Question 1

In which of the following situations is group polarization least likely to occur?

Accepted Answer

A)  In deciding the best way to recruit new members,the members of Alpha Beta Fraternity are concerned that their fraternity is distinct from the other fraternities on campus. 
B)  While discussing the possibility of offering more outpatient services,the members of the hospital board are surprised that so many members favour the proposal. 
C)  The re-election committee discusses both the potential advantages and disadvantages of leaking negative information about the opposing candidate. 
D)  In one of the most important decisions it has ever faced,the prosecution team must decide whether to press criminal charges against a high-ranking public official.

Question 2

Three students form a study group for their social psychology course.Which of the following possibilities would be the best indication that the group is experiencing biased sampling?

Accepted Answer

A)  The students focus on the information they all already know instead of reviewing the unique knowledge that each person brings to the group. 
B)  The students assign specific roles and tasks to each other. 
C)  In the effort to categorize themselves as "good" group members,the students conform to each other's opinions about the quality of the course instruction thus far. 
D)  The students refuse to utilize the strategy of brainstorming.

Question 3

Explain how discussion of a topic with like-minded others can lead people to hold their views with greater conviction,and why this happens.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain how discussion of a topic with...

Question 4

The presence of others can improve performance on difficult tasks when the individual's arousal level is low but only when also paired with which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  high evaluation pressure 
B)  low evaluation pressure 
C)  high cultural collectivism 
D)  low cultural collectivism

Question 5

Which of the following would most likely be described as a collective?

Accepted Answer

A)  members of a fraternity 
B)  children attending summer camp 
C)  passengers on a plane 
D)  a family

Question 6

According to research on the prisoner's dilemma,how do people tend to respond to mixed-motive situations?

Accepted Answer

A)  with depression 
B)  with reciprocity 
C)  with duplicity 
D)  with confusion

Question 7

Nita has just joined the rowing club,an organization that has been low in members for the last several years.Which of the following will most likely happen?

Accepted Answer

A)  She will assimilate into the club,making whatever changes are necessary to fit in,while the club will make little accommodation. 
B)  She will become committed to the group if the group members accept each other and the group. 
C)  She will make few changes to fit in,hoping the group will accept her as she is. 
D)  She will rarely rely on her relationships with established members of the club.

Question 8

How are group norms and roles similar?

Accepted Answer

A)  Neither will directly influence group productivity. 
B)  Both can be formal or informal. 
C)  Both negatively impact group cohesiveness. 
D)  They are both more important to men than women.

Question 9

Sharon,a corporate executive,and several of her subordinates are in a plane crash and find themselves on a deserted island.They have to decide the best strategy for survival.As the leader of the group,what can Sharon do to help the group avoid groupthink?

Accepted Answer

A)  break the group into several smaller groups to discuss the issue 
B)  encourage the group to seek agreement 
C)  assign someone the role of "mindguard" 
D)  take a strong stand in the discussion of what she thinks they should do

Question 10

Which of the following makes the greatest contribution to group polarization?

Accepted Answer

A)  an increase in dominant responses under conditions of high arousal 
B)  lack of group cohesiveness 
C)  deindividuation of group members 
D)  the desire to distinguish one's group from other groups

Question 11

In conjunctive tasks,how is group performance determined?

Accepted Answer

A)  by the sum of the performance of each individual in the group 
B)  by the ratio of individual performance to group performance 
C)  by the performance of the weakest group member 
D)  by the performance of the strongest group member

Question 12

What do psychologists call a situation in which a self-interested choice is good for an individual and bad for the group?

Accepted Answer

A)  groupthink 
B)  a risky shift 
C)  a social dilemma 
D)  entrapment

Question 13

Sheila and Peter are invited to a masquerade party.At the party,people start insulting and pushing around Parker,another guest at the party.Given the research on deindividuation,in which of the following situations are Sheila and Peter likely to join in the harassment?

Accepted Answer

A)  If Sheila was dressed as a nun and Peter was dressed as a priest. 
B)  If Sheila and Peter were dressed as gangsters. 
C)  If Sheila and Peter wore masks and could not be recognized. 
D)  If Sheila and Peter wore make-up and could be recognized

Question 14

Pat is leading a task force on drug problems in high schools.She asks members to think of as many solutions as they can,but also to postpone commenting on any proposal until later.What strategy is Pat using?

Accepted Answer

A)  brainstorming 
B)  polarization 
C)  groupthink 
D)  entrapment

Question 15

According to the theory of social facilitation,what effect should the presence of others have on someone who is performing a task?

Accepted Answer

A)  It should improve performance on both easy and challenging tasks. 
B)  It should impair performance on both easy and challenging tasks. 
C)  It should improve performance on easy tasks and impair performance on challenging tasks. 
D)  It should impair performance on easy tasks and improve performance on challenging tasks.

Question 16

Ingham (1974)asked participants to pull on a rope and found that participants pulled almost 20 percent harder when they thought they were pulling alone than when they thought they were part of a group.What does this example illustrate?

Accepted Answer

A)  social loafing 
B)  a social dilemma 
C)  groupthink 
D)  social facilitation

Question 17

How do groups differ from collectives?

Accepted Answer

A)  Groups,but not collectives,engage in common activities. 
B)  Collectives,but not groups,engage in common activities. 
C)  Groups have more direct interaction with one another than collectives do. 
D)  Collectives have more direct interaction with one another than groups do.

Question 18

How do shared superordinate identities affect group conflict?

Accepted Answer

A)  focusing on shared superordinate identities increases conflict between groups 
B)  focusing on shared superordinate identities decreases conflict between groups 
C)  focusing on shared superordinate identities is more helpful than creating shared goals to decrease conflict 
D)  focusing on shared superordinate identities is required to establish the superordinate goals that can decrease conflict.

Question 19

According to the model of social facilitation,when the presence of others is physiologically arousing,what tends to happen to a person's performance?

Accepted Answer

A)  It tends to decrease on a task that is well-practised. 
B)  It tends to increase on a task that is well-practised. 
C)  It tends to increase on a task that is newly-learned. 
D)  It tends to improve on any type of task.

Question 20

What do psychologists call the perception that members of different groups belong to a larger whole that encompasses both groups?

Accepted Answer

A)  group polarization 
B)  an integrative agreement 
C)  a superordinate identity 
D)  social facilitation

Exam 8: Group Processes