Deck 9: Social Influence

Question 1

People who hold a minority view tend to change the majority opinion through

A) normative social influence.
B) informational social influence.
C) public compliance.
D) guilt and shame.

Answer 1

informational social influence.

Question 2

Which of the following scenarios best characterizes the concept of obedience?

A) Janet is making several photocopies on the library copy machine. Bill, Janet's classmate, shows up and asks if he can make just one copy. Janet says, "Sure, no problem."
B) Bob is socializing at a party and does not feel like drinking alcohol. But Bob notices that almost everyone else at the party is drinking heavily, so he ends up drinking beer as well.
C) David is pouring himself a cup of coffee when his boss shows up and says, "Pour me a cup." David pours the cup of coffee and gives it to his boss.
D) Howard is eating dinner at his professor's house with several other classmates. His professor asks him if he likes sushi. Howard does not, but he still says, "Yes, I sure do!"

Answer 2

David is pouring himself a cup of coffee when his boss shows up and says, "Pour me a cup." David pours the cup of coffee and gives it to his boss.

Question 3

Gerald has been spending a good deal of time at work reading about desserts,including recipes for cookies and ice cream.Later in the day,Gerald finds himself opening the freezer to serve himself some ice cream.Gerald has probably been influenced by

A) ideomotor action.
B) autosuggestion.
C) self-hypnosis.
D) an excessive empathic response.

Answer 3

ideomotor action.

Question 4

Normative social influence often has a greater impact on ________ than on________.

A) public compliance; private acceptance
B) private acceptance; public compliance
C) private acceptance; internalization
D) internalization; private acceptance

Question 5

John is a mathematics graduate student,whereas Lisa is a local celebrity.Although both John and Lisa are likely to have some increased ability to elicit conformity from others,Lisa is more likely to influence conformity through

A) informational social influence.
B) internalization.
C) reciprocal concessions.
D) normative social influence.

Question 6

Chartrand and Bargh (1999)found that people mimic such behaviors as face rubbing and foot shaking,and that this mimicry is particularly likely to occur when

A) the person or people being mimicked are well liked.
B) the person doing the mimicking has a high need to affiliate with others.
C) people have lower levels of self-awareness.
D) the person or people being mimicked are well liked, and the person doing the mimicking has a high need to affiliate with others.

Question 7

Tight cultures differ from loose cultures in that they

A) have strong norms about how people should behave.
B) have weak norms about how people should behave.
C) demand that group members are tolerant and caring toward one another.
D) encourage self-reliance and self-discipline.

Question 8

According to research on informational social influence,Anton is more likely to agree with the recommendations of others on the best tax-preparation company to use if he

A) is in a bad mood.
B) does not know much about tax preparation.
C) wants to be liked.
D) has internalized cultural norms.

Question 9

All of the following are examples of social influence EXCEPT

A) a woman choosing not to participate in an event that goes against her moral beliefs.
B) a college student buying the same brand of jeans that her friends wear.
C) a soldier obeying orders.
D) a child cleaning his room because he knows it will make his parents happy.

Question 10

If you decide to buy new clothes that fit the latest fashion trend just to blend in with others,you are responding to ________ conformity pressures.

A) explicit
B) implicit
C) compliance
D) informative

Question 11

Research on gender and conformity shows that compared with women,men are

A) more likely to conform in stereotypically female domains (e.g., child rearing).
B) more likely to conform during face-to-face social interactions.
C) less likely to conform when the judgment at hand is ambiguous.
D) more likely to conform in stereotypically male domains (e.g., cars).

Question 12

Recall that Sherif (1936)showed participants a point of light in a completely darkened room and asked them to judge the light's movement.The results from this study suggest that people

A) rarely experience conflict when their own judgments differ from those of other people.
B) adopt more extreme judgments with the passage of time.
C) often change their own judgments in accordance with others' judgments.
D) often ignore others' judgments, even when these judgments are obviously accurate.

Question 13

Glenda has just heard a compelling statement from Rhonda about why she should fasten her seatbelt.Glenda believes Rhonda's statement is accurate and fastens her seatbelt as a result.This type of conformity is a form of ________ social influence.

A) informational
B) educational
C) automatic
D) normative

Question 14

In his attempts to persuade Roger to get a fraternity tattoo on his arm,Dan assembles 100 tattooed fraternity members.Dan probably wasted a lot of effort in doing so,because

A) the effect of group size on conformity is relevant only for women.
B) group size matters for informational social influence, but not normative social influence.
C) the effect of group size on conformity levels off when group size reaches about three to four people.
D) group size does not affect conformity levels.

Question 15

Going into a group meeting at work,you are concerned that you will end up conforming to the rest of the group on decisions,even when you disagree.Which of the following factors could influence whether you conform?

A) feeling uncertain about the topic at hand
B) recognizing that other group members have more status than you do
C) having to share your opinion with group members
D) All of the answer options are correct.

Question 16

According to the textbook,conformity can be beneficial for society because it

A) encourages people to think hard about every possible action.
B) makes group distinctions more clear.
C) leads to smoother social interactions.
D) makes people more likely to challenge unfair laws.

Question 17

The main difference between compliance and obedience is that obedience occurs in response to

A) a more powerful person or group.
B) a request.
C) a personal belief.
D) imagined pressure from others.

Question 18

People who grow up in a loose culture are ________ likely to find someone who is talking loudly and laughing in a fancy restaurant more ________ than people who grew up in a tight culture.

A) more; persuasive
B) more; inappropriate
C) less; persuasive
D) less; inappropriate

Question 19

Janet has a minority opinion about dorm curfew and is afraid she will feel pressured to conform to the majority opinion at an upcoming dorm meeting.To resist conformity pressure,Janet should

A) express strong negative emotions during the meeting.
B) bring an ally to the meeting.
C) bring cookies to the meeting.
D) adopt an interdependent mind-set right before the meeting.

Question 20

Hank attends a focus group where he and five other men are asked to rate three lawn mowers.Hank knows a lot about lawn mowers and is certain that lawn mower A is superior and deserves the highest rating.However,the rest of the men say that lawn mower B is the best.If Hank ends up publicly agreeing with the rest of the group,he has probably succumbed to

A) the autokinetic effect.
B) informational social influence.
C) normative social influence.
D) the chameleon effect.

Question 21

Parker has just been named Employee of the Month at the grocery store where she works and is delighted.Coincidentally,her younger brother,Marty,decides to ask her for $20 so he can take his girlfriend to the movies.Compared to any other day,Parker would be ________ likely to comply with his request today,because ________ compliance.

A) more; positive mood increases
B) less; negative mood increases
C) just as; mood state has no influence on
D) less; only reason-based requests increase

Question 22

Emily is in a good mood.This means that she is most likely to comply with which of the following requests?

A) a request to donate to a charitable organization
B) a request to give electric shocks to another person as part of a research study
C) a request to deliver bad news to someone
D) All of the answer options are correct.

Question 23

You want to help improve the rate of recycling cans and bottles on your campus and the administration is allowing you to design a sign to encourage recycling.According to your textbook,a particularly effective strategy for your poster might be to use an appeal based on ________ norms,saying that many students choose to ________.

A) descriptive; throw away cans and bottles, contributing to the problem rather than the solution
B) descriptive; separate and recycle cans and bottles, contributing to a better planet
C) prescriptive; throw away cans and bottles, contributing to the problem rather than the solution
D) descriptive and prescriptive; separate and recycle cans and bottles, contributing to a better planet

Question 24

Reactance theory suggests that compliance may be ________ likely if people ________.

A) more; are aware that others are trying to influence their behavior
B) less; perceive that their freedom of choice is being threatened
C) more; are motivated to feel better about themselves
D) less; are motivated to feel better about themselves

Question 25

A social norm that reflects how things are typically done is considered ________,whereas a social norm that reflects what behaviors are approved is considered ________.

A) descriptive; prescriptive
B) prescriptive; descriptive
C) normative; informational
D) informational; normative

Question 26

Juliet is in a committed romantic relationship with Romeo,but her parents have forbidden her to date him any longer.According to reactance theory,

A) she will become even more committed to Romeo.
B) she will become less committed to Romeo but will not break up with him.
C) she will break up with Romeo.
D) her commitment to Romeo will remain unchanged.

Question 27

To increase compliance,descriptive and prescriptive norms should

A) be aligned with one another.
B) highlight other people's failure to engage in the desired behavior.
C) encourage individuals to exert minority influence.
D) All of the answer options are correct.

Question 28

All of the following statements about automatic mimicry are true EXCEPT that

A) people tend to like those who mimic them more than those who do not.
B) people who have been mimicked tend to engage in more prosocial behavior afterward.
C) people who have been mimicked tend to feel irritated with the person who mimicked them.
D) people tend not to mimic individuals toward whom they hold negative attitudes.

Question 29

The textbook lists several different factors that can influence the pressure to conform.Which of the following is NOT one of the factors listed in the text?

A) group unanimity
B) expertise and status
C) group fame
D) anonymity

Question 30

An effective norm-based anti-bullying and harassment intervention in schools asks students to ________.This intervention is effective because it helps students ________.

A) imagine how it might feel to be victims of bullying; who have been bullied understand the consequence of their actions
B) brainstorm new strategies that might be effective at stopping bullying; have a larger range of options to use when faced with bullying
C) model opposition to the kinds of conflict and harassment common at their school; understand what sorts of harassment is common at their school
D) imagine how it might feel to be victims of bullying; work hard so that no one has to feel badly as a victim

Question 31

The principle of ideomotor action states that

A) pretending to feel a certain way can make one truly feel that way.
B) thinking about a behavior can make its actual performance more likely.
C) people intentionally mimic each other's behavior.
D) most behavior is consciously determined and deliberative.

Question 32

Anya needs $500 to help pay for a trip to Europe.She calls her parents and asks if they will give her $5,000 for her trip,and they say no.She then asks if she can have just $500,and they say yes.This demonstrates the effectiveness of the ________ technique.

A) reciprocal concessions (door-in-the-face)
B) foot-in-the-door
C) try and try again
D) negative state relief

Question 33

Imagine that you work for a local animal shelter and your goal is to increase the number of people who are willing to adopt a dog from the shelter.According to the ________ technique,one approach could be to first ask people if they would be willing to wear a button that says,"Adopt a dog today," and then a couple of weeks later ask them if they would be willing to adopt a dog themselves.

A) door-in-the-face
B) foot-in-the-door
C) that's-not-all
D) lowball

Question 34

It is thought that automatic mimicry of others occurs because of the principle of ________,which states that merely thinking about a behavior makes performing that behavior more likely.

A) public compliance
B) obedience to authority
C) ideomotor action
D) informational social influence

Question 35

Jillian heard that city officials wanted to construct a new highway near her house.Initially,she thought this was a bad idea.Then she attended a city council meeting where she heard several viewpoints and obtained detailed information about the highway project.After the meeting,she told her neighbors that the new highway seemed like a good idea.Jillian's endorsement of the project is best characterized as an instance of

A) public compliance.
B) internalization.
C) normative social influence.
D) the chameleon effect.

Question 36

Researchers asked Catholics to donate to the March of Dimes either when they were on their way into church for confession,or when they were on their way out.In support of the argument that ________ influences compliance,results revealed that ________.

A) a positive mood; people gave more money before confession
B) guilt; people gave more money before confession
C) a positive mood; people gave less money before confession
D) guilt; people gave less money before confession

Question 37

Dave's roommates call him a "moocher," a "parasite," and a "leech." These names suggest that Dave

A) is an exceptionalist.
B) violates the norm of reciprocity.
C) lacks negative state relief.
D) is reactive.

Question 38

Both Sherif's autokinetic illusion study (1936)and Asch's line study (1951)demonstrated the effect of conformity on an individual's decision making; however,they each captured different aspects of conformity.The results of Sherif's study reflected ________ social influence whereas Asch's study reflected ________ social influence.

A) normative; informative
B) informational; group unanimity
C) informational; normative
D) group unanimity; normative

Question 39

Minorities influence majority opinion primarily through

A) normative social influence.
B) informational social influence.
C) descriptive norms.
D) prescriptive norms.

Question 40

The main difference between Sherif's (1936)conformity study and Asch's (1951)conformity study is that Asch's study

A) examined situations in which one's own beliefs clearly conflict with those of the group.
B) demonstrated the powerful effects of social influence.
C) showed higher rates of conformity.
D) measured participants' judgments of visual stimuli.

Question 41

Which of the following is true about the original Milgram experiment (1965)?

A) Nearly all participants called the experimenter's attention to the learner's suffering.
B) Many participants stated explicitly that they refused to continue.
C) Nearly all participants called the experimenter's attention to the learner's suffering, and many participants stated explicitly that they refused to continue.
D) None of the answer options is correct.

Question 42

About ________ percent of the participants in Milgram's original experiment delivered the maximum shock of 450 volts.

A) 22
B) 42
C) 62
D) 82

Question 43

A prison warden has instructed his prison guards to hose down the prisoners with icy cold water as punishment,despite the fact that this is likely illegal.When one of the guards protests,the warden informs the guards that he himself will take personal responsibility for any negative consequences.This will make the guards more likely to obey because it

A) reduces the guards' stress about what they are doing.
B) reduces the guards' empathy for the prisoners.
C) distracts guards from the prisoners' distress.
D) increases the guards' decisiveness.

Question 44

Technological advances such as long-range missiles mean that countries can inflict harm on each other from great distances.Research conducted by ________ suggests that these advances make it considerably ________ likely that people will be willing to inflict harm.

A) Asch; more
B) Asch; less
C) Milgram; more
D) Milgram; less

Question 45

Hideous crimes against humanity include the Holocaust in Nazi Germany,the "ethnic cleansing" in Bosnia,and the tribal massacres in Rwanda.According to the textbook,there are two different ways of explaining such crimes.One of these explanations,the normalist thesis,holds that

A) only highly sadistic, desperate, or ethnocentric people harm others.
B) under certain circumstances, almost anyone has the capacity to harm others.
C) evolutionary pressures favored traits that involved a greater willingness to harm others.
D) the media (television, movies, video games) have made violence commonplace.

Question 46

According to the norm of reciprocity,

A) people should agree to others' requests.
B) people rarely return favors.
C) people should benefit those who benefit them.
D) emotions lead to compliance.

Question 47

Jackie has been in a terrible mood lately,and she is looking for any way to improve it.When Jackie's friend Anthony asks if she would be willing to volunteer with him at the local food bank,she jumps at the chance,hoping it will make her feel better.This example demonstrates the

A) foot-in-the-door technique.
B) negative state relief hypothesis.
C) door-in-the-face technique.
D) reactance theory.

Question 48

Using a ________-based approach to reduce destructive behavior is likely to be most effective when people ________ the popularity of the behavior.

A) norm; overestimate
B) norm; underestimate
C) reason; overestimate
D) reason; underestimate

Question 49

After successfully requesting that his neighbor loan him his jumper cables to start his car,Jeremy then persuades his neighbor to drive him the ten miles to where his car is stalled.This kind of foot-in-the-door technique works because people

A) feel obligated to reciprocate a favor.
B) want to be liked.
C) perform certain actions because they are consistent with their self-images.
D) engage in mindless obedience.

Question 50

Imagine that you are walking inside the mall and you come across a person asking for signatures on a petition for a cause that you support.The person asks if you would be willing to sign the document,to which you agree,but then asks if you would be willing to volunteer your time to collect signatures as well,and you find yourself agreeing again.What technique did the person use to get you to agree to both requests?

A) foot-in-the-door
B) norm of reciprocity
C) door-in-the-face
D) negative state relief

Question 51

In the original Milgram experiment (1965),the experimenter asked participants to shock someone else whenever that person made a mistake on a learning task.The results of this experiment showed that people

A) learned better when they were punished.
B) did not experience distress when other people were in pain.
C) were unwilling to advance science if it meant hurting someone else.
D) were willing to inflict pain on strangers.

Question 52

In the original Milgram experiment (1965),participants found themselves in an agonizing conflict.Forces compelling them to complete the experiment included all of the following EXCEPT

A) advancing science.
B) avoiding the experimenter's disapproval.
C) a sense of fair play.
D) feeling empathy for the victim.

Question 53

The results of the Milgram experiments are less surprising to us when we consider the

A) stepwise nature of the experimenter's commands.
B) participants' attempts to terminate the experiment.
C) participants' ability to view the experimenter as responsible for their actions.
D) All of the answer options are correct.

Question 54

Following his initial experiment,Milgram conducted several additional experiments to examine factors that might increase or decrease obedience to authority.In one of these experiments,Milgram showed that participants were less likely to obey the experimenter's orders if

A) they thought the learner would perform better without getting shocked.
B) the experimenter's requests to continue were issued over a telephone.
C) they thought the experimenter was responsible for the learner's welfare.
D) they were put into a sad mood.

Question 55

Jim just received an "A" on his statistics exam.While he is still happy about this,a classmate asks to borrow his lecture notes.According to research on emotion-based appeals for compliance,why is Jim likely to comply with this request?

A) The request will seem less threatening to Jim.
B) Jim will feel guilty if he does not comply.
C) Granting the request will help Jim sustain his good mood.
D) The request will seem less threatening to Jim, and he will feel guilty if he does not comply.

Question 56

Emilio wants his friend to participate in a 5k race with him,but he's worried his friend might say no.In order to increase the chances that his friend will say yes,Emilio first agrees to do a favor for his friend.This example demonstrates

A) the norm of reciprocity.
B) reactance theory.
C) the negative state relief hypothesis.
D) descriptive norms.

Question 57

The foot-in-the-door studies and the Milgram studies are similar in that they both

A) asked people to comply with a small, relatively unobjectionable action at first.
B) needed to use authority figures to induce compliance.
C) involved a reduction in stress.
D) asked people to comply with large, objectionable actions right off the bat.

Question 58

According to the principle of reciprocal concessions,Amal's dad is more likely to comply with her request to buy her a used car if Amal

A) previously asked her dad for a new car and her dad said no to that request.
B) has never asked her dad for a car before.
C) previously asked her dad for a used car and her dad said no to that request.
D) has been generous when her dad needed help in the past.

Question 59

________ is the first step in the foot-in-the-door technique.

A) Giving people a small gift
B) Giving people a large gift
C) Making a small request
D) Making a large request

Question 60

According to the negative state relief hypothesis,

A) positive moods increase compliance.
B) negative moods decrease compliance.
C) granting someone's request decreases negative mood states.
D) granting someone's request increases negative mood states.

Question 61

Cyberbullying has become more prevalent with increasing technological advances in our society.What does Milgram's obedience study tell us about why online communication can become increasingly harmful?

A) Online communication is indirect and remote, so it is easier to harm others.
B) Online social media platforms often promote bullying practices of their users.
C) Online communication makes people feel more responsibility for their actions.
D) Online platforms encourage face-to-face interactions, which are more likely to be aggressive.

Question 62

Imagine that you work for a student newspaper and your job is to sell ad space to local shops.Explain how you could increase your chances of getting a shop to buy ad space if you used the reciprocal concessions (door-in-the-face)technique.In your answer,first define each of these techniques.Then,for each technique,describe what you would do to convince shop managers to buy ad space.

Question 63

Define informational social influence and normative social influence and describe two circumstances under which people are more likely to be swayed by informational as opposed to normative social influence.

Question 64

Define conformity,compliance,and obedience and provide an example of each.

Question 65

Drawing on research described in the textbook,evaluate the claim that women conform more than men.Be sure to address the role of situational factors.

Question 66

Give an example of an emotion-based strategy for getting someone to comply with your request for help.Then explain how and why this strategy should influence compliance.

Question 67

Describe how participants' construal of the social context in the Asch experiment could have led to greater conformity than what could be expected to occur in everyday life.

Question 68

Describe the phenomenon of automatic mimicry and give two reasons why it occurs.

Question 69

Explain how norm-based social influence can play a role in increasing symptoms of bulimia (binge eating and purging)in sororities.

Question 70

How have norm-based approaches been used to curb binge drinking on college campuses? What explains the effectiveness of these approaches?

Question 71

Describe three specific strategies people could use to resist social influence in a situation where they have a minority opinion.

Question 72

In which of the following ways do the results of the Milgram experiments parallel the events in Nazi Germany leading up to the Holocaust?

A) In both situations, perpetrators largely took responsibility for their own actions.
B) In both situations, perpetrators had no opportunity to exercise choice or free will.
C) In both situations, harmful actions occurred in an incremental, step-by-step manner.
D) In both situations, most perpetrators had sadistic dispositions and enjoyed harming others.

Question 73

Describe two factors that likely increased obedience in both the Milgram experiments and the events in Nazi Germany that took place leading up to and during the Holocaust.

Question 74

Research by Michele Gelfand and colleagues (2011)demonstrated that some countries have tight cultures,marked by norms toward greater conformity,while other countries have loose cultures.Describe the differences between these two cultural types.Describe at least one geological or geopolitical difference between countries of one type and the other and explain how that difference might contribute to differences in conformity.

Question 75

Describe the two opposing forces operating on participants in Milgram's original obedience experiment.Which force appeared to exert a stronger influence on participants' behaviors? Justify your answer on the basis of research and theory.

Question 76

Imagine that you are developing an anti-littering billboard.One of the members of your team suggests that the billboard should include statistics about the high prevalence of littering in order to convince people that it is a major problem.Drawing on your knowledge of descriptive and prescriptive norms,explain why this may not work and propose a more effective alternative.

Question 77

Evaluate the claim that participants in the Milgram experiments who delivered the maximum level of shock must have been uncaring or sadistic by nature.