Question 1

The 1986 Challenger space shuttle explosion was the result of

Accepted Answer

The Challenger space shuttle explosion is a classic example of groupthink. NASA was under immense pressure to launch the shuttle, and groupthink drove them to ignore warning signs and proceed with the launch. The engineers who warned of potential issues were either ignored or dismissed. Ultimately, this led to the fatal explosion of the shuttle, causing the deaths of all seven crew members.

Question 2

One criticism of Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment is that participants may have experienced ___________________ to behave according to their assigned roles as prisoners or guards.

Accepted Answer

Demand characteristics refer to cues or signals in an experiment that may lead participants to behave in a certain way or give the answers they think the researchers want to hear. In the case of the Stanford Prison Experiment, participants may have felt pressured to behave in a certain way because they knew they were part of an experiment and wanted to fulfill the expectations of the researchers. This could have affected the validity and generalizability of the results.

Question 3

Based on research on differences in conformity,which of the following individuals would you most expect to conform to a group?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that individuals from collectivist cultures, such as Japan, are more likely to conform to group norms than individuals from individualistic cultures, such as Canada and Sweden. Additionally, research has found that females tend to conform more than males, regardless of cultural background. Therefore, Masami, a Japanese female, would be most expected to conform to a group.

Question 4

George is at a pub watching the Stanley Cup final game.When his local team loses,everyone in the bar starts booing and running around outside of the bar.People begin to smash windows of cars and business and some people begin to loot stores.George gets "caught up" in this and joins in the rioting behaviour.What concept is depicted in this example?

Accepted Answer

Deindividuation is the phenomenon in which individuals lose their sense of individual identity and their inhibitions become reduced when they are part of a large group. In this example, George gets caught up in the rioting behaviour, which suggests a loss of individual identity and a reduced sense of personal responsibility.

Question 5

The Walkerton,Ontario,E.coli fiasco was the result of

Accepted Answer

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when a group of people are highly cohesive and have a strong desire for consensus. This can lead to the group making decisions that are not in the best interests of the group or its members. In the case of the Walkerton, Ontario, E. coli fiasco, the groupthink phenomenon was a contributing factor to the decision to not boil the water before drinking it, which led to the outbreak of E. coli.

Question 6

All of the following statements about deindividuation are true except

Accepted Answer

Deindividuation does not inherently make us behave badly; it reduces self-awareness and increases conformity to group norms, which can lead to either positive or negative behaviors depending on the situation.

Question 7

Research on crowd behaviour has demonstrated that

Accepted Answer

Research on crowd behavior suggests that the behavior of a crowd can be related to either aggressive or prosocial behavior, depending on the prevailing social norm of the situation. While deindividuation can be a factor in crowd behavior, it is not always a necessary condition for such behavior. Aggressive responses are not always the dominant response in crowd situations, and prosocial responses can also be common, even in potentially aggression-inducing situations.

Question 8

The emphasis on group unanimity at the expense of critical thinking is called

Accepted Answer

Groupthink refers to the phenomenon where a group's emphasis on maintaining unanimity and cohesiveness can sometimes override critical thinking and independent decision making. This can result in flawed decision making or lack of innovation due to lack of diverse perspectives. Deindividuation refers to the loss of self-awareness and accountability in a group setting, conformity refers to the tendency to match one's behavior and attitudes to those of a group, and obedience refers to the tendency to comply with authority figures. None of these fully capture the emphasis on group unanimity at the expense of critical thinking.

Question 9

When members of a group give priority to the cohesiveness of the group over the facts of a situation,they are engaging in what social psychologists call

Accepted Answer

When members of a group prioritize group cohesiveness over factual analysis, they engage in groupthink. In this scenario, the group prioritizes agreement and consensus over critical thinking, independent analysis, and open inquiry. Consequently, groupthink can lead to poor decision-making, flawed judgments, and incomplete evaluations.

Question 10

Imagine you are a contestant on the popular game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire,and you have been asked a question that you don't know the answer to.You have used up your other two lifelines,so you poll the audience as to the correct answer.Even though you think differently,you become convinced that the audience is correct as 87 percent of them agree on a particular answer.You have experienced which psychological phenomenon?

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes groupthink, where an individual in a group conforms to the group's opinions or decisions despite their personal beliefs, because they perceive the group to be more knowledgeable or trustworthy. In this case, the contestant disregards their own thoughts and supports the audience's response. Blind obedience refers to complying with authority figures without questioning their commands, and deindividuation is a phenomenon where individuals lose their sense of self-awareness and personal responsibility in group situations. Social conversion is not a recognized psychological phenomenon.

Question 11

A large crowd that stampedes to get into a store for a massive Boxing Day Sale would be an example of

Accepted Answer

Deindividuation is a psychological phenomenon where individuals lose their sense of self and become more prone to group behavior. In a large crowd, individuals may feel anonymous, and as a result, engage in behavior that they may not otherwise do, such as stampeding into a store during a sale. Conformity, obedience, and influence could also be factors in this situation, but the specific behavior of stampeding would be best explained by deindividuation.

Question 12

The launch and subsequent explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986,despite warnings of danger from NASA engineers that parts might malfunction due to weather conditions,demonstrates the concept of ___________________.

Accepted Answer

The concept of groupthink refers to the tendency of a group to prioritize consensus and cohesion over critical thinking and individual dissent. In the case of the Challenger launch, there was pressure to meet the scheduled launch date and a belief by some members of the group that the warnings about potential malfunctions were unfounded. This led to a lack of consideration of alternative viewpoints and ultimately contributed to the decision to proceed with the launch despite known safety risks.

Question 13

After a group of gang members learned that their friend had died in a seemingly random accident,several of the friends started blaming a rival gang for the death.Even though there was no evidence whatsoever that the death had been intentional,the more the friends talked the more passionate they became in their belief that an act of revenge was necessary.What concept from social psychology may contribute to an act of violent revenge in this case?

Accepted Answer

Groupthink is the concept from social psychology that may contribute to an act of violent revenge in this case. Groupthink occurs when a group of people make faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of "mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment". In this case, the gang members are all conforming to the belief that revenge is necessary without questioning the validity of the claim or seeking outside information. This can lead to an escalation of violence without any evidence to support it.

Question 14

Which of the following provides a "real-world" example of the power of social influence and deindividuation?

Accepted Answer

Abu Ghraib prison abuse is a real-world example of the power of social influence and deindividuation. The guards who engaged in the abuse were influenced by their group identity and the culture within the prison, which allowed for such behavior to occur. The deindividuation of the guards, which occurred due to the anonymity provided by their uniforms and group membership, furthered their willingness to engage in the abusive behavior.

Question 15

Which of the following is an example of "groupthink"?

Accepted Answer

Groupthink refers to a phenomenon in which group members prioritize consensus and cohesion over critical evaluation and independent decision-making. The Challenger disaster, in which NASA officials involved in the launch failed to adequately consider the risks and potential problems, is an example of groupthink.

Question 16

The prime minister notices that his closest advisers never seem to disagree with him or with each other on a lot of important issues,such as arms control.He worries that he is not getting the pros and cons of different issues because his advisers are engaging in

Accepted Answer

Groupthink occurs when a group of people's desire for harmony or conformity leads to faulty decision-making. This can be seen in the prime minister's situation where his advisers are not offering opposing viewpoints or debating different options, which can lead to a biased decision based on incomplete information.

Question 17

Carlos and his work associates form a close,friendly group,and they usually work well together.However,they may face a problem involving an extreme form of conformity called

Accepted Answer

Groupthink occurs when individuals within a group prioritize maintaining cohesiveness and agreement over critical thinking and independent decision-making. This can lead to poor decision-making and ignoring potential dissenting opinions, which can ultimately harm the group's effectiveness. As Carlos and his associates are close and friendly, there is a risk that they may prioritize group harmony over considering all perspectives and options.

Question 18

________________ is the tendency of people to engage in atypical behaviour when stripped of their usual identities.

Accepted Answer

Deindividuation is the tendency of people to engage in atypical behavior when stripped of their usual identities, such as when in a large group or wearing a uniform. This can result in individuals feeling less personally responsible for their actions and being more likely to engage in impulsive behaviors. Autokinesis refers to the perception of movement in a stationary object, groupthink is a phenomenon where a group of people's desire for harmony or conformity results in irrational or dysfunctional decision-making, and conformity is the tendency for individuals to modify their attitudes or behaviors to align with those of a group.

Question 19

Close,friendly groups usually work well together,but they may face a problem involving an extreme form of conformity called

Accepted Answer

Close, friendly groups may be more susceptible to groupthink, which occurs when the desire for consensus overrides critical thinking and individual opinions. This can lead to faulty decision-making and moral issues within the group. The other choices (A, B, C) do not pertain specifically to the issue of extreme conformity within a group.

Question 20

Zimbardo concluded from his Stanford prison study that prisoners and guards adopted their designated roles more easily than anyone might have imagined because of

Accepted Answer

Zimbardo's Stanford prison study demonstrated that deindividuation, or the loss of self-awareness and individual accountability in group situations, led participants to adopt their roles as prisoners and guards more readily and intensely.

Quiz 13: D: Social Psychology