Question 1

Jennifer is the leader of a college student group whose goal is to steal the mascot of a rival university the week before the big football game.In planning the heist,Jennifer should _______ to prevent groupthink and ensure that her group is successful in devising the best possible plan.

Accepted Answer

Seeking the opinions of trustworthy nongroup members can help prevent groupthink, as they may provide unbiased and fresh perspectives that may not be shared within the group. This can lead to more creative and effective plans. Strong directive leadership (A) may discourage open discussion and critical thinking among group members, while ensuring complete commitment from all members (C) may lead to a lack of diverse viewpoints. Assessing opinions frequently using show-of-hand voting (D) may lead to conformity and may not allow for deep examination of all options. Creating a unified, cohesive membership (E) may also lead to groupthink and suppression of dissenting opinions.

Question 2

To prevent process loss and make sure all unique information is shared the group should do all of the following except

Accepted Answer

Focusing the group on quickly achieving their goals may lead to rushing decision making and skipping important steps such as thorough discussion and information retention. Therefore, all other options listed are effective ways to prevent process loss and ensure all unique information is shared.

Question 3

_______ refers to the tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclinations of their individual members.

Accepted Answer

Group polarization refers to the phenomenon where individuals in a group discussion tend to adopt more extreme attitudes or positions than they initially held. This can happen because individuals are exposed to arguments and opinions that support their own initial views, leading them to become even more convinced of their correctness. It can also occur due to a social comparison process, where individuals try to conform to the perceived norms of the group by taking increasingly extreme positions. Therefore, group polarization can lead to increased cohesion within a group but also to more extreme decision-making outcomes.

Question 4

The Choice Dilemmas Questionnaire (CDQ)is often used in research on individual versus group decision-making.This instrument is designed to

Accepted Answer

The Choice Dilemmas Questionnaire (CDQ) is specifically designed to measure individuals' propensity to take risks in various scenarios, including social situations.

Question 5

The phenomenon of groupthink is most likely to occur when a group is under stress,highly _______,and when the leader is very _______.

Accepted Answer

According to the symptoms of groupthink, a cohesive group that is under stress and has a directive or authoritarian leader is more likely to experience groupthink. This is because cohesive groups may prioritize group harmony over critical thinking and dissenting opinions, especially when they are under pressure or facing a crisis. A directive or authoritarian leader may also discourage dissent or independent thinking, which can amplify the groupthink effect.

Question 6

In one family with young children Bill keeps lists of which groceries to buy while Sylvie keeps track of all events,practices,and appointments.They are making use of

Accepted Answer

Bill and Sylvie are exhibiting transactive memory, which refers to a group's ability to collectively remember information and assign tasks based on each member's area of expertise. In this case, Bill and Sylvie are dividing up responsibilities based on their individual strengths. Group cohesiveness, task-oriented leadership, tit-for-tat strategies, and social facilitation are not applicable in this context.

Question 7

Early studies of group decision-making demonstrated that groups made riskier decisions than individuals do.The concept of "risky shift" was born.Later studies,however,revealed that group decisions are not necessarily more risky than individual decisions; instead,they are more extreme.The concept of _______ was born.

Accepted Answer

Group polarization refers to the phenomenon where group decisions tend to be more extreme than the initial individual opinions of group members. This can happen in either a risky or cautious direction, depending on the initial inclinations of the group members. Research has shown that group polarization can occur due to a variety of factors, such as social comparison, informational influence, and normative influence.

Question 8

Group discussion often pushes people's initial individual decisions to the extreme,yielding group polarization.According to the persuasive arguments interpretation,this is because

Accepted Answer

The answer of Group discussion often pushes people's initial individual...

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT an antecedent of groupthink?

Accepted Answer

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. The antecedents of groupthink include high cohesiveness, group isolation, directive leadership, and high stress, but not social roles. Social roles relate to the expected behavior patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position in a social unit, which does not directly contribute to the occurrence of groupthink.

Question 10

Normative conformity pressures can impair performance of a group in a problem-solving task because

Accepted Answer

The answer of Normative conformity pressures can impair performance of...

Question 11

Which of the following statements is true about groupthink?

Accepted Answer

Group cohesiveness is a necessary condition for groupthink, but not sufficient. This means that high group cohesiveness can lead to groupthink, but other factors such as isolation from outside viewpoints and a directive leader are also required for groupthink to occur. Choices A, B, C, and E are all characteristics that are not associated with groupthink.

Question 12

Which of the following situations best illustrates process loss?

Accepted Answer

Social loafing is the tendency of individuals to exert less effort when working in a group as compared to working alone. This results in the process loss as the overall performance of the group is compromised due to the reduced effort of some individuals.

Question 13

One way to deal with process loss and therefore enable the group to come up with correct solution to a problem is

Accepted Answer

By ensuring that all members pool the available information, you reduce the chance of any crucial data being missed. This can help to prevent process loss, where the group fails to use all the information available.

Question 14

In order to avoid the phenomenon of groupthink,the leader of a group should

Accepted Answer

Forming subgroups allows for a diversity of opinions and avoids the group from becoming too homogenous in their thinking, which can lead to groupthink. The other options, such as stating opinions forcefully and discouraging dissent, can actually contribute to groupthink by creating an environment where differing opinions are not welcomed or valued. Encouraging group cohesiveness can also contribute to groupthink as members prioritize maintaining harmony within the group over expressing differing opinions. Discouraging input of opinions from those outside the group can also limit the diversity of perspectives and contribute to groupthink.

Question 15

Ellen and Gene had a disagreement before an important meeting and carried their argument into the meeting.They wouldn't listen to one another and were highly critical of each other's contributions.This example best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The answer of Ellen and Gene had a disagreement before...

Question 16

In one condition of an experiment conducted by Gerald Stasser (Stasser & Titus,1985),all group members had access to the same information,and in another condition,members had unique information that other group members didn't know.In the second (unshared information)condition,the group made a worse decision than in the first (shared information)condition.This occurred because groups

Accepted Answer

In the experiment by Stasser and Titus (1985), the phenomenon observed was that groups tend to focus discussion on information that all members know, rather than incorporating unique information held by individual members. This leads to a poorer decision-making outcome when not all information is shared among group members.

Question 17

Decision-making groups are most likely to share unique information when

Accepted Answer

When the leader points out members' areas of expertise, it encourages individuals to share unique information related to their specific knowledge, as they feel their input is valuable and relevant to the group's decision-making process.

Question 18

Adam is part of a group organized to increase blood donations in a local community.As a social psychologist,Adam has a relevant background in persuasion tactics,but his group members fail to realize the important contributions he could make.This scenario is an example of

Accepted Answer

This scenario is an example of process loss, where the group fails to utilize the valuable contributions that Adam can make in achieving their goal.

Question 19

Compared to individuals deciding alone,members of groups tend to make decisions that are

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that group polarization often occurs, which means that groups tend to shift towards more extreme positions than individual members. This is due to factors such as social influence, conformity, and the desire to differentiate oneself from others in the group.

Question 20

According to Irving Janis (1972,1982),groupthink occurs when groups value _______ over _______.

Accepted Answer

Janis defines groupthink as a phenomenon that occurs when a group of individuals values cohesiveness and solidarity (i.e., maintaining harmony within the group) over a realistic consideration of the facts. This can lead to group members disregarding alternative viewpoints and failing to consider all the available information before making decisions. Therefore, option B accurately captures the essence of what Janis argues about groupthink.

Quiz 8: Group Processes

Jennifer is the leader of a college student group whose goal is to steal the mascot of a rival university the week before the big football game.In planning the heist,Jennifer should _______ to prevent groupthink and ensure that her group is successful in devising the best possible plan.

To prevent process loss and make sure all unique information is shared the group should do all of the following except

_______ refers to the tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclinations of their individual members.

The Choice Dilemmas Questionnaire (CDQ) is often used in research on individual versus group decision-making.This instrument is designed to

The phenomenon of groupthink is most likely to occur when a group is under stress,highly _,and when the leader is very _.

In one family with young children Bill keeps lists of which groceries to buy while Sylvie keeps track of all events,practices,and appointments.They are making use of

Group discussion often pushes people's initial individual decisions to the extreme,yielding group polarization.According to the persuasive arguments interpretation,this is because

Which of the following is NOT an antecedent of groupthink?

Normative conformity pressures can impair performance of a group in a problem-solving task because

Which of the following statements is true about groupthink?

Which of the following situations best illustrates process loss?

One way to deal with process loss and therefore enable the group to come up with correct solution to a problem is

In order to avoid the phenomenon of groupthink,the leader of a group should

Ellen and Gene had a disagreement before an important meeting and carried their argument into the meeting.They wouldn't listen to one another and were highly critical of each other's contributions.This example best illustrates

Decision-making groups are most likely to share unique information when

Adam is part of a group organized to increase blood donations in a local community.As a social psychologist,Adam has a relevant background in persuasion tactics,but his group members fail to realize the important contributions he could make.This scenario is an example of

Compared to individuals deciding alone,members of groups tend to make decisions that are

According to Irving Janis (1972,1982) ,groupthink occurs when groups value _ over _.

Quiz 8: Group Processes

Jennifer is the leader of a college student group whose goal is to steal the mascot of a rival university the week before the big football game.In planning the heist,Jennifer should _______ to prevent groupthink and ensure that her group is successful in devising the best possible plan.

To prevent process loss and make sure all unique information is shared the group should do all of the following except

_______ refers to the tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclinations of their individual members.

The Choice Dilemmas Questionnaire (CDQ) is often used in research on individual versus group decision-making.This instrument is designed to

The phenomenon of groupthink is most likely to occur when a group is under stress,highly _______,and when the leader is very _______.

In one family with young children Bill keeps lists of which groceries to buy while Sylvie keeps track of all events,practices,and appointments.They are making use of

Group discussion often pushes people's initial individual decisions to the extreme,yielding group polarization.According to the persuasive arguments interpretation,this is because

Which of the following is NOT an antecedent of groupthink?

Normative conformity pressures can impair performance of a group in a problem-solving task because

Which of the following statements is true about groupthink?

Which of the following situations best illustrates process loss?

One way to deal with process loss and therefore enable the group to come up with correct solution to a problem is

In order to avoid the phenomenon of groupthink,the leader of a group should

Ellen and Gene had a disagreement before an important meeting and carried their argument into the meeting.They wouldn't listen to one another and were highly critical of each other's contributions.This example best illustrates

Decision-making groups are most likely to share unique information when

Adam is part of a group organized to increase blood donations in a local community.As a social psychologist,Adam has a relevant background in persuasion tactics,but his group members fail to realize the important contributions he could make.This scenario is an example of

Compared to individuals deciding alone,members of groups tend to make decisions that are

According to Irving Janis (1972,1982) ,groupthink occurs when groups value _______ over _______.

The phenomenon of groupthink is most likely to occur when a group is under stress,highly _,and when the leader is very _.

According to Irving Janis (1972,1982) ,groupthink occurs when groups value _ over _.