Social Influence and Behavior Flashcards

Which condition in Milgram's obedience study produced the LOWEST rates of full compliance?

Answer: Two experimenters giving conflicting orders

When two experimenters contradicted each other, nearly all participants stopped, because the authority structure collapsed.

Social facilitation theory predicts that the presence of others improves performance on:

Answer: Well-learned, simple tasks

Arousal caused by others' presence enhances the dominant response — which is correct for well-practiced tasks but incorrect for difficult ones.

Which phenomenon occurs when group members prioritize harmony over critical thinking, leading to poor decisions?

Answer: Groupthink

Groupthink involves suppression of dissent and illusions of invulnerability that lead to defective group decision-making.

Normative social influence is driven primarily by the desire to:

Answer: Be liked and accepted by others

Normative influence involves conforming to gain social approval or avoid rejection, independent of whether the group is actually correct.

A researcher finds that people tip more when the server touches them briefly on the arm. This best illustrates which influence principle?

Answer: Liking

Physical touch can increase liking and rapport, and people are more likely to comply with requests from those they like.

The 'chameleon effect' in social behavior refers to:

Answer: Unconsciously mimicking others' postures and mannerisms

Chartrand and Bargh demonstrated that people automatically and nonconsciously mimic the behaviors of interaction partners, facilitating social bonds.

In Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment, the primary conclusion about situational power was that:

Answer: Normal people can engage in abusive behavior when given a powerful role

The experiment showed that situational roles and institutional norms can powerfully override individual personality in shaping behavior.