Deck 12: Groups

Question 1

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the phenomenon of social loafing?

A) exerting minimal effort on a group project
B) showing minimal concern over other people's desires or problems
C) avoiding social interactions that require complex thought
D) losing one's motivation to be liked by other people

Answer 1

exerting minimal effort on a group project

Question 2

Four members of a TV show production staff agree that they should record "audience reactions" to the show (i.e.,the sound of applause and laughter sometimes played during shows).However,they disagree on which strategy to use to get the loudest applause.Given what you've learned in this chapter,which of the following would result in the loudest applause?

A) Ana's plan to bring together 50 people at the same time to watch an episode of their show.
B) Phillipe's plan to bring together a group of 10 people together at the same time to watch an episode of their show.
C) Terrence's plan to bring in groups of 5 people at a time to watch an episode of the show until he had recorded audio from 5 groups. He would then combine the 5 recordings to create one recording with of 25 people's responses.
D) Brenda's plan to bring in groups of 5 people at a time to watch an episode of the show until she had recorded audio from 10 groups. She would then combine the 10 recordings to create one recording with of 50 people's responses.

Answer 2

Brenda's plan to bring in groups of 5 people at a time to watch an episode of the show until she had recorded audio from 10 groups. She would then combine the 10 recordings to create one recording with of 50 people's responses.

Question 3

Which of the following statements most accurately represents the factors that encourage social loafing among groups instead of social facilitation effects?

A) the ability to evaluate what members are contributing to a task
B) evaluation apprehension among all group members
C) the belief that one's effort is not mandatory for the group's success and that individual contributions cannot be assessed
D) when no member of the group is an expert, with the result that the effort and effectiveness of each member are reduced.

Answer 3

the belief that one's effort is not mandatory for the group's success and that individual contributions cannot be assessed

Question 4

Norman Triplett (1898)conducted what is widely regarded as social psychology's first experiment.He found that children tended to perform a relatively easy task better while in the presence of another child doing the same task.This finding set the stage for research on

A) social facilitation.
B) social loafing.
C) groupthink.
D) dissonance.

Question 5

Research on social ________ suggests that performance ________when novel tasks are performed in the presence of others.

A) facilitation; improves
B) facilitation; suffers
C) loafing; improves
D) loafing; suffers

Question 6

Kari is practicing lines for a school play.According to the research reviewed in the textbook,under what conditions will the presence of others detract from her ability to learn the lines?

A) if the other people are blindfolded
B) if Kari finds the task easy
C) if Kari knows the lines well
D) if Kari finds the task difficult

Question 7

Michael is exceptionally good at Ping-Pong.According to research on social facilitation,when good players such as Michael know they are being watched while they play,they perform ________ they are being watched.

A) better than good players who do not know
B) worse than bad players who do not know
C) the same as good players who do not know
D) the same as bad players who know

Question 8

Evaluation apprehension can ________ a task,and thereby leads to more pronounced social facilitation effects.

A) increase how much positivity we put into
B) decease how much positivity we put into
C) increase how aroused we are during
D) decrease how aroused we are during

Question 9

Zajonc and colleagues (1969)found that the mere presence of others tends to facilitate performance ________,but to hinder performance ________.

A) on novel tasks; on well-learned tasks
B) on well-learned tasks; on novel tasks
C) among women; among men
D) among men; among women

Question 10

According to the textbook,which of the following statements most accurately defines groups?

A) Groups are easy to define since everyone has an intuitive understanding of what makes a group.
B) The degree of "groupness" depends on the amount of interdependence between members.
C) Groups form anytime people share a common space.
D) A small interdependent tribe or band is a worse representation of a group than a nation.

Question 11

According to the textbook,which of the following statements about group living is correct?

A) Group living gave our human ancestors protection from predators, efficiency in acquiring food, and help with child rearing.
B) All mammalian species live in groups.
C) Humans have a physical need, but not a psychological need, to belong in groups.
D) Any collection of people in a specific geological space can be considered a group.

Question 12

Jason is getting ready to give the first lecture of his teaching career.As he steps up to the podium and looks out at the lecture hall,he is struck by the fear that he will appear incompetent in front of his students.Jason is experiencing

A) social facilitation.
B) deindividuation.
C) evaluation apprehension.
D) groupthink.

Question 13

Research on social facilitation warrants some practical advice.All of the following recommendations are supported by this research EXCEPT when

A) students want to memorize unfamiliar information, they should do it alone.
B) students want to review material they have already learned, they should not do it in a study group.
C) supervisors want their employees to do simple tasks well, they should have the employees do them in the presence of others.
D) supervisors want their employees to complete challenging tasks, they should give employees some privacy.

Question 14

Which of the following scenarios best captures the definition of a group,as described in the textbook?

A) people who stand together during an elevator ride
B) people who wait together in the same room for a job interview
C) people who decide how to help a stranded motorist
D) people who watch someone get stabbed while they are sitting on the same bus

Question 15

Tom finds solving math problems easy.According to the research reviewed in the textbook,when Tom solves math problems in the presence of others (as opposed to alone),his

A) performance is likely to suffer.
B) inhibitions are likely to decrease.
C) performance is likely to improve.
D) fear of negative evaluation is likely to increase.

Question 16

In which of the following situations can the presence of others mask the typical social facilitation effects?

A) when employees have powerful norms against working too hard and "rate busters" are chastised
B) when African-American students put out less effort in the presence of other African-American students to avoid "acting white"
C) when adolescent boys want to convey a lack of interest in a childlike task when others are present
D) All of the answers are correct.

Question 17

Imagine you are playing a video game when five strangers arrive to watch you.According to Robert Zajonc's work on social facilitation,the ________ created by the presence of these strangers would impair your performance if you ________ this particular video game.

A) dissonance; are unfamiliar with
B) dissonance; dislike
C) arousal; dislike
D) arousal; are unfamiliar with

Question 18

In which of the following scenarios is social loafing most likely to occur?

A) during a competitive bike race such as the Tour de France
B) while moving large furniture with a group of friends
C) during a group project where each group member's work will be graded individually
D) when trick-or-treaters are asked to provide their names

Question 19

Recall that Zajonc and colleagues (1969)placed cockroaches in either a complex maze or a simple maze.They created three other conditions as well.Any given cockroach was induced to navigate the maze (a)entirely alone; (b)in the presence of an "audience" of cockroaches; or (c)simultaneously with another cockroach (but without an audience).The audience condition (b)permitted Zajonc to demonstrate whether

A) audiences pay attention to competitors.
B) the mere presence of others can facilitate or hinder performance.
C) complex tasks are performed less well than simple tasks.
D) competitive situations are preferred over solitary situations.

Question 20

According to the textbook,which of the following statements is NOT among the reasons evolutionary psychologist believe that humans developed a psychological need to be with others and belong?

A) Groups help in terms of protection from predators.
B) Groups increase the efficiency with which people can find and share food.
C) Groups allow people to socialize.
D) Groups increase protection from hostile aggressors.

Question 21

Researchers have manipulated how powerful participants felt during an experiment.Consistent with the approach/inhibition theory of power,the study results suggested that high-power participants were more likely to

A) use individuating information.
B) show empathy.
C) stereotype others.
D) be kinder to others.

Question 22

As discussed in the textbook,social psychological research on culture and valuing risk shows that

A) citizens of the United States tend to endorse riskier solutions than do citizens of Uganda and Liberia.
B) group discussion leads to riskier decisions among Africans than among Americans.
C) collectivist cultures value risky decisions, whereas individualist cultures value cautious decisions.
D) Both "group discussion leads to riskier decisions among Africans than among Americans" and "collectivist cultures value risky decisions, whereas individualist cultures value cautious decisions" are correct.

Question 23

John decides to conduct an experiment to examine whether social comparison processes,rather than the persuasive arguments account,help explain why the group polarization effect occurs.To do so,John should expose individual group members to ________ to see if group polarization still occurs.

A) a pool of specific arguments that do not convey any information about the positions endorsed by the rest of the group
B) the positions endorsed by the rest of the group without conveying the specific content of their arguments
C) the positions endorsed by all others in the group and the specific content of their respective arguments
D) a pool of specific arguments and ask them to guess which other group member(s) made them

Question 24

Groupthink can be very powerful in interdependent cultures,such as in Japan,where the drive toward group harmony is especially strong.Despite this tendency toward groupthink,Japanese companies tend to be highly effective.According to the textbook,what practice might help to explain this?

A) Colleagues often engage in staged debates and someone plays "devil's advocate."
B) A CEO states his or her opinion and then asks the employees to engage in an open discussion.
C) CEOs meet individually with employees to discuss the relevant issues before a decision is made.
D) CEOs make decisions alone.

Question 25

With his roommates,Jason participates in a group discussion on the merits of gun control.Once the discussion is over,Jason finds that he and his roommates have all adopted similarly strong pro-gun control attitudes.This is an example of

A) groupthink.
B) social loafing.
C) group polarization.
D) social facilitation.

Question 26

Which of the following statements captures the persuasive arguments account of why group polarization occurs? Discussing an issue in a group

A) exposes group members to even more arguments in favor of the position that the average group member was already inclined to take.
B) exposes group members to arguments that contradict their original positions.
C) gives each person a chance to state his or her opinion out loud, which increases his or her commitment to that opinion.
D) increases group members' motivation to reach a consensus.

Question 27

Imagine that a group of corporate managers is experiencing groupthink.Which of the following behaviors might they display?

A) They place more importance on supporting the other group members than they do on supporting the leader.
B) They value generating many possible solutions to a problem over developing one solution fully.
C) They value reaching a consensus over critically evaluating the facts.
D) They become competitive and unlikely to cooperate with each other.

Question 28

Evan is inclined to support the pro-choice position on abortion.He used to talk about abortion with a wide range of friends with different views.Then he stumbled on an Internet bulletin board that is visited almost exclusively by people who are pro-choice.After this happened,he restricted his discussions on abortion with the other bulletin board members.According to social psychological research,Evan's attitude toward abortion is likely to become more

A) heterogeneous.
B) ambivalent.
C) extreme.
D) moderate.

Question 29

The symptoms of groupthink include all of the following EXCEPT

A) being open to outside criticism.
B) considering few alternative viewpoints.
C) ignoring relevant facts.
D) believing in the group's moral superiority.

Question 30

Early studies showed that decisions made in groups were riskier than decisions made on one's own.Later research,however,showed that group decisions are not always riskier than individual decisions but do tend to be more extreme.This phenomenon is captured by the concept of

A) social loafing.
B) group polarization.
C) social inoculation.
D) groupthink.

Question 31

According to the social comparison interpretation of group polarization,when exposed to other group members' attitudes,people's attitudes tend to become more extreme in the ________ because they want to ________.

A) opposite direction of the group's attitudes; play devil's advocate
B) opposite direction of the group's attitudes; distinguish themselves from others
C) same direction the group is already leaning; distinguish themselves from others
D) same direction the group is already leaning; play devil's advocate

Question 32

Several military officials meet to plan battle strategy.Captain Biggs thinks that General Olsen's strategy will be ineffective and deadly for American soldiers,but Biggs does not speak out.He is worried that others will see him as an ignorant coward.Biggs's response in this situation best illustrates how the concept of ________ applies to groupthink.

A) social censure
B) intellectual isolation
C) self-awareness
D) self-censorship

Question 33

Raymond is in a position where he is able to control his own outcomes and those of others.Which of the following terms best describes what Raymond possesses?

A) status
B) power
C) authority
D) seniority

Question 34

In what situation would sorority members be most likely to engage in self-censorship?

A) when they have a strong leader
B) when they have a weak leader
C) when there is an overall lack of motivation to reach a consensus within the sorority
D) when there is an overall low level of stress within the sorority

Question 35

According to the textbook,which of the following events best illustrates the disastrous effects of groupthink?

A) the Johnson administration's eventual decision to decrease the number of troops fighting in Vietnam
B) the Kennedy administration's decision to conduct the Bay of Pigs invasion
C) the Japanese government's decision to bomb Pearl Harbor
D) All of the answers are correct.

Question 36

The approach/inhibition theory of power suggests that ________ individuals are more inclined to pursue their goals,whereas ________ individuals are more inclined to constrain their behavior.

A) high-power male; high-power female
B) low-power; high-power
C) high-power; low-power
D) low-power female; high-power female

Question 37

Matt ran for student body president at Arlen High School.He won the election,which thrust him into a position of great power and prestige.Research on power suggests that after becoming president,Matt might be

A) more likely to touch or stand close to other students.
B) less likely to flirt.
C) more accurate at judging how other people are feeling.
D) less rude.

Question 38

Research on decision making suggests that,compared with a single person,a group is more likely to generate the correct solution to a problem that

A) has a precise, factual answer.
B) does not have a precise, factual answer.
C) requires logical reasoning.
D) requires considering diverse perspectives.

Question 39

According to research on group polarization,people who make decisions in groups tend to make decisions that are more ________ than people who make decisions on their own.

A) extreme
B) divided
C) conservative
D) accurate

Question 40

In order to prevent the occurrence of groupthink,a group leader should

A) refrain from making his or her opinion known at the beginning of the discussion.
B) decrease the group's exposure to opinions of nongroup members.
C) dismiss group members who are critical of the prevailing opinion.
D) increase the cohesiveness of the group.

Question 41

Research suggests that ________ are common characteristics of people who are likely to go on to gain power,whereas ________ are common characteristics of people who already have power.

A) generosity and social skills; self-interest and a lack of empathy
B) self-interest and a lack of empathy; generosity and social skills
C) caution and inhibition; self-interest and a lack of empathy
D) self-interest and a lack of empathy; caution and inhibition

Question 42

Imagine that your favorite team has just won the Super Bowl.According to research on deindividuation,which of the following psychological conditions have to be met to turn the revelers into a destructive mob?

A) anonymity
B) arousal
C) sensory deprivation
D) anonymity and arousal

Question 43

People arrange themselves into social hierarchies starting as early as age

A) 2.
B) 5.
C) 10.
D) 12.

Question 44

Sally feels lost in a crowd at a rock concert and is experiencing deindividuation.This means that Sally is

A) more self-aware, less concerned with others' evaluations, and more inhibited.
B) less self-aware, more concerned with others' evaluations, and less inhibited.
C) less self-aware, less concerned with others' evaluations, and less inhibited.
D) more self-aware, more concerned with others' evaluations, and less inhibited.

Question 45

All of the findings regarding people with high or low power are consistent with the approach/inhibition theory of power EXCEPT that

A) People in a position of higher power are less likely to take another's perspective.
B) Feeling more power leads prejudiced whites to focus more on black employees' weaknesses.
C) Feeling higher levels of power makes people think with less flexibility and creativity.
D) People in high positions of power are more likely to act in inappropriate ways.

Question 46

Consider the following explanations for why certain people are more likely to become leaders than others.Which one has the most empirical support?

A) People rise to leadership positions through coercion, deception, and manipulation.
B) One of the most important determinants of leadership is expertise and skill relevant to the goals of the group.
C) People who foster competition among group members increase their chances of rising to positions of leadership.
D) None of the choices has empirical support.

Question 47

According to the textbook,which of the following is true about power?

A) People in a position of high power always abuse their power.
B) People in a position of low power have high levels of cognitive flexibility and creativity.
C) A high level of power disinhibits people, which increases the likelihood that someone's predisposition will be revealed.
D) A high level of power allows people to focus on other's individual characteristics, thus decreases stereotyping.

Question 48

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A) One individual can simultaneously possess power, status, and authority, while exerting dominance.
B) People attempt to gain power through dominance displays.
C) People attain authority through their ability to influence informal social arrangements.
D) An individual's status is the result of the social attributes of that individual that lead others to treat them with respect.

Question 49

Consider the following quote by Gustav Le Bon: "Whoever be the individuals that compose it,however like or unlike be their mode of life,...their character,or their intelligence,the fact that they have been transformed into a crowd puts them in possession of a sort of collective mind." This quote best illustrates the concept of

A) social loafing.
B) mere exposure.
C) deindividuation.
D) self-consciousness.

Question 50

Within the culture of news organizations there are certain topics that are known to be somewhat off-limits for reporting.Due to First Amendment protections,news organizations are protected and able,in a legal sense,to print whatever stories they want.However,editors do not want to be the first to publish certain stories critical of people in positions of power.This type of hesitancy to publish certain topics is a form of

A) social facilitation.
B) self-censorship.
C) groupthink.
D) social loafing.

Question 51

What distinguishes the concept of authority from status and dominance?

A) It is a behavior enacted with the goal of obtaining power.
B) It involves an evaluation of respect and prominence.
C) It involves the use of force to exert power over others.
D) It refers to power that derives from institutionalized roles or arrangements.

Question 52

The spotlight effect involves

A) wanting more attention from others than one typically receives.
B) perceiving oneself in an unrealistically favorable light.
C) overestimating the degree to which one's appearance and behavior are noticed by others.
D) remembering social experiences better than solitary experiences.

Question 53

Which of the following individuals is most likely to experience high self-awareness?

A) Joe, who does not care what other people think of him
B) Bree, who focuses her attention inward on herself and is concerned about how her current behavior conforms to her values
C) Antonio, who has a good memory for important events in his life
D) Stefani, who is in a deindividuated state

Question 54

A detested political dictator can be thought to have ________ without________.

A) status; power
B) power; status
C) status; authority
D) power; authority

Question 55

According to self-awareness theory,which of the following conditions is most likely to prompt you to behave in accordance with your own moral standards?

A) observing yourself in a mirror
B) watching a television news broadcast
C) listening to friends talk about their morals
D) observing other people's immoral behavior

Question 56

In one study of the spotlight effect (Gilovich et al.,2000),participants who arrived individually were asked to put on a T-shirt printed with an image that they found embarrassing.Then,these participants were asked to enter another room where a group of other participants sat.After just a few moments,the T-shirt wearer left the room.What were the results of this study?

A) T-shirt wearers who reported extremely high levels of embarrassment were remembered better than wearers who reported extremely low levels of embarrassment.
B) T-shirt wearers who reported extremely low levels of embarrassment were remembered better than wearers who reported extremely high levels of embarrassment.
C) T-shirt wearers estimated that about one-half of the group would be able to identify the person pictured on the T-shirt when asked later on by the experimenter, but only about one-quarter of the group members actually made a correct identification.
D) T-shirt wearers estimated that about one-quarter of the group would be able to identify the person pictured on the T-shirt when asked later on by the experimenter, but about one-half of the group made a correct identification.

Question 57

Recall that Diener and his colleagues (1976)monitored almost 30 homes throughout the city of Seattle on Halloween night.They recorded whether each trick-or-treater arrived alone or in a group.The researchers also randomly asked some children arriving alone and some arriving in groups to provide their names and addresses.The results of this study showed that children were more likely to take more treats than they were supposed to if they arrived ________ and if they were ________.

A) in a group; not asked to provide their names and addresses
B) alone; not asked to provide their names and addresses
C) in a group; asked to provide their names and addresses
D) alone; asked to provide their names and addresses

Question 58

All of the following are characteristics of people who are likely to rise to leadership positions EXCEPT

A) group-relevant expertise.
B) strong social skills.
C) a lack of inhibition.
D) generosity.

Question 59

________ is to deindividuation as ________ is to self-awareness.

A) Wearing a mask; seeing oneself in a mirror
B) Playing a game; solving a problem
C) Inhibition; self-control
D) Being photographed; wearing a name tag

Question 60

Bill is standing on the ledge of a tall building.He yells out to the gathering crowd,"I have nothing left to live for!" Research suggests that people are more likely to chant,"Jump! Jump! Jump!"

A) after 6:00 p.m. (as opposed to earlier in the day).
B) when the temperature exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
C) when the crowd exceeds 300 people.
D) after 6:00 p.m. (as opposed to earlier in the day), and when the crowd exceeds 300 people.

Question 61

Describe the spotlight effect.Then describe an experiment you could conduct that could demonstrate this effect.

Question 62

Describe the predictions of self-awareness theory.Then describe how you might draw on this theory to design a classroom intervention aimed at reducing cheating behavior.

Question 63

Describe the physiological and behavioral effects of assuming high-power physical poses.How might you use this knowledge to design an intervention aimed at increasing confidence in people who are preparing for a job interview?

Question 64

Explain the approach/inhibition theory of power and describe a situation in which high-power and low-power people are likely to behave differently.

Question 65

Define the phenomenon of social facilitation and explain Zajonc's three-component theory of when and why it occurs.

Question 66

According to the textbook,what is the definition of a group? Give an example from your own life that captures the key features of this definition.

Question 67

Evaluate the claim that people always perform easy tasks better when other people are present.Under what circumstances might this claim be INCORRECT?

Question 68

Distinguish between states of deindividuation and individuation/self-awareness.For each,give an example of a study that shows how this state affects social behavior.

Question 69

Evaluate the statement "power corrupts" based on research described in the textbook.Under what circumstances is power likely to promote prosocial versus antisocial behavior?

Question 70

Give an example of a situation that can lead to deindividuation,and describe three of the antecedent conditions of deindividuation that are present in the example situation.

Question 71

Describe a real-world event that illustrates the phenomenon of groupthink.In addition,explain how its occurrence could have been avoided.

Question 72

Explain the role that physiological arousal plays in social facilitation and deindividuation.

Question 73

Describe the persuasive arguments and social comparison explanations for why group polarization occurs.

Question 74

Define group polarization and describe how modern forms of communication might increase its prevalence.