Question 1

Suppose you were designing an obedience study and wanted to reduce or lower the obedience rates found by Milgram. Which of the following would most likely generate the results you want?

Accepted Answer

Having participants feel fully responsible for the victim's welfare is likely to reduce obedience rates. This is because personal accountability tends to decrease the likelihood of obeying harmful orders, as individuals are more directly confronted with the consequences of their actions.

Question 2

A friend of yours asks for your help in studying for next Wednesday's biology exam. After helping your friend study, your friend then asks for a copy of your essay answers to the history take-home exam. The persuasion tactic that your friend attempted to employ is best representative of

Accepted Answer

The answer of A friend of yours asks for your...

Question 3

The belief that one's individual performance within a group is not being monitored and having a task goal that is not very meaningful or valuable to a person are two factors that are most likely to increase the chance of

Accepted Answer

Social loafing occurs when individuals exert less effort in a group task because they feel their individual performance is not being monitored and the task lacks personal significance.

Question 4

Having an authority figure who is physically close and who is perceived as legitimate were both mentioned as factors that increase

Accepted Answer

Having an authority figure who is physically close and perceived as legitimate increases obedience, as demonstrated in Milgram's obedience studies.

Question 5

Research indicates that the primary aspect of deindividuation that disinhibits behaviour is

Accepted Answer

The answer of Research indicates that the primary aspect of...

Question 6

The phenomenon of social facilitation refers to how people perform better on individual tasks when they perform in front of an audience or have co-actors. However, when people involved in a group task exert less effort than they would if they were performing individually, then ________________ has occurred.

Accepted Answer

Social loafing describes the phenomenon where individuals exert less effort when working in a group compared to when they work alone.

Question 7

Under which of the following conditions would you expect the least likelihood of social loafing?

Accepted Answer

Social loafing is less likely when individual performance is being monitored because people know their efforts are being observed and evaluated, which increases their motivation to contribute effectively to the group task.

Question 8

Theodore answers his door one day to find a young man asking for donations for a local animal shelter. The man asks Theodore if he can put him down for a $10 donation. Theodore is happy to donate $10 to such a worthy cause and gives him the $10. The next day, Theodore receives a "thank you" call from the animal shelter and a request that he donate 10 hours a week of his time volunteering at the shelter. The animal shelter has used which of the following persuasion techniques on Theodore?

Accepted Answer

The "foot-in-the-door" technique involves getting a person to agree to a small request (like a small donation) to increase the likelihood of agreeing to a larger request later (volunteering time).

Question 9

Which of the following conclusions regarding the results from obedience studies is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

Obedience studies, notably those by Stanley Milgram, have shown that obedience to authority figures is influenced more by the situation and context in which individuals find themselves than by their inherent personality traits. This suggests that under certain conditions, many people may comply with orders, even if they go against their personal morals or beliefs.

Question 10

Melissa is doing a project for her lab class in a group with three other people. Melissa knows that two of the other girls are straight A students and that they will do an excellent job on the project. Melissa also knows that the teacher will not know who has done what work on the project so she does not put much work into it. Melissa is falling sway to

Accepted Answer

Melissa is exhibiting social loafing, which occurs when individuals exert less effort to achieve a goal when they work in a group than when they work alone. Knowing that her group members are high achievers and that individual contributions won't be recognized, Melissa decides to put in less effort.

Question 11

Which of the following factors has been shown to have the least impact on obedience rates?

Accepted Answer

Research in social psychology, particularly the studies conducted by Stanley Milgram, has shown that factors such as the remoteness of the victim, the legitimacy of the authority figure, and the presence of others who seem to take responsibility can significantly influence obedience rates. Personal characteristics, however, have been found to have a relatively lesser impact on whether individuals will obey authority figures, suggesting that situational factors are more influential in determining obedience.

Question 12

A researcher contacts you and asks if you would be willing to complete a brief survey for him as part of a study. After you agree to participate, the researcher then informs you that you will need to come into the lab at 10:30 p.m. on Friday night to complete the survey. This example best illustrates the persuasion technique called

Accepted Answer

Lowballing involves initially presenting an attractive offer to get someone to agree to an action and then making the terms less favorable once they have agreed. In this scenario, the researcher first gets agreement to participate in a survey (an attractive offer) and then reveals the less favorable condition of coming to the lab late at night.

Question 13

A meta-analysis of 60 different studies examining the possible causal mechanisms of deindividuation revealed that the primary factor that disinhibited behaviour was ___________.

Accepted Answer

Anonymity to outsiders is a key factor in deindividuation, as it reduces accountability and increases the likelihood of disinhibited behavior by making individuals feel less identifiable.

Question 14

A phone solicitor calls and asks if you would be interested in volunteering to work on a local political campaign. The job involves working 20 hours per week, you must work on Saturdays and Sundays for the next six months, and you receive no financial compensation. After politely refusing this request, the solicitor asks if you would be willing to work one evening a month on the campaign. This example best demonstrates the persuasion strategy known as

Accepted Answer

The door-in-the-face technique involves making a large request that is expected to be refused so that the person will be more likely to agree to a smaller request. In this scenario, the solicitor first makes a large request (working 20 hours a week with no pay) and, after refusal, makes a much smaller request (working one evening a month).

Question 15

During jury duty, Brian realizes that he does not know very much about the background of the case. He really could not care less whether the defendant is found guilty or not and often during deliberations, other jurors voice the very thoughts he himself has. When the time comes to reach a verdict, Brian does not put as much effort and thoughtfulness into his vote as he should because he really doesn't think it makes that big of a difference. Brian's behaviour reflects the principle of

Accepted Answer

Brian's behavior is an example of social loafing, which occurs when an individual exerts less effort to achieve a goal when they work in a group than when they work alone. This is because individuals in a group might feel that their contribution is less noticeable or that others will pick up the slack.

Question 16

The fact that guards in the Stanford Prison Study did not use their actual names, did not know that they were being observed, and wore reflective sunglasses that prevented direct eye contact all suggest that a key role in producing the results obtained in this experiment was _____________.

Accepted Answer

The use of anonymity (not using actual names), lack of direct observation awareness, and the use of reflective sunglasses that prevent eye contact in the Stanford Prison Study are all factors that contribute to deindividuation. This psychological state is characterized by reduced self-awareness and a diminished sense of individual identity, leading individuals to act in ways they might not normally act if they were identifiable. These conditions facilitated the guards' abusive behavior towards the prisoners in the study.

Question 17

Before asking you for a favour, your roommate vacuums the apartment and cleans the bathroom. Which of the following persuasion techniques is your roommate using?

Accepted Answer

The norm of reciprocity is a social norm where if someone does something for you, you then feel obligated to return the favor. By cleaning the apartment and bathroom, your roommate is likely hoping to invoke this norm, making you more inclined to agree to a favor in return for their actions.

Question 18

A person on campus walks up to you and asks if you would be willing to wear a ribbon to show support for her cause. Though the ribbon is a bit unattractive, it is small so you agree to wear it. After agreeing to this request, the solicitor then asks you if you would be willing to make a donation of $15. This example best demonstrates the persuasion technique called

Accepted Answer

This example demonstrates the foot-in-the-door technique, where a small request is made first (agreeing to wear a ribbon), followed by a larger request (donation of $15). This technique works on the principle that agreeing to a small request increases the likelihood of agreeing to a second, larger request.

Question 19

The tendency for people to work less hard when they are working in a group than when they are working alone is known as

Accepted Answer

Social loafing is the phenomenon where individuals exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone.

Question 20

The phenomenon in which people lose their sense of personal identity and self-awareness as a result of the anonymity provided by being in a large group of people is called

Accepted Answer

Deindividuation refers to the psychological state where individuals in a group lose their sense of individual identity and feel less accountable for their actions, often leading to behavior that is uncharacteristic of their normal actions. This phenomenon is commonly observed in large groups or crowds where anonymity is present.

Quiz 13: Behaviour in a Social Context