Question 1

Intergroup conflict was reduced in the Robber's Cave study through _____________.

Accepted Answer

The Robber's Cave study demonstrated that intergroup conflict can be reduced through the presence of a superordinate goal, which requires both groups to work together for a common cause. This was shown when the originally conflicting groups were brought together to overcome a shared challenge and ultimately formed a more cooperative relationship. Positive group stereotyping and out-group homogeneity are not effective methods for reducing intergroup conflict, and reducing the ultimate attribution error may help individuals to better understand the perspectives of others but does not directly address intergroup conflict.

Question 2

Goal isomorphism impedes the attainment of individual goals.

Accepted Answer

Goal isomorphism refers to the alignment or similarity of goals among individuals or within an organization, which typically facilitates the attainment of individual goals by ensuring that efforts are coordinated and not in conflict.

Question 3

Primary groups tend to have more specific, less diffuse goals than secondary groups.

Accepted Answer

Primary groups are characterized by close, personal relationships that are broad in scope, covering many aspects of life, rather than focusing on specific, narrow goals. Secondary groups are more goal-oriented and impersonal.

Question 4

What type of conformity did the naïve participants display in Asch's famous "line studies"?

Accepted Answer

The naïve participants in Asch's "line studies" displayed public compliance without private acceptance. This means that they went along with the incorrect answers provided by the majority in order to fit in, but they privately did not believe that these answers were correct. This type of conformity is known as normative influence, where individuals conform to social norms in order to be accepted by others.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT an example of a group?

Accepted Answer

Groups are defined by their interaction and shared goals or purposes. A theater crowd escaping in panic (A) and a cashier and customer during the checkout process (B) do not necessarily share goals or interact in a structured way, unlike a parent-teacher association (C) which is organized around common objectives.

Question 6

Kelvin plays the violin in his city's youth orchestra.The orchestra practices three times a week and holds seasonal concerts.Which of the following characteristics best describes the orchestra as a group?

Accepted Answer

The orchestra is likely to have few emotional ties as it is a formal group with a specific purpose, and members may not have personal relationships beyond their shared activity.

Question 7

Lucia joins a bowling league and is randomly assigned to play on Team Crusher.She immediately begins to view the Crushers more positively than other teams.Team assignment is an example of _____________and her views are best explained by _____________

Accepted Answer

Team assignment is an example of the minimal group paradigm, where individuals are grouped together based on arbitrary and minimal criteria. Lucia's more positive view of the Crushers is best explained by social identity theory, which suggests that individuals derive part of their self-concept from membership in social groups and tend to favor their own group over others.

Question 8

In which case will intergroup contact fail to improve intergroup relations?

Accepted Answer

When one group takes on a high-status leadership role, intergroup contact may lead to even greater prejudice and resentment toward the lower-status group. This phenomenon is known as the "negative interdependence effect" and can occur when contact leads to increased competition or threat between groups. The other options, such as institutional support, sustained contact, and attitude shifts, are all factors that have been found to improve intergroup relations through intergroup contact.

Question 9

The men's varsity volleyball team has a tradition in which team members are encouraged to dye their hair blue for the entire season.Who is least likely to conform to this tradition (assume that all are reluctant to dye their hair)?

Accepted Answer

Robert is least likely to conform because he learns that one other member of the team has refused to dye his hair. This gives him social support for his own reluctance to conform.

Question 10

The manager of a circus company suggests performing in South America for their next tour and several members enthusiastically nod in agreement.The trapeze artist would prefer to go to Scandinavia, but ends of agreeing with the manager.Which factor best explains the trapeze artist's conformity?

Accepted Answer

The trapeze artist's conformity can be explained by a combination of factors: a long-term commitment to the troupe (A), trust in the manager's expertise (B), and the unanimous agreement among the other members (C).

Question 11

Placing people in minimal groups is sufficient to produce discrimination.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that when people are arbitrarily placed in minimal groups, such as based on the color of a shirt they are wearing, they tend to favor their own group at the expense of the other group, even if the differences between the groups are insignificant. This intergroup bias and discrimination occurs even without any prior history or animosity between the groups.

Question 12

The conformity demonstrated in Asch's line study was due to normative influence more than informational influence.

Accepted Answer

Normative influence refers to the desire to fit in with the group and avoid social disapproval or rejection, while informational influence refers to accepting the group's perspective as the correct one. Asch's line study found that participants conformed to the group's incorrect answer mostly due to normative influence, implying that they were more concerned about fitting in with the group than truly believing in the group's response.

Question 13

In the ultimate attribution error, positive events are attributed to _____________factors for in-group members but not for out-group members.

Accepted Answer

The ultimate attribution error is the tendency to attribute positive events to internal and stable factors for in-group members, while attributing the same events to external and unstable factors for out-group members. Therefore, choice B, internal and stable factors, is the best answer.

Question 14

Social cohesion tends to be greater when group members are similar to each other.

Accepted Answer

When group members share common characteristics or experiences, such as ethnicity, language, religion or social status, they are more likely to understand and share values and norms, and to identify with one another. This leads to greater social cohesion, which refers to the level of connectedness or solidarity among group members. However, it is important to note that diversity can also enhance social cohesion if it is managed positively and promotes mutual respect, communication and collaboration.

Question 15

Which of the following BEST describes the effect illustrated in the Robbers' Cave Study?

Accepted Answer

The Robbers' Cave Study is a classic example of realistic conflict theory, which posits that intergroup hostility and competition arise when resources are limited and groups must compete for them. In the study, two groups of boys were initially friendly with each other until introduced to a competition for limited resources, leading to hostility between the two groups.

Question 16

Keisha and Myrtle are taking part in a study using Sherif's autokinetic effect paradigm.Keisha does the study in a group with three other people whereas Myrtle does the study alone.Just like in the original studies, Keisha's estimates of how far the pinpoint of light moved are _____________ the estimates of the other three other people than Myrtle's, due to _____________ influence.

Accepted Answer

Sherif's autokinetic effect paradigm involves the use of ambiguous stimuli to study the role of social influence on individual perception. In this paradigm, people's judgments of the movement of a pinpoint of light are influenced by the judgments of others in their group. This is known as the autokinetic effect. Keisha's estimates are more similar to the other three people in her group because of informational influence, meaning she is using the opinions of others in the group to guide and adjust her own judgments. Myrtle's estimates, on the other hand, may be more variable and less influenced by others, as she is not receiving any social cues or feedback from others.

Question 17

Taylor and Katy are alpha females in their industry and the center of their respective groups of colleagues and collaborators.They are competing over a major sponsorship deal and end up feuding.Which outcome is most likely as a result of this intergroup conflict?

Accepted Answer

In intergroup conflict, it is common for members to prioritize the success of their own group, as seen in choice A. Additionally, to protect their group's strategic plans, it is likely that Taylor would enforce social media restrictions, as in choice B. Finally, in response to the conflict, the members of Katy's group may establish closer bonds with one another, resulting in choice C. Therefore, all of the above outcomes are possible.

Question 18

In highly cohesive groups, who is most likely to be productive?

Accepted Answer

A group based on task cohesion is most likely to be productive because members are united in a shared goal or task-oriented purpose, which channels their energy towards making progress and achieving success. Task cohesion promotes efficient communication, cooperation, and synergy among group members, leading to better performance outcomes than groups focused on social cohesion, group pride, or similarity among members.

Question 19

Fran joined a book club in his new city and met close friends through it.He continued to attend the book club because he enjoyed spending time with these friends.One month, everyone else suggested the same book for next time.Although Fran preferred to read a different book, he ultimately conformed to their suggestion in order to remain in the group's good favor.Fran's connection to the book club can best be described as __________ cohesion and ___________ influence impacted his suggested for next month's book.

Accepted Answer

Fran's connection to the book club is based on social cohesion as he values spending time with his friends in the group. His influence to conform to the group's suggestion can be described as normative influence, as he conforms in order to be accepted by the group and not risk rejection.

Question 20

Given the increasing popularity of snowboarding as an international sport, an energy drink company sponsors four new snowboarders and terminates contracts with seven skiers.As a result, the old skiers resent the new snowboarders and post negative comments about them online.______________ best explains this intergroup conflict.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Given the increasing popularity of snowboarding as...

Quiz 15: Understanding Groups