Deck 16: B: Social Thinking and Social Influence

Question 1

Since moving into a household of jazz lovers,Joyce,a dedicated fan of rock music,has developed a more positive attitude toward jazz and added it to her types of favorite musical styles.Her roommates would be considered part of

A) her reference group.
B) her memberships group.
C) both of these groups.
D) neither of these groups.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The success or failure of attempted persuasion can usually be understood by considering the characteristics of the

A) communicator, group, and target behavior.
B) communicator, message, and audience.
C) messenger, attitude, and group.
D) informer, message, and target behavior.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following would encourage attitude change?

A) The message is conveyed simply without a lot of boring statistics.
B) Both sides of the argument are presented to an audience that is poorly informed about the subject.
C) The message appeals to the fears or anxiety of the audience.
D) The audience is allowed to determine what conclusions should be gained from the message.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Research suggests that if you wish to persuade an audience,both sides of the argument should

A) be presented only to a poorly informed audience.
B) be presented only to a well-informed audience.
C) always be presented to every audience.
D) never be presented to an audience.

Question 5

Which of the following is a condition that encourages attitude change according to research by Aronson and others?

A) Facts and statistics are used to back up the message.
B) There are no conclusions drawn by the speakers.
C) The message is repeated only once to prevent becoming irritating.
D) The message does not create fear or anxiety in the listener.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT one of the three factors that determine the success or failure of persuasion?

A) the audience
B) the reinforcement
C) the message
D) the communicator

Question 7

When both sides of an argument are presented to a well-informed audience,attitude change

A) rarely occurs.
B) tends to be encouraged.
C) tends to be discouraged.
D) cannot be predicted.

Question 8

Persuasion involves

A) a direct, honest expression of feelings and desires.
B) a strategy by which commitment is gained first to reasonable terms, which are then made less reasonable.
C) a deliberate attempt to change attitudes or beliefs with information or arguments.
D) bringing one's behavior into agreement with the behavior of one's reference group.

Question 9

Research suggests that if you wish to persuade an audience,only one side of the argument should

A) be presented to a poorly informed audience.
B) be presented to a well-informed audience.
C) be presented to every audience.
D) never be presented to an audience.

Question 10

If the persuader appears to have nothing to gain if the audience accepts his or her message,then attitude change

A) is encouraged.
B) is discouraged.
C) rarely occurs.
D) becomes more difficult.

Question 11

A college athlete who expresses attitudes favorable toward scholarship,participates in scholastic honor societies,and questions the lower scholastic requirement placed on athletes at his college is illustrating the fact that

A) attitudes are seldom related to behavior.
B) behavior often cannot be predicted from attitudes.
C) a person's membership group is not necessarily his or her reference group.
D) behavior typically determines attitudes.

Question 12

Which of the following is a FALSE statement regarding the students that attended liberal Bennington College but maintained their conservative attitudes?

A) Bennington College would be considered one of their membership groups.
B) Their family and friends would be considered membership groups.
C) Bennington College would be considered their reference group.
D) Their family and hometown friends would be considered their reference group.

Question 13

On a television commercial several teenagers are supposedly captured on a hidden camera spontaneously talking about "how good" a new movie is.The use of the hidden camera illustrates which condition under which persuasion occurs?

A) the presentation of both sides of the argument
B) the appeal to the emotions
C) the appearance of having nothing to gain
D) the use of group membership

Question 14

Which of the following is a FALSE statement regarding the students from conservative homes who attended liberal Bennington College and exhibited a significant shift toward more liberal attitudes?

A) Bennington College would be considered one of their membership groups.
B) Their family and friends would be considered membership groups.
C) Bennington College would be considered their reference group.
D) Their family and hometown friends would be considered their reference group.

Question 15

Research on persuasion suggests that attitude change is encouraged when the communicator is

A) likable.
B) a novice on the topic.
C) dissimilar to the audience in some respect.
D) an authoritarian personality.

Question 16

Any deliberate attempt to bring about an attitude change by the transmission of information is called

A) groupthink.
B) coercion.
C) persuasion.
D) brainwashing.

Question 17

Which of the following would NOT help to facilitate attitude change?

A) The persuader explains what he will gain if the audience accepts the message.
B) The persuader appears trustworthy and an expert on the topic.
C) The message stating clear-cut conclusions backed up by facts and statistics.
D) The message appeals to emotions, particularly to fear and anxiety.

Question 18

Which of the following is LESS likely to encourage attitude change?

A) The communicator is likable and similar to the audience.
B) The communicator is an expert on the topic and uses facts and statistics.
C) The message states clear-cut conclusions.
D) The message avoids creating fear or anxiety in the audience.

Question 19

If a politician wants to create favorable public attitudes concerning a controversial issue that he or she supports,the politician should

A) make an appeal to the public's intellect rather than to its emotions.
B) present multiple courses of action that would be beneficial.
C) back up his or her messages with facts and statistics.
D) do none of these.

Question 20

An adult child who is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party enjoys visiting each week with his parents who are staunch Republicans.This situation best illustrates that

A) attitudes are seldom related to behavior.
B) behavior often cannot be predicted from attitudes.
C) a person's membership group is not necessarily his or her reference group.
D) behavior typically determines attitudes.

Question 21

When you have "clashing thoughts," you are experiencing

A) conformity pressure.
B) obedience pressure.
C) cognitive dissonance.
D) open-ended role conflict.

Question 22

Once you have publicly committed yourself to a belief,there is a strong need to maintain consistency and even to convince others so there will be added proof that you were correct in your belief,according to the

A) frustration-aggression hypothesis.
B) fundamental attribution theory.
C) theory of groupthink.
D) cognitive dissonance theory.

Question 23

College students are more likely to think their courses will be good AFTER they have registered than they did before making a commitment.Emphasizing the positive aspects of what we choose,while downgrading other alternatives will minimize

A) group pressure.
B) attributional errors.
C) cognitive dissonance.
D) selective perception.

Question 24

After dating Miguel for several months,Tia could list many of his outstanding qualities.However,Tia was beginning to note that Miguel was very "tight" with his money and also seemed very stubborn regarding certain issues.When she was talking with a friend,Tia was heard to state that she admired Miguel for being frugal and for having integrity regarding his beliefs.Thus,by changing Miguel's "cheapness" and "stubbornness" into virtues,Tia has been able to resolve her

A) cognitive dissonance.
B) fundamental attribution error.
C) tendency for groupthink.
D) self-handicapping attitude.

Question 25

After Mrs.Keech's doomsday predictions failed,her followers suddenly became interested in convincing others they were right.This strong need to maintain consistency in their beliefs by attracting additional followers is predicted by the __________ theory.

A) social exchange
B) attribution
C) cognitive dissonance
D) compliance

Question 26

Once your mind is made up,you will reject any new information that contradicts the ideas you already hold,according to the

A) frustration-aggression hypothesis.
B) fundamental attribution theory.
C) theory of alternative actions.
D) cognitive dissonance theory.

Question 27

We tend to emphasize positive aspects of what we choose,while downgrading other alternatives in order to minimize

A) our cognitive dissonance.
B) the fundamental attribution error.
C) our tendency for groupthink.
D) our self-handicapping attitude.

Question 28

Which of the following can motivate people to make their thoughts or attitudes agree with their actions?

A) persuasion
B) inconsistency
C) obedience
D) compliance

Question 29

Smokers are told on every pack that cigarettes endanger their lives.Some smokers actually quit,although many more convince themselves that smoking is not really dangerous by citing examples of heavy smokers who lived long lives,by spending time with other smokers,and by avoiding any information that links smoking with cancer.By doing this,the smoker is able to reduce the tension created by

A) cognitive dissonance.
B) fundamental attribution.
C) groupthink.
D) the frustration-aggression link.

Question 30

Cognitions are thoughts,while dissonance means

A) distinctive.
B) decisive.
C) clashing.
D) indiscriminate or same.

Question 31

Regarding persuasion,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Persuasion can occur during personal discussions with friends.
B) The success or failure of persuasion can be understood by considering the three factors of conformity, compliance, and coercion.
C) Persuasion involves any deliberate attempt to change attitudes or beliefs with information or arguments.
D) Attitude change can occur in response to external persuasion as well as the internal process of cognitive dissonance.

Question 32

Contradicting or clashing thoughts cause discomfort,according to the theory of

A) persuasion.
B) cognitive dissonance.
C) frustration-aggression.
D) groupthink.

Question 33

The theory that explains attitude change in terms of a need to maintain consistency in our thoughts and actions is the __________ theory.

A) cognitive dissonance
B) congruence
C) adequate justification
D) persuasion

Question 34

Cognitive dissonance theory is based on the human need for

A) self-actualization.
B) self-esteem.
C) social approval.
D) consistency.

Question 35

Celeste worked and voted for a candidate that she later discovered was dishonest and immoral.These facts made Celeste very uncomfortable because these were attributes that she does not admire.Celeste's feelings can best be explained by the

A) frustration-aggression hypothesis.
B) fundamental attribution theory.
C) theory of groupthink.
D) cognitive dissonance theory.

Question 36

Jason had promised to help his elderly next door neighbor move some heavy furniture next Friday.When Friday came,Jason really wanted to go with his friends to the beach,but he did promise the neighbor.He decides to help the neighbor because the "old guy" always had been nice to him and deserves his help and,besides,he tells great stories.Jason was able to find "this helping behavior" meaningful by

A) resolving the actor-observer bias.
B) resolving his cognitive dissonance.
C) obeying his conscience.
D) utilizing individuating information about the "old guy."

Question 37

According to the theory of cognitive dissonance,attitudes are changed because

A) emotionally persuasive arguments unfreeze beliefs.
B) logical arguments alter the belief component of an attitude.
C) clashing thoughts cause discomfort.
D) actions contrary to one's beliefs cause behavior to improve.

Question 38

According to your text,all of the following are strategies that reduce cognitive dissonance EXCEPT

A) changing the importance of dissonant thoughts.
B) adding consonant thoughts.
C) changing your behavior.
D) adding dissonant thoughts.

Question 39

Which of the following underlies attempts to convince ourselves that we have done the right thing,such as creating stories that change one's spouse's faults into virtues?

A) cognitive dissonance
B) overgeneralization
C) dialectical thinking
D) ethnocentrism

Question 40

Once you've made a choice,it can be irksome to notice something positive about a rejected alternative,such as noticing the shirt you rejected has nicer buttons that the shirt you did buy.Thus,to minimize this cognitive dissonance resulting from buyer's regret,you must

A) use groupthink to rationalize your decision.
B) develop a self-handicapping strategy regarding your rejected alternatives.
C) use the defense mechanisms of projection and suppression.
D) emphasize positive aspects of what you chose and downgrade the other alternatives.

Question 41

In Festinger's classic experiment,college students did an extremely boring task for a long time.Afterward,they were asked to help lure others into the experiment by pretending that the task was interesting and enjoyable.Later they were asked their opinion of the task.Those paid $1 for luring more participants experienced a great deal of

A) conformity.
B) persuasion
C) cognitive dissonance.
D) actor-observer bias.

Question 42

Even though Mattie wants her daughter Katie to use correct grammar when speaking,she does not correct Katie's grammar because she does not want to interrupt Katie as she relates winning both the English and math awards at her elementary school.Thus,Mattie is able to resolve her cognitive dissonance concerning Katie's grammar by

A) changing the importance of the dissonant thoughts.
B) reducing her amount of perceived choice.
C) changing her attitude.
D) changing her behavior.

Question 43

In Festinger's classic experiment,college students did an extremely boring task for a long time.Afterward,they were asked to help lure others into the experiment by pretending that the task was interesting and enjoyable.Later they were asked their opinion of the task.Those paid $20 for luring more participants did not change their attitude because they

A) did not lie in recruiting the new participants.
B) had low justification for lying.
C) experienced a great deal of cognitive dissonance.
D) experienced no cognitive dissonance.

Question 44

Karen smokes two packs of cigarettes a day.However,she is aware that smoking is harmful to her health; therefore,she holds two conflicting or dissonant thoughts.If Karen were to reduce her cognitive dissonance by reducing the amount of her perceived choice,she might say to herself,

A) "Smoking really is not that dangerous."
B) "Smoking is a habit that I have little control over."
C) "I think that I'll try to give smoking up."
D) "I'll only smoke when I feel stressed out."

Question 45

Celia,who is a college student,has always thought of herself as an environmental activist.Recently,she "inherited" a gas-guzzling car from her parents,which she has been driving around campus.To reduce the cognitive dissonance that she feels from these clashing images of herself,the environmental activist and the gas-guzzling car owner,she might say that "it is an old car and keeping it on the road makes good use of the resources consumed when it was manufactured," which illustrates the strategy of

A) changing her attitude.
B) changing her behavior.
C) adding consonant thoughts.
D) reducing the amount of her perceived choice.

Question 46

Karen smokes two packs of cigarettes a day.However,she is aware that smoking is harmful to her health; therefore,she holds two conflicting or dissonant thoughts.If Karen were to reduce her cognitive dissonance by changing her behavior,she might

A) say to herself, "Smoking really is not that dangerous."
B) seek examples of heavy smokers who have lived long lives.
C) emphasize the addictive nature of nicotine.
D) decide to smoke only when she feels stressed out.

Question 47

In Festinger's classic experiment,college students did an extremely boring task for a long time.Afterward,they were asked to help lure others into the experiment by pretending that the task was interesting and enjoyable.Later they were asked their opinion of the task.Those paid $20 for luring more participants

A) did not change their opinion of the task and still thought the task was boring.
B) changed their attitude about the task and now thought it was pleasant and interesting.
C) experienced a great deal of cognitive dissonance regarding the task.
D) exhibited groupthink regarding the difficulty of the task.

Question 48

In Festinger's classic experiment,college students did an extremely boring task for a long time.Afterward,they were asked to help lure others into the experiment by pretending that the task was interesting and enjoyable.Later they were asked their opinion of the task.Those paid $1 for luring more participants

A) did not change their opinion of the task and still thought the task was boring.
B) changed their attitude about the task and now thought it was pleasant and interesting.
C) experienced no cognitive dissonance regarding the task.
D) exhibited groupthink regarding the difficulty of the task.

Question 49

Celia,who is a college student,has always thought of herself as an environmental activist.Recently,she "inherited" a gas-guzzling car from her parents,which she has been driving around campus.To reduce the cognitive dissonance that she feels from these clashing images of herself,the environmental activist and the gas-guzzling car owner,she might say that "it is more important to support the environmental movement politically than it is to worry about how a person gets to work or school," which illustrates the strategy of

A) changing her attitude.
B) changing the importance of the dissonant thoughts.
C) changing her behavior.
D) reducing the amount of her perceived choice.

Question 50

If you do something contrary to your beliefs or attitudes,you will experience the MOST cognitive dissonance when the amount of reward or justification for your actions is

A) high.
B) low.
C) delayed.
D) explained.

Question 51

Celia,who is a college student,has always thought of herself as an environmental activist.Recently,she "inherited" a gas-guzzling car from her parents,which she has been driving around campus.To reduce the cognitive dissonance that she feels from these clashing images of herself,the environmental activist and the gas-guzzling car owner,she might say that her "schedule has become too hectic to spend time biking or riding the bus and besides it has become too expensive to ride the bus," which illustrates the strategy of

A) changing her attitude.
B) changing the importance of the dissonant thoughts.
C) adding consonant thoughts.
D) reducing the amount of her perceived choice.

Question 52

In Festinger's classic experiment,the college students who experienced NO cognitive dissonance and who did not change their attitude about the experiment and still thought "it was boring" were the students who

A) had scored high in ethnocentrism.
B) had succumbed to groupthink.
C) were paid $20.
D) were paid $1.

Question 53

The degree to which a person's actions are explained by rewards or other circumstances is called

A) attribution.
B) justification.
C) compliance.
D) persuasion.

Question 54

In Festinger's classic experiment,the college students who originally said the task was boring but changed their attitude about the boring task and said "it was interesting" were the ones that

A) had scored high in ethnocentrism.
B) had succumbed to groupthink.
C) were paid $20.
D) were paid $1.

Question 55

Celia,who is a college student,has always thought of herself as an environmental activist.Recently,she "inherited" a gas-guzzling car from her parents,which she has been driving around campus.To reduce the cognitive dissonance that she feels from these clashing images of herself,the environmental activist and the gas-guzzling car owner,she might say that "cars are not really a major environmental problem," which illustrates the strategy of

A) changing her attitude.
B) changing her behavior.
C) adding consonant thoughts.
D) reducing the amount of her perceived choice.

Question 56

Sarah has just gotten into a sorority that she has always wanted to be in.However,she just saw one of the members bring a copy of the upcoming biology exam to the sorority president that she obtained from the instructor's student worker.Sarah is upset that her "sorority" is engaging in unethical behavior.However,she decides to keep quiet so her loyalty will allow her to effect a change and eliminate this unethical behavior by working within the organization.Sarah has resolved her cognitive dissonance by

A) adding consonant thoughts.
B) decreasing her amount of perceived choice.
C) changing her attitude.
D) changing her behavior.

Question 57

The amount of cognitive dissonance experienced is related to

A) the amount of justification for acting contrary to one's belief.
B) the length of time that the role-playing was carried out.
C) the presence or absence of scientific information.
D) all of these.

Question 58

Karen smokes two packs of cigarettes a day.However,she is aware that smoking is harmful to her health; therefore,she holds two conflicting or dissonant thoughts.If Karen were to reduce her cognitive dissonance by changing her attitude,she might say to herself,

A) "Smoking really is not that dangerous."
B) "Smoking is a habit that I have little control over."
C) "I think that I'll try to give smoking up."
D) "I'll only smoke when I feel stressed out."

Question 59

Celia,who is a college student,has always thought of herself as an environmental activist.Recently,she "inherited" a gas-guzzling car from her parents,which she has been driving around campus.To reduce the cognitive dissonance that she feels from these clashing images of herself,the environmental activist and the gas-guzzling car owner,she might decide that she will only use the car when it is impossible to bike or take the bus," which illustrates the strategy of

A) changing her attitude.
B) changing her behavior.
C) adding consonant thoughts.
D) reducing the amount of her perceived choice.

Question 60

When there is a clash between your behavior and your attitude,the resulting discomfort can be reduced by all of the following EXCEPT

A) making your attitude match the behavior.
B) making your behavior match the attitude.
C) increasing the amount of perceived choice.
D) changing the importance of the dissonant thoughts.

Question 61

Cognitive dissonance is usually strongest when the reward or justification is

A) significantly delayed.
B) ambiguous.
C) large.
D) small.

Question 62

In the sidewalk experiment,various numbers of people stood on a busy New York City street and,on cue,began looking at a sixth-floor window across the street.Soon many of the people walking on the street stopped and looked up at the window.This experiment illustrates

A) groupthink.
B) social influence.
C) the fundamental attribution error.
D) cognitive dissonance.

Question 63

Which of the following is always social and arises when people come together and disappears when they disperse?

A) compliance
B) strength
C) self-assertion
D) power

Question 64

The process of changing your behavior in response to another person who has little or no social power or authority is known as

A) mere presence.
B) compliance.
C) conformity.
D) obedience.

Question 65

Changes in a person's behavior induced by the presence or actions of others is known as

A) social influence.
B) the actor-observer bias.
C) ethnocentrism.
D) social exchange.

Question 66

In the sidewalk experiment,various numbers of people stood on a busy New York City street and,on cue,began looking at a sixth-floor window across the street.Soon many of the people walking on the street stopped and looked up at the window.Which of the following factors tended to sway the most people to stop and look up at the window?

A) a larger influencing group
B) a smaller influencing group
C) a better-dressed influencing group
D) a younger influencing group

Question 67

The process of changing your behavior in direct response to the demands of an authority is known as

A) norming.
B) compliance.
C) conformity.
D) obedience.

Question 68

The capacity to control,alter,or influence the behavior of another person is referred to as

A) social power.
B) social exchange.
C) active compliance.
D) referent persuasion.

Question 69

Which of the following is NOT one of the types of social power?

A) expert
B) referent
C) legitimate
D) persuasive

Question 70

Changing one's behavior just because other people are nearby is called

A) obedience.
B) conformity.
C) passive compliance.
D) mere presence.

Question 71

Which of the following is a quality that individuals can possess?

A) compliance
B) strength
C) conformity
D) power

Question 72

The process of spontaneously changing your behavior to match that of others in a group is called

A) norming.
B) compliance.
C) conformity.
D) obedience.

Question 73

Which of the following is considered the gentlest form of social influence?

A) mere presence
B) coercion
C) compliance
D) conformity

Question 74

If you change your behavior because you are forced to by another person,you have experienced the form of social influence known as

A) obedience.
B) coercion.
C) compliance.
D) group conformity.

Question 75

Reward,coercive,legitimate,referent,and expert are types of

A) social power.
B) social exchange.
C) compliance.
D) persuasion.

Question 76

The strongest of the five forms of social influence is

A) obedience.
B) coercion.
C) compliance.
D) group conformity.

Question 77

The five major forms of social influence listed in order of intensity from gentlest to strongest are

A) social learning, attribution, persuasion, conformity, and indoctrination.
B) mere presence, conformity, social learning, persuasion, and obedience.
C) mere presence, conformity, compliance, obedience, and coercion.
D) observational learning, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and indoctrination.

Question 78

When people interact,they almost always affect each other's behavior.This refers to social

A) influence.
B) diffusion.
C) reciprocity.
D) exchange.

Question 79

Conformity,obedience,and compliance are all examples of

A) social influence.
B) social learning.
C) persuasion.
D) coercion.

Question 80

Although coercion is the strongest form of social influence,which of the following would be the strongest of the four listed?

A) conformity
B) compliance
C) obedience
D) mere presence