Deck 7: Conformity

Question 1

Which of the following phenomena is defined as the ways in which people are affected by the real or imagined presence of others?

A) Social influence
B) Psychological reactance
C) Pluralistic ignorance
D) The autokinetic effect

Answer 1

Social influence

Question 2

Which of the following was the central focus of Muzafer Sherif's (1936) study on conformity?

A) The autokinetic effect
B) Stroboscopic motion
C) Motion parallax
D) The Doppler effect

Answer 2

The autokinetic effect

Question 3

What was the finding of Sherif's study (1936) on conformity when participants were asked to estimate the distance moved by a point of light?

A) Participants were more accurate when they were alone than when they were in groups.
B) Participants were more accurate in groups than when they were alone.
C) As the study progressed, the participants' estimates began to converge with each other.
D) As the study progressed, the participants' estimates began to diverge from each other.

Answer 3

As the study progressed, the participants' estimates began to converge with each other.

Question 4

Many participants in the social influence study conducted by ____ gave public responses that they privately knew to be inaccurate.

A) Sherif
B) Asch
C) Milgram
D) Zimbardo

Question 5

According to research by Emily Pronin and others (2007), which of the following statements explains why people perceive others to be more conforming than they, themselves, are?

A) People are poor judges of others' motivations.
B) People tend to judge others by their overt behavior while judging themselves by focusing inward.
C) People judge themselves in the same way that they judge others, but often much less accurately.
D) People judge others by asking them about their inner thought processes.

Question 6

The tendency to unconsciously mimic the nonverbal behavior of others is called

A) reciprocation wariness.
B) pluralistic ignorance.
C) the ally effect.
D) the chameleon effect.

Question 7

Which of the following has not been demonstrated by research on mimicry?

A) Within a few days of birth, infants mimic the facial expressions of adults.
B) Various species of nonhuman animals demonstrate rudimentary forms of mimicry.
C) People often mimic the facial expressions of others, but never mimic their overt behaviors.
D) People sometimes mimic facial expressions of which they are not even consciously aware.

Question 8

A half-dozen high school students are going to a concert. Chantal wants to wear a new colorful outfit that she just received as a gift, but she assumes that her five friends will all be wearing nothing but black leather. Chantal decides to do likewise, and leaves her colorful outfit in the closet. Chantal's behavior is an example of

A) reciprocation wariness.
B) idiosyncrasy credits.
C) resistance.
D) conformity.

Question 9

You're out with friends when a talk show host walks up and asks if you'll answer a few trivia questions on camera. When he asks how many feet are in a mile, your first friend says 2,000 and your second friend says 3,000. You don't know the correct answer, so you say 2,500. Your response is similar to the judgments made by participants in which study?

A) Langer et al. (1978)
B) Sherif (1936)
C) Asch (1951)
D) Milgram (1962)

Question 10

According to the research of Neumann and Strack (2000), participants would report that they expected a more positive mood state when they listened to a speaker who

A) spoke in a happy voice.
B) presented about material of specific interest to the listener.
C) seemed to have very high expertise on their topic.
D) sounded like an older, mature male.

Question 11

Ireland and Pennebaker (2010) found evidence for

A) mood contagion.
B) mimicry in use of language.
C) destructive obedience.
D) the dynamic nature of mimicry.

Question 12

Which of the following is not an example of social influence?

A) A sports fan who decides to join the other members of the stadium crowd in doing the wave
B) A student who hears that some of his fellow classmates may have been exposed to a noxious gas and immediately comes to feel a bit nauseated himself
C) A model who catches a glimpse of herself wearing a swimsuit in a mirror and suddenly becomes self-conscious about the way she looks
D) A guest at a dinner party who does not understand a joke told by the host, but laughs anyway because everyone else is laughing

Question 13

Chartran and Bargh (1999) had experimental accomplices mimic the mannerisms of some participants but not others. They found that

A) participants whose mannerisms were mimicked liked the accomplice more than participants who were not copied.
B) participants whose mannerisms were copied by an accomplice reported being more uncomfortable during the interaction than those who were not mimicked.
C) imitating the mannerisms of the participants tended to reduce the nonverbal behaviors exhibited during the interaction.
D) participants who were not mimicked by their interaction partners indicated a greater willingness to interact with that person again in the future.

Question 14

At the sales meeting, Leo clasped his hands behind his head and reclined in his chair. Within minutes, three other team members were sitting in the same posture, demonstrating the psychological tendency referred to as

A) psychological reactance.
B) the chameleon effect.
C) lowballing.
D) idiosyncrasy credits.

Question 15

The tendency to alter perceptions, opinions, and behavior in ways that are consistent with group norms is called

A) psychological reactance.
B) compliance.
C) obedience.
D) conformity.

Question 16

Which of the following is not considered one of the three forms of social influence discussed in this chapter?

A) Conformity
B) Compliance
C) Obedience
D) Independence

Question 17

Identify the species of animal that does not show automatic imitation.

A) Hamsters
B) Fish
C) Pigeons
D) Camels

Question 18

Chang has a habit of scratching his head in anxiety whenever he meets his clients. Four other colleagues-David, Peter, Sophie, and Jones-are with him. He would feel more comfortable with

A) David, who mimics Chang's behavior and scratches his head while speaking.
B) Peter, who frowns at him while he observes him scratching his head.
C) Sophie, who smiles at him every time he scratches his head.
D) Jones, who has no reaction to Chang's behavior.

Question 19

In what way does conformity differ from obedience and compliance?

A) It involves less direct pressure from others.
B) It occurs only in response to the behavior of a group of others.
C) It requires the physical presence of at least one other person.
D) It is more likely to produce destructive behaviors.

Question 20

Sherif's (1936) research using the autokinetic effect demonstrated that

A) people often look to others as a source of information.
B) people are particularly concerned about social rejection.
C) conformity is difficult to establish in the laboratory.
D) only preexisting relationships have the power to influence behavior.

Question 21

Normative influence tends to produce ____, whereas informational influence leads to ____.

A) compliance; obedience
B) conversion; compliance
C) public conformity; private conformity
D) pluralistic ignorance; pluralistic knowledge

Question 22

Research on social influence in virtual groups shows that they

A) are much less influential than "live" groups.
B) only have impact when member identities are known.
C) only have impact when member identities are hidden.
D) can be quite influential even when they are remote.

Question 23

Baron and others (1996) found that participants' levels of conformity depended on how motivated they were to do well. When offered a financial incentive, conformity went

A) down when the task was difficult and up when the task was easy.
B) up in both conditions.
C) down in both conditions.
D) up when the task was difficult and down when the task was easy.

Question 24

The experience of being ostracized has been found to be

A) fleeting and relatively harmless.
B) more disturbing for women than for men.
C) similar in brain area activation to the experience of physical pain.
D) likely to lead to gun use and other forms of violence.

Question 25

The conformity seen in Sherif's (1936) study was most likely the result of

A) normative influence.
B) private conformity.
C) public conformity.
D) informational influence.

Question 26

In a study by Baron et al. (1996) in which groups of three participants were asked to act as eyewitnesses, the greatest level of conformity occurred when participants were motivated to be ____ and the task was quite ____.

A) accurate; easy
B) accurate; difficult
C) accepted by their partners; easy
D) accepted by their partners; difficult

Question 27

Participants in an experiment are asked to look at pictures of different infants and rate the attractiveness of each infant on a 10-point scale. The participants are tested in groups of three and indicate their ratings aloud. For almost all of the infants, the participants tend to give ratings similar to other group members. In which of the following situations can we infer that their ratings represent private conformity rather than public conformity?

A) They exhibit much less conformity in the presence of the experimenter.
B) They give the same ratings alone as they do in the group.
C) Their ratings result from their desire to fit in with the rest of the group members.
D) They are not especially motivated to be accurate in their judgments.

Question 28

Which of the following is the best example of normative influence?

A) Patients adhere rigidly to doctors' recommendations.
B) People estimate how far a stable dot has moved by referring to others' estimates.
C) People wear a particular type of shoe even if uncomfortable because it is considered fashionable.
D) Military personnel follow a superior's orders that are morally questionable.

Question 29

Which of the following statements best illustrates the relationship between ostracism and conformity?

A) Failure to conform can lead to ostracism.
B) Being ostracized typically reduces future conformity.
C) Ostracism always comes before conformity.
D) When people do not conform, they typically tend to ostracize.

Question 30

Normative influence tends to occur primarily when people

A) are uncertain regarding the correct answer and therefore look to others for guidance.
B) fear the negative social consequences of rejection that can follow appearing deviant.
C) are motivated to appear consistent in their feelings and behaviors.
D) feel that their freedom to choose a particular course of action has been threatened.

Question 31

Informational influence occurs under the condition that people

A) believe that others are correct in their judgments, especially when they agree.
B) fear the negative social consequences of appearing deviant.
C) are motivated to appear consistent in their feelings and behaviors.
D) respond to social norms automatically and without any thought.

Question 32

Though she initially attended the pro-choice rally because all her friends were going, Marion now firmly believes in a woman's right to choose when it comes to abortion. Marion's new beliefs illustrate

A) private conformity.
B) public conformity.
C) reciprocation ideology.
D) reciprocation wariness.

Question 33

Participants in Asch's line judgment study conformed approximately ____% of the time.

A) 27
B) 37
C) 47
D) 57

Question 34

Arnold wears suits every day to his job at the bank, but when he is at home in the evening and on weekends, he spends most of his time naked because that is what he finds most comfortable. Arnold's daytime behavior illustrates

A) perceptual contrast.
B) private conformity.
C) conversion.
D) public conformity.

Question 35

Will and Grace have just started to attend church. Will pays attention to when the rest of the congregation sits and stands because he wants to be sure to stand and sit at the appropriate times. Grace stands up and sits down when the rest of the congregation does because if she doesn't, the elderly couple across the aisle scowls at her. Will has conformed because of ____, whereas Grace has conformed because of ____.

A) normative influence; informational influence
B) informational influence; normative influence
C) compliance; obedience
D) obedience; compliance

Question 36

No one else seems concerned about the welfare of the woman lying down in the alley. Therefore, Maureen steps over her as well, figuring that she is simply drunk or asleep and not in need of emergency assistance. Maureen's behavior is an example of

A) informational influence.
B) normative social influence.
C) compliance.
D) obedience.

Question 37

Which of the following conditions reveals that participants in Sherif's study exhibited private conformity rather than public conformity?

A) When retested without their fellow group members, participants reverted to their original estimates.
B) They would report their group's normative estimate when asked to respond aloud, but not when asked to respond in writing.
C) They continued to use their group estimates when retested alone one year later.
D) The task was too easy for people to demonstrate public conformity.

Question 38

Which of the following is not one of the emotions a person is likely to feel after being ostracized?

A) Numbness
B) Anger
C) Sadness
D) Acceptance

Question 39

Imagine that some researchers conducted a study and interpreted the results of the study as indicative of normative influence. These researchers are most likely to reach this conclusion if participants in their study

A) were truly convinced that the majority was correct in their opinions.
B) behaved in a way that would be considered normal to people in Western cultures.
C) did what they felt was morally right, even if it violated social norms in the process.
D) conformed because they feared being rejected for appearing deviant.

Question 40

The primary difference between the research of Sherif (1936) and Asch (1951) is that

A) Sherif was able to demonstrate conformity, whereas Asch was not.
B) Asch was able to demonstrate conformity, whereas Sherif was not.
C) Sherif relied on an ambiguous task, whereas Asch used an unambiguous task.
D) Asch relied on an ambiguous task, whereas Sherif used an unambiguous task.

Question 41

Often overlooked in Asch's conformity study is the fact that participants refused to conform ____% of the time.

A) 25
B) 37
C) 63
D) 75

Question 42

As group size increases, conformity will

A) increase.
B) decrease.
C) increase as long as each additional member of the group is perceived as an independent source of influence.
D) decrease as long as each additional member of the group is perceived as an independent source of influence.

Question 43

The fact that the presence of an ally, regardless of her competence, reduces conformity indicates that

A) informational social influence typically wins out over normative social influence in the long run.
B) it is exceedingly difficult to hold out against the pressure to conform without at least one supporter in the group.
C) conformity does not occur for high-stakes decisions with important repercussions.
D) men conform less in private than they do in public.

Question 44

Horatio is asked what main dish was served for lunch at the cafeteria yesterday. He knows that it was roast beef, but before responding, he observes six other students who say the main dish was pizza. Horatio is most likely to say the main dish was pizza if he hears the response from

A) the six other students in three pairs of two.
B) all the students at once.
C) the six students at six different times in six different places.
D) the six other students in two pairs of three.

Question 45

What was the proposition of the study of Latané (1981) for additional members to a group subject to the law of diminishing returns?

A) Influence of confederates decreases for a large group size.
B) Conformity increases with group size irrespective of the number of confederates.
C) The strength of minority decreases with the number of additions to the group.
D) Conformity decreases with the addition of confederates.

Question 46

Professor Hildebrand just gave the first exam back to his students. Many in the class are convinced that one of the questions he asked had more than one correct answer. In fact, 13 students from the class show up to his office hours to protest the question. Professor Hildebrand is convinced that there is only one correct answer, and so he tries to convince the larger group of students that he is right. He will be most likely to convince this group of his point of view if he

A) presents his arguments forcefully and consistently.
B) tries to exert normative social influence on the group of students.
C) presents himself as an outgroup member rather than as part of their ingroup.
D) makes salient the norms of the group.

Question 47

As observed by Asch (1956), the optimal number of confederates, above which conformity did not significantly increase, was

A) 1 or 2.
B) 3 or 4.
C) 5 or 6.
D) 7 or 8.

Question 48

Lily is interested in conducting an experiment to demonstrate that there are some situations in which men are more likely to conform than women. Which of the following strategies should Lily adopt in designing her study?

A) She should have participants engage in a discussion about politics.
B) She should have participants engage in a discussion about fashion.
C) She should tell participants that they are being observed throughout the study.
D) She should tell participants that their primary goal in the study should be to appear attractive toward group members of the opposite sex.

Question 49

Women conform more and men conform less when they believe they are being observed. Eagly (1987) argues that this occurs because

A) being watched makes people self-aware, which brings out their underlying personalities.
B) women are easier to manipulate, whereas men tend to be more independent.
C) women and men tend to be knowledgeable about different kinds of topics.
D) people feel greater pressure in public to behave in ways consistent with their gender role.

Question 50

Prentice and Miller (1996) found that most college students overestimate how comfortable their peers are with alcohol on campus. This misperception is an example of

A) pluralistic ignorance.
B) psychological reactance.
C) mass psychogenic illness.
D) the chameleon effect.

Question 51

Research by Prentice and Miller (1996) found that college students are likely to have more positive attitudes toward drinking on campus and consume more alcohol if they

A) attend colleges that strictly forbid drinking on campus.
B) participate in workshops designed to increase their personal responsibility for drinking.
C) overestimate the favorability of their peers' attitudes toward drinking.
D) believe such attitudes and behavior are inconsistent with social norms.

Question 52

In which case can social norms lead to conformity?

A) They are behavioral.
B) People know the norms and focus on them.
C) They have a high level of complexity.
D) They are flexible and easy to follow for the particular group.

Question 53

Pat attends a prescreening of a new romantic comedy with a group of four people and then participates in a focus group where the group is asked several questions about the film. The group is asked, "How funny is the film?" Each member of the group responds to the question. Pat responds last, after hearing the rest of the group say that the movie was very funny. Pat is more likely to agree with them if

A) Pat is female.
B) Pat is from an individualistic culture.
C) Pat is elderly.
D) Pat's group had seven people instead of four.

Question 54

Mary has just heard five friends say that Massachusetts is the largest state in New England, when she knows it is Maine. Rob, the next friend in line, says that New Hampshire is the largest state in New England. In this situation, Mary is now less likely to conform with the first five friends than if Rob had said that

A) Maine is the largest state.
B) Massachusetts is the largest state.
C) he isn't familiar with New England.
D) Connecticut is the largest state.

Question 55

Reuben notices one group of eight people littering in the park. Rachel sees four different pairs of people littering in the park. As per Wilder's (1977) study, which of the following statements holds?

A) Reuben is more likely to conform to the behavior of the litterbugs than is Rachel.
B) Rachel is more likely to conform to the behavior of the litterbugs than is Reuben.
C) Reuben and Rachel are equally likely to conform to the behavior of the litterbugs.
D) Reuben is more likely to conform because of informational influence, but Rachel is more likely to conform because of normative influence.

Question 56

Jay participates in an experiment where he and three other participants are asked to judge the quality of a series of sculptures. Jay is least likely to exhibit informational influence if

A) each sculpture is shown for only a few seconds.
B) he is motivated to be very accurate in his judgments.
C) there are no objective criteria by which to make such judgments.
D) there is a clear and unambiguous response for each sculpture.

Question 57

According to Moscovici, majorities derive their power to influence others by virtue of their ____, whereas nonconformists derive their power to influence others from their ____.

A) social connections; sheer number
B) informational connections; social standing
C) sheer number; style of behavior
D) informational influence; normative influence

Question 58

Which of the following concerning the relationship between gender and conformity is true ?

A) Men exhibit greater conformity than women in face-to-face interactions.
B) Men exhibit greater conformity than women regardless of the situation.
C) Women exhibit greater conformity than men in face-to-face interactions.
D) Women exhibit greater conformity than men regardless of the situation.

Question 59

What was Asch's conclusion when he tested the impact of group size on conformity by altering the number of confederates?

A) Conformity increases with ten confederates than with five confederates.
B) Conformity increases as an exponential function of group size.
C) One group of six confederates produced more conformity than two groups of three confederates.
D) Increase in conformity was negligible with three or four confederates.

Question 60

According to Miller and Prentice (2016), people are more likely to make a charitable contribution only when

A) they express their overt behavior instead of just conforming with others.
B) they privately accept it.
C) they express public conformity rather than private conformity.
D) they follow similar others doing the same.

Question 61

Langer et al. (1978) found that if an experimenter approaches people with a request with no justifiable reason, they often respond

A) with skeptical reactance.
B) by asking for a more complete explanation.
C) with surprise followed by caution.
D) by complying mindlessly.

Question 62

Collectivist cultures have which of the following characteristics as per Triandis (1995)?

A) Low complexity, low affluence, and cultural homogeneity
B) Low complexity, high affluence, and cultural heterogeneity
C) High complexity, low affluence, and cultural homogeneity
D) High complexity, high affluence, and cultural heterogeneity

Question 63

Research on majority and minority influence suggests all of the following except that

A) majorities are more influential than minorities on subjective questions.
B) majorities exert normative influence, whereas minorities exert informational influence.
C) majorities are more influential than minorities on questions of fact.
D) majority influence is greater on public measures of conformity, whereas minority influence is greater on private measures of conformity.

Question 64

Compared to conformity, compliance occurs

A) only after careful deliberation.
B) in response to a direct request.
C) publicly, but not privately.
D) as a result of less direct pressure from others.

Question 65

A cultural orientation in which independence, autonomy, and self-reliance take priority over group allegiances is called

A) individualism.
B) collectivism.
C) power distance.
D) uncertainty avoidance.

Question 66

According to Hollander's (1958) work on idiosyncrasy credits, which of the following individuals would be most effective in convincing a majority to change their opinion?

A) A person who has just joined the group, because such a person has no history of antagonism with any of the majority group members
B) A person who does not belong to the group at all, because such a person would be perceived as the most objective
C) A person who has been in the group for quite a while, but consistently disagrees with the group
D) A person who has been in the group for a long time, and usually goes along with the majority of the group

Question 67

Which of the following explanations for why a consistent behavioral style increases minority influence is least plausible ?

A) A consistent minority draws more attention to its position.
B) A consistent minority puts increased pressure on the majority to compromise.
C) The position advocated by a consistent minority is more likely to be perceived as valid.
D) A consistent minority is more likely to exert normative social influence on the group.

Question 68

At a campaign meeting, the majority of the staff argues that they should use negative ads to attack their opponent. Despite their strong feelings on this matter, Stefan argues successfully for positive ads. According to the dual-process approach, Stefan's influence has probably resulted in

A) defiance.
B) conversion.
C) public conformity.
D) collusion.

Question 69

According to the dual-process approach, majorities exert influence by producing ____, whereas minorities exert influence by producing ____.

A) informational influence; normative influence
B) public conformity; private conformity
C) reactance; obedience
D) conversion; compliance

Question 70

Some researchers are planning to go around the world and put participants in a version of the Asch study in which they are asked to make judgments about the lengths of lines. Cross-cultural research suggests that the least amount of conformity should be observed in cultures

A) characterized by financial independence and prosperity.
B) where the majority of the people in positions of power are men.
C) where the people live a simple life, as in an isolated farming community.
D) with very little cultural diversity.

Question 71

Which of the following key factors does not contribute to individualistic culture?

A) Complexity
B) Affluence
C) Heterogeneity
D) Conformity

Question 72

The idea that minority influence works in the same way as majority influence is most consistent with

A) the interpersonal relations model.
B) the dual-process approach.
C) the single-process approach.
D) research comparing private and public conformity.

Question 73

______ show a high level of interdependence within their social network.

A) Farmers
B) Herders
C) Local labors
D) School principals

Question 74

Interpersonal credits a person earns by following group norms are called ____ credits.

A) idiosyncrasy
B) discretionary
C) group
D) normative

Question 75

Hiroko is usually very agreeable and goes along with his friends' plans. Tonight, however, he tells his friends that even though they all want to go out for Mexican food, he has a strong preference for Italian food. Even though he is the only person who initially votes for Italian, Hiroko's friends eventually come to agree with him because he usually does go along with the group. This best epitomizes which of the following phenomena associated with minority influence?

A) Consensus attribution
B) Idiosyncrasy credits
C) Door-in-the-face technique
D) Graduated and reciprocated initiative in tension reduction (GRIT)

Question 76

If American children raised in ways consistent with mainstream American culture and Chinese children raised in ways that were consistent with traditional Chinese culture were placed in the same classroom, which of the following statements would probably be true ?

A) The American children would never demonstrate conformity, and the Chinese children would always conform.
B) The American children would demonstrate less conformity than the Chinese children.
C) The American children would demonstrate less private conformity, but more public conformity than the Chinese children.
D) The two groups of children would conform to the same extent and degree.

Question 77

Psychologists tend to refer to a culture that values the virtues of interdependence and social harmony as

A) conformist.
B) collectivist.
C) communist.
D) cooperative.

Question 78

Which of the following statements is true of the dual-process approach to understanding minority influence?

A) Majority and minority influence occur for through similar processes.
B) Group majorities and minorities exert their influence in very different ways.
C) Majority influence is likely to produce private conformity for ambiguous situations and public conformity for unambiguous situations.
D) Minority influence occurs through different psychological processes in collectivist versus individualistic cultures.

Question 79

The residents in Burberry Hill have convened to discuss whether to build a neighborhood pool. The majority are in favor of building a pool. However, Miguel, a long-time resident, expresses his opposition. Which of the following is unlikely ?

A) The residents will think more carefully about the issue of building a pool because Miguel presented a dissenting opinion.
B) Miguel's status of being a long-time resident and its accompanying idiosyncrasy credits will help him influence the group.
C) Miguel will not gain private conformity to his opinion, only public conformity.
D) Miguel will be more influential if he repeatedly expresses his opposition as the group discusses the benefits of building a pool.

Question 80

The "minority slowness effect" refers to the finding that

A) members of minority groups are often slow to change their minds during group discussion.
B) it takes longer for minority group members to change the minds of majority group members than vice versa.
C) people with minority opinions are slower to respond to questions about the topic than people with majority opinions.
D) minority groups take longer to form, as people are less likely to join a group whose opinion is not widely accepted.