ASPPB Social Psychology 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is a key difference between normative and informational social influence?
- Normative influence changes private beliefs; informational does not
- Informational influence stems from the desire to be correct; normative from the desire to be liked (Correct answer)
- Normative influence is stronger in low-stakes situations
- Informational influence requires direct pressure from others
Correct answer: Informational influence stems from the desire to be correct; normative from the desire to be liked
Informational influence occurs when people look to others for information about reality, while normative influence is driven by the need for social approval.
Question 2: According to Robert Cialdini's principles of influence, which principle explains why limited-edition products are more desirable?
- Social proof
- Authority
- Scarcity (Correct answer)
- Liking
Correct answer: Scarcity
The scarcity principle states that people assign more value to opportunities or items when they are rare or becoming unavailable.
Question 3: In intergroup contact theory (Allport), which condition is NOT identified as necessary to reduce prejudice through contact?
- Equal status between groups
- Institutional support
- Superordinate goals
- Majority group numerical dominance (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Majority group numerical dominance
Allport's contact hypothesis requires equal status, institutional support, cooperative interdependence, and opportunities for personal acquaintance — not majority dominance.
Question 4: The phenomenon of 'group polarization' means that after group discussion, members tend to:
- Reach moderate compromise positions
- Shift toward more extreme versions of their initial views (Correct answer)
- Suppress minority opinions through conformity pressure
- Become more uncertain about their initial positions
Correct answer: Shift toward more extreme versions of their initial views
Group polarization refers to the tendency for group discussion to amplify and push initial leanings toward more extreme positions.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST captures the concept of 'deindividuation'?
- Reduced self-awareness and weakened restraints on behavior in group settings (Correct answer)
- Increased personal identity salience in anonymous situations
- Diffusion of moral responsibility without loss of self-awareness
- Conformity to group norms due to explicit social pressure
Correct answer: Reduced self-awareness and weakened restraints on behavior in group settings
Deindividuation involves a loss of self-awareness and individual accountability that can lead to impulsive or antisocial behavior in crowd settings.
Question 6: The 'just world hypothesis' (Lerner) predicts that observers will often blame victims of misfortune because:
- Observers lack empathy for out-group members
- People need to believe the world is fair and predictable, so victims must deserve their fate (Correct answer)
- Attribution errors lead to internal explanations for others' negative outcomes
- Social norms require that suffering be explained through personal agency
Correct answer: People need to believe the world is fair and predictable, so victims must deserve their fate
The just world belief motivates victim-blaming as a way to maintain the reassuring belief that bad things happen only to those who deserve them.
Question 7: Self-monitoring, as defined by Snyder, refers to the degree to which individuals:
- Accurately track their own emotional states
- Regulate their self-presentation based on situational cues (Correct answer)
- Monitor others' behavior to guide their own responses
- Reflect on their core values before acting
Correct answer: Regulate their self-presentation based on situational cues
High self-monitors adapt their behavior to match social context, while low self-monitors act more consistently with internal attitudes.
ASPPB Social Psychology 4
Which of the following is a key difference between normative and informational social influence?