Psychology Degree Social Influence and Behavior Questions and Answers

Question 1

A research participant is instructed by a person in a lab coat to deliver what they believe are increasingly painful electric shocks to another person. Despite the other person's cries of pain, the participant continues to follow the instructions. This behavior is a powerful demonstration of which social psychology concept?

Accepted Answer

Obedience to authority

Answer

This scenario directly mirrors Stanley Milgram's famous experiments on obedience. The research demonstrated that people are surprisingly willing to obey commands from a perceived authority figure (the person in the lab coat), even when those commands conflict with their personal conscience and involve harming another person.

Question 2

Which of the following is a primary symptom of groupthink, a phenomenon where the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives?

Accepted Answer

An illusion of invulnerability

Answer

Irving Janis identified several key symptoms of groupthink, including an 'illusion of invulnerability'. This symptom creates excessive optimism and encourages the group to take extreme risks because they believe they cannot fail. The other options are characteristic of healthy group dynamics that prevent groupthink.

Question 3

A charity worker first asks a homeowner if they would be willing to sign a petition to support local parks. After the homeowner agrees, the worker then asks if they would be willing to make a small donation. This persuasion strategy is known as the:

Accepted Answer

Foot-in-the-door technique

Answer

The foot-in-the-door technique involves getting a person to agree to a large request by having them agree to a modest request first. Signing the petition is the small, initial request which makes the person more likely to comply with the subsequent, larger request for a donation.

Question 4

The tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working collectively on a group task where their individual contributions are not monitored is known as:

Accepted Answer

Social loafing

Answer

Social loafing is the phenomenon where people in a group feel less accountable and therefore put in less effort toward a common goal compared to when they are individually accountable. It is distinct from social facilitation, where the presence of others can enhance performance on simple or well-learned tasks.

Question 5

During a class discussion, a student is unsure of the answer to a complex question. After hearing several classmates confidently provide the same incorrect answer, the student agrees with them, believing that the group must have more information. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Informational social influence

Answer

Informational social influence occurs when people conform because they believe others have accurate information and they desire to be correct, especially in ambiguous situations. The student is conforming based on the perceived knowledge of the group, not primarily out of a desire to be liked (which would be normative social influence).

Psychology Degree Practice Test

Psychology Degree Practice Test

Psychology Degree Social Influence and Behavior Questions and Answers