Question 1

The vast majority of protests and other collective events exhibit which kind of dispersal?

Accepted Answer

Most protests and other collective events are planned and end as planned, so the dispersal of participants is also planned and routine. Emergency dispersal would imply a sudden and unexpected need to disperse, coerced dispersal would indicate force or coercion used to disperse, and active dispersal is not a common term used to describe dispersal of a group.

Question 2

The debate as to whether to stop and look at an accident while driving by,possibly slowing down the traffic behind you,is an example of __________.

Accepted Answer

This situation is a social dilemma because it involves conflicting individual interests (curiosity about the accident vs. the desire to avoid causing traffic congestion). Each individual driver must decide which action to take, and their decision will affect others on the road. It is up to individuals to weigh the benefits and costs of stopping to look at the accident and to make a decision based on their own values and priorities.

Question 3

According to Smelser's value-added theory,the American stock market crash in 1929 was representative of which kind of behavior?

Accepted Answer

Smelser's value-added theory identifies the American stock market crash in 1929 as an example of panic, where individuals in a crowd or group make irrational decisions based on their emotions, leading to a rapid sell-off of stocks.

Question 4

Which theorist is most associated with mass hysteria theory?

Accepted Answer

Gustave LeBon is most associated with the mass hysteria theory. He wrote the influential book "The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind" in which he argued that individuals lose their rationality when they become part of a crowd and are susceptible to mass suggestion and irrational behavior.

Question 5

Following Smelser's value-added theory,why would we not expect a poor,third-world nation with a barter economy to develop mass hysteria over stock market problems in the United States,such as the crash of the U.S.market in the 1920s?

Accepted Answer

Smelser's value-added theory suggests that six conditions must be present for collective behavior to occur: structural conduciveness, structural strain, generalized belief, precipitating factors, mobilization for action, and social control. In the case of a poor, third-world nation with a barter economy, it is unlikely that the first condition, structural conduciveness, would be met, as there would be little connection or exposure to the U.S. stock market. Structural conduciveness refers to the presence of structural conditions that allow for the possibility of collective behavior to occur.

Question 6

According to LeBon,__________ is one of the main ingredients of contagion theory.

Accepted Answer

LeBon believed that in a group setting, individuals become more irrational than when acting alone, making them susceptible to contagious emotions and behaviors. Therefore, irrational behavior is one of the main ingredients of contagion theory.

Question 7

Public radio,radio stations that rely,in part,on listener support to stay in business,run the risk of what problem?

Accepted Answer

Public radio stations that rely on listener support may face the free-rider problem, which occurs when people benefit from a public good without contributing to its provision. In this case, some people may listen to public radio stations without making a donation to keep the station in business, which can increase the financial burden on those who do donate.

Question 8

Gustave LeBon's book The Crowd is based on observations of which of the following events?

Accepted Answer

Gustave LeBon's book The Crowd is based on observations of the French Revolution.

Question 9

Authorities explained students' behavior at the "Stairway to the Stars" concert using which theory?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Authorities explained students' behavior at the "Stairway...

Question 10

Steve turned to the people around him for help in deciding how to act at a local protest.According to perception control theory,what form of perception control is Steve using?

Accepted Answer

Steve is using interdependent instruction as he is turning to others around him for guidance on how to behave, indicating reliance on social or group norms for perception control.

Question 11

Which of the following theories of collective behavior is most likely to incorporate larger social-structural conditions in predicting the development of a social movement?

Accepted Answer

Value-added theory emphasizes that social movements arise from social conditions and that social movement organizations must appeal to potential recruits by framing issues in a way that connects with their preexisting values and beliefs. This theory looks at the larger social contexts that give rise to social movements, such as inequality, oppression, and political or economic crisis. In contrast, irrational process theory envisions collective behavior as an aberration from normal social norms and behavior, while hysterical behavior theory focuses on individual psychology rather than social-structural conditions. Behavior control theory deals with the ways in which authorities manage and control collective behavior, rather than predicting its emergence.

Question 12

What is the best predictor of participation in a march or a riot?

Accepted Answer

Being personally asked to participate in an event significantly increases the likelihood of participation, as it directly engages the individual and makes them feel needed or valued in the context of the event.

Question 13

Which description is characteristic of a coerced dispersal?

Accepted Answer

Coerced dispersal refers to a situation where people are forced to disperse from a location, often by the use of force or coercion. In this case, people are leaving the protest because police officers are throwing tear gas into the crowd, which is a form of coercion, making option C the correct answer. Option A describes a peaceful dispersal, option B describes an evacuation due to an emergency situation, and option D describes a planned, orderly dispersal.

Question 14

Match the term to its definition by filling in the letter or letters before the term in the appropriate blank.
  _____ Groups of people with a focus,or goal,who act with unity to achieve a goal.
_____ A dispersal in which participants leave a gathering in a rational,orderly fashion.
_____ Crowd that lacks a goal and is primarily just a setting for tension release,often through rhythmical action such as applause,dancing,or singing.
_____ Attempts to change the social order of society.
_____ Aspect of emergent norm theory that argues that individuals enter groups with different attitudes and perspectives.
_____ Any type of mass violence or killings.
_____ Anonymous individuals from many social strata that are loosely organized.
_____ A shared belief about a person,an event,or interaction or object.
_____ A sense of shared emotional bonds that emerges whenever people interact in a group.
_____ Crowd dispersals that occur during emergency situations like fires or explosions.
_____ Collective action designed to produce a new social order.
_____ An individual's sense of connection with a larger community or group.
_____ An alliance of actors formed for the purpose of achieving some goal.
_____ Part of the circular reaction process in which individuals at an event anxiously move about in a seemingly aimless and random fashion.
_____ Movements to change the way things are regulated in society.
_____ Examines the interaction of competing interests and opportunity structures in a group's ability to produce social change.
_____ An aggregate of people,often from the same social class,who are concerned with a specific issue.
_____ According to emergent norm theory,a person who is not directly involved with a group's goal but participates out of concern over an issue.
_____ According to emergent norm theory,it is the type of person who participates in the group out of curiosity.
_____ According to emergent norm theory,it is the type of person who feels a strong personal commitment to the issue that the group is involved with.
_____ According to emergent norm theory,it is the person participating in a crowd merely for the sense of connection with the group.
_____ A situation whereby,if every person acts in his or her own best interests,the results will be bad for the group.
_____ A situation in which large numbers of people are overwhelmed with a common fear.
_____ Part of the circular reaction process in which people respond to one another by interpreting the other's gestures and remarks,rehearsing or visualizing a possible response,and then conveying a response.
_____ Process by which people become more and more suggestible and irrational after interactions become interrupted.
_____ Situations in which a third party attempts to break up a group.
_____ Theory based on the idea that individuals in crowds lose their ability to think and act rationally.
_____ Theory based on the notion that to fully understand the causes of collective events,you need to distinguish the type of collective behavior in question and the social conditions surrounding it.
_____ Theory based on the premise that people must be able to monitor and interpret one another's behavior for collective action to occur.
_____ When large numbers of people become obsessed with something like the purchase of a product or an activity.
_____ When individuals formally organize into groups to bring about social change.
_____ Those movements that center around specific issues rather than class-based political mobilizations (e.g. ,workers' rights).
_____ Theory of collective behavior focusing on how individuals come to accept the constraints imposed by a group.
_____ Theory of collective action that views social movements as a product of the interaction between the social conditions that lead people to want change and resources available to make those changes.
_____ When some actors can reap the benefits of a group effort without incurring the costs.
_____ The purposive nature of people's behavior when they collectively celebrate,mourn,worship,protest,compete in athletics,or confront disasters.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Match the term to its definition by...

Question 15

The March for Life protest against abortion is probably best described as a __________.

Accepted Answer

The March for Life protest against abortion is a social movement as it is a collective, organized effort to bring about social or political change related to a specific issue (abortion). It is not just individual social or collective action, but a sustained effort by a large group of people to achieve a common goal.

Question 16

Most protest marches in the United States are __________.

Accepted Answer

Most protest marches in the United States tend to be small and peaceful, with participants gathering to express their views without engaging in violence or civil disobedience.

Question 17

Guilford went to a protest against the school's smoking policy because he truly believed that it was wrong and should be changed.He had been a leader in the antismoking group for a number of years prior to the march.According to Turner and Killian,what kind of participant is he?

Accepted Answer

Guilford is an ego-involved participant because his actions are driven by a personal conviction or belief in the cause, as indicated by his long-term leadership in the antismoking group and his participation in the protest to change the school's smoking policy. Turner and Killian classify participants like Guilford, who have a deep personal investment in the cause, as ego-involved.

Question 18

Group processes research shows that __________ are natural products of individuals faced with large power disparities.

Accepted Answer

Coalitions are natural products of individuals faced with large power disparities. When some individuals or groups have a disproportionate amount of power, other individuals or groups are likely to band together to try to balance the power dynamics. Coalitions can form for various reasons, such as to increase bargaining power, to achieve common goals, or to provide mutual support against a more powerful entity.

Question 19

The use of __________ is important to the forming of collective memories?

Accepted Answer

Storytelling is a powerful tool in forming collective memories. When stories are told and retold within a group, they become part of the group’s shared history and culture, forming a collective memory that can be passed down through generations. Storytelling helps to shape a group’s identity, values, and beliefs, and helps to create a sense of belonging and community.

Question 20

According to Blumer's theory of circular reaction,when do individuals in crowds start to lose control and act without much rationality?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Blumer's theory of circular reaction,when...

Quiz 11: Collective Behavior