FREE BAPSY Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Social Psychology Questions and Answers Flashcards

Which concept describes the tendency for individuals to put less effort into a task when working in a group compared to working alone?

Answer: Social loafing

Social loafing occurs when individuals exert less effort in a collective setting because their individual contributions are less identifiable.

In Stanley Milgram's obedience experiments, what was the primary factor that increased participants' willingness to obey the authority figure?

Answer: Physical proximity of the authority figure

Milgram found that obedience rates increased when the authority figure was physically closer to the participant, reinforcing the power of perceived legitimate authority.

What does the just-world hypothesis predict about how people perceive victims of misfortune?

Answer: People tend to blame victims for their own suffering

The just-world hypothesis suggests people believe the world is fair, leading them to assume victims must have done something to deserve their fate.

Which theory explains attitude change by suggesting that people experience discomfort when holding two contradictory beliefs simultaneously?

Answer: Cognitive dissonance theory

Cognitive dissonance theory, proposed by Leon Festinger, states that the tension from conflicting cognitions motivates people to change their attitudes or behaviors to restore consistency.

What is the bystander effect most directly attributed to?

Answer: Diffusion of responsibility among onlookers

The bystander effect occurs primarily because each individual assumes someone else will intervene, diffusing personal responsibility across all witnesses present.

Which phenomenon occurs when group discussion leads members to adopt more extreme positions than their initial individual opinions?

Answer: Group polarization

Group polarization describes the tendency for group deliberation to push members toward more extreme versions of their pre-existing attitudes.