Question 1

A social psychologist has been invited to give a community lecture on the importance of Milgram's research. He asks a social psychology class for suggested titles. Which of the following titles might they suggest as the most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Choice B, "Do Not Underestimate the Power of Perceived Authority," is the most appropriate title for a lecture on the importance of Milgram's research. Milgram's research demonstrated the strong influence that perceived authority can have on individuals' behaviors, and this theme is reflected in the title choice. Choice A is incorrect as it suggests that obedience and aggression are innate, which is not what Milgram's research demonstrated. Choice C is incorrect as it suggests that training in ethics is a simple solution to overcoming the pull of obedience, which is not necessarily the case. Choice D is incorrect as it refers to making a small request first, which is not a key finding of Milgram's research.

Question 2

Analysis of the participants in Milgram's obedience study has indicated that which personality trait was highly related to the willingness to be obedient?

Accepted Answer

Milgram's study found that obedience was more influenced by situational factors rather than any specific personality trait.

Question 3

Imagine 100 individuals are asked to take part in a replication of Milgram's famous study on obedience. How are these 100 people likely to respond?

Accepted Answer

Milgram's original study found that a significant majority of participants were willing to administer the maximum voltage when instructed by an authority figure, demonstrating high levels of obedience. Replications of the study have shown similar results.

Question 4

Some have suggested that the results of Milgram's obedience study may have been due to the ________ effect.

Accepted Answer

The foot-in-the-door effect occurs when an initial small request leads to compliance with a larger request. In Milgram's study, participants were first asked to administer a small shock, which gradually increased in intensity. This gradual increase in demands may have led to the participants feeling a sense of commitment and consistency, ultimately leading to their compliance with the experimenter's demands.

Question 5

After agreeing to Nat's request to share her lecture notes from one class, Maria now agrees to Nat's request to share her notes from three classes. This example illustrates the ________ technique.

Accepted Answer

This example illustrates the foot-in-the-door technique, where a small request (sharing notes from one class) leads to compliance with a larger request (sharing notes from three classes).

Question 6

The tendency of people to comply with a second, lesser request after refusing a larger one is called the ________ technique.

Accepted Answer

The door-in-the-face technique involves making a large request that is likely to be refused, but following it up with a smaller, more reasonable request. The person is more likely to comply with the smaller request because they perceive it as a concession on the part of the requester.

Question 7

What term is used to describe compliance with an initial small request followed by compliance with a larger request?

Accepted Answer

The foot-in-the-door effect is used to describe compliance with an initial small request followed by compliance with a larger request.

Question 8

What is a difference between obedience and conformity?

Accepted Answer

Obedience involves following the commands or requests of someone in authority, while conformity involves aligning one's behavior or beliefs with those of a group. In obedience, there is typically a clear difference in status between the one who obeys (e.g. a subordinate or follower) and the one who makes the request (e.g. a boss or leader). In conformity, there may be a perceived difference in status between the one who conforms and the group members, but this is not always the case.

Question 9

Stanley Milgram's study of obedience took on a special importance in the wake of ________.

Accepted Answer

Milgram's study was conducted in the 1960s, but it gained renewed interest and importance in the aftermath of the atrocities committed by soldiers in Nazi Germany during World War II. Milgram's study aimed to understand how individuals could be convinced to obey orders that went against their own moral code, which was a phenomenon seen in some of the soldiers who carried out acts of cruelty and genocide during the war. Milgram's findings shed light on the power of authority and social influence in shaping human behavior, which has continued to be relevant in the study of obedience and conformity.

Question 10

Car salespersons are notorious for using the ________ technique, which involves changing terms after an agreement has been made.

Accepted Answer

The technique described in the statement is known as the "lowball" technique, which involves changing the terms of a deal after an agreement has been made. This is often used by car salespersons to pressure customers into agreeing to higher prices or additional features.

Question 11

Which statement BEST describes an important finding of Milgram's classic research?

Accepted Answer

Milgram's classic research demonstrated that people are willing to obey authority figures even when it involves causing harm to others. This finding has important implications for understanding obedience and ethical decision-making in a variety of contexts.

Question 12

Many people hang up on telemarketers, but others will listen politely to their pitches even if they are not interested in the product. Telemarketers know that anyone who agrees to listen to a pitch is more likely to buy the product, thanks to the ________ phenomenon.

Accepted Answer

The foot-in-the-door phenomenon is a social psychology concept where a small request is made first and then followed by a larger request. In this case, the small request is just listening to the telemarketer's pitch, which can potentially lead to a larger request of buying the product. Telemarketers are aware of this and use it to their advantage to increase their chances of making a sale.

Question 13

Which of the strategies for gaining compliance discussed by your textbook is LEAST likely to influence an individual from a collectivist culture, such as Japan?

Accepted Answer

The foot-in-the-door technique relies on individualistic values of consistency and self-perception, which may be less influential in collectivist cultures that prioritize group harmony and consensus.

Question 14

A person asks you if you would volunteer to counsel delinquent youths at a detention center for one year. When you refuse, she asks you if you could supervise the youths during a trip to the zoo. She is using the ________.technique.

Accepted Answer

The person is using the door-in-the-face technique by first making a large request (volunteering to counsel delinquent youths for one year) and then following it up with a smaller request (supervising the youths during a trip to the zoo) in hopes that the person will be more likely to agree to the smaller request after refusing the larger one.

Question 15

"Mommy, mommy, mommy," your young son asks frantically. "Can we please buy a new PlayStation^®3 console with all of the games and the wireless controllers so that we don't have to sit near the television?" "No," you reply, "we can't afford to buy all of that!" Seemingly unperturbed by your rejection, your son comes back with "Then can we just buy one new game for our PlayStation^®2?" "Okay, I guess so," you answer, not realizing that your precocious son has taken a social psychology class and has just used the ________ technique to get what he wanted.

Accepted Answer

The door-in-the-face technique involves making a large request that is likely to be refused, followed by a smaller request, which is what the son did by first asking for a new console and then for just one game.

Question 16

________ is a change of behavior in response to an explicit request.

Accepted Answer

Compliance is a specific type of social influence where an individual changes their behavior in response to an explicit request or directive from another person or group. This could be due to a desire to fit in, gain approval, or avoid the negative consequences of not complying. Conformity involves changing behavior to match the norms of a group, while obedience involves following the orders of an authority figure. Deindividuation refers to the loss of self-awareness and individual identity that can occur in group situations.

Question 17

Hannah asks Jin to babysit her daughter for five hours each on both Saturday and then Sunday. Once Jin declines, Hannah asks Jin to babysit for four hours on Saturday only and Jin agrees to do it. This example demonstrates the ________ technique.

Accepted Answer

This example demonstrates the door-in-the-face technique. Hannah first asked Jin for a big favor (to babysit for 10 hours total on two days), which Jin declined. Then, she asked for a smaller favor (to babysit for four hours on one day), which Jin agreed to. This is a classic example of the door-in-the-face technique, which involves making a large initial request that is likely to be turned down, followed by a smaller request that is more likely to be accepted.

Question 18

The tendency of people to comply with a second, larger request after complying with a small request is called the ________ technique.

Accepted Answer

The foot-in-the-door technique involves getting a person to comply with a small request, then following up with a larger request. The idea is that compliance with the smaller request makes the person more likely to comply with the larger one. The lowball technique involves getting a commitment to a request or purchase, then revealing hidden costs or details that make the commitment more expensive or difficult to fulfill. The door-in-the-face technique involves making a large request that is likely to be refused, then following up with a smaller, more reasonable request. The response cue is not a recognized term in social psychology.

Question 19

Which statement correctly characterizes one aspect of Stanley Milgram's study of obedience?

Accepted Answer

In Milgram's study, subjects were shown an ominous-looking shock machine that was marked 0 to 450 volts as part of the experiment to test obedience to authority.

Question 20

A dealer persuades a customer to buy a new car by reducing the price to well below that of his competitors. Once the customer has agreed to buy the car, the terms of the sale are shifted by lowering the value of the trade-in and requiring the purchase of expensive extra equipment. Now the car costs well above the current market rate. This is an example of the ________ technique.

Accepted Answer

The lowball technique involves initially offering a favorable deal to gain agreement and then changing the terms to be less favorable.

Quiz 12: Social Psychology