Question 1

When people are uncertain of how to behave,they often look to others to help tell them the "right way" to do things.This type of conformity is known as ________ influence.

Accepted Answer

Informational influence occurs when individuals conform to others' behaviors or opinions because they believe those others have accurate information, especially in situations of uncertainty.

Question 2

One of the reasons that jigsaw classrooms work so well is because they:

Accepted Answer

Jigsaw classrooms are designed to lessen social loafing by breaking students into smaller groups and assigning each student a specific role or task to accomplish. This individual responsibility ensures that each student plays an active and meaningful role in the group project, leading to increased engagement and a lower likelihood of social loafing.

Question 3

Based on what you know about deindividuation,which of the following Halloween costumes would likely lead to the worst behavior?

Accepted Answer

Deindividuation is the loss of individual identity and accountability in a group setting. Wearing a mask, such as in the case of a masked witch, can increase feelings of anonymity and reduce the chance of social consequences for one's actions, which can lead to more extreme or aggressive behavior.

Question 4

After studying social psychology,Kelly knows the dangers of groupthink.What can she do to ensure that the decisions of her group are not impacted by this phenomenon?

Accepted Answer

Asking someone to argue against the majority is the best option as it introduces the possibility of new perspectives and challenges to the group's thinking, which can help prevent groupthink. This encourages critical thinking and open discussion rather than just following the majority's decision.

Question 5

As designed by Aronson,in a jigsaw classroom,students:

Accepted Answer

In a jigsaw classroom, students are divided into small groups where each member receives a piece of information to learn and understand. Then, they must work together to put the puzzle pieces (their knowledge) back together. To successfully complete the task, students must cooperate with all members in their group, including those who may be from different backgrounds or have different perspectives. Therefore, the correct answer is D, which states that students must cooperate with both ingroup and outgroup members.

Question 6

The foot-in-the-door compliance technique,in which people start by asking for a small request that is followed by a larger request,works through the principle of:

Accepted Answer

The foot-in-the-door technique works through the principle of commitment, as it involves getting someone to agree to a small request, which creates a sense of commitment or obligation to agree to a larger request later on.

Question 7

Sherif's work on the autokinetic effect stands as evidence for ________ influence,whereas Asch's visual acuity study examined ________ influence.

Accepted Answer

Sherif's work on the autokinetic effect demonstrated how people rely on others for information when faced with an ambiguous situation, which is informational influence. Asch's study examined how people conform to group norms even when the group is clearly wrong, which is normative influence. Therefore, the best choice is D.

Question 8

Sarah wants to do particularly well at her upcoming piano recital.What should she do to ensure a great performance?

Accepted Answer

Practicing repeatedly until playing the piano becomes her dominant response is the best choice. This means that playing the piano becomes automatic and requires less conscious effort, allowing Sarah to focus on expressing her emotions and engaging with the music during the recital.

Question 9

When public schools were desegregated,people thought that simply having black and white students attend school together would reduce stereotypes and prejudice.Given what you know about the Sherif studies on groups and prejudice,why did this approach NOT work?

Accepted Answer

The Sherif studies demonstrated that contact alone is not enough to overcome prejudice and hostility. Additional factors such as equal status, common goals, and support from authorities are also necessary. Therefore, simply having black and white students attend school together without addressing underlying issues of prejudice and discrimination was not sufficient to reduce stereotypes and promote understanding.

Question 10

When someone fails to conform to a group,it threatens his or her need to belong and creates a fear response that is evidenced by activity in the:

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is known to be involved in emotions, including fear responses. When someone fails to conform to a group, it can create fear and anxiety which can be evidenced by activation in the amygdala.

Question 11

Mr.Ahkbar is the principal of a military school that has had only male students.This fall,for the first time,girls are being admitted.The boys are very hostile to this decision,and Mr.Ahkbar is worried that there will be trouble.What would you advise Mr.Ahkbar to do to decrease hostility and better integrate the female students into the school?

Accepted Answer

Having mixed-gender groups work together on projects with superordinate goals can help decrease hostility as students will focus on common goals and interests rather than their gender differences. This will also help better integrate the female students into the school community. It is important to start integration from the beginning and avoid segregating classes based on gender. Having an open discussion may not be useful in decreasing hostility, as it may lead to further conflict and may not be well-received by the male students. Gender balance in all classes may not be feasible and may not necessarily decrease hostility.

Question 12

In Asch's conformity study,what percentage of participants went along with an obviously incorrect response at least once?

Accepted Answer

In Asch's conformity study, approximately 75 percent of participants conformed to the group by giving an incorrect response at least once, demonstrating the strong influence of social pressure on individual judgment.

Question 13

To create hostility and prejudice between two groups of boys for his Robber's Cave Study,Sherif:

Accepted Answer

Sherif had the two groups of boys compete with each other in various activities, which led to the development of hostility and prejudice between the groups. The competition created an "us versus them" mentality and fostered an environment of intergroup conflict, which was the focus of his study.

Question 14

Shared goals that require cooperation are called:

Accepted Answer

Shared goals that require cooperation are called superordinate goals. These goals are important in promoting cooperation and reducing conflict between groups. Superordinate goals are goals that all individuals or groups involved desire but cannot achieve alone, hence the need for cooperation.

Question 15

Cultural fads,like Americans wearing leg warmers in the 1980s or flannel shirts in the 1990s,are often followed because people want to fit in and go along with the crowd.This type of conformity is known as ________ influence.

Accepted Answer

Normative influence is the type of conformity that occurs when people conform to social norms or expectations in order to fit in and be accepted by others. In the example given, people wearing leg warmers or flannel shirts were conforming to a cultural fad, or norm, in order to be accepted by their peers. Informational influence, on the other hand, occurs when people conform to others' behaviors because they believe that those behaviors represent the correct way to act in a given situation. Customary influence and deviant influence are not types of social influence.

Question 16

Which of the following explains why professional athletes may beat their personal best performances during a competition?

Accepted Answer

Social facilitation refers to the phenomenon where people tend to perform better on well-learned or simple tasks when they are being watched by others. In the case of professional athletes, the presence of a larger audience or the pressure of competing against other skilled individuals may increase their arousal and motivation, leading to an improvement in their performance.

Question 17

How would you rank the following social influence strategies in order of increasing degree of social pressure?

Accepted Answer

Conformity involves changing one's behavior to match the responses or actions of others, which can be due to real or imagined group pressure but is often more about fitting in than direct pressure. Compliance involves changing one's behavior in response to a direct request, which introduces a higher level of social pressure as it involves a direct ask from another person. Obedience involves changing one's behavior in response to a directive from an authority figure, representing the highest degree of social pressure among the three due to the power dynamics involved.

Question 18

Mrs.Smith wants to ensure that all of her students are working hard on their group projects.In order to decrease the possibility of social loafing,she should use what type of grading policy for their group projects?

Accepted Answer

Allowing group members to provide feedback and giving individual grades can help reduce social loafing by holding each student accountable for their contribution.

Question 19

The door-in-the-face compliance technique,in which people are more likely to agree to a small request after they have refused a large request,works through the principle of:

Accepted Answer

The door-in-the-face technique operates on the principle of reciprocity. This principle suggests that if someone does something for us (in this case, making a concession by moving from a larger to a smaller request), we feel a social obligation to return the favor (agreeing to the smaller request).

Question 20

The primary difference between conformity,compliance,and obedience is the:

Accepted Answer

Conformity involves changing one's behavior or beliefs to match those of a group, without necessarily being directly pressured to do so. Compliance is a response to a direct request or demand from someone in authority, while obedience involves following the orders of an authority figure. The key difference between the three is the degree of social pressure being employed: conformity involves more subtle, indirect pressure, compliance involves a direct request, and obedience involves an explicit order from someone seen as having authority.

Quiz 12: Social Psychology