Deck 6: Conformity and Obedience

Question 1

A classmate across the room yawns and then several other students yawn.This is an example of

A)informational influence.
B)psychological reactance.
C)group cohesion.
D)the chameleon effect.

Answer 1

the chameleon effect.

Question 2

_______ sometimes follows compliance.

A)Obedience
B)Acceptance
C)Conformity
D)Reactance

Answer 2

Acceptance

Question 3

Even though you really dislike wearing a dress,you decide to wear one to your cousin's wedding.This is an example of

A)obedience.
B)acceptance.
C)conformity.
D)compliance.

Answer 3

compliance.

Question 4

Conformity that involves publicly acting in accord with an implied or explicit request,while privately disagreeing,is called

A)obedience.
B)acceptance.
C)cohesiveness.
D)compliance.

Question 5

In Western individualistic societies,the word "conformity" carries

A)a positive value judgment.
B)a negative value judgment.
C)a neutral value judgment.
D)both positive and negative value judgments.

Question 6

After hearing a great deal about the benefits of soy products from your friends,you decide to drink soy milk instead of cow's milk.Your behavior is an example of

A)obedience.
B)acceptance.
C)conformity.
D)compliance.

Question 7

After hearing so much about the dangers of smoking cigarettes from the media and seeing numbers of people who quit the habit,Jacob finally realizes that smoking is dangerous and therefore he quits.His behavior is an example of

A)obedience.
B)acceptance.
C)conformity.
D)compliance.

Question 8

Conformity that involves both acting and believing in accord with social pressure is called

A)obedience.
B)acceptance.
C)conformity.
D)compliance.

Question 9

Studies involving _______ most clearly demonstrate how social influence can take the form of acceptance.

A)the judgments of the length of lines
B)the judgments of the autokinetic phenomenon
C)the shocking of innocent victims
D)personality factors

Question 10

When our behavior is a result of our boss telling us to do something,it is a form of

A)obedience.
B)acceptance.
C)conformity.
D)compliance.

Question 11

Chartrand and Bargh (1999)found that participants in an experiment who worked alongside another person who occasionally rubbed her face were unwittingly more likely to rub their face.They called this

A)the chameleon effect.
B)mood linkage.
C)compliance.
D)automatic processing.

Question 12

The spread of bodily complaints within a school or workplace with no organic basis for the symptoms is called

A)mass influence.
B)social influence.
C)mass delusion.
D)mass hysteria.

Question 13

In his classic study of _______,Sherif had participants in groups call out estimates of the distance that a small point of light appeared to move in a dark room.

A)obedience
B)group cohesiveness
C)norm formation
D)psychological reactance

Question 14

A change in behavior or belief to accord with others is called

A)obedience.
B)acceptance.
C)conformity.
D)compliance.

Question 15

A year after his original study,Sherif's participants were retested alone and gave answers that supported the original group's norm.This suggests that the process involved was really

A)reactance.
B)compliance.
C)obedience.
D)acceptance.

Question 16

The Werther effect is most likely to occur

A)in older adults.
B)two to three months later.
C)in places where the suicide story is publicized.
D)during the winter.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a reason we yawn?

A)calm
B)tension release
C)sleepy
D)see others yawn

Question 18

Acting in accord with a direct order is called

A)obedience.
B)acceptance.
C)conformity.
D)compliance.

Question 19

If you clean your room only because your parents order you to,your behavior is a form of

A)obedience.
B)acceptance.
C)conformity.
D)compliance.

Question 20

In the spring of 1954,Seattle residents were alarmed by widespread reports of damage by a mysterious windshield-pitting agent.According to the text,the true cause of public concern was most likely

A)fallout from recent Pacific testing of the H-bomb.
B)mass suggestibility.
C)psychological reactance.
D)the autokinetic phenomenon.

Question 21

How did Asch's studies of conformity differ from those of Sherif?

A)Asch's participants faced a more ambiguous task.
B)Sherif's participants were dealing with facts rather than opinions.
C)Asch's participants could clearly see the correct judgment.
D)Sherif's participants were in the physical presence of the pressuring group,while Asch's participants were not.

Question 22

When Milgram conducted his first series of experiments with a sample of 20- to 50-year-old men,he found that over 60 percent of them

A)refused to deliver shocks beyond 150 volts.
B)refused to deliver shocks past the 300-volt level.
C)went all the way to 450 volts.
D)asked to be released from the experiment by 135 volts.

Question 23

Milgram's studies explored _______;Asch's studies explored _______.

A)obedience;conformity
B)conformity;norm formation
C)obedience;norm formation
D)conformity;obedience

Question 24

In a variation of the Milgram study,the learner was in the same room as the teacher.Under these conditions

A)there was no change in resulting shocks.
B)there was a decrease in compliance to shock.
C)there was an increase in compliance to shock.
D)this study did not take place.

Question 25

When Milgram asked 100 psychiatrists,college students,and middle-class adults to predict the results of his experiment,the respondents said that they thought _______ would _______.

A)they themselves;never begin to administer the shocks
B)they themselves;disobey by about 135 volts
C)other people;disobey by about 210 volts
D)other people;would go all the way to 450 volts

Question 26

In one variation of his original experiment,Milgram arranged for a confederate "clerk" (posing as a fellow participant)to assume command in the experimenter's absence.As a result of this manipulation,

A)most teachers agreed to comply with the orders of their fellow group member.
B)the teachers competed with him and with each other for the role of leader.
C)participants became more positive about their roles in this cohesive group,and some even became enthusiastiC.
D)80 percent of the teachers refused to comply fully.

Question 27

Asch's conformity experiments showed that most people

A)go along with others' decisions.
B)conform even when wrong.
C)tell the truth even when others do not.
D)become confused when confronteD.

Question 28

When participants in Milgram's experiments wanted to quit,they were given

A)shocks to keep them going.
B)money as an incentive to keep going.
C)up to four verbal prods to keep them going.
D)a reward for being one of the few to disobey.

Question 29

In follow-up experiments to his initial study,Milgram made the learner's protests more compelling by having him complain of a heart condition,then scream and plead for release,and finally refuse to answer.With this added condition,

A)the majority of participants still fully obeyed the experimenter's demands.
B)teachers were more reluctant to deliver initial shocks.
C)learners became more real and personal to the teacher.
D)fewer participants went to 450 volts.

Question 30

The most famous and controversial experiments in social psychology were conducted by

A)Sherif.
B)Milgram.
C)Asch.
D)Watson.

Question 31

In light of the Milgram studies,which of the following is NOT one of the factors that determined obedience?

A)the victim's similarity to the teacher
B)the victim's physical distance
C)the authority's closeness and legitimacy
D)whether or not the authority was institutionalized

Question 32

A psychiatrist who interviewed 40 of Milgram's participants a year after their participation concluded that

A)none had been harmed.
B)many were suspicious of all authorities.
C)a minority of them had lowered self-esteem.
D)most regretted having served in Milgram's study.

Question 33

In Milgram's research,when the experimenter gave the commands by telephone instead of in person,full obedience

A)dropped to zero.
B)dropped to 21 percent.
C)dropped to 50 percent.
D)increased to 73 percent.

Question 34

In a variation of the Milgram study,teachers were required to force the learner's hand into contact with a shock plate.Under these conditions,

A)there was no change in resulting shocks.
B)there was a decrease in compliance to shock.
C)there was an increase in compliance to shock.
D)this study did not take place.

Question 35

The results of both the Sherif and Asch studies are startling because their studies did not employ any

A)judgments about ambiguous stimuli.
B)groups larger than four persons.
C)experimental realism.
D)open,obvious pressure to conform.

Question 36

Sherif is to the study of _______ as Asch is to the study of _______.

A)conformity;compliance
B)compliance;conformity
C)norm formation;obedience
D)norm formation;conformity

Question 37

Consistent with what is known about personalization,Lydon and Dunkel-Schetter (1994)found that expectant women expressed more _______ to their pregnancies after seeing an ultrasound photo of the fetus.

A)apathy
B)resentment
C)commitment
D)hostility

Question 38

While control participants were correct about line-length judgments more than 99 percent of the time in Asch's conformity study,his naive participants conformed to the incorrect judgments of others ___ percent of the time.

A)12
B)37
C)65
D)87

Question 39

The experimenter in Milgram's study used all EXCEPT which of the following verbal prods to encourage participants to continue?

A)"It is absolutely essential that you continue."
B)"You will be penalized if you refuse to go on."
C)"You have no other choice;you must go on."
D)"The experiment requires that you continue."

Question 40

According to the text,Asch's experiments lacked _______ but did possess _______.

A)experimental realism;mundane realism
B)mundane realism;experimental realism
C)validity;reliability
D)reliability;validity

Question 41

In experiments,people have been found to conform more when they must _______ than when they must _______.

A)respond publicly;write down their responses in private
B)commit themselves in writing;announce their responses in public
C)think before acting;react spontaneously
D)explain their responses;keep silent

Question 42

Mullen and her colleagues (1990)found that the average baseline jaywalking rate decreases in the presence of a non-jaywalking confederate,especially if the non-jaywalker is well dressed.This is an example of the power of _______ on conformity.

A)unanimity
B)status
C)cohesiveness
D)co-morbidity

Question 43

According to conformity research,a group's social power is deflated when it loses its

A)agendA.
B)anonymity.
C)unanimity.
D)heterogeneity.

Question 44

Research on group size and conformity has shown that there is more conformity with

A)1-2 people than 3-5.
B)3-5 people than 1-2.
C)more than 5 people than 3-5.
D)15 or more people (which really increases the conformity).

Question 45

When Milgram's experimental series was reenacted in Bridgeport,Connecticut,far from the prestige and authority of Yale University,the proportion of participants who fully complied with orders to shock the learner _______ compared to the Yale rate.

A)remained unchanged
B)decreased
C)increased slightly
D)increased significantly

Question 46

After President Bush announced his position regarding a possible war with Iraq,he was unlikely to change his mind.This most likely reflects the

A)we-they polarity between the political parties.
B)fact that public commitment reduces susceptibility to social influence.
C)fact that the high status of the office elicits a need for uniqueness.
D)fact that higher-status people are more susceptible to psychological reactance.

Question 47

In a study by Hofling and his colleagues (1966),22 hospital nurses were telephoned by an unknown physician and ordered to administer an obvious drug overdose.Results showed that

A)most would not act on the order unless the caller named a familiar physician as a reference.
B)most nurses refused to comply unless given the order in writing.
C)less experienced nurses complied but more experienced ones challenged the order.
D)all but one proceeded to comply without delay.

Question 48

Group members who feel attracted to the group are more responsive to its influence.This fact illustrates the impact of _______ on conformity.

A)unanimity
B)status
C)cohesiveness
D)co-morbidity

Question 49

Several restaurant managers complied with orders from a telephone caller,posing as a police officer,to strip search a customer or employee.This is an example of the power of _______ on compliance.

A)group influence
B)personality factors
C)the closeness of the authority
D)the legitimacy of authority

Question 50

Which is not one of following is false?

A)Behavior and attitudes are mutually reinforced.
B)Small acts of evil can foster an attitude that leads to larger acts of evil.
C)Situations can be powerful and can influence acts of heroism.
D)When group norms encourage people to comply against their individual beliefs they don't affect their behavior or beliefs at a later time.

Question 51

As an example of the liberating effects of group influence,___ percent of the participants in a variation of Milgram's study conformed to the confederate's behavior when the confederates defied the experimenter.

A)90
B)45
C)20
D)10

Question 52

During the 1970s,the military junta in power in Greece initially selected candidates for officers based on their submission to authority.The candidates were first asked to guard prisoners,then to observe torture,and then to eventually practice torture.This process demonstrates how _______ can breed _______.

A)obedience;conformity
B)conformity;obedience
C)compliance;acceptance
D)acceptance;compliance

Question 53

Research on social influence points out the key issues EXCEPT

A)immediate situational forces are powerful.
B)normative pressures influence our behavior.
C)it is hard to predict our behavior.
D)situations can't induce ordinary people to be cruel.

Question 54

The extent to which members of a group are bound together,such as by attraction to one another,is called

A)conformity.
B)cohesion.
C)compliance.
D)unanimity.

Question 55

We tend to feel more sadness when we learn about one person's death on the news than we feel when we hear of thousands killed in a natural disaster.This is

A)not true.
B)because of personalization of the victim.
C)due to the victims' physical distance.
D)because we have problems thinking in large numbers.

Question 56

In calling sports decisions,umpires and referees rarely change their decisions as a result of a player's objection.This may be an example of how

A)status produces psychological reactance.
B)a we-they feeling has evolved between professional sports players and officials.
C)the umpire or referee seeks to maintain emotional distance from players.
D)public commitment reduces susceptibility to social influence.

Question 57

According to conformity research,a group's social power is deflated when

A)just one other person also differs from the majority.
B)one person differs from the majority.
C)no one differs from the majority.
D)there is heterogeneity in the group.

Question 58

Mullen and her colleagues (1990)found that the average baseline jaywalking rate _______ in the presence of a non-jaywalking confederate.

A)increases
B)decreases
C)stays the same
D)increases,then gradually decreases

Question 59

Research on group size and conformity has shown that there is more conformity with

A)4 people as a group than 2 people in 2 groups.
B)3 groups of 6 people than 1 group of 6.
C)no difference in the number of people or groups.
D)more groups of smaller number of people.

Question 60

The relationship between the degree to which a group is cohesive and the degree to which the group has power over its members is a _______ one.

A)positive
B)negative
C)neutral
D)curvilinear

Question 61

In the 60s and 70s,researchers observed only weak connections between personal characteristics and conformity.Later research finds

A)it always predicts specific actions.
B)it can predict average rather than specific actions.
C)it seldom predicts average actions.
D)there is no prediction of actions.

Question 62

When we go along with the crowd and act counter to our own beliefs and values,we are conforming because of

A)compliance.
B)acceptance.
C)normative influence.
D)informational influence.

Question 63

Compared to people in individualistic countries,those in collectivist countries are

A)more likely to express psychological reactance.
B)more responsive to others' influence.
C)more susceptible to the fundamental attribution error.
D)more likely to be independent.

Question 64

A concern for _______ produces normative influence,while a concern for _______ produces informational influence.

A)social image;being correct
B)being correct;social image
C)being correct;gaining status
D)social roles;authority figures

Question 65

Cultural values influence conformity.It is more responsive to others' influences

A)in individualistic countries than collectivistic countries.
B)in collectivistic countries than individualistic countries.
C)in individualistic and collectivistic countries.
D)in neither type of country.

Question 66

Conformity based on a person's desire to fulfill others' expectations,often to gain their acceptance,is called

A)compliance.
B)acceptance.
C)normative influence.
D)informational influence.

Question 67

A social role is

A)a cluster of norms.
B)separate from culture.
C)a weak influence on conformity.
D)a role that feels awkwarD.

Question 68

Conformity that occurs when people accept evidence about reality that is provided by other people is called

A)compliance.
B)acceptance.
C)normative influence.
D)informational influence.

Question 69

When the influence of the situation is _______,the consequent behavior is more likely to be a result of _______.

A)weak;individual personalities
B)weak;external circumstances
C)strong;internal forces
D)strong;dispositions

Question 70

Although he made a promise to himself to not take illegal drugs,Tom gave into peer pressure at a party to smoke marijuana because he did not want to be rejected by the others.Tom's conformity is a result of

A)compliance.
B)acceptance.
C)normative influence.
D)informational influence.

Question 71

Normative influence leads to compliance,especially for those

A)in ambiguous situations.
B)who are comfortable in their roles.
C)who are seeking to climb a status ladder.
D)who are in positions of authority.

Question 72

Conformity is greater when people respond publicly before a group.This pattern reflects

A)compliance.
B)acceptance.
C)normative influence.
D)informational influence.

Question 73

Conformity is greater when people feel incompetent.This pattern reflects

A)compliance.
B)acceptance.
C)normative influence.
D)informational influence.

Question 74

Bearman and Bruckner (2001)found that teens who made a public virginity-till-marriage pledge became _______ likely to remain sexually abstinent than similar teens who do not make the pledge.

A)somewhat less
B)somewhat more
C)extremely less
D)extremely more

Question 75

Bearman and Bruckner (2001)found that teens who made a public virginity-till-marriage pledge became somewhat more likely to remain sexually abstinent than similar teens who do not make the pledge.This is an example of how

A)status produces psychological reactance.
B)there is cohesion in a group.
C)the teen seeks to maintain emotional distance from would-be sexual partners.
D)public commitment reduces susceptibility to social influence.

Question 76

According to the text,personality predicts behavior when social influences are

A)obvious.
B)covert.
C)strong.
D)weak.

Question 77

Which of the following is NOT an example of informational influence?

A)when participants feel incompetent
B)when the task is difficult
C)when subjects are bilingual
D)when people care about being right

Question 78

In conformity research,Stephens (2007)found _____ people tend to prefer being similar to others,while _____ people strongly prefer to see themselves as unique.

A)working-class;middle-class
B)middle-class;working-class
C)upper-class;lower-class
D)lower-class;upper-class

Question 79

The degree to which personality predicts our behavior is _______ related to the degree to which social influences predict our behavior.

A)positively
B)negatively
C)somewhat
D)not at all

Question 80

Which of the following statements is TRUE of conformity and obedience?

A)They are primarily collectivistic phenomenA.
B)They are primarily individualistic phenomena.
C)They are universal phenomena that vary by culture.
D)They are universal phenomena that are uninfluenced by culture.