FREE Psychology Degree Social and Group Behavior Questions and Answers Flashcards

Which concept describes the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone?

Answer: Social loafing

Social loafing occurs when individual effort decreases as group size increases because personal accountability is diffused.

In Sherif's Robbers Cave experiment, what strategy successfully reduced intergroup conflict between the two groups of boys?

Answer: Superordinate goals

Sherif found that introducing superordinate goals requiring cooperation between groups was the most effective method for reducing intergroup hostility.

What does the bystander effect predict about helping behavior?

Answer: People are less likely to help when others are present

The bystander effect demonstrates that the presence of other people reduces the likelihood that any single individual will offer help due to diffusion of responsibility.

Which term refers to the process by which group discussion strengthens the dominant position held by individual members?

Answer: Group polarization

Group polarization occurs when group deliberation leads members to adopt more extreme positions in the direction they were already leaning.

According to social identity theory, what is the primary motivation behind in-group favoritism?

Answer: Maintaining positive self-esteem through group membership

Social identity theory posits that people favor their in-group because their group membership contributes to their self-concept and self-esteem.

What phenomenon occurs when group members suppress dissenting opinions to maintain harmony, often leading to poor decision-making?

Answer: Groupthink

Groupthink involves the suppression of critical thinking and alternative viewpoints in highly cohesive groups prioritizing consensus over accuracy.