Question 1

How do computerized group support systems help to minimize the potential for groupthink?

Accepted Answer

A)  by providing more power to the leader of the group 
B)  by allowing group members to raise concerns anonymously 
C)  by focusing the attention of group members on their relationships with one another 
D)  by increasing the cohesiveness of the group

Question 2

John,Greta,Paul,and Celine are air traffic controllers.They encounter a stressful,anxious situation in which two planes might soon collide.Which of the following conditions would most encourage this group of air traffic controllers to display groupthink when pondering their next step?

Accepted Answer

A)  A majority decision is more acceptable than a unanimous decision. 
B)  There are systematic procedures in place to handle such situations. 
C)  None of them is considered to be a supervisor of any of the others. 
D)  They are a cohesive group.

Question 3

Which of the following factors is most likely to contribute to deindividuation?

Accepted Answer

A)  strong emotions 
B)  feelings of being alone 
C)  low arousal 
D)  anonymity

Question 4

Henderson suspects that the other members of his work group may slack off,so he works late and puts in extra time on their proposal.What is Henderson engaging in?

Accepted Answer

A)  social compensation 
B)  social facilitation 
C)  social loafing 
D)  deindividuation

Question 5

Following group discussion,which of the following is most likely result?

Accepted Answer

A)  Group decisions will tend to become more conservative than the positions of the individuals comprising the group. 
B)  Group decisions will tend to become more risky than the positions of the individuals comprising the group. 
C)  Group decisions will tend to reflect the average of the positions of the individuals comprising the group. 
D)  Group decisions will tend to become more extreme than the positions of the individuals comprising the group.

Question 6

What do psychologists call a negotiated reduction to a conflict in which all parties obtain outcomes that are superior to those they would have obtained from an equal division of contested resources?

Accepted Answer

A)  a social dilemma 
B)  a superordinate identity 
C)  an integrative agreement 
D)  a prisoner's dilemma

Question 7

A group of high school students is discussing the legalization of drugs.The students taking part in the discussion mildly support the position that drugs should not be legalized.If group polarization were to occur following the discussion,which of the following would most likely happen?

Accepted Answer

A)  Students would be less strongly opposed to the legalization of drugs. 
B)  Students would be more strongly opposed to the legalization of drugs. 
C)  Students would be more likely to experiment with drugs. 
D)  Students' attitudes would not change as a result of the discussion.

Question 8

Which of the following has been proposed to explain social facilitation?

Accepted Answer

A)  group cohesiveness 
B)  norms of group behaviour 
C)  distraction,which can create attentional conflict 
D)  the tendency for people to feel less accountable in a group context

Question 9

In which of the following situations is biased sampling is least likely to occur?

Accepted Answer

A)  when members know each other well,and they share the same information 
B)  when members know each other well,and they do not share the same information 
C)  when members know each other very little,and they do not share the same information 
D)  when members know each other very little,and they share the same information

Question 10

In one of the earliest social psychological experiments,Triplett (1898)had children wind fishing reels as quickly as they could.What did he find?

Accepted Answer

A)  The children were fastest when observed by the experimenter. 
B)  Winding times were faster without an audience than with an audience. 
C)  The children were faster when working next to another child rather than alone. 
D)  The children were faster working alone than with a partner.

Exam 8: Group Processes