In one well-known social psychological experiment, research participants were brought into a dark room where an experimenter projected dots of light. These dots of light appeared to move slightly as they were projected-though exactly how far they moved the participants couldn't say. When asked to estimate the distance that the light traveled, participants tended to look to others in the room, and ask them what they thought. All of the participants thus ended up giving somewhat similar answers-thereby establishing ____.

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The experiment described is known as the autokinetic effect, where stationary points of light in a dark room appear to move slightly. The participants, unsure how to estimate the distance the points of light had moved, looked to others in the room for guidance. Over time, the group established a shared norm that guided their estimate, leading to similar responses. This illustrates the concept of group norms - shared expectations about appropriate behavior in a specific social context.

In One Well-Known Social Psychological Experiment, Research Participants Were Brought