Question 1

The gradually escalating levels of destructive obedience in the Milgram experiments best illustrate one of the potential dangers of

Accepted Answer

The Milgram experiments demonstrated how people could be led to obey authority figures to increasingly harmful extents, illustrating the foot-in-the-door phenomenon, where agreeing to small requests makes it easier to comply with larger ones.

Question 2

Group polarization refers to

Accepted Answer

Group polarization is the phenomenon where group members' attitudes become more extreme after group discussion. This means that the group's prevailing attitudes are reinforced, leading to more polarized views. Option A describes groupthink, option B describes a schism, and option C describes social loafing.

Question 3

How does the presence of observers affect a person's performance?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How does the presence of observers affect...

Question 4

Masked bandits might be more likely than unmasked bandits to physically injure their victims due to

Accepted Answer

Deindividuation can occur when individuals feel anonymous and less accountable for their actions. Wearing masks may make bandits feel less identifiable and increase their tendency towards aggressive or violent behavior. Therefore, masked bandits might be more likely to physically injure their victims.

Question 5

The tendency for people to exert less effort when they are pooling their efforts toward a common goal is known as

Accepted Answer

Social loafing refers to the phenomenon where individuals exert less effort when they are part of a group working towards a common goal. This is because their personal contributions are less noticeable and they may believe that their efforts are not as necessary since others are also working towards the same goal.

Question 6

Individuals who are normally law-abiding may vandalize and loot when they become part of a mob. This change in behavior is best understood in terms of

Accepted Answer

Deindividuation refers to the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint that can occur in group situations where individuals feel anonymous and their actions are not easily identifiable. This can lead individuals to act in ways they normally would not, such as vandalizing and looting as part of a mob.

Question 7

Social facilitation is most likely to occur in the performance of ________ tasks.

Accepted Answer

Social facilitation refers to the tendency for individuals to improve their performance on simple or well-practiced tasks in the presence of others. The presence of others can lead to higher arousal and motivation, which may enhance performance. However, in the case of complex or challenging tasks, the presence of others can lead to social inhibition and lower performance. Therefore, the best choice is D, simple tasks.

Question 8

Norman Triplett observed that adolescents wound a fishing reel faster in the presence of someone working simultaneously on the same task. This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The observed phenomenon is social facilitation, in which the presence of others enhances performance on a task. This is consistent with Triplett's finding that adolescents wound a fishing reel faster in the presence of someone else doing the same thing. The other options (mere exposure effect, bystander effect, and group polarization) do not accurately describe Triplett's observation.

Question 9

If the political conservatism of female students who join sororities is greater than that of female students who do not, the gap in the political attitudes of the two groups will probably widen as they progress through college. This would be best explained in terms of

Accepted Answer

Group polarization refers to the phenomenon where a group's attitudes or beliefs become more extreme over time as a result of group discussion and reinforcement. Since sororities are often homogeneous groups with shared values and beliefs, the likelihood of group polarization is high. Therefore, the gap in political attitudes between sorority and non-sorority female students is likely to widen over time.

Question 10

Professors Maksoud, Struthers, and Vasic each tend to think that obtaining a university degree is easier today than it was when they were students. After discussing the matter over coffee, they are even more convinced that obtaining a degree is easier today. This episode provides an example of

Accepted Answer

The episode described in the question is an example of group polarization, which occurs when members of a group become more extreme in their views after discussing an issue together. In this case, the professors' individual beliefs that obtaining a university degree is easier today were likely reinforced and strengthened by their discussion with each other, leading to a more extreme view in favor of this position. The other answer choices are not applicable to this scenario.

Question 11

Blindfolded subjects were observed to clap louder when they thought they were clapping alone than when they thought they were clapping with others. This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

This is an example of social loafing, which refers to the tendency for people to exert less effort when working in a group compared to when working alone. In this case, blindfolded subjects believed they were clapping alone and thus exerted more effort (clapped louder) compared to when they thought they were clapping with others.

Question 12

Circumstances that increase ________ are likely to reduce ________.

Accepted Answer

Self-awareness increases our sense of personal responsibility, accountability, and self-evaluation, making us less likely to engage in deindividuation, which involves losing our sense of self-awareness in a group context and behaving in ways that contradict our personal values or norms. Anonymity, on the other hand, reduces our sense of accountability and responsibility to others, making us more prone to social loafing (i.e., exerting less effort in a group task) or groupthink (i.e., agreeing with the group consensus without critical evaluation). Social facilitation refers to the tendency for people to perform better on simple, well-learned tasks in the presence of others, and is not directly related to anonymity or self-awareness.

Question 13

Job applicants are interviewed by either friendly or unfriendly employers who sit either very close to or at a normal distance from the applicants. Research suggests that applicants will like best the friendly employers who sit at a ________ distance and will like least the unfriendly employers who sit at a ________ distance.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Job applicants are interviewed by either friendly...

Question 14

In group situations, the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint that fosters arousal and anonymity is called

Accepted Answer

Deindividuation is the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint that occurs in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity. This can lead to a decreased sense of personal responsibility and an increase in impulsive or aggressive behavior. Cognitive dissonance, social loafing, and ingroup bias are all different psychological concepts unrelated to deindividuation.

Question 15

After a light turns green, drivers take about 15 percent less time to travel the first 100 yards when another car is beside them at the intersection than when they are alone. This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates social facilitation, which refers to the tendency for people to perform better on tasks in the presence of others. In this case, the presence of another car appears to enhance the driver's performance, as they take less time to travel the first 100 yards.

Question 16

An unlikable person is likely to be perceived more ________ a group discussion of that person's qualities, and a likable person is likely to be perceived more ________ a group discussion of that person's qualities.

Accepted Answer

The word "unlikable" implies that the person is not well-liked to begin with, so it's likely that others in the group discussion will also have negative opinions of him or her. Through the process of group discussion, however, it's possible that some positive qualities or aspects of the person may be revealed, leading to a more positive perception of the person. On the other hand, a likable person is already well-liked, so it's unlikely that the group discussion will reveal any negative qualities. Therefore, the likable person is more likely to be perceived even more positively after the group discussion.

Question 17

Class members are asked to work cooperatively in groups on major course papers. Every member of a group is to receive exactly the same grade based on the quality of the group's paper. This situation is most likely to lead to

Accepted Answer

When individuals work in a group where their individual performance cannot be distinguished, they may engage in social loafing, where they reduce their effort and rely on the group to produce a satisfactory result. This is because they may feel less accountable for their individual contribution, leading to a lower overall group performance.

Question 18

By providing prospective terrorists with electronic chat rooms for interfacing online with others who share their attitudes, the Internet most likely serves as a medium for

Accepted Answer

Group polarization occurs when individuals with similar attitudes and beliefs interact with each other and their views become more extreme. Chat rooms on the Internet can create an environment where prospective terrorists can interact and reinforce each other's extremist views, leading to group polarization.

Question 19

In which of the following groups is social loafing LEAST likely?

Accepted Answer

Social loafing is least likely when individuals feel personally responsible for their contribution to the group task. In option B, the restaurant food servers are allowed to keep their individual tips, which gives them a personal incentive to perform well and not engage in social loafing. Options A, C, and D do not provide individual accountability or incentives for personal effort, making social loafing more likely.

Question 20

On which of the following tasks would the presence of observers be LEAST likely to lead to better and faster performance?

Accepted Answer

Solving a crossword puzzle requires mental concentration and focus, which can be disrupted by the presence of observers. The pressure of performing well in front of others can increase anxiety and decrease cognitive flexibility, making it more difficult to solve the puzzle. In contrast, tasks like raking leaves, washing dishes, or reciting the alphabet are more physical in nature and may not be affected as much by the presence of observers.

Quiz 44: A: Social Influence