Deck 13: Conflict

Question 1

Use the concepts of equity,resource dilemma,free-riding,and self-serving biases to identify problems students sometimes experience when they work together on group projects for their classes.

Answer 1

Answers will vary.

Question 2

Describe an instance when a group that you belonged to had an intense conflict.In what way did emotions influence the conflict-escalation process?

Answer 2

Answers will vary.

Question 3

How do people differ,in general,in their social values orientation pertaining to conflict? What is your basic social values orientation?

Answer 3

Answers will vary.

Question 4

Describe how people who differ in their basic values orientations perceive other people during episodes of conflict.

Question 5

Bill and Jill are discussing whether to vacation in June or July.Although Bill initially has little preference,as they continue to discuss the matter he become increasingly committed to a June vacation.Use the concepts of reactance and the fundamental attribution error to explain Bill's commitment.

Question 6

Summarize the methods used and results obtained by Deutsch and Krauss in their "trucking game" experiment.

Question 7

What would you do if you were given the opportunity to play the prisoner's dilemma game (PDG)? What would your choice say about your social values?

Question 8

Compare and contrast soft,hard,and principled negotiation styles.

Question 9

Naomi finds out that she is getting a 3% raise.Later that day she discovers that Ed is getting a 5% raise.Use the concepts of (a)distributive and procedural justice and (b)equality and equity norms of resource distribution to make predictions about how she will feel about her pay raise.

Question 10

Many people believe that conflicts can be resolved if members would just communicate carefully and honestly with each other.Evaluate this belief,drawing on the empirical evidence examining communication and conflict.

Question 11

Do you think that conflict has a positive impact on groups,overall,by helping groups discover and resolve interpersonal and procedural problems?

Question 12

Describe an instance when a group that you belonged to had a prolonged period of intragroup conflict.What were the causes of conflict in that group?

Question 13

Use Heider's balance theory to explain why substantive conflicts tend to become personal conflicts.

Question 14

Describe,graphically,the five ways people deal with conflict-as suggested by the dual concerns model.

Question 15

Compare the negative effects of task and process conflict to the negative effects of personal conflict.

Question 16

If you were a teacher,how would you structure your classroom's goals to maximize cooperation and minimize competition?

Question 17

Describe the "tragedy of the commons" (the commons dilemma)and use this parable to explain the tension between self-interest and communal concern in groups.

Question 18

Describe how researchers use the prisoner's dilemma game (PDG)to study sources of conflict in groups,and be certain to include a matrix representation of the reward allocation scheme in your answer.

Question 19

You are about to meet with another person in a situation that might be one that involves competition and conflict.In this situation,would you prefer to be meeting with a man or a woman?

Question 20

Sakinah,Brooke,and Hally are working on a collaborative task.Use the concept of egocentrism to describe what happens when these members are asked how responsible they feel for their work.Note how success and failure would influence these effects and ways to minimize them.

Question 21

Careful review of previous research has confirmed this fact: groups benefit when they experience conflict.

Question 22

A person who always chooses the cooperative option in the prisoner's dilemma will always receive the highest reward.

Question 23

Choosing between maximizing one's own rewards or maximizing the group's outcomes is a social dilemma.

Question 24

The two concerns identified in the dual-concern model of conflict resolution are cooperation and competition.

Question 25

Anger is a means of communicating one's displeasure to other group members.

Question 26

Process (or task)conflict is more likely to lead to more negative effects in the long-term than will personal conflict.

Question 27

A disagreement over issues that are relevant to the group's goals and objectives is a personal conflict.

Question 28

Reactance occurs when an individual attributes a person's behavior to a negative rather than positive personal quality.

Question 29

The four basic social value orientations are competition,cooperation,altruism,and individualism.

Question 30

Those who take the blame for group failure are less liked than those who take the credit for group successes.

Question 31

In general,if individual's fail to influence others with soft tactics,they shift to harder tactics-and as a result conflict escalates.

Question 32

"No taxation without representation" is an outcry against procedural injustice.

Question 33

Violations of procedural justice cause more conflict than violations of distributive justice.

Question 34

Conflict,in the trucking game experiments,was greater in the bilateral threat condition than in the unilateral threat condition.

Question 35

The ultimate cure for conflict is communication,for research indicates groups that spend time communicating about conflicts are more cohesive and more productive than groups that just let the conflict fade away.

Question 36

The course of conflict often follows this path: routine interaction to disagreement to conflict to conflict escalation to conflict de-escalation to conflict resolution to routine interaction.

Question 37

The prisoner's dilemma,a team game first used by a prison warden to decease rates of intergroup conflict in his prison,has been successfully adapted to the business world.

Question 38

Conclusions based on the prisoner's dilemma game (PDG)have been questioned,because when people compete for high stakes (e.g. ,thousands of dollars)they become far more cooperative than the PDG results would suggest.

Question 39

The tit-for-tat strategy of dealing with conflict works because it is strong,unprovocable,ambiguous,and unforgiving.

Question 40

Conflict is disagreement,discord,or friction that occurs when the actions of one or more group members are resisted by one or more other group members.

Question 41

Bill and Ted have been captured and placed in a "prisoners' dilemma." If Bill confesses to the crime,he would be ___ Ted.

A)cooperating with
B)independent of
C)competing with
D)helping

Question 42

At the dog park,everyone is supposed to clean up after their dogs and watch their dogs when in the park.However,Danny neither cleans up after his dog nor stops it from digging holes.He figures that someone else will fix it.This situation is a

A)substantive conflict.
B)procedural conflict.
C)prisoner's dilemma.
D)public goods dilemma.

Question 43

Studies of students in ___ classrooms found that students worked harder,achieved higher grades,and communicated more frequently.

A)autocratic
B)individualistic
C)democratic
D)competitive
E)cooperative

Question 44

The PDG (prisoners' dilemma game)involves desires to ___ and ___.

A)fight;flee
B)cooperate;compete
C)work;play
D)help;harm
E)affiliate;remain alone

Question 45

The "tragedy of the commons" is a

A)prisoner's dilemma.
B)simulation game.
C)social disease.
D)social trap.
E)procedural conflict.

Question 46

Frank and Dinah are playing the PDG (prisoners' dilemma game).If they both pick A,they both win $2.If they both pick B,they both lose $1.If one picks A and the other picks B,the one who picks A loses $1 and the one who picks B wins $4.If Frank picks B he is making the ___ choice.

A)mixed-motive
B)neutral
C)cooperative
D)competitive
E)individualistic

Question 47

I don't work very hard writing test questions for the test bank because I know that other group members will pick up the slack for me if I loaf.I am

A)socially trapped.
B)distributing conflict.
C)free riding.
D)diffusing responsibility.
E)playing others for suckers (the sucker effect).

Question 48

For Deutsch,cooperation is to competition as ___ is to ___.

A)mixed;motive
B)promotive;contrient
C)individual;group
D)group;individual
E)goal;path

Question 49

According to the concept of negative reciprocity,___ is met by ___.

A)cooperation;cooperation
B)competition;competition
C)neutrality;competition
D)frustration;aggression

Question 50

Which of the following statements is true?

A)Women are more competitive than men.
B)More men than women adopt cooperative social values.
C)People who adopt individualistic social values are motivated to avoid other people.
D)Social values vary systematically across cultures.

Question 51

Groups experiencing ___ have differences of opinion,disagreements,and show signs of discord and friction between members.

A)mixed-motives
B)conflict
C)pluralistic ignorance
D)evolution

Question 52

Which is not one of the basic orientations identified in the theory of Social Value Orientation?

A)competitive
B)cooperative
C)individualistic
D)principled
E)altruistic

Question 53

Studies of neural activity suggest that regions of the brain associated with

A)processing social rewards are active when individuals are cooperating.
B)making choices are active when people are cooperating and when they are competing.
C)perceiving other people's motives are more active during competition.
D)distinguishing oneself from other people are active during competition.
E)all the findings listed here have been reported.

Question 54

The professor tells her students that she gives out grades based on ranks.The 10% of the students with the best grades get As,the next 20% get Bs,and so on.She is using a(n)___ goal structure.

A)autocratic
B)individualistic
C)democratic
D)competitive
E)cooperative

Question 55

Person A vs.Person B is to ___ as Group X vs.Group Y is to ___.

A)tension;conflict
B)intragroup conflict;intergroup conflict
C)intergroup conflict;intragroup conflict
D)interindividual conflict;interpersonal conflict
E)conflict;tension

Question 56

A win-win orientation is to a(n)___ social value as a win-lose orientation is to a(n)___ social value.

A)success;failure
B)competitive;cooperative
C)cooperative;competitive
D)individualistic;competitive
E)self-serving;group-serving

Question 57

Deborah and Frank are studying together for the next test.Deborah wants to help Frank do well but at the same time she also wants to get a better score on the test than he does.Deborah is in a(n)___ situation

A)anomic
B)individualistic
C)mixed-motive
D)contrient
E)promotive

Question 58

A mixed-motive situation occurs when

A)some group members want to compete,but others want to cooperate.
B)conflict shifts over time from high to low.
C)the group's goal structures include elements of both cooperation and competition.
D)individuals aren't certain what their goals are.
E)group members must work with those they dislike.

Question 59

The Eskadors battle with a neighboring group,the Uminiacs,for control of a valley that contains rich,productive farmland.The Eskadors and Uminiacs are experiencing ___ conflict.

A)personal
B)substantive
C)procedural
D)mixed-motive
E)intergroup

Question 60

At work,people are supposed to put a quarter in the money jar anytime they take a cup of coffee from the common pot.Betty,however,rarely contributes because she figures her money will not be missed.This situation is a

A)substantive conflict.
B)procedural conflict.
C)prisoner's dilemma.
D)commons dilemma.
E)negative inequity problem.

Question 61

In the "trucking game" experiment,the power to threaten others was manipulated by giving some of the subjects

A)a gate.
B)a revolver.
C)extra points.
D)less information.
E)the power to take points away.

Question 62

Which of the following statements is true?

A)Conflict is markedly higher in online groups because norms do not exist to regulate civility.
B)When communicating online people send hostile messages in over 50% of their online interactions.
C)Disinhibition is greater in face-to-face interaction than in online groups.
D)As is the case in most groups,online groups negatively sanction individuals who violate the group's standards
E)Because online interactions are emotionally uninvolving they rarely provoke conflict.

Question 63

Reactance theory suggests person X will be least likely to go along with person Y when Y states

A)"I think I am going to adopt plan A.What are you going to do?"
B)"From my point of view,plan A seems to be the best choice."
C)"I think it is pretty obvious we should both work on plan A."
D)"I like plan A the best."

Question 64

Frank and Dinah are locked in a(n)___ conflict because Frank feels that the company should acquire a small,rival company but Dinah believes that such a take-over would be ruinous.

A)personal
B)task (substantive)
C)mixed-motive
D)intergroup

Question 65

Which of the following statements is true?

A)Humans are the only species that recognize violations of distributive justice.
B)Even primates react negatively when they are overbenefitted by positive inequity.
C)Some primates,such as capuchins,respond negatively when they are "paid" less than others for the same amount of work.
D)Except for humans,primates suffer from "reciprocity blindness": they cannot distinguish between equitable and inequitable reward distributions.
E)Only humans display free-riding.

Question 66

Frank and Dinah are arguing about their wages.Frank says he should make more money because he puts in longer hours.Dinah says everyone should be paid the same,because everyone's work is important.Frank is basing pay on the ___ norm,but Dinah is relying on the ___ norm.

A)fairness;parity
B)equity;equality
C)equality;equity
D)parity;fairness
E)time;load

Question 67

The "trucking game" (Deutsch & Krauss,1958)suggests that conflict is worst when

A)participants can't communicate with each other
B)both participants can threaten one another.
C)the experimenter can threaten both participants.
D)one of the participation can threaten the other.
E)no one can threaten the other.

Question 68

Group members who focus on the group's achievements are ___ whereas group members who focus on their personal contributions are ___.

A)collectivistic;allocentric
B)distributivistic;proceduralistic
C)sociocentric;egocentric
D)idiocentric;individualistic

Question 69

Balance theory predicts that tension is greatest when group members

A)do not know if they like or dislike each other.
B)agree with each other and like each other.
C)disagree about what procedures to use.
D)disagree with each other and like each other.
E)dislike each other.

Question 70

I feel as though I am being paid too much for the small amount of work I do for the company.I am experiencing

A)negative inequality.
B)positive inequality.
C)negative inequity.
D)positive inequity.
E)positive parity.

Question 71

Which of the following is NOT one of the basic causes of group conflict discussed in the text?

A)Controlling: Disputes over power and authority.
B)Deciding: Disagreements about procedures and decisions.
C)Sharing: Disputes about the division of resources.
D)Winning: Competition for scare outcomes.
E)Hiding: Covert disagreements and secretive maneuvering.

Question 72

When Taylor created dyads where members agreed or disagreed with each other and liked or disliked each other,he noted that hostility was greatest when the discussants ___ each other and ___ with each other.

A)liked;disagreed
B)liked;agreed
C)disliked;disagreed
D)disliked;agreed

Question 73

The group is discussing an important issue,and must choose between option A or option B.Which situation is the most likely to create the greatest level of conflict (hostility)in the group?

A)Bob and Ed like each other,but Bob prefers option A and Ed prefers option B.
B)Bob and Ed dislike each other,but both Bob and Ed prefer option B.
C)Bob and Ed dislike each other,and Bob prefers option A and Ed prefers option B.
D)Bob and Ed like each other,and both prefer option A.

Question 74

When people experience psychological reactance,they are motivated to

A)inflict harm.
B)go out and help someone.
C)escape the situation that distressed them.
D)reestablish a sense of autonomy

Question 75

During conflicts,people are most likely to misinterpret and misperceive ___ behavior.

A)competitive
B)neutral
C)individualistic
D)aggressive
E)altruistic

Question 76

___ tends to reduce conflict,whereas ___ increases it.

A)Undermatching;overmatching
B)Equality;equity
C)Bilateral threats;unilateral threats
D)Individualism;collectivism
E)Negative reciprocity;positive reciprocity

Question 77

___ justice focuses on the fairness of distributed rights and resources whereas ___ justice focuses on the fairness of the steps followed when allocating rights and resources.

A)Procedural;distributive
B)Equity;equality
C)Distributive;procedural
D)Mediational;equity
E)Distributive;integrative

Question 78

Because of ___,people tend to assume someone who competes is a competitor and that someone who cooperates is a cooperator.

A)social pressure
B)informational influence
C)the fundamental attribution error
D)perceiver prototypes

Question 79

Frank dislikes Dinah,for she has many qualities that bother Frank-she is sloppy,moody,and interrupts him.Dinah dislikes Frank,for she thinks he is a bore.These feelings create ___ conflict when they are assigned to the same project at work.

A)personal
B)task (substantive)
C)process (procedural)
D)mixed-motive
E)intergroup

Question 80

Group members tend to like members who claim ___ levels of responsibility when the group succeeds and claim ___ levels of responsibility when the groups fail.

A)low;high
B)moderate;low
C)high;low
D)moderate;moderate
E)low;moderate