Deck 7: Social Influence

Question 1

Kelly is a student. However, she does not socialise with fellow students (as she thinks they are childish) nor does she have lunch at the student cafeteria. Instead, she dresses in suits and has lunch at a nearby café frequented by executive types. The category of 'student group' for her is probably a:

A) internal designation group.
B) positive reference group.
C) negative reference group.
D) conforming norm.

Answer 1

negative reference group.

Question 2

When someone asks you to comply, the want to see:

A) a private and enduring change of attitudes and behaviour.
B) voluntary adherence to the norms of a reference group.
C) people's attempts to exhibit their group's prototypical behaviour.
D) an external change in behaviour and in expressed attitudes.

Answer 2

an external change in behaviour and in expressed attitudes.

Question 3

Research completed on the concepts of leadership and power now indicates that:

A) leaders are required to exercise power over followers.
B) although both concepts involve social influence, they can still be differentiated.
C) leadership always involves informational power.
D) leadership always involves expert power.

Answer 3

although both concepts involve social influence, they can still be differentiated.

Question 4

A positive reference group:

A) is significant in developing norms.
B) can also be a membership group.
C) is one to that a person joins.
D) is an individual's immediate family.

Question 5

Conformity:

A) requires constant surveillance for absolute change.
B) is based on the subjective validity of social norms.
C) produces true internal change and lasting behavioural change.
D) is observable behaviour for self-presentation.

Question 6

An experimental finding by Bochner and Insko (1966) that information is more readily accepted when presented by a Nobel Prize-winning personality is an illustration of:

A) indoctrination.
B) referent power.
C) authoritative power.
D) expert power.

Question 7

A collection of individuals who are significant for a person's attitude and behaviour both in a positive as well as a negative sense is termed:

A) a control group.
B) a membership group.
C) a reference group.
D) a significance level.

Question 8

According to Moscovici (1976), an important prerequisite for coercive compulsion and compliance is that the source of social influence is perceived by the target of social influence to have:

A) power.
B) positive emotion.
C) an eloquent way of speaking.
D) rewards for the target.

Question 9

Mr Swine is the owner of a new shoe factory. He can threaten, or even punish, his predominantly immigrant and female factory workers if they make mistakes. Mr Swine's power is:

A) delegated.
B) coercive.
C) referent.
D) illegitimate.

Question 10

Compliance, obedience and conformity:

A) are theories of power and influence.
B) are types of social influence.
C) relate to different stages in a series of social pressures.
D) follow the same norms and standards.

Question 11

Keiron always asks Kendall for information about her car because she believes that Kendall has informational power. This is because:

A) Kendall deliberately withholds information from her.
B) she believes Kendall has more information than she does.
C) Kendall's information comes from a reliable source.
D) Keiron's information comes from an unreliable source.

Question 12

A poster of the Brown Eyed Beans adorns Nicky's bedroom wall. Although Nicky's voice is not the best, she does sing their songs, and she wears a jacket modelled on that worn by members of the band. For Nicky, the Brown Eyed Beans are a(n):

A) ingroup.
B) positive reference group.
C) membership group.
D) outgroup.

Question 13

While the process of controlling others through domination is referred to as power, the process of mobilising others to attain a common goal is referred to as:

A) compliance.
B) leadership.
C) motivation.
D) obedience.

Question 14

According to Raven (1965), referent power is exerted by someone:

A) who is an expert in their field.
B) who is able to give rewards.
C) who is respected by others.
D) who makes decisions.

Question 15

Stevie only brushes his teeth at night when reminded by his father. Otherwise he hops straight into bed with a book. Stevie's dental hygiene is an example of:

A) true obedience.
B) conformity.
C) reference groups.
D) compliance.

Question 16

Social change can bring about a behavioural change that is only temporary in a specific situation, but there is no real change in attitude. This is referred to as:

A) obedience.
B) conformity.
C) compliance.
D) conversion.

Question 17

Mindy thinks that Marvin knows more than her and is also more skilled. For her, Marvin holds:

A) informational power.
B) reward power.
C) knowledge power.
D) expert power.

Question 18

Groups to which an individual belongs by objective criteria or social consensus are called:

A) criterion groups.
B) control groups.
C) reference groups.
D) membership groups.

Question 19

As a result of what we know about Kelly from the previous question, she will _________ to/with student norms but ________ to/with executive-type norms.

A) conform; comply
B) conform; obey
C) comply; conform
D) obey; comply

Question 20

Public compliance is:

A) a change in norms resulting from social influence.
B) a change in group norms resulting from conformity.
C) a change in thinking resulting from behaviour.
D) a change in behaviour resulting from social influence.

Question 21

When can obedience be beneficial?

A) When nurses blindly obey doctors' orders
B) When conforming to peer pressure
C) In an emergency situation
D) Obedience can never be beneficial

Question 22

When comparing the impact of situational and personality factors in accounting for a tendency to conform, the evidence seems to favour:

A) situational factors.
B) personality factors.
C) IQ scores.
D) gender issues.

Question 23

In a conformity experiment by Deutsch and Gerard (1955), which of the following caused people to be more susceptible to group pressure?

A) When they were uncertain in their judgement, the group had a goal, and they had visual contact with the group
B) When they were certain in their judgement, there was no group pressure, and they had visual contact with the group
C) When they were uncertain in their judgement, there was no group pressure, and they were isolated in their cubicles
D) When they were certain in their judgement, the group had no goal, and they were isolated in their cubicles

Question 24

Several ethical questions were raised following Milgram's study of obedience to authority. These included which of the following?

A) Why were the participants paid?
B) Why were most studies carried out at a university?
C) Were the hypotheses underlying the research important?
D) Why was one study carried out in a run-down city office?

Question 25

In Milgram's obedience experiment, when orders were given by telephone:

A) no participant persisted to the end.
B) obedience decreased considerably.
C) participants refused to administer shocks.
D) participants' obedience increased.

Question 26

An agentic state, as thought by Milgram, is:

A) a frame of mind in which people accept personal responsibility.
B) a frame of mind of conforming with the ideologies of the state.
C) a frame of mind characterising unquestioning obedience.
D) a frame of mind using critical thinking in evaluating conformity.

Question 27

Which of the following did NOT influence obedience in Milgram's research?

A) Proximity to the victim
B) Immediacy of the authority
C) Dispositional traits
D) Peer pressure

Question 28

The findings of Asch's study on conformity would have led him to reject his original theory that:

A) people can conform even when they do not believe the group is correct.
B) housewives will be more persuaded to cook with offal if there is an established group norm.
C) if the object of judgement is unambiguous, people will not be influenced by the group.
D) people may conform because they believe their perceptions must be inaccurate and the group is correct.

Question 29

In Sherif's autokinetic experiment, people's judgements became:

A) a frame of reference.
B) polarised.
C) more extreme.
D) topics for discussion.

Question 30

What did the results of Milgram's obedience to authority experiment find?

A) The results were vastly different to what psychiatrists predicted.
B) The results were predicted fairly accurately by psychiatrists.
C) The results indicated differences between women and men.
D) The results did not show participants obeying authority figures.

Question 31

A frame of reference:

A) is the space between group norms.
B) is how an argument is put.
C) is the basis of the meta-contrast principle.
D) permits social comparisons and allows norms to develop.

Question 32

Which of the following was NOT raised as an ethical issue following Milgram's obedience experiment?

A) Were participants free to terminate the experiment?
B) Were the hypotheses underlying the research important?
C) Were the participants paid an adequate sum?
D) Did participants give their consent freely?

Question 33

In an early study, Allport (1924) noted that, as compared to individuals, people in groups make decisions that are:

A) based on a continuum
B) based on previous decisions
C) less extreme
D) less conservative

Question 34

Sherif's study used a phenomenon autokinesis to study:

A) hypnosis.
B) destructive obedience.
C) conformity to confederates in a group.
D) norm formation.

Question 35

Milgram's study had some participants who were assigned the role of administering electric shocks. These participants were:

A) recruited from the community.
B) mild-mannered, softly spoken and courteous.
C) reluctant to administer shocks beyond the 'moderate' level.
D) selected for their violent pre-dispositions.

Question 36

Lewin's study of group meetings of housewives who discussed recipes for eating offal meat permitted:

A) a group norm to be developed.
B) a new advertising strategy to be put in place.
C) health consciousness to be expressed.
D) women to be creative in their cooking.

Question 37

One reason that people continued to administer electric shocks in Milgram's study may be that the experiment starts with quite trivial shocks and, once the participant has committed themselves to giving shocks, it can be difficult for them to change their mind and not continue their commitment. This process:

A) reflects the psychology of 'sunk costs' which is similar to the foot-in-the-door technique of persuasion.
B) reflects the psychology of 'immediacy' which is similar to the foot-in-the-door technique of persuasion.
C) reflects the psychology of 'dehumanisation' which is similar to the door-in-the-face technique of persuasion.
D) reflects the psychology of 'obedience' which is similar to the door-in-the-face technique of persuasion.

Question 38

A context that is relevant for making social comparisons is called a(n):

A) frame of reference.
B) group task.
C) prototype.
D) experimental situation.

Question 39

Asch's study on conformity found that people conformed in a group pressure situation even when:

A) the task was difficult.
B) they believed the others were wrong.
C) others seemed to know what they were saying.
D) there was no basis for thinking anything.

Question 40

Milgram's classic studies on obedience:

A) were stimulated by Asch's (1951) experiments on conformity.
B) incorporated all necessary ethical controls for psychological experiments.
C) investigated why housewives ate meat recommended to them by their doctor.
D) were an outcome of American military research.

Question 41

Which of the following brought about the concept of referent informational influence?

A) The social identity approach
B) Social cognition
C) Balance theory
D) The concept of normative influence

Question 42

Supporters, dissenters and deviates reduce conformity because they:

A) increase criticism.
B) shatter the majority's unanimity.
C) provide a competent viewpoint.
D) create cognitive dissonance.

Question 43

Referent informational influence differs from normative and informational influence because in referent informational influence:

A) people conform to validate physical reality.
B) people conform because they are group members.
C) people conform to avoid social disapproval.
D) people conform only if they are highly anxious women.

Question 44

Wayne has taken up surfing. Now he spends every free minute at the beach. He wears long baggy shorts, wrap-around sunglasses and has dyed blonde curls. In joining a 'world of surfies' he is responding to:

A) majority pressure.
B) referent informational influence.
C) his personal disposition to conform.
D) the latest fashion trend.

Question 45

________ ultimately produces change by minorities creating conflict to persuade the majority to adopt the minority viewpoint?

A) Normalisation
B) Persuasion
C) Innovation
D) Conformity

Question 46

Rather, the dual-process model focuses on:

A) group belongingness.
B) social norms.
C) interpersonal dependency.
D) collectivist ideals.

Question 47

When it comes to matters of taste, and when you are concerned about 'fitting in' with the group, group size will have a ________ effect on conformity.

A) non-linear
B) linear
C) weak
D) null

Question 48

Which of the following factors have only a minor, if any, influence on whether people conform?

A) Task or topic variables (e.g., sex-stereotypic or not)
B) Dispositional traits (e.g., low or high anxiety)
C) Cultural background (e.g., collectivistic or individualistic)
D) The nature of the group (e.g., same-sex or not)

Question 49

According to Wilder (1977), who from the following will be more influential?

A) A group of five friends who turned up to the experiment together
B) The University of Sydney indoor soccer team of four players
C) Three other independent participants who appear to have the same opinion
D) Four business students studying the same topic on how to cook

Question 50

Sistrunk and McDavid (1971) found that men conformed more than women when:

A) there was no positive reference group.
B) there were more women than men in the group.
C) the task was more familiar to women.
D) an attractive female was making a statement.

Question 51

According to Moscovici and Faucheux (1972), in Asch's study where a lone individual gives in to a number of incorrect confederates, we are actually dealing with:

A) minority influence.
B) the weight-of-numbers bias.
C) common sense.
D) majority influence.

Question 52

Asch found that a few dissenters, although incorrect, were taken seriously by a correct majority. This can be viewed as a precursor to later studies on:

A) minority influence.
B) group conflict.
C) reference groups.
D) obedience to authority.

Question 53

Research has found that more ________ societies are more highly conformist.

A) collectivist
B) Western
C) individualist
D) male-populated

Question 54

One criticism of social influence is 'conformity bias', which implies that:

A) individuals always conform to the majority influence.
B) social influence works at multiple levels but with the same outcome.
C) researchers interpret cultural adaptation as conformity.
D) intergroup convergence is interpreted as conformity.

Question 55

The dual-process dependency model of social influence refers to both informational and normative influence. However, it has been challenged because:

A) studies cannot be replicated.
B) it disregards the role of group belongingness.
C) it overlooks the properties of the stimulus.
D) personality differences are neglected.

Question 56

Thelma and Louise were out of prison at last. It was time to resurrect their careers and rob a few banks. Thelma said 'Let's just rob one bank at a time; then we might get away from the cops!' 'Great idea', Louise replied. 'Why didn't we do that last time?' Thelma's suggestion is:

A) an informational influence.
B) a stimulus-absent kind of judgement.
C) the weapons effect.
D) great female logic.

Question 57

When we self-categorise, we:

A) make a bid to be leader.
B) go beyond our group boundaries.
C) de-individuate ourselves.
D) use a group norm to guide our behaviour.

Question 58

Sometimes, people may feel influenced to comply with others to gain social approval or avoid social disapproval. This is termed:

A) a stimulus-present kind of judgement.
B) illusion of control.
C) the rebound effect.
D) normative influence.

Question 59

The process of self-categorisation:

A) leads to assimilation to the group norm.
B) helps establish individuality.
C) is based on a gregarious instinct.
D) is described in Asch's conformity study.

Question 60

Which of the following reasons is most likely the explanation of why women conform to a group opinion more than men?

A) The group is too big
B) Men talk too much in a group
C) Women don't talk enough in a group
D) The topic of discussion is sex-stereotyped

Question 61

Members of a majority are likely to perceive that the contrary views put forward by a minority that is consistent, unmotivated by self-interest or other pressures, and flexible in style, are:

A) subversive.
B) disastrous.
C) chosen freely.
D) externally induced.

Question 62

Ben likes soccer. Out of 200 people in his grade at school, 10 people do not like soccer. According to Nemeth's theory of majority/minority influential differences, this allows Ben to have:

A) convergent thinking.
B) abstract thinking.
C) divergent thinking.
D) inward thinking.

Question 63

Which is NOT a characteristic of a minority that has successfully challenged the majority viewpoint?

A) Being consistent
B) Being uncompromising on core issues
C) Being unanimous
D) Being numerous

Question 64

According to Moscovici, when a member of a minority influences a private change in the attitudes of the majority, it is called a ________ effect.

A) persuasion
B) regression
C) capitulation
D) conversion

Question 65

Overall, minorities can be more influential if they can:

A) be considered by the majority as a despised outgroup.
B) be considered by the majority as part of the ingroup.
C) ridicule the majority until the majority can't stand to be around the minority.
D) picket and rally until the majority have to fight back.

Question 66

In his dual-process model of minority and majority influence, Moscovici (1980) argued that:

A) minorities can induce a conversion effect in majorities.
B) majorities restrict the extent to which minorities can be innovative.
C) majorities use advantageous situations to drive their point home.
D) minorities use contradictory strategies to influence the majority.

Question 67

Behavioural style typifies a successful minority. To be effective a minority needs to characteristically:

A) shows the investment needed for change.
B) pursues a principled, yet hidden agenda.
C) demonstrates uncertainty in the majority's opinion.
D) disrupt the majority's norm.

Question 68

When the majority assumes the ingroup minority will want to preserve the majority's core attributes, they typically have:

A) a leniency contract.
B) a disagreement.
C) social impact.
D) a contract of rules and regulations.

Question 69

The majority share the attitude that chocolate is the best flavour for ice-cream. However, I think vanilla ice-cream is the best. According to Nemeth's 'convergent-divergent' theory, upon discovering that my attitude towards ice-cream flavours is in disagreement with that of the majority, I should feel ________. This will then lead to ________ thinking.

A) surprise and stress; convergent
B) guilt and shame; divergent
C) surprise and stress; divergent
D) fear and relief; convergent

Question 70

A paradox of minority influence is that the relatively small size of a minority group can:

A) make people more confrontational.
B) cause an accentuation effect.
C) give it more social impact.
D) be tactically less obvious.

Question 71

For a minority to project certainty that its viewpoint is coherent and a viable alternative to the conventional viewpoint it needs to be:

A) overwhelming.
B) creative.
C) consistent.
D) stubborn.

Question 72

When a group such as Greenpeace takes persistent and unswerving action it is demonstrating:

A) a consistent behavioural style.
B) a majority norm.
C) pig-headedness.
D) that 'those who laugh last, laugh loudest'.

Question 73

Maass and Clark (1983) studied the influence of the expressed views of both majority and minority groups towards gay rights. They found that _________ expressed attitudes conformed to the majority, while _________ expressed attitudes shifted towards the minority.

A) privately; publicly
B) publicly; privately
C) publicly; overtly
D) privately; covertly