Question 1

In group decision-making contexts, the person who conducts information searches and controls the flow of information is known as the:

Accepted Answer

The gatekeeper in group decision-making contexts is responsible for controlling the flow of information and conducting information searches, acting as a filter for what information reaches the group.

Question 2

Rodney wants to know which brand of insecticide to buy, so he asks for brand evaluations from various professionals, experts, people who work with insecticides, even independent testing agencies which have seals of approval. Which kind of reference group influence would result?

Accepted Answer

Rodney is seeking information and expertise from professionals and testing agencies to make an informed decision about which insecticide to buy. This is a classic example of informational influence, where individuals look to a group or experts for information to make decisions.

Question 3

In group decision-making contexts, the person who actually makes the purchase is called the:

Accepted Answer

In group decision-making contexts, the person who actually makes the purchase is referred to as the "buyer." This role is distinct from the initiator who suggests the purchase, the user who ends up using the product, and the influencer who affects the decision with their opinion.

Question 4

The tendency for groups to take larger risks in decision making than the same individuals would take when acting alone is known as:

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon where groups make riskier decisions than individuals would on their own is known as the risky shift. This occurs because group discussions often lead members to adopt a more extreme stance.

Question 5

If you were to buy a new Saturn and join their "Saturn Owners Club," regularly attending club outings, the other club members would be known as a(n):

Accepted Answer

The other club members would be known as a reference group because they serve as a standard or benchmark for evaluating one's own behavior and attitudes, especially in the context of shared interests and activities like owning a Saturn and participating in club outings.

Question 6

In group decision-making contexts, the person who actually consumes the product or service is called the:

Accepted Answer

In group decision-making contexts, the person who actually consumes the product or service is referred to as the "user." This role is distinct from the initiator who may propose the purchase, the buyer who physically acquires the product, and the influencer who affects the decision with their opinion.

Question 7

Allison carefully avoids doing what everyone else does. She goes out of her way to make sure that she does not dress the same way as others of her age. She spends a lot of time and effort to ensure that she will not be caught "in style." Her behaviour would be called:

Accepted Answer

Allison's behavior is an example of anticonformity, where she deliberately chooses to act in opposition to the norms or trends followed by the majority, specifically to avoid being "in style" or conforming to what others are doing.

Question 8

Reactance is more related to ________ than to ________.

Accepted Answer

Reactance is more related to anticonformity than to independence because it is a psychological response where individuals act against persuasion or coercion, often leading to behaviors that assert one's freedom, rather than simply acting independently without regard to external pressures.

Question 9

What do social loafing and decision polarization have in common?

Accepted Answer

Social loafing and decision polarization both illustrate how the behavior of individuals can change when they are part of a group, often leading to less individual effort in the case of social loafing, or more extreme group decisions in the case of decision polarization, than would be expected based on their behavior as isolated individuals.

Question 10

Amy purchases certain brands of clothes because she is influenced by fellow members of her women's rugby team. This is an example of what type of influence reference group?

Accepted Answer

Utilitarian influence occurs when individuals conform to the expectations of a group to gain rewards or avoid punishments, such as Amy purchasing clothes to fit in with her rugby team.

Question 11

When the family buys a new automobile, 18-year-old Alison impacts the decision by demanding Bluetooth connectivity and GPS. In this context she is a(n):

Accepted Answer

Alison is an influencer in the decision-making process because she is affecting the decision by expressing her preferences for specific features (Bluetooth connectivity and GPS) in the new automobile.

Question 12

Dee's parents, although fairly well-off, always taught her the value of money, so Dee makes sure she puts money in a retirement account each month and pays her credit card bill on time. This type of influence is termed:

Accepted Answer

Normative influence refers to the impact of others' expectations on an individual's behavior, often leading them to conform to societal norms or family teachings, such as the value of money taught by Dee's parents.

Question 13

Jane would hold home shopping parties. She always made sure to invite at least two people who would always like to be the first to buy in order to "get the ball rolling." Jane believed that this increased the probability that other partygoers would then begin buying her products. Jane was relying on the ________ to increase sales.

Accepted Answer

Jane was relying on the bandwagon effect, which is the phenomenon where people do something primarily because other people are doing it, regardless of their own beliefs, which they may ignore or override.

Question 14

Bernard is a self-confessed computer geek, and he is proud to be good at computers, but not sports. He likely views ________ as a dissociative reference group.

Accepted Answer

A dissociative reference group is a group with which an individual does not want to associate or identify. Since Bernard is proud of being good at computers but not sports, he likely views "jocks" (B), or those who are good at sports, as a dissociative reference group.

Question 15

Groups often experience what is known as a risky shift. One of the chief reasons for this phenomenon is:

Accepted Answer

The risky shift phenomenon, where groups make riskier decisions than individuals, is largely attributed to the diffusion of responsibility. In a group setting, the responsibility for a decision is shared among all members, leading individuals to feel less personally accountable for the outcomes. This can embolden groups to make riskier choices than an individual might when faced with the same decision alone.

Question 16

Jasmine goes to a very large party and notices that a few people she knows are acting wildly out of character. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Deindividuation refers to the phenomenon where individuals in a group lose their sense of individual identity and, as a result, may engage in behavior that is out of character, often due to the perceived anonymity and diffusion of responsibility within the group. This can explain why people might act wildly out of character at a large party.

Question 17

As a result of social loafing behaviour, Margaret is likely to do what at her school bake sale?

Accepted Answer

Social loafing refers to the phenomenon where individuals exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone. Therefore, Margaret is likely to not worry too much about contributing her normal share to the group effort at the bake sale.

Question 18

In a much-discussed marketing failure, Coca-Cola launched "new Coke" on the basis of successful taste tests, only to encounter massive resistance when consumers discovered that their beloved Coca-Cola would no longer be available. Even though many consumers probably would have bought the new flavour on their own, they felt that the company had taken the right to choose away from them. This hostile public outcry is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The hostile public outcry to the introduction of "new Coke" is an example of reactance, a psychological response wherein individuals feel their freedom to choose is being restricted, prompting them to resist the change or do the opposite of what is being imposed.

Question 19

Social loafing refers to:

Accepted Answer

Social loafing is the phenomenon where individuals exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone. This occurs because people feel less accountable for the outcome and believe their contribution is less noticeable within the group context.

Question 20

An individual feels that the people who purchase a particular brand are admired or respected by others. This is an example of what type of influence reference group?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of value-expressive influence, where the individual perceives that using a particular brand will enhance their image or status in the eyes of others, reflecting their values or beliefs.

Quiz 11: Group Influence and Social Media