress even when administering shocks to a 'learner' played by a virtual avatar.
D) High levels of obedience are still found today.

Question 11

During the course of the study, Milgram found that many of the 'teachers' reacted in which of the following ways?

A) They blamed the victim
B) They laughed
C) They offered to take the learner's place
D) All of the above

Question 12

In the study by Milgram, participants were asked to play the role of ""teacher"" and were prodded by an experimenter to give increasingly strong shocks to a ""learner"" for every incorrect response. The results of this study showed that:

A) Only a few participants in a thousand went all the way to the 450-volt level.
B) Only the participants with the most sadistic personalities went all the way to the 450-volt level.
C) Most of the participants went all the way to the 450-volt level.
D) Only the participants with the most submissive personalities went all the way to the 450-volt level.

Question 13

Research on the relation between culture and the norm of reciprocity has shown which of the following results?

A) Compared to people from collectivist cultures, people from individualist cultures are more influenced by the norm of reciprocity.
B) Compared to people from India, people from America regard social commitment as a moral imperative rather than a choice.
C) Compared to people from Canada, people from China are more likely to refuse gifts in order to avoid the pressure to return a favor later.
D) All of the above

Question 14

In a study of the low-ball technique by Cacioppo and colleagues (1978), participants were asked to show up for an experiment at the horrific hour of 7 a.m. In which condition were the participants most likely to agree to show up at this time?

A) When the students were first asked to show up at 6 a.m. and then the researcher changed the time to 7 a.m.
B) When the students were first asked if they would be willing to take part in the experiment and then were told the start time.
C) When the students were first told the start time and were then asked if they would be willing to take part in the experiment.
D) When the students were morning people rather than evening people.

Question 15

One of your friends calls and says that she bought a new shelving unit for her garage. She then asks if you can come over and help her take the heavy box out of the back of her car. When you arrive, your friend also asks you to help put the shelving unit together and to find a space for it in her garage. What you thought would be a 5-minute trip has turned into a 2-hour long ordeal. You have just experienced the ___________ technique.

A) low-ball technique
B) social proof technique
C) foot-in-the-door technique
D) door-in-the-face technique

Question 16

The norm of social commitment was examined by Moriarty (1975) in a study in which a researcher left his belongings unattended at the beach. After the researcher left, a confederate came along and attempted to steal the researcher's radio. In which condition were the beachgoers most likely to try to stop the thief?

A) When the researcher asked nearby beachgoers to watch his belongings before leaving.
B) When the researcher asked nearby beachgoers for the time before leaving.
C) When the researcher first asked if he could leave his belongings with one of the beachgoers, and when they said no, asked them to just watch his belongings.
D) When the confederate was an out-group member rather than an in-group member.

Question 17

Simon has an old car (that is probably worth $500 at most) that he wants to sell to an acquaintance named John. In which of the following scenarios will Simon's use of the door-in-the-face technique be most successful?

A) Simon first offers to sell John the car for $5000 and John seems angry and resentful at that price.
B) Simon first offers to sell John the car for $5000, but before John can refuse, Simon lowers the price to $500.
C) Simon first offers to sell John the car for $1000, but then when John refuses, Simon lowers the price to $500.
D) Simon first offers to sell John the car for $1000, but then when John refuses, Simon asks his wife to tell John that he can have the car for $500.

Question 18

Martin wants to buy a used car, but he doesn't want to be swindled by a used car salesperson. Which of the following tactics could Martin use to avoid being swindled?

A) He could show up to the car dealership and ask to speak to the legitimate authority on used car sales.
B) He could point out the tactics that the used car salesperson is using to try and sell him a car.
C) He could encourage the used car salesperson to see him as a friend and ally.
D) All of the above

Question 19

Studies have shown that students who learn that most students have lenient attitudes toward plagiarism are most likely to endorse anti-plagiarism technologies when:

A) They are asked to think about how plagiarism might hurt their university and they are highly identified with their university.
B) They are asked to think about how plagiarism might hurt individual students and they are highly identified with their university.
C) They are asked to think about how plagiarism might hurt their university and they are not highly identified with their university.
D) They are asked to think about how plagiarism might hurt individual students and they are not highly identified with their university.

Question 20

Explain how norms allow people to fulfill both mastery and connectedness motives by making connections to your own life.

Question 21

Now that you are knowledgeable about all of the ways our behaviors are guided by norms, explain how you might resist being persuaded by a salesperson's use of the door-in-the-face technique.

Question 22

Imagine that you are working on a research project in the lab of a well-respected professor. One of the graduate students who works in this lab is putting pressure on you and the other research assistants to falsify the data of the project you are all working on. Although the graduate student assures you that she will take full responsibility, you do not feel comfortable engaging in this type of dishonest behavior. What are 3 factors described in the text that might decrease the likelihood that

Question 23

Briefly describe the method and the results of the classic obedience experiment by Stanley Milgram. Next, explain why Milgram found the results that he did. In your answer you should compare this classic experiment with variations on this experiment conducted by Milgram to address how a) characteristics of the authority figure, b) the setting, and c) feelings of dissonance all influenced the level of obedience displayed by his participants.

Question 24

You are a door-to-door salesperson selling car cleaning products and you are interested in determining whether the norm of reciprocity or the norm of commitment is the more powerful tactic to help sell your product. Explain how you could use the norm of reciprocity at half of the houses you visit and the norm of commitment at the other half of houses you visit. In your explanations, you should provide enough detail to illustrate exactly how you will use each technique to maximize its effectiven

Question 25

Explain how you could use descriptive norms to encourage students to engage in safe sex. Next, how might the students' motivation and ability determine whether descriptive or injunctive norms are used to encourage safe sex behavior? Explain.

Question 26

The findings from the Stanford prison experiment are often described as resulting from "the power of the situation." What are 3 other possible explanations of these findings?

Question 27

A lot of research has examined how to harness the power of social norms to encourage people to be more eco-friendly. Briefly describe 2 studies that have demonstrated the effectiveness of social norms and how you could apply the results of those studies to encourage the people in your community to be more eco-friendly.

Question 28

Dr. Joyce is trying to get her patients from low socioeconomic backgrounds to eat more fruits and vegetables. Use what you know about social norms and the 1943 study by Lewin to encourage these patients to eat more healthy foods.

Question 29

In which of the following situations will the norms against littering be most accessible?

A) In an environment cluttered with trash.
B) In an environment that is spotlessly clean.
C) In an environment in which signs are posted asking people to support the fine arts.
D) All of the above

Question 30

In 1943, Lewin conducted a study in which the goal was to encourage homemakers to serve their families more readily available and inexpensive cuts of meat. In which condition was Lewin most successful in getting the homemakers to try these cuts of meat?

A) In the condition in which Lewin taught the homemakers to prepare the different cuts of meat.
B) In the condition in which the homemakers listened to a lecture on the nutritional value of the different cuts of meat.
C) In the condition in which small groups of homemakers got together and discussed the different cuts of meat.
D) In the condition in which the homemakers read a pamphlet describing how changing what their families ate was contributing positively to the war effort.

Question 31

According to the text, which of the following provides the best explanation for why we follow the norms of important in-groups?

A) Because we are faced with explicit pressure to follow group norms.
B) Because deliberate and systematic processing leads us to the conclusion that we should follow group norms.
C) Because failing to follow group norms would lead to punishment by authority members.
D) Because we want to follow group norms.

Question 32

At the beginning of Chapter 10, the authors provide examples of individuals on Facebook showing their support for gay rights, of an elderly couple being taken advantage of, and of a hoax at a fast food restaurant. According to the text, what do each of these examples have in common?

A) They are all examples of people following social norms.
B) They are all examples of people using stereotypes.
C) They are all examples of how people's attitudes predict their behavior.
D) They are all examples of how correlation does not equal causation.

Question 33

Whose behavior is most likely to reflect their own personal attitudes instead of prevailing group norms?

A) A participant in a Milgram-style obedience study who is asked to administer shocks in front of a mirror.
B) An individual who identifies strongly as an Indonesian.
C) A sports fan who is wearing his favorite player's jersey and cheering on his team at a game.
D) None of the above

Question 34

According to the theory of planned behavior, whose intention to lose weight will be most influenced by social norms?

A) Molly, who wants to lose weight but doesn't know when she will find the time.
B) Lauren, whose family members are all encouraging her to lose weight.
C) Jennifer, who feels that weight loss is out of her control.
D) All of the above

Question 35

Attitudes and norms are most likely to influence behavior most directly when:

A) We have the opportunity to engage in systematic thought.
B) When attitudes and norms are inaccessible.
C) People feel they have little control over their behavior.
D) When people lack the motivation to process deeply.

Question 36

In a classic study on the door-in-the-face technique by Cialdini and colleagues (1975), participants were stopped as they walked across campus and asked if they would take a group of juvenile delinquents to the zoo. The researchers found the greatest agreement with this request in which of the following conditions?

A) When the participants were simply asked whether they would take a group of juvenile delinquents to the zoo.
B) When the participants were first asked to sign a petition supporting better resources for juvenile delinquents.
C) When participants were first asked whether they would spend 2-years as a counselor for juvenile delinquents.
D) When participants were first asked to spend 2-years as a counselor for juvenile delinquents by one requestor and then asked by a separate requestor if they would take a group of juvenile delinquents to the zoo.

Question 37

__________ is a technique in which an influencer makes a huge request that is sure to be rejected, and then follows that request up with a smaller request that looks like a concession.

A) The low-ball technique
B) The social proof technique
C) The foot-in-the-door technique
D) The door-in-the-face technique

Question 38

Results of a study by Burger and colleagues (2006) showed that participants were most likely to do a favor for a confederate when:

A) The confederate had not previously done them a favor.
B) Both the participant and the confederate had previously done favors for each other.
C) The participant had previously done a favor for the confederate, but the confederate had not done a favor for the participant.
D) None of the above

Question 39

In some situations, norm violators are perceived to have higher status and ability.

Question 40

People are more likely to obey managers who they perceive to be legitimate authorities.

Question 41

More often than not, obedience to authority has disastrous consequences.

Question 42

In the Milgram study, if the learner is in the same room as the teacher, levels of obedience drop significantly.

Question 43

Individuals who obey authority figures are usually more sadistic and uncaring than those who do not obey.

Question 44

The level of conformity found in Milgram's obedience study would not be replicated today.

Question 45

Before conducting his famous obedience studies, Stanley Milgram predicted that mindless obedience to authority would be much less likely to occur in individualistic cultures.

Question 46

The norms of reciprocity and social commitment have even stronger effects in collectivist cultures.

Question 47

According to the door-in-the-face technique, people will be more likely to say yes to a second request if that request was preceded by a much smaller request.

Question 48

The door-in-the-face effect works because of the norm of reciprocity.

Question 49

Once people have repaid a favor, they are less inclined to agree to future requests from the same requesters.

Question 50

Research suggests that humans have evolved over time to follow norms.

Question 51

When people are high in motivation and ability to process an argument, they will be more influenced by injunctive norms.

Question 52

The results of the Stanford prison experiment were most likely due to the participants' individual identities being more influential than their social identities.

Question 53

The results of a recent meta-analysis showed that deindividuation most often leads to antisocial behavior.

Question 54

Evidence that environments can automatically activate norms was shown in studies demonstrating that people are more likely to vote for conservative candidates when they vote in churches.

Question 55

In a study by Goldstein and colleagues (2008), the effectiveness of a campaign to encourage hotel patrons to re-use towels was assessed. The results of this study showed that patrons were most likely to re-use their towels when:

A) They learned that 75% of their out-group members had re-used their towels.
B) A sign was placed in their rooms asking them to ""HELP SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT.""
C) They learned that 75% of previous guests in their room had re-used their towels.
D) A sign was placed in their rooms showing heaps of trash in a junkyard.

Question 56

Tamara, an employee at a fast food restaurant, is striking along with a massive crowd of fellow fast food employees in an attempt to demand an increase in the minimum wage. It is likely that, at this point in time, Tamara is thinking of herself as:

A) A woman
B) A unique and special person
C) An employee at a fast food restaurant
D) All of the above

Question 57

When Dominic went into the chocolate shop with his friend, he was given a free sample by an old lady behind the counter. According to the norm of reciprocity, what will Dominic most likely do before he leaves the store?

A) Walk out empty handed because it was his friend who wanted to buy candy, not him.
B) Purchase some candy.
C) Purchase some candy, but only if the old lady was friendly to him.
D) Purchase some candy, but only if he is hungry.

Question 58

In a classic study on reciprocity, participants interacted with either a rude or a friendly confederate who, in one condition, did an unsolicited favor for some of the participants. At the end of the study, this confederate then asked the participant to buy some raffle tickets from him. In which condition were the participants most likely to purchase raffle tickets?

A) In the conditions in which the confederate did an unsolicited favor for the participant.
B) In the conditions in which the confederate was friendly to the participant.
C) In the condition in which the confederate was friendly and did an unsolicited favor for the participant.
D) In the condition in which the confederate was unfriendly and did not do an unsolicited favor for the participant.

Question 59

Linda received a birthday gift from one of her acquaintances and Linda now feels compelled to give her acquaintance a birthday gift in return. This example best illustrates the norm of _________.

A) conformity
B) obedience
C) reciprocity
D) consistency

Question 60

Why do people internalize norms?

A) Behaving in line with norms often seems like the right thing to do.
B) Behaving in line with norms helps to express one's group identity.
C) Behaving in line with norms often reflects one's own preferences.
D) All of the above

Question 61

While hanging out with a group of his friends from Wisconsin, Vern mentioned that he didn't like the Green Bay Packers. After making this statement, Vern noticed that his friends started ignoring him and no longer invited him to parties. This exclusion by Vern's friends provides an example of:

A) norm internalization
B) norm enforcement
C) an injunctive norm
D) a descriptive norm

Question 62

Students in a study learned about a potential recycling program on their campus while their motivation and ability to process information was manipulated. The results of this study should show that students without much motivation and ability are more influenced by:

A) Reciprocity than commitment norms
B) Commitment than reciprocity norms
C) Injunctive than descriptive norms
D) Descriptive than injunctive norms

Question 63

Imagine that a university conducted an anonymous poll of students' views of cheating as well as their past cheating behavior. After reading the results of this survey, in which of the following scenarios should students be least likely to cheat?

A) When they learn that other students both disapprove of cheating and they have not cheated in the past.
B) When they learn that other students approve of cheating but they have not cheated in the past.
C) When they learn that other students disapprove of cheating but they have cheated in the past.
D) When they learn that other students both approve of cheating and they have cheated in the past.

Question 64

When it comes to plagiarism, learning that most students think that plagiarism is ""no big deal"" is an example of _______, whereas learning that most students do plagiarize is an example of _______.

A) the norm of reciprocity; the obedience norm
B) the obedience norm; the norm of reciprocity
C) an injunctive norm; a descriptive norm
D) a descriptive norm; an injunctive norm

Question 65

Jayden is part of a public health campaign with the goal of increasing the number of people in his town who get flu shots. Given your knowledge of norms, how would you recommend that Jayden make his campaign more successful?

A) Post signs around town saying that getting flu shots protects people from getting sick.
B) Post signs around town saying that the majority of people in the town get flu shots.
C) Post signs around town saying that only a minority of people in town get flu shots.
D) All of these tactics would be equally effective.

Question 66

Studies have shown that when we see people drinking alcohol at parties and posting sexually-suggestive pictures of themselves on Facebook such observations increase the likelihood of us doing the same. These are all examples of how people follow:

A) Descriptive norms
B) Injunctive norms
C) The norm of reciprocity
D) The obedience norm

Question 67

Which of the following provides the best explanation for the results of the Stanford Prison experiment?

A) The behavior of the prison guards was shaped by demand characteristics.
B) Cues in the environment, such as the uniforms of the guards, provided information about normative behavior.
C) The prisoners were made to feel anonymous.
D) All of the above

Question 68

According to research on the relation between norms and deindividuation, in which of the following conditions should Tom be most likely to follow the norm of the prototypical rowdy soccer fan?

A) When Tom is watching the game at home with his friends.
B) When Tom is at a crowded game and he sees himself on the jumbotron.
C) When Tom gets caught in a crowd of fans storming the turf at the end of the game.
D) When Tom is working as a physical trainer for his team and he gets caught in a crowd of fans storming the turf at the end of the game.

Question 69

In a study by Johnson and Downing (1979), participants' anonymity was manipulated and then the participants were asked to give shocks of varying levels to another person when they failed a task. The results of this study showed that:

A) Participants dressed as nurses gave lower levels of shock when they were identifiable.
B) Participants dressed as nurses gave lower levels of shock when they were unidentifiable.
C) Participants who wore robes and hoods and were unidentifiable gave lower levels of shock than participants in any other condition.
D) Participants who wore robes and hoods and were identifiable gave higher levels of shock than participants in any other condition.

Question 70

Research has shown that deindividuation leads people to behave in ways that:

A) Are more prosocial
B) Are more antisocial
C) Are more in line with the norms of the group
D) All of the above

Question 71

Which of the following provides the best explanation for the results of the Stanford Prison experiment?

A) The lengthy, two-week duration of the study wore the participants down.
B) The participants lost their individual identities and became fully immersed in the roles they were playing.
C) The prison guards had more sadistic and cruel personalities than the prisoners.
D) All of the above

Question 72

_________ occurs when people's social identity is activated and group norms become maximally accessible.

A) Deindividuation
B) Enforcement
C) Internalization
D) Reactance

Question 73

Norms can influence behavior even when they are not directly activated.