Question 1

Dan refused an initial phone request for a $24.00 donation to send four needy children to the circus, but he did agree to a second request to give $6.00. This is an example of the

Accepted Answer

This scenario exemplifies the door-in-the-face technique, where an initial large request is made knowing it will likely be refused, followed by a smaller, more reasonable request. The smaller request is the actual goal, and it seems more acceptable in comparison to the first, larger request.

Question 2

You are a subject in an experiment identical to the original Milgram studies of obedience. If you behaved like most of Milgram's subjects, which of the following would decrease your level of obedience to the experimenter's commands?

Accepted Answer

The presence of other subjects who refuse to follow the experimenter's orders is likely to decrease obedience levels in the current subject, based on the phenomenon of social conformity. Seeing others defy authority can help individuals feel more justified in doing the same. The other choices may not have as strong of an effect on obedience levels. Option A could potentially increase obedience if the subject feels like others are following the experimenter’s commands. Option B may not have much of an effect if the subject does not feel reassured by the experimenter’s claim of responsibility. Option D, known as the foot-in-the-door technique, may actually increase obedience since the subject has already complied with the initial requests.

Question 3

Any effect on performance, whether positive or negative, that can be attributed to the presence of others is defined as

Accepted Answer

The definition provided describes social facilitation, which is the tendency for individuals to perform better on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others. Social loafing refers to the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group, compliance refers to conforming to social norms or requests from others, and group polarization refers to the tendency for group decisions to become more extreme than individual decisions.

Question 4

Which strategy would involve trying to gain compliance by making a large request that you know will be refused before coming back with a more reasonable request?

Accepted Answer

The door-in-the-face technique involves making an unreasonable or large request that is likely to be refused, and then following up with a more reasonable request. This can make the second request seem more reasonable and increase the likelihood of compliance.

Question 5

Maria agreed to sign a letter supporting an increase in taxes for road construction and later agreed to make 100 phone calls urging people to vote for the measure; this is an example of the

Accepted Answer

The foot-in-the-door technique involves making a small request to gain compliance, followed by a larger request. In this scenario, Maria first agreed to sign a letter supporting an increase in taxes for road construction (a small request), and then agreed to make 100 phone calls urging people to vote for the measure (a larger request). The other options, such as the that's-not-all-folks technique (offering additional incentives or bonuses) or the low-ball technique (changing the terms of an agreement after someone has agreed) do not align with the scenario described. The door-in-the-face technique involves starting with a large request, and then following up with a smaller, more reasonable request, which is not the case in this scenario.

Question 6

The door-in-the-face technique for getting compliance suggests that you should start by

Accepted Answer

The door-in-the-face technique involves starting by making a large request that is likely to be refused, but which sets the stage for compliance with a smaller, more reasonable request. By starting with a larger request, the person may feel more inclined to agree to the smaller one as a form of compromise or concession. Therefore, option A, asking for more than you expect to get, is the best choice.

Question 7

A student wanted to be granted an extension for her term paper. She asked the professor to read over a rough draft of her introduction. After he had done so, she asked him for the extension. She is attempting to use the

Accepted Answer

The student is using the foot-in-the-door technique by first asking the professor to read over her rough draft, creating a small request that is likely to be granted. Once the professor has said yes to this request, she then proceeds to ask for the extension, which is a larger request. By gaining the professor's initial agreement, she is more likely to obtain the extension she desires.

Question 8

Which of the following is a good example of the low-ball technique?

Accepted Answer

The low-ball technique involves initially offering a deal at a lower price to get agreement and then raising the price by revealing additional costs or fees, as seen in option A with the car salesman.

Question 9

Which best describes the effects of the presence of others on performance?

Accepted Answer

The presence of others can create a social facilitation effect where performance improves on tasks at which we are skilled, but it can also create social inhibition where performance is impaired on tasks at which we are unskilled or on difficult tasks. This is known as the Yerkes-Dodson Law which suggests that a moderate level of arousal is necessary for optimal performance, but too much or too little arousal can impair performance. The presence of others can increase arousal, leading to improved performance on simple tasks but impaired performance on complex tasks. Therefore, the best choice is D.

Question 10

After Sasha agreed to babysit for her next-door neighbours, she was informed that their three nephews would be there, too. This is an example of the

Accepted Answer

The low-ball technique involves initially securing agreement with a request but then revealing hidden costs or downsides. Sasha agreed to babysit, not knowing initially about the additional responsibility of the three nephews, which is a classic example of this technique.

Question 11

The foot-in-the-door technique involves

Accepted Answer

The foot-in-the-door technique involves getting a person to agree to a small request first, then following it up with a larger request. Once the person agrees to the small request, they are more likely to agree to the larger request due to consistency and commitment.

Question 12

The influence of passive spectators on our performance is called

Accepted Answer

The influence of passive spectators on our performance is commonly known as the audience effect.

Question 13

Based on Milgram's studies of obedience, it can be concluded that

Accepted Answer

Milgram's studies showed that the majority of participants were willing to obey the commands of an authority figure, even if it meant harming another person. This suggests that the tendency to obey authority figures is strong. The other options (B, C, and D) are not consistent with Milgram's findings.

Question 14

Which of the following refers to the technique for compliance that tells us that getting a person to sign a petition is the first step in getting the person to commit time or money for the passage of some legislation?

Accepted Answer

The foot-in-the-door technique involves getting a person to agree to a small request, such as signing a petition, and then gradually increasing the size of the requests. This technique is often used in political advocacy to encourage people to get involved in supporting legislation.

Question 15

Contracts that offer deals appearing "too good to be true" often are just that. However, many people sign them, only to read the fine print after the fact. In so doing, they discover additional charges or limitations to their service or product that were not made clear at the time of the sale. This is an example of the

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the low-ball technique, where an initially attractive offer is made to get a person to agree to a deal, and then the terms are made less favorable (e.g., through additional charges or limitations) after the agreement.

Question 16

When the foot-in-the-door approach is used to induce compliance, the subject is first presented with a ________ request, which is followed by ________ request.

Accepted Answer

The foot-in-the-door approach typically involves starting with a small request to gain compliance, and then following up with a larger request. This is because once someone has agreed to a small request, they are more likely to agree to a larger one as a means of remaining consistent with their initial response.

Question 17

Which of the following statements regarding the effects of social facilitation is most supported by the research evidence?

Accepted Answer

The research evidence supports the idea that performance improves on easy tasks and worsens on difficult tasks, which is known as the Yerkes-Dodson law. This is because easy tasks are relatively simple and do not require much conscious attention, so the presence of others can increase arousal and motivation. However, difficult tasks require more conscious attention and cognitive resources, so the presence of others can be distracting and increase anxiety, leading to worse performance.

Question 18

A strategy to gain compliance by making a very attractive initial offer to get a person to agree to an action and then making the terms less favourable is the

Accepted Answer

The low-ball technique involves making a very attractive initial offer to gain compliance, but then changing the terms to be less favourable once the person has already agreed. This can make it harder for the person to back out of the agreement without feeling like they are breaking a commitment. The door-in-the-face technique involves making a large request first, and then following with a smaller, more reasonable request. The obedience technique involves persuading someone to comply with a request based on their perception of the requester's authority or expertise. The foot-in-the-door technique involves starting with a small request and then gradually increasing the size of the requests.

Question 19

Louise has been practising a new piano piece for a couple of weeks. She performs it with a few mistakes when she is practising alone, but when she attempts to perform it for her friends, she makes numerous mistakes. Her performance in front of friends might be attributed to

Accepted Answer

The audience effect refers to the phenomenon where an individual's performance is influenced by the presence of an audience. In this case, Louise is likely experiencing increased anxiety or pressure due to performing in front of her friends, leading to more mistakes than when she practices alone.

Question 20

Social facilitation occurs when

Accepted Answer

Social facilitation refers to the tendency for an individual's performance on a task to improve when others are present. This is not related to helping behavior (A), assisting someone in need (C), or community dialogue (D).

Quiz 10: Social Psychology