Question 1

Which of the following phenomena is defined as the ways in which people are affected by the real or imagined presence of others?

Accepted Answer

Social influence refers to the ways in which individuals change their behavior to meet the demands of a social environment. It encompasses how people are affected by the real or imagined presence of others, including changes in attitudes, beliefs, decisions, and actions due to the influence of others, whether that influence is direct or indirect.

Question 2

Which of the following was the central focus of Muzafer Sherif's (1936) study on conformity?

Accepted Answer

Muzafer Sherif's 1936 study on conformity focused on the autokinetic effect, where a stationary point of light in a dark room appears to move due to the lack of a reference point, leading individuals to conform to group estimates of movement.

Question 3

What was the finding of Sherif's study (1936) on conformity when participants were asked to estimate the distance moved by a point of light?

Accepted Answer

Sherif's study demonstrated that when individuals were placed in a group setting to estimate the movement of a point of light in a dark room (an ambiguous task), their estimates began to converge over time, illustrating the influence of social conformity on judgments.

Question 4

Many participants in the social influence study conducted by ____ gave public responses that they privately knew to be inaccurate.

Accepted Answer

Solomon Asch conducted experiments on conformity, where participants gave incorrect answers to simple questions to conform with the group, even though they knew the correct answers privately.

Question 5

According to research by Emily Pronin and others (2007), which of the following statements explains why people perceive others to be more conforming than they, themselves, are?

Accepted Answer

People tend to judge others based on their visible actions and behaviors, while they judge themselves based on their internal thoughts and motivations. This difference in perspective leads to the perception that others are more conforming than oneself.

Question 6

The tendency to unconsciously mimic the nonverbal behavior of others is called

Accepted Answer

The chameleon effect refers to the unconscious mimicry of the postures, mannerisms, facial expressions, and other behaviors of one's interaction partners, such that one's behavior passively and unintentionally changes to match that of others in one's current social environment.

Question 7

Which of the following has not been demonstrated by research on mimicry?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that people do not only mimic the facial expressions of others but also their overt behaviors, indicating that choice C is incorrect. Mimicry in humans extends beyond facial expressions to include gestures, postures, and other actions.

Question 8

A half-dozen high school students are going to a concert. Chantal wants to wear a new colorful outfit that she just received as a gift, but she assumes that her five friends will all be wearing nothing but black leather. Chantal decides to do likewise, and leaves her colorful outfit in the closet. Chantal's behavior is an example of

Accepted Answer

Chantal's decision to wear black leather like her friends, despite her initial desire to wear a colorful outfit, is an example of conformity. She changes her behavior to match the group's expectations.

Question 9

You're out with friends when a talk show host walks up and asks if you'll answer a few trivia questions on camera. When he asks how many feet are in a mile, your first friend says 2,000 and your second friend says 3,000. You don't know the correct answer, so you say 2,500. Your response is similar to the judgments made by participants in which study?

Accepted Answer

Your response is similar to the judgments made in Sherif's (1936) study on the autokinetic effect, where participants' estimates of a light's movement in a dark room converged over time due to informational social influence, reflecting a form of group consensus similar to averaging the guesses of your friends.

Question 10

According to the research of Neumann and Strack (2000), participants would report that they expected a more positive mood state when they listened to a speaker who

Accepted Answer

Neumann and Strack (2000) found that participants expected a more positive mood state when they listened to a speaker who spoke in a happy voice, indicating the influence of vocal affect on mood expectations.

Question 11

Ireland and Pennebaker (2010) found evidence for

Accepted Answer

Ireland and Pennebaker (2010) conducted research that found evidence for mimicry in the use of language, particularly in how people adapt their language styles to match those of their conversation partners.

Question 12

Which of the following is not an example of social influence?

Accepted Answer

Social influence involves changes in behavior, attitudes, or beliefs as a result of real or imagined pressure from others. Choices A, B, and D all involve individuals altering their behavior or feelings in response to the actions or reactions of others. Choice C, however, describes a personal, internal reaction to seeing oneself in a mirror, which does not involve social pressure or influence from others.

Question 13

Chartran and Bargh (1999) had experimental accomplices mimic the mannerisms of some participants but not others. They found that

Accepted Answer

Chartran and Bargh (1999) found that participants liked the accomplice more when their mannerisms were mimicked, demonstrating the social bonding effect of mimicry.

Question 14

At the sales meeting, Leo clasped his hands behind his head and reclined in his chair. Within minutes, three other team members were sitting in the same posture, demonstrating the psychological tendency referred to as

Accepted Answer

The chameleon effect refers to the unconscious mimicry of the postures, mannerisms, facial expressions, and other behaviors of one's interaction partners, such that one person unconsciously imitates the other. This is what is being demonstrated when the team members mimic Leo's posture.

Question 15

The tendency to alter perceptions, opinions, and behavior in ways that are consistent with group norms is called

Accepted Answer

Conformity refers to the act of changing one's behavior to match the responses or standards of others, especially in a group setting. This phenomenon is driven by the desire to fit in or be accepted by the group.

Question 16

Which of the following is not considered one of the three forms of social influence discussed in this chapter?

Accepted Answer

Independence is not considered one of the three forms of social influence discussed typically in psychological literature. The three primary forms of social influence are conformity (adjusting one's behavior or thinking to match those of others), compliance (changing one's behavior in response to a direct request), and obedience (changing one's behavior in response to a directive from an authority figure).

Question 17

Identify the species of animal that does not show automatic imitation.

Accepted Answer

Camels do not exhibit automatic imitation, which is more commonly observed in species like hamsters, fish, and pigeons.

Question 18

Chang has a habit of scratching his head in anxiety whenever he meets his clients. Four other colleagues-David, Peter, Sophie, and Jones-are with him. He would feel more comfortable with

Accepted Answer

David mimicking Chang's behavior can make Chang feel more comfortable as it creates a sense of shared experience and reduces self-consciousness about his habit.

Question 19

In what way does conformity differ from obedience and compliance?

Accepted Answer

Conformity involves changing one's behavior to match the norms or behaviors of a group, often due to implicit social pressure, rather than direct orders or requests, which are characteristic of obedience and compliance.

Question 20

Sherif's (1936) research using the autokinetic effect demonstrated that

Accepted Answer

Sherif's research using the autokinetic effect showed that in ambiguous situations, individuals look to others for guidance on how to behave, demonstrating how social influence can lead to conformity.

Quiz 7: Conformity