Question 1

Because he sees everyone else reading the newspaper while his psychology professor lectures,first-year student Oliver decides that it's okay for him to do so as well.What is Oliver exhibiting?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Because he sees everyone else reading the...

Question 2

In a study by Baron et al.(1996)in which groups of three participants were asked to act as eyewitnesses,in which of the following situations did the greatest level of conformity occur?

Accepted Answer

When participants were motivated to be accurate and the task was quite difficult, they were more likely to conform due to the increased uncertainty and reliance on others for correct information.

Question 3

Why can we conclude that participants in Sherif's study exhibited private conformity rather than public conformity?

Accepted Answer

Participants in Sherif's study exhibited private conformity because they continued to use their group estimates when retested alone one year later, indicating that their opinions had internally changed to align with the group, rather than just outwardly conforming to avoid conflict or gain approval.

Question 4

What was the most likely cause of the conformity seen in Sherif's (1936)study of group norms?

Accepted Answer

Sherif's study focused on informational influence, which is the process by which people conform to the behavior of others because they believe that those behaviors are the correct or appropriate way to respond in a particular situation. Sherif found that participants in his study conformed to group norms regarding the movement of a dot of light because they relied on the judgments of others to determine the correct answer.

Question 5

When is normative influence most likely to occur?

Accepted Answer

Normative influence occurs when individuals conform to the expectations of others to gain social approval or avoid social disapproval, which aligns with fearing the negative effects of acting differently.

Question 6

Laverne conforms because of informational influence and Emily conforms because of normative influence.Compared to Emily,which of the following is Laverne more likely to do?

Accepted Answer

Laverne conforms due to informational influence, which means she internalizes the belief or behaviour of others because she believes that they have more knowledge or expertise in that area. Therefore, she is more likely to internalize the conforming behaviour than just exhibit superficial changes.

Question 7

Which of the following does informational influence tend to produce?

Accepted Answer

Informational influence tends to produce private conformity, where an individual truly changes their beliefs or behaviors due to the influence of others because they believe that others have more knowledge or expertise on the subject. This is in contrast to public conformity, where individuals may go along with others' beliefs or behaviors to fit in or avoid social disapproval, but do not actually change their private beliefs or behaviors. Obedience refers to complying with authoritative commands or requests, while compliance refers to going along with a request or demand without necessarily changing one's beliefs or attitudes.

Question 8

Which of the following effects does normative influence tend to produce?

Accepted Answer

Normative influence tends to produce public conformity, which is when people conform to the norms of a group in order to be accepted and avoid rejection.

Question 9

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.What do Marion's new beliefs illustrate?

Accepted Answer

Marion's new beliefs illustrate private conformity, which is the change in an individual's beliefs or behaviors as a result of real or imagined pressure from others but expressed only in private, not in public.

Question 10

Joanie and Calvin have just started to attend church.Joanie pays attention to when the rest of the congregation sits and stands because she wants to be sure to stand and sit at the appropriate times.What is causing Joanie to conform?

Accepted Answer

Joanie is conforming due to informational influence, as she is using the behavior of others to gather information about how she should behave in this new environment. Normative influence would be more about wanting to fit in or be liked by the group, compliance would imply a request or suggestion from someone else, and obedience would involve a clear authority figure giving commands.

Question 11

Joanie and Calvin have just started to attend church.Calvin stands up and sits down when the rest of the congregation does because if he doesn't,the elderly couple across the aisle scowl at him.What is causing Calvin to conform?

Accepted Answer

Normative influence occurs when an individual conforms to social norms in order to fit in or avoid disapproval from others. In this case, Calvin is conforming to social norms by standing up and sitting down when the rest of the congregation does, in order to avoid disapproval from the elderly couple across the aisle.

Question 12

The experience of being ostracized (or left out by a group)has been found to be which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that the experience of being ostracized activates similar brain regions as physical pain and can leave lasting effects on individuals' mental health.

Question 13

Which of the following is most likely to occur in an ambiguous situation where the correct response is unclear,as opposed to a straightforward situation with no ambiguity?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is most likely...

Question 14

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.Under which of the following conditions can we be most certain that their ratings represent private conformity rather than public conformity?

Accepted Answer

If the participants give the same ratings alone as they do in the group, it suggests that their ratings are not influenced by the presence of others and therefore represent private conformity rather than public conformity. This means that they genuinely believe their ratings rather than just conforming to fit in with the group.

Question 15

In a particular situation,Arlene exhibits public conformity,whereas Ron exhibits private conformity.How are Arlene and Ron likely to be influenced?

Accepted Answer

Arlene will conform only when others were present, whereas Ron will conform regardless of whether others were present.

Question 16

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 nude because that is what he finds most comfortable.What does Arnold's daytime behaviour illustrate?

Accepted Answer

Arnold's daytime behavior of wearing suits suggests public conformity, as he is conforming to the expectations and norms of his workplace. However, his behavior in his personal time suggests that he prefers to behave in a way that makes him comfortable, indicating that he may not internalize these norms to the same degree.

Question 17

Imagine that some researchers conducted a study and interpreted the results of the study as indicative of normative influence.In which of the following cases are these researchers most likely to reach this conclusion?

Accepted Answer

Normative influence refers to the influence of other people that leads us to conform in order to be liked and accepted by them. Participants who conformed because they feared the social impact of appearing different are most likely to be influenced by normative influence.

Question 18

When is normative influence more likely to occur than informational influence?

Accepted Answer

Normative influence is more likely to occur when people are motivated to avoid social rejection. This is because normative influence refers to the influence that others have on our behavior due to their perceived social norms or expectations, regardless of whether they are factually accurate or not. In situations where individuals are motivated to conform to social norms and avoid rejection, such as a desire to fit in with a particular group, normative influence is more likely to occur. In contrast, informational influence is more likely to occur when people are motivated to be accurate and the situation is uncertain, as individuals will look to others for guidance in processing new or ambiguous information.

Question 19

What did Asch's study in which participants were asked to make judgments about the lengths of various lines demonstrate?

Accepted Answer

Asch's study demonstrated how people conform to group pressure due to normative social influence, even when the group is clearly wrong, to fit in or be accepted by the group.

Question 20

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

Accepted Answer

Normative influence occurs when an individual conforms to gain acceptance or avoid social punishment. Laughing at a joke one doesn't find funny to fit in or avoid seeming rude is a classic example of this behavior.

Quiz 7: Conformity