SCC Group Dynamics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'social facilitation'?
- The improvement in performance on simple tasks when others are present (Correct answer)
- The process by which norms spread through a group
- A technique for reducing conflict between group factions
- The tendency to conform to majority opinion under pressure
Correct answer: The improvement in performance on simple tasks when others are present
Social facilitation refers to the enhanced performance on well-learned or simple tasks that occurs in the presence of others, as shown by Zajonc's research.
Question 2: Which term describes a small, tightly knit group characterized by face-to-face interaction and strong emotional bonds?
- Secondary group
- Out-group
- Primary group (Correct answer)
- Reference group
Correct answer: Primary group
Primary groups, a concept introduced by Charles Cooley, are intimate, long-lasting groups like families and close friend circles where personal relationships are central.
Question 3: What is the 'bystander effect'?
- The tendency to work harder when observed by group leaders
- The reduced likelihood of any individual helping when more bystanders are present (Correct answer)
- The increase in aggression that occurs in anonymous crowds
- The process by which observers gradually adopt group norms
Correct answer: The reduced likelihood of any individual helping when more bystanders are present
The bystander effect, studied by Latané and Darley, shows that individuals are less likely to intervene in an emergency when others are present due to diffusion of responsibility.
Question 4: In Milgram's obedience experiments, which factor most significantly reduced participants' obedience?
- Increasing the number of observers
- Moving the authority figure out of the room (Correct answer)
- Providing participants with financial incentives
- Increasing the number of subjects being shocked
Correct answer: Moving the authority figure out of the room
When the experimenter gave orders by phone rather than in person, obedience rates dropped dramatically, showing proximity of authority matters.
Question 5: What sociological concept refers to the unwritten rules that govern acceptable behavior within a group?
- Roles
- Statuses
- Norms (Correct answer)
- Sanctions
Correct answer: Norms
Group norms are shared expectations about appropriate behavior that regulate how members act, even without formal enforcement.
Question 6: Solomon Asch's line-judgment experiments primarily demonstrated the power of:
- Obedience to authority
- Social loafing in collective tasks
- Conformity to majority group pressure (Correct answer)
- Leadership emergence in leaderless groups
Correct answer: Conformity to majority group pressure
Asch's conformity experiments showed that individuals often give clearly wrong answers when surrounded by confederates who unanimously give those wrong answers.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes a 'formal group' in organizational sociology?
- A group with no designated leader or hierarchy
- A deliberately created group with defined roles, rules, and objectives (Correct answer)
- A group that forms spontaneously around shared interests
- A group defined solely by shared demographic characteristics
Correct answer: A deliberately created group with defined roles, rules, and objectives
Formal groups are intentionally structured with explicit membership criteria, defined roles, and specific goals, such as work teams or committees.
SCC Group Dynamics 3
What is 'social facilitation'?