Psychology Degree Social Influence and Behavior 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which condition in Milgram's obedience study produced the LOWEST rates of full compliance?
- Experimenter present in the room
- Victim in a separate room (voice only)
- Orders given by telephone
- Two experimenters giving conflicting orders (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Two experimenters giving conflicting orders
When two experimenters contradicted each other, nearly all participants stopped, because the authority structure collapsed.
Question 2: Social facilitation theory predicts that the presence of others improves performance on:
- Novel, complex tasks
- Well-learned, simple tasks (Correct answer)
- Creative problem-solving tasks
- Tasks requiring deep concentration
Correct 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.
Question 3: Which phenomenon occurs when group members prioritize harmony over critical thinking, leading to poor decisions?
- Group polarization
- Social loafing
- Groupthink (Correct answer)
- Risky shift
Correct answer: Groupthink
Groupthink involves suppression of dissent and illusions of invulnerability that lead to defective group decision-making.
Question 4: Normative social influence is driven primarily by the desire to:
- Gain accurate information
- Be liked and accepted by others (Correct answer)
- Reduce uncertainty
- Understand complex events
Correct 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.
Question 5: A researcher finds that people tip more when the server touches them briefly on the arm. This best illustrates which influence principle?
- Scarcity
- Liking (Correct answer)
- Authority
- Commitment
Correct answer: Liking
Physical touch can increase liking and rapport, and people are more likely to comply with requests from those they like.
Question 6: The 'chameleon effect' in social behavior refers to:
- Changing opinions to match the majority
- Unconsciously mimicking others' postures and mannerisms (Correct answer)
- Adapting one's identity to different social roles
- Imitating a model to gain rewards
Correct 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.
Question 7: In Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment, the primary conclusion about situational power was that:
- Sadistic personalities self-select into guard roles
- Normal people can engage in abusive behavior when given a powerful role (Correct answer)
- Prisons inherently corrupt all who enter them
- Group polarization caused escalating violence
Correct 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.
Psychology Degree Social Influence and Behavior 4
Which condition in Milgram's obedience study produced the LOWEST rates of full compliance?