Question 1

After checking into a hotel, Emma suddenly hears pounding on her door. A man in a uniform is standing there telling her that there is smoke on a lower floor and the electricity is possibly going to shut off. She should prop her door open and evacuate as quickly as possible. Later, she returns to find her laptop and jewelry have been stolen. She has fallen victim to informational social influence. Explain why she conformed.

Accepted Answer

The answer of After checking into a hotel, Emma suddenly...

Question 2

Even though the authors point to a number of situational variables that contributed to the destructive obedience of Stanley Milgram's participants (e.g., normative and informational conformity pressures, conflicting norms), it might still be argued that people have, lurking deep within them, sadistic tendencies that can easily be elicited by situational variables. What experimental findings by Milgram call this "personal attribution" into question?

Accepted Answer

The fact that participants administered very low levels of shock when they were given the choice undermines the argument that people have sadistic tendencies that can easily be elicited by situational variables. If the participants were truly sadistic, they would have chosen higher levels of shock regardless of the situation.

Question 3

Burger's (2009) replication of Milgram's studies on obedience to authority suggests that compared with people in the 1970s, people in 2006 were __________ likely to obey authority.

Accepted Answer

Burger's (2009) replication of Milgram's studies found that people in 2006 were just as likely to obey authority as those in the original studies conducted in the 1970s, indicating little change in obedience levels over the decades.

Question 4

The text discussed informational social influence and normative social influence. First, describe the two types of social influence and give a real-life example of each. Be sure to clearly explain how your example demonstrates that particular type of social influence.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The text discussed informational social influence and...

Question 5

Explain how both informational conformity and normative conformity could contribute to eating disorders in women.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain how both informational conformity and normative...

Question 6

In order for Burger (2009) to conduct a study replicating Milgram's work on obedience, he had to modify Milgram's procedures. Which of the following is one of the modifications he made?

Accepted Answer

Burger modified Milgram's procedure by stopping the study at 150 volts to ensure the participants' psychological well-being, addressing ethical concerns that were not as prominent during Milgram's original experiments.

Question 7

Solomon Asch conducted a series of studies in which confederates publicly gave an obviously wrong judgment about the length of several lines, and then a participant was asked to make a judgment about what he or she saw. What was the result of this study? Describe how participants behaved. Additionally, state if they were subject to normative or informational social influence.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Solomon Asch conducted a series of studies...

Question 8

According to the text, what are the three things that happen to individuals who resist normative social influence?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the text, what are the...

Question 9

Informational social influence does not always produce conformity, but informational conformity is more likely in some situations than in others. What factors increase conformity to informational social influence?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Informational social influence does not always produce...

Question 10

In Burger's (2009) replication of Milgram's studies on obedience to authority, he included both men and women. Milgram included women in only one of his studies. Which of the following is true about the gender differences Burger found?

Accepted Answer

Burger's findings showed no significant gender differences in obedience to authority, similar to Milgram's results.

Question 11

Milgram's studies on obedience to authority violated several ethical principles. These include all of the following EXCEPT __________.

Accepted Answer

Milgram's studies did include a debriefing period at the end of each experiment. This allowed participants to understand the true nature of the study and its purpose, and to ask any questions they may have had. However, the other options are correct: there was no true informed consent because participants were not fully informed about the nature and potential harm of the study, there was deception because participants were deceived about the purpose of the study, and Milgram's studies may have inflicted insight (psychological distress) on the participants by exposing them to the harsh realities of their own obedience to authority.

Question 12

Burger (2009) conducted a replication of Milgram's studies on obedience. One of the modifications to Milgram's original method was that Burger stopped the study after participants had reached 150 volts (rather than 450). Why did he choose the 150-volt cut-off point?

Accepted Answer

Burger chose the 150-volt cut-off point because in Milgram's work, participants who were going to disobey usually did so by 150 volts.

Question 13

If an executioner were questioned about how he could live with himself after taking someone's life, one likely response (according to the authors of your text) would be __________.

Accepted Answer

This is known as the "just following orders" justification, which is a common response when individuals are asked to carry out actions that conflict with their own moral values or principles. The executioner may feel that he is simply performing his job duties and following the law, and therefore is not personally responsible for the act of taking someone's life.

Question 14

In what kinds of situations are people most likely to yield to normative social influence pressures?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In what kinds of situations are people...

Question 15

Describe a situation when you were the "odd man out." That is, you were the nonconformist. Did your experience resemble the "Johnny Rocco" study results? If so, how? If not, why not? Be sure to use vocabulary from the chapter and be specific.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe a situation when you were the...

Question 16

In Burger's (2009) modernized version of Milgram's experiments on obedience, there are several modern "updates." In what ways was Burger's sample of participants different from Milgram's?

Accepted Answer

Burger's sample was more diverse in terms of gender, age, and education level compared to Milgram's original sample, which was predominantly male and less varied in demographics.

Question 17

The authors of your text discuss several factors that led to the high degree of obedience in the Milgram experiment. All of the following are implicated EXCEPT __________.

Accepted Answer

While aggression was a factor in the Milgram experiment (participants were instructed to administer electric shocks to another person), it is not discussed as a factor that led to the high degree of obedience in the experiment. Normative and informational social influence, as well as gradual commitment and resulting changes in self-perception (foot-in-the-door), are all discussed as factors that contributed to obedience.

Question 18

How does conformity to normative social influence differ from conformity to informational social influence?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How does conformity to normative social influence...

Question 19

According to the authors of your text, the work of Milgram and Burger on obedience to authority is a clear example of which conflicting goals of science?

Accepted Answer

Milgram's work on obedience to authority involved a controversial experimental design that raised ethical concerns. Burger's attempt to replicate Milgram's work addressed these ethical concerns while still attempting to discover new knowledge, making it an example of the conflicting goals of discovery and minimizing harm in scientific research.

Question 20

Recall that Muzafer Sherif (1936) used the autokinetic effect to measure participants' estimates of the apparent movement of a stationary spot of light. In what sense did Sherif's findings illustrate informational social influence?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Recall that Muzafer Sherif (1936) used the...

Quiz 8: Conformity and Obedience: Influencing Behavior