Question 1

It could be argued that participants in Muzafer Sherif's (1936) study converged in their estimates of the amount of movement of a point of light because they were avoiding public embarrassment or social censure from other participants. Sherif demonstrated that this was unlikely when he found similar results

Accepted Answer

Sherif found similar results when participants later completed the task alone, suggesting that social conformity was not the only explanation for their convergence in estimates.

Question 2

Elise is participating in research and is placed in a dark room and asked to estimate the movement of a dot of light projected on a screen. This is similar to research by Sherif that demonstrated the power of

Accepted Answer

Elise is being asked to estimate the movement of a dot of light, which involves gathering information from others in the room. This is an example of informational social influence, which is the type of influence that occurs when individuals conform to the opinions or behaviors of others because they believe these others have accurate information and can help them achieve their goals. Sherif's research also involved gathering information from others to make judgments, and showed the power of this type of influence. Therefore, C is the best choice.

Question 3

Based on research by Goldstein and colleagues (2008), which of the following techniques would be most effective in getting hotel guests to reuse their bath towels?

Accepted Answer

According to Goldstein and colleagues (2008), the most effective technique for getting guests to reuse their bath towels is to inform them that the majority of guests in their room or hotel reuse their towels. This creates a social norm that encourages guests to follow suit and participate in the desired behavior. Therefore, the best choice would be option D, putting a sign in the room stating that the majority of guests in that room reuse the towels.

Question 4

All of the following are examples of informational social influence except :

Accepted Answer

Option D is an example of normative social influence, not informational social influence. In normative social influence, people conform to the behavior or opinions of the group to fit in or be liked, while in informational social influence, people conform because they believe others have more accurate knowledge or information. Option D shows that the person is influenced by the societal norm that thinner people are more attractive and likable, rather than being influenced by information or knowledge from others. The other options are examples of informational social influence because the individual is seeking information or knowledge from others to make a decision or follow a course of action.

Question 5

Taking into account research on factors that increase informational social influence, which game contestant is most likely to yield to the informational social influence provided by teammates or the audience?

Accepted Answer

Joaquin is most likely to yield to informational social influence because he is uncertain of the answer. Research suggests that uncertainty increases the likelihood of yielding to social influence.

Question 6

When participants were first placed in a dark room alone and asked to estimate the apparent movement of a point of light, individuals were consistent in their own estimates, and these estimates differed greatly from participant to participant. When participants made the same estimates in a group setting, their estimates converged. According to Muzafer Sherif (1936), why did this happen? Conformity occurs when people

Accepted Answer

According to Muzafer Sherif, conformity occurs when people use others' behaviors as cues for what's right. In the group setting, participants could see how others were estimating the movement of the point of light, and this influenced their own estimates, leading to convergence. The other options (A, B, and D) do not accurately explain the phenomenon observed in Sherif's study.

Question 7

When it is important to provide a correct answer and the stakes are high, people are more likely to

Accepted Answer

When the stakes are high and it's important to provide a correct answer, people are more likely to rely on informational social influence. This is because they seek the correct information or behavior in a situation by observing and conforming to the behavior of others, assuming those others have more knowledge about the situation.

Question 8

You have been hired to help design a campaign to get people to conserve energy. Based on the research by Nolan and colleagues (2008), what is the most effective way to convince people to conserve?

Accepted Answer

The answer of You have been hired to help design...

Question 9

In a recent study about how to promote energy conservation, Nolan and colleagues (2008) found that simply telling people that their neighbors conserve energy was a more effective means of reducing energy consumption than telling them other reasons why they should conserve. Why did this message work the best?

Accepted Answer

Participants were affected by informational social influence, meaning they were influenced by the behaviors of their neighbors. This is a form of conformity where individuals adjust their behaviors based on the behaviors of others in their social environment.

Question 10

Which of the following phenomena is most likely to result in private acceptance of an idea or behavior?

Accepted Answer

Private acceptance of an idea or behavior is most likely to result from informational social influence, in which individuals conform to the beliefs or actions of others because they believe those others have more accurate information or expertise on the matter. Normative social influence may result in public conformity to avoid social rejection or gain acceptance, but does not necessarily lead to private acceptance. Contagion refers to the rapid spread of emotions or behaviors through a crowd or social network, but does not necessarily indicate private acceptance. Mass psychogenic illness is a phenomenon in which a group of people experience symptoms of an illness without any clear medical explanation, and is not directly related to private acceptance of an idea or behavior.

Question 11

Noor is in a study similar to Baron et al. (1996). She has been asked to select the person she saw in a series of photos. If she's told that her decision is not very important, she will

Accepted Answer

According to Baron et al. (1996), when a decision is not important, people are less motivated to exert effort to come up with the correct answer or to resist conformity pressures. Therefore, Noor is more likely to conform less when she is told that her decision is not important.

Question 12

According to research presented in the text (Baron et al., 1996), participants were asked to select perpetrators after a lineup in conditions of high ambiguity; the perpetrator wore different clothing in the lineup than in the original photo, and the slides were shown very quickly. Recall also that some participants were told that the task was one that was being designed for use by the police department and were offered $20 if they were the most accurate, while others were told that it was just a laboratory task under development. This study demonstrated that

Accepted Answer

The study by Baron et al. (1996) found that when participants believed the task had real-world importance (e.g., being told it was for police department use and being offered a monetary reward for accuracy), they were more likely to conform to the answers of others in the group, especially under conditions of high ambiguity. This suggests that the desire to be accurate in what was perceived as an important task led to increased conformity.

Question 13

Informational social influence is most likely to play a significant role in which of the following situations?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Informational social influence is most likely to...

Question 14

People are especially likely to conform due to informational social influence

Accepted Answer

Informational social influence occurs more strongly in situations where people are unsure of the correct way to behave or what the truth is, often in crisis situations where quick decisions are necessary. People look to the behavior of others as a guide in these situations.

Question 15

In the past ten years, the popular American holiday, Halloween, was "imported" to France by retailers hoping to increase revenues. Essentially, the French learned the traditions such as trick-or-treating and wearing costumes from Americans. This is an example of ________ on an international scale.

Accepted Answer

The adoption of Halloween traditions in France by retailers is an example of informational social influence, as the French learned these traditions from Americans and adopted them for themselves based on the information they received about the customs.

Question 16

Believing that others are right is to ________ as conforming without believing is to ________.

Accepted Answer

Believing that others are right is private acceptance, as it involves internalizing the group's norms or views as one's own. Conforming without believing, on the other hand, is public compliance, where one goes along with the group publicly but does not change personal views or beliefs.

Question 17

Based on the studies conducted by Nolan and colleagues (2008) and Goldstein and colleagues (2008), which approach seems to be most effective at motivating people to behave in ways that are more environmentally friendly?

Accepted Answer

The studies conducted by Nolan and colleagues (2008) and Goldstein and colleagues (2008) suggest that using informational social influence, such as informing people about how their peers are engaging in environmentally-friendly behaviors, is the most effective approach in motivating people to behave in ways that are more environmentally friendly. This approach utilizes social norms and social comparison to influence behavior, rather than relying on operant conditioning (A), cognitive dissonance (C), guilt and fear appeals (D), which may not be as effective in promoting sustainable behaviors.

Question 18

Why would Muzafer Sherif, a social psychologist, choose the autokinetic effect (a perceptual illusion) to study social conformity? He wanted

Accepted Answer

Muzafer Sherif chose the autokinetic effect because it is a perceptual illusion that is inherently ambiguous, meaning there is no objectively correct answer. This ambiguity would allow him to study how individuals conformed to group norms when there was no clear answer or standard to follow.

Question 19

In the nineteenth century, audience members who knew the opera intimately served as "claques," or experts who signaled others in the audience when to applaud, or as "bisseurs," who signaled when to call for encores. These experts served as a source of ________ for less sophisticated audience members.

Accepted Answer

The question asks for the source of information for less sophisticated audience members. The "claques" and "bisseurs" were experts who had knowledge of the opera and signaled when to applaud or call for encores. Their actions would be an example of informational social influence, as they are providing information based on their expertise.

Question 20

Even though Gerald isn't religious, when he attends church on Christmas with his family, he donates money when ushers pass around a collection basket because everyone else puts something in. It is likely that Gerald is

Accepted Answer

Gerald is publicly complying with the social norm of donating during the church service, despite not being personally religious or having a strong inclination to donate.

Quiz 8: Conformity: Influencing Behavior

Elise is participating in research and is placed in a dark room and asked to estimate the movement of a dot of light projected on a screen. This is similar to research by Sherif that demonstrated the power of

Based on research by Goldstein and colleagues (2008) , which of the following techniques would be most effective in getting hotel guests to reuse their bath towels?

All of the following are examples of informational social influence except :

Taking into account research on factors that increase informational social influence, which game contestant is most likely to yield to the informational social influence provided by teammates or the audience?

When it is important to provide a correct answer and the stakes are high, people are more likely to

You have been hired to help design a campaign to get people to conserve energy. Based on the research by Nolan and colleagues (2008) , what is the most effective way to convince people to conserve?

Which of the following phenomena is most likely to result in private acceptance of an idea or behavior?

Noor is in a study similar to Baron et al. (1996) . She has been asked to select the person she saw in a series of photos. If she's told that her decision is not very important, she will

Informational social influence is most likely to play a significant role in which of the following situations?

People are especially likely to conform due to informational social influence

In the past ten years, the popular American holiday, Halloween, was "imported" to France by retailers hoping to increase revenues. Essentially, the French learned the traditions such as trick-or-treating and wearing costumes from Americans. This is an example of ________ on an international scale.

Believing that others are right is to as conforming without believing is to .

Based on the studies conducted by Nolan and colleagues (2008) and Goldstein and colleagues (2008) , which approach seems to be most effective at motivating people to behave in ways that are more environmentally friendly?

Why would Muzafer Sherif, a social psychologist, choose the autokinetic effect (a perceptual illusion) to study social conformity? He wanted

Even though Gerald isn't religious, when he attends church on Christmas with his family, he donates money when ushers pass around a collection basket because everyone else puts something in. It is likely that Gerald is