Deck 16: C: Social Thinking and Social Influence

Question 1

Recently,which of the following psychologists partially replicated Milgram's study and obtained very similar results?

A) Jerry Burger
B) David Buss
C) Stanley Schachter
D) Zick Rubin

Answer 1

A

Question 2

When the participants in Milgram's experiment received their orders over the phone,they

A) conformed more completely due to the formality of the telephoned instructions.
B) completely refused to participate in the learning trials.
C) were only slightly more obedient than they were if face-to-face with the authority.
D) were less obedient than they were if face-to-face with the authority.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Regarding obedience,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Obedience to authority is necessary and desirable in many circumstances.
B) The classic studies on obedience were conducted by B.F.Skinner at Harvard University.
C) A person will often obey a legitimate authority long after this authority's demands have become unreasonable.
D) A personal act of courage or moral fortitude by one or two members of a group may free others to disobey misguided or unjust authority.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Who designed the experiment in which a "teacher" gave shocks to a "learner," but which was actually designed to assess the obedience of the "teacher"?

A) Solomon Asch
B) Philip Zimbardo
C) Stanley Milgram
D) Leon Festinger

Question 5

Recently,psychologist Jerry Burger partially replicated Milgram's study and obtained

A) significantly lower percentages of people being completely obedient than Milgram did.
B) significantly higher percentages of people being completely obedient than Milgram did.
C) very similar results to what Milgram found.
D) inconclusive results with younger people and women being much less obedient than older persons and men.

Question 6

If one person in a group begins to resist the orders of a legitimate authority,other people are more likely to

A) side with the authority and still obey the authority.
B) rebuke the resister for his or her behavior.
C) disobey the authority.
D) still obey the authority, but only if the authority has higher status than the resister.

Question 7

Greater distance from the authority as well as a person having group support for their decision tends to __________ obedience.

A) decrease
B) increase
C) have no effect on
D) precipitate

Question 8

When Milgram's study was rerun away from Yale University in a shabby office building in nearby Bridgeport,Connecticut,the number of participants who obeyed

A) was drastically reduced from 65 percent down to only 10 percent.
B) decreased to 48 percent, which was statistically only a minor reduction.
C) slightly increased to 75 percent.
D) did not change from the 65 percent level.

Question 9

Regarding Milgram's experiments,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) When Milgram polled a group of psychiatrists before the experiment, they predicted that less than one percent of the "teachers" tested would obey.
B) Neither the "teachers" nor the "learners" knew the true nature of the experiment.
C) Sixty-five percent of the "teacher" subjects obeyed completely by "shocking" the "learners" at the top shock level of 450 volts.
D) Virtually none of the "teacher" subjects stopped short of the severe shock of 300 volts.

Question 10

Stanley Milgram's experiment in which a "teacher" gave shocks to a "learner" was actually designed to assess

A) power.
B) cognitive dissonance.
C) obedience.
D) conformity.

Question 11

In the original Milgram experiment,what percent of the "teachers" administered "shocks" all the way to the 450-volt level?

A) 10 percent
B) 25 percent
C) 50 percent
D) 65 percent

Question 12

Before the Milgram experiment was conducted,a group of psychiatrists predicted that

A) less than one percent of the people would obey, but 65 percent obeyed completely.
B) 10 percent of the people would obey, but 25 percent obeyed completely.
C) 50 percent of the people would obey, but only 10 percent obeyed completely.
D) 25 percent of the people would obey and 25 percent did obey completely.

Question 13

In Milgram's studies,which of the following circumstances listed resulted in the SMALLEST percentage of subjects obeying the orders of the authority?

A) the teacher and learner were in the same room
B) the teacher received orders by phone
C) the teacher was told the learner had a heart condition
D) the experiment was conducted away from Yale University

Question 14

In Milgram's experiments,all of the following circumstances reduced obedience to lower levels EXCEPT

A) giving the teacher the orders by phone.
B) placing the teacher and learner face-to-face.
C) telling the teacher that the learner had a heart condition.
D) conducting the experiment off campus.

Question 15

When the participants in Milgram's experiment were face to face with the learner and had to force the learner's hand down on a simulated "shock plate,"

A) none followed the experimenter's orders to deliver shocks.
B) fewer followed the experimenter's orders to deliver shocks.
C) there was no significant reduction in the number who followed orders.
D) more followed the experimenter's orders to deliver shocks.

Question 16

Which of the following was a significant factor in determining the degree of obedience in Milgram's series of experiments?

A) distance between the teacher and the experimenter (authority)
B) whether the experimenter was male or female
C) amount of complaining, shouting, and crying by the learner
D) the tone of voice used by the experimenter

Question 17

Puzzled as to how Nazi soldiers,who had once been average citizens,could slaughter six million people in concentration camps,the psychologist who began a provocative series of experiments on obedience was

A) Stanley Milgram.
B) Solomon Asch.
C) B.F.Skinner.
D) Leon Festinger.

Question 18

Regarding Milgram's experiments,which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) The "teachers" thought the "learners" were actually being shocked.
B) Both the "teachers" and the "learners" did not know the true nature of the experiment.
C) The "learners" did not know that the "teachers" would be deceived.
D) The "teachers" knew the true nature of the experiment but administered shocks anyway.

Question 19

Subjects in Milgram's experiment who gave the highest level of shocks rationalized that they were NOT personally responsible for their actions.This raises questions about our willingness to commit inhumane acts as a result of

A) resistance compliance.
B) obedience to a legitimate authority.
C) self-assertion.
D) conformity to group pressure.

Question 20

Asch is to conformity as Milgram is to

A) independence.
B) frustration.
C) obedience.
D) approval.

Question 21

Examples of forced attitude change include

A) brainwashing and cult conversions.
B) military training.
C) advertising within the mass media.
D) all of these.

Question 22

The mass murder/suicide at Jonestown,the Branch Davidian tragedy at Waco,the Heaven's Gate group suicide in San Diego,and Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda movement are examples of the use of

A) group compliance.
B) informed consent.
C) the door-in-the-face effect.
D) forced attitude change.

Question 23

Regarding brainwashing techniques,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Brainwashing generally requires a captive audience.
B) The target person is made completely dependent upon the indoctrinators.
C) Having complete control over the target person's environment allows a degree of psychological manipulation that would be impossible in a normal setting.
D) Most "converted" victims of brainwashing remain permanently brainwashed.

Question 24

In Milgram's follow-up experiments,when real subjects saw two other "teachers" (both actors)resist orders and walk out of the experiment,what percent of the participants continued to obey?

A) 10 percent
B) 33 percent
C) 48 percent
D) 65 percent

Question 25

Physical and psychological abuse,lack of sleep,isolation,or humiliation serve to loosen former values and beliefs.This phase in brainwashing is known as

A) dissonance.
B) the weapon effect.
C) unfreezing.
D) confrontation.

Question 26

During the unfreezing phase of brainwashing,victims are

A) subjected to humiliation, fear, and isolation.
B) rewarded with praise and privileges.
C) forced to role play attitudes counter to their own.
D) taken out of isolation and subjected to group pressures for conformity.

Question 27

The three techniques used in brainwashing are

A) unfreezing, change, refreezing.
B) freezing, isolation, and conditioning.
C) dependency, dissonance, and attitude change.
D) direct contact, dissonance, and reward.

Question 28

During the Korean War,the Communist Chinese used which of the following techniques on prisoners of war to coerce them to sign false confessions?

A) cognitive dissonance
B) mass media persuasion
C) brainwashing
D) cult conversion

Question 29

Coercion is defined as

A) conformity to the demands of an authority.
B) bringing one's behavior into agreement or harmony with norms or with the behavior of others in a group.
C) being forced to change your beliefs or your behavior against your will.
D) bending to the requests of a person who has little or no authority or other form of social power.

Question 30

Regarding brainwashing techniques,which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) Brainwashing usually relies on the use of loud music or chanting.
B) The target person has free will to reject the message.
C) Indoctrinators have almost complete control over the target person's environment.
D) Most "converted" victims of brainwashing remain permanently brainwashed.

Question 31

The first step in brainwashing involves physical and psychological abuse and isolation and is referred to as

A) freezing.
B) unfreezing.
C) confrontation.
D) conversion.

Question 32

Which of the following refers to an engineered or forced attitude change involving a captive audience?

A) cognitive dissonance
B) groupthink
C) brainwashing
D) persuasion

Question 33

Regarding coercion,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Coercion involves bending to the requests of a person who has little or no authority or form of social power.
B) Through various types of brainwashing techniques, the Chinese during the Korean War were able to coerce some of the American prisoners to sign false confessions.
C) Coercion is the most extreme form of social influence.
D) Cult conversion is an example of coercion.

Question 34

Assume that a supervisor tells an employee to falsify information for tax purposes.The employee would prefer not to do anything dishonest but is hesitant to disobey.Milgram's studies suggest the employee will be most likely to disobey if the

A) supervisor is only the employee's immediate superior.
B) employee knows that another employee has refused.
C) supervisor is not a person of particularly high status.
D) supervisor gives the order in person.

Question 35

An important difference between brainwashing and other types of persuasion is that brainwashing

A) requires a captive audience.
B) is almost always permanent.
C) changes actions, not attitudes and beliefs.
D) is reversed during the refreezing phase.

Question 36

In one of his experiments,Milgram had two actors portray "teachers" resisting orders and walking out of the experiment in front of the other "teachers" who were real subjects.Milgram found that when the real subjects viewed this resistance to an authority,they were more likely to

A) side with the authority and still obey the authority.
B) rebuke the resisters for their behavior.
C) disobey the authority.
D) still obey the authority, but only if the authority has higher status than the resister.

Question 37

Brainwashing and cult conversion are two examples of

A) compliance.
B) obedience.
C) groupthink.
D) coercion.

Question 38

Compared to attempts at persuasion,brainwashing

A) is much more subtle.
B) is practiced on a captive audience.
C) involves lasting attitude change.
D) relies more heavily on the use of media.

Question 39

John was a POW in Vietnam.He was placed in a tiny cell and was beaten and verbally abused on a daily basis.This treatment is a part of which phase of brainwashing being utilized by his captors?

A) freezing
B) unfreezing
C) change
D) dissonant

Question 40

If you are forced to change your beliefs or your behavior against your will,you are

A) being persuaded.
B) being coerced.
C) conforming.
D) obeying.

Question 41

Cult members try to convert potential members

A) at a time of personal need.
B) who will succumb to the halo effect.
C) who are emotionally dependent on family and friends.
D) who are independent thinkers.

Question 42

Margaret Singer was most famous for studying

A) passive compliance.
B) assertiveness training.
C) cult conversion.
D) social facilitation.

Question 43

Cult members try to catch potential converts at a time of need,especially when

A) a sense of belonging will be attractive to converts.
B) their need for self-actualization is at its highest.
C) a sense of accomplishment will be attractive to converts.
D) their need for adventure and experimentation is at its highest level.

Question 44

An authoritarian group in which the leader's personality is more important than the beliefs she or he preaches is called a

A) political party.
B) membership group.
C) cult.
D) reference group.

Question 45

During which stage of brainwashing are prisoners most likely to cooperate with their captors and provide the information requested in order to obtain relief from the abuse and pressure?

A) unfreezing
B) change
C) resolution
D) freezing

Question 46

The mixture of fear and hope with additional pressures for conformity is particularly characteristics of which phase of brainwashing?

A) unfreezing
B) change
C) refreezing
D) targeting

Question 47

Which phase of brainwashing occurs when exhaustion,pressure,and fear become so unbearable that the prisoners reach their breaking point and sign false confessions or cooperate to gain relief?

A) unfreezing
B) refreezing
C) change
D) dissonance

Question 48

Regarding cults,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) The leader of the cult is considered above criticism.
B) The members of a cult are often victimized by their leader.
C) The beliefs of the cult are the most important aspect of membership.
D) The members of the cult are expected to fully obey and show absolute loyalty to their leader.

Question 49

According to Singer,people are often persuaded to join cults

A) during periods of mild depression, indecision, or alienation.
B) by techniques totally opposite of those used in brainwashing.
C) because they want to be nonconformists regarding their values and beliefs.
D) by leaders who want their followers to question their own beliefs and to reach their own conclusions about how to live.

Question 50

Missy is a college student attending a college thousands of miles from her hometown.She has made few friends at the college and has just broken up with her long-time boyfriend back home.According to Margaret Singer,Missy would be extremely susceptible to

A) just world beliefs.
B) passive compliance.
C) cult conversion.
D) an empathy-helping relationship.

Question 51

Which of the following adolescents would be the least vulnerable to cult conversion?

A) an adolescent who is seeking a cause to conform to in place of his or her parent's authority
B) an adolescent who is undergoing a period of mild depression, indecision, or alienation from family and friends
C) an adolescent who is struggling to become independent from his or her parents
D) an adolescent who has a strong sense of belonging and need for achievement

Question 52

After being subjected to six months of continual beatings,loss of sleep,and starvation at the hands of their captors,the crew members of the submarine sign false confessions regarding the "war crimes" that their captors say they have committed.This second phase of brainwashing is known as

A) freezing.
B) unfreezing.
C) change.
D) resolution.

Question 53

The leader's personality is more important than the beliefs she or he preaches in

A) persuasion.
B) brainwashing.
C) a cult.
D) a reference group.

Question 54

Reverend Jim Jones People's Temple and David Koresh's Branch Davidian group are examples of

A) political parties.
B) membership groups that are not reference groups for their members.
C) cults.
D) reference groups that are not membership groups for their members.

Question 55

Adolescence is an age when individuals are especially vulnerable to recruitment by cults because

A) they have a strong need for achievement and accomplishment.
B) their critical thinking is at its highest point.
C) they may be seeking a cause to conform to as a replacement for the parental authority they are rebelling against.
D) their need for adventure and experimentation is at its highest level.

Question 56

During the third phase,a mixture of hope and fear emerge with addition pressures to conform serving to solidify the new attitudes developed in the preceding phase.This third phase is known as

A) commitment.
B) consolidation.
C) resolution.
D) refreezing.

Question 57

After signing the confession,the crew of the captured submarine experienced a sense of relief from immediate abuse,a faint hope for their release from captivity,and a fear regarding additional pressures to conform that are likely to come.This phase of brainwashing is known as

A) refreezing.
B) unfreezing.
C) change.
D) resolution.

Question 58

Regarding cult conversion,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) In recruiting new members, cults use a powerful blend of guilt, manipulation, isolation, deception, fear, and escalating commitment.
B) Cults employ high-pressure indoctrination techniques not unlike those used in brainwashing.
C) In the United States alone, an estimated two to five million people have succumbed to the lure of cults.
D) Cult leaders encourage their followers to question their beliefs and to reach their own conclusions about how to live.

Question 59

Forced attitude changes that result from brainwashing

A) are relatively permanent, remaining for years after indoctrination.
B) are temporary, with the individual reverting back to his or her original beliefs.
C) occur only in individuals who have a high susceptibility to mental illness.
D) occur only in individuals who are weak and easily influenced.

Question 60

Which of the following psychologists was a brainwashing expert who studied and aided hundreds of former cult members?

A) Karen Horney
B) Margaret Singer
C) Philip Zimbardo
D) Stanley Milgram

Question 61

During cult conversion,recruits are first asked to make small commitments,such as staying after a meeting.After making these small commitments,larger commitments are gradually encouraged,such as staying an extra day,calling in sick to work,and eventually signing over a bank account or property.This cult conversion technique illustrates the

A) door-in-the-face effect.
B) foot-in-the-door effect.
C) lowball technique.
D) broken record technique.

Question 62

Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons people stay in cults?

A) having a new reference group
B) having a controlled and limited amount of information
C) being psychologically isolated from their former value system
D) having questioned their beliefs and reached their own conclusions

Question 63

"Love bombing" is a technique often found in

A) the freezing stage of brainwashing.
B) the change stage of brainwashing.
C) conversion to a cult.
D) empathic-helping behavior.

Question 64

When her Sara's friend asks her to take care of her dog,Sara tells her "yes" even though she is allergic to dogs.Because she is afraid her friend would not like her anymore,Sara is having difficulty showing

A) assertive behavior.
B) empathic-helping behavior.
C) critical thinking.
D) compliance behavior.

Question 65

Because most of us have been rewarded for compliant and obedient behavior or because we are afraid of "making a scene," we often have difficult exhibiting

A) assertive behavior.
B) aggressive behavior.
C) critical thinking.
D) empathic-helping behavior.

Question 66

Conversion to a cult often includes all of the following EXCEPT

A) intense displays of affection and understanding toward the convert.
B) isolation of the convert from non-cult members.
C) drills, disciplines, and rituals.
D) having the convert reflect on his or her own ideas and beliefs.

Question 67

Regarding retention of cult members,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Once in the cult, members experience continued isolation from former reference groups.
B) Once in the cult, members are usually completely separated from former value systems.
C) Once in the cult, members think of themselves as individuals as well as group members.
D) Once in the cult, members' obedience to the leader is nearly total.

Question 68

Which of the following is a common characteristic of adolescents and makes them more susceptible to recruitment by cults?

A) identity confusion
B) overly high self-esteem
C) self-assertion
D) introspective idealism

Question 69

The final step in the conversion to a cult that creates a powerful cognitive dissonance effect involves

A) making some major public commitment.
B) isolation from non-cult members.
C) drills, disciplines, and rituals.
D) techniques to wear down emotional resistance.

Question 70

Regarding conversion to a cult,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Isolation from family and friends is important to promote the new member's allegiance.
B) Rituals such as chanting and meditation are used to help new members to question their beliefs and reach their own conclusions regarding their life choices.
C) Many cults apply the foot-in-the-door technique as part of the conversion process.
D) Making major public commitments creates a great deal of cognitive dissonance.

Question 71

Unlike true spiritual leaders,cult leaders encourage their followers to

A) strive for security over personal independence and critical thinking.
B) question their beliefs and reach their own conclusions about their lives.
C) show love and compassion to all people.
D) do all of these.

Question 72

If you have ever hesitated to question an error on a restaurant bill because you were afraid of making a scene,you are showing difficulty in exhibiting

A) assertive behavior.
B) social facilitation.
C) critical thinking.
D) compliance behavior.

Question 73

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of true spiritual leaders?

A) They teach love and compassion.
B) They encourage followers to question their beliefs and leaders.
C) They encourage followers to reach their own conclusions about how to live.
D) They strive for security over critical thinking.

Question 74

A critical aspect in conversion to cult membership is

A) the physical health of the recruit.
B) the age differential between the recruit and the cult leader.
C) the use of media for recruitment.
D) isolation of individuals from family and friends.

Question 75

It is virtually impossible for converts to admit they have made a mistake after making major public commitments to the cult,which creates a powerful __________ effect.

A) cognitive dissonance
B) empathy-helping
C) just-world belief
D) social exchange

Question 76

In Todd's conversion to a cult,he went through all-night meditation sessions in which the group continually chanted praises to the leader of the cult.These rituals do all of the following EXCEPT

A) wear down physical and emotional resistance.
B) instill discipline and discourage critical thinking.
C) generate feelings of commitment to this new "religion."
D) help to sort and clarify ideas regarding this new "religion."

Question 77

Cult conversions often begin with intense displays of affection and understanding,which is termed

A) empathic arousal.
B) brainwashing.
C) social exchange.
D) love bombing.

Question 78

Regarding cults,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Cult members are encouraged to see family, friends, and former reference groups in order to recruit more members for the cult.
B) The cult controls the flow and interpretation of information to its members.
C) Conversion is complete when the cult members come to think of themselves more as group members than as individuals.
D) Cult members' obedience to the leader is nearly total, and it becomes virtually impossible for them to admit they have made a mistake.

Question 79

Regarding cults,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) When recruits are asked to make small commitments followed by larger commitments days later, they are exhibiting the door-in-the face compliance effect.
B) Most cult members are reduced to childlike dependency on the group for meeting all their daily needs.
C) Most former members mention guilt and fear as the main reasons for not leaving the cult when they wished they could.
D) After they leave the cult, many former cult members suffer from anxiety, panic attacks, and emotional disturbances much like posttraumatic stress disorder.

Question 80

After they leave the cult,many former cult members suffer from anxiety,panic attacks,and emotional disturbances much like __________ disorder

A) borderline personality
B) post-traumatic stress
C) major depressive
D) dissociative fugue