Question 1

Having a supporter or ally when faced with a larger number of individuals who give a different opinion

Accepted Answer

Having a supporter or ally when facing a majority opinion reduces the feeling of isolation and provides social support, making it easier to resist conforming to the majority's viewpoint. This phenomenon is supported by social impact theory and has been demonstrated in various conformity experiments, such as those by Solomon Asch.

Question 2

Which of the following results was found in the research conducted by Baron, Vandello, and Brunsman in which participants completed either easy tasks or difficult tasks that they believed were either of high or low importance?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following results was found...

Question 3

The basic assumption of Serge Moscovici's ideas about minority influence is that

Accepted Answer

Moscovici's theory posits that both majorities and minorities can exert influence, albeit in different ways. Majorities often influence through conformity, while minorities can influence through consistency and the presentation of novel ideas, leading to deeper cognitive processing and potentially changing opinions.

Question 4

In Serge Moscovici's experiments on minority influence,

Accepted Answer

Minorities were found to be effective in producing opinion change primarily when they displayed consistency in their viewpoints. Consistency over time by the minority group members was key to influencing the majority's opinions, as it suggested confidence and commitment to their stance.

Question 5

In Serge Moscovici's experiments on minority influence, research participants were tested again after they had heard the opinions of the confederates and expressed their own opinions in the group setting. Moscovici found which of the following in this follow-up testing?

Accepted Answer

Moscovici's experiments demonstrated that minority influence can lead to internalization, where participants maintained the opinions expressed by the confederates even after the group setting.

Question 6

Which of the following statements supports the single-process approach to understanding minority influence?

Accepted Answer

The single-process approach to understanding minority influence suggests that the same processes underlie both minority and majority influence, with consistency being a key factor. Thus, stating that unanimity (consistency) is essential for both supports this approach.

Question 7

Which of the following would support the dual-process approach to understanding majority and minority influence?

Accepted Answer

The dual-process approach suggests that majorities and minorities influence others through different processes, supporting the idea that they influence in different ways.

Question 8

Which of the following findings would support a dual-process approach to minority and majority influence?

Accepted Answer

Minority influence often leads to deeper processing of the message, resulting in more enduring change, which supports the dual-process approach by illustrating different mechanisms for minority and majority influence.

Question 9

Research has demonstrated which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Research in social psychology has consistently shown that the social context, including the behavior of others and group dynamics, plays a more significant role in producing conformity than do individual personality traits. This is because people often adjust their behaviors to align with group norms or expectations, even when these adjustments might contradict their personal beliefs or personality tendencies.

Question 10

Which of the following is true about gender differences in conformity?

Accepted Answer

Overall, research indicates that the difference in conformity between men and women is minimal, suggesting that gender is not a significant factor in predicting conformity behavior.

Question 11

Which of the following gender differences in conformity have been confirmed by research?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that women are more likely to conform in public settings than in private, which is attributed to social and cultural pressures and the desire to avoid conflict or disapproval in social contexts.

Question 12

Candace is walking down the streets of New York one day when a stranger asks her to sign a petition. But just at this moment another stranger yells "Don't sign that petition whatever you do!" According to the principles of psychological reactance,

Accepted Answer

Psychological reactance is a motivational reaction to offers, persons, rules, or regulations that threaten or eliminate specific behavioral freedoms. It occurs when people feel that their freedom to choose an action is limited or threatened. The theory suggests that when someone is told not to do something, it can increase their intrinsic motivation to do it. Therefore, if Candace is told not to sign the petition, she might be more inclined to sign it, as a form of resistance or assertion of her freedom.

Question 13

Define normative conformity, informational conformity, public compliance, and private acceptance. How does the compliance-acceptance distinction relate to the normative-informational influence distinction? Consider which of these types of influence was occurring in the studies discussed in Chapter 4 (for instance, Crandall, Sherif, Asch, and Milgram).

Accepted Answer

The answer of Define normative conformity, informational conformity, public compliance,...

Question 14

If you wanted to create a social situation that would be most likely to produce conformity, how would you arrange it? Be sure to consider the variables that are known to influence conformity.

Accepted Answer

The answer of If you wanted to create a social...

Question 15

What is social impact? Draw a figure that shows the expected effects of social impact on conformity.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is social impact? Draw a figure...

Question 16

When and how can minorities influence majorities? And what are the outcomes of such influence? Under what conditions is minority influence likely to be successful? Consider the results of research that has demonstrated minority influence in your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When and how can minorities influence majorities?...

Question 17

Do majority and minority influence represent two different underlying processes, or one common process? What research evidence supports your opinion?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Do majority and minority influence represent two...

Question 18

Which people are most likely to conform?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which people are most likely to conform?...

Question 19

Consider a situation in which the perception that one is being forced to conform produces the opposite of conformity and explain why this might happen.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Consider a situation in which the perception...

Question 20

Is conformity good or bad? Justify your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Is conformity good or bad? Justify your...

Quiz 4: Social Influence