Question 1

Asch found that all of the following factors served to decrease conformity in his experiments except
A)the presence of one dissenter
B)having a smaller group
C)when financial incentives were offered for a difficult task, making a mistake more costly
D)when financial incentives were offered for an easy task, making a mistake more costly

Accepted Answer

Asch's experiments on conformity found that conformity decreased when there was at least one dissenter, when the group size was smaller, and when the task was easy, even if mistakes were costly. However, offering financial incentives for a difficult task, making a mistake more costly, was not a factor he found that decreased conformity.

Question 2

A young child decides to dress more like his peers in order to avoid their rejection and teasing. This child is best demonstrating the effect of
A)self-serving bias
B)stereotype threat
C)normative social influence
D)groupthink

Accepted Answer

The child is demonstrating normative social influence, which refers to the influence of other people that leads us to conform in order to be liked and accepted by them. In this case, the child changes his dress to fit in with his peers and avoid rejection, which is a classic example of conforming to the group's norms to gain social acceptance.

Question 3

You are conducting a conformity experiment patterned after the one utilized by Asch. Under which of the following conditions would you expect conformity to be the highest (i.e., the most people will conform)?
A)When there are four people in the group
B)When financial incentives are offered for correct answers on an easy task, making a mistake more costly
C)When there are two people in the group
D)When there is at least one dissenter in the group

Accepted Answer

Conformity tends to increase with group size up to a point, but having a group larger than three or four doesn't significantly increase conformity. Asch's experiments showed that conformity increased with group size but plateaued around four or five members.

Question 4

When presented with Milgram's experimental design, a group of experts and lay people estimated that approximately 1 percent of the participants would be completely obedient. The results from his study indicated that the percentage of his male and female participants that obeyed the experimenter until the conclusion of the experiment was _______.
A)10 percent
B)65 percent
C)90 percent
D)50 percent

Accepted Answer

Milgram's study famously found that a surprising 65 percent of participants were willing to administer the highest level of shock to the learner, demonstrating a high level of obedience to authority figures, far exceeding the initial estimates.

Question 5

Which of the following was mentioned as one of the factors that can increase obedience?
A)Have a remote authority figure
B)Have the victim be physically close to the participant
C)Have another "participant" actually administer the shock
D)Have participants with military backgrounds

Accepted Answer

Having another "participant" (who is actually a confederate in the experiment) administer the shock can increase obedience by distancing the actual participant from the action, making it easier for them to comply with authority instructions.

Question 6

Which factor decreases the likelihood that Joyce will conform to the opinion of her group?
A)Joyce admires the group.
B)Joyce is insecure.
C)Joyce's group requires public consensus.
D)Joyce is highly committed to a different action.

Accepted Answer

Joyce being highly committed to a different action decreases the likelihood that she will conform to the opinion of her group because her strong commitment to another course of action suggests she has already made up her mind, making her less susceptible to group influence.

Question 7

Which of the following statements regarding follow-up studies on Milgram's obedience experiment is most accurate?
A)Very few studies have been able to replicate Milgram's original study.
B)Follow-up studies suggest that the high obedience rates were largely a function of the time period and that similar results would not be obtained today.
C)Obedience effects are usually found in modern studies, but they are all significantly smaller than the one obtained by Milgram.
D)Surprisingly, modern studies have obtained similar obedience rates.

Accepted Answer

Modern replications and follow-up studies of Milgram's obedience experiment have surprisingly found similar levels of obedience to authority, indicating that the phenomenon is not solely a product of the historical context of the original experiments.

Question 8

In his famous study examining obedience, Milgram found that the majority of his participants
A)became uncomfortable early in the experiment and refused to give further shocks to the "learner"
B)became uncomfortable midway through the experiment and refused to administer any further shocks when they learned of the "learner's" heart condition
C)administered the maximum 450 volts to the "learner," even though they were very distressed and upset doing so
D)had no trouble administering the maximum 450 volts to the "learner" because most of them assumed that the shocks were not real

Accepted Answer

Milgram's study on obedience found that a significant majority of participants were willing to administer the maximum 450 volts to the "learner," despite showing signs of distress and discomfort, indicating a high level of obedience to authority figures.

Question 9

Which of the following factors that increase the impact of minority opinions may be the most influential factor?
A)Being highly committed to an opinion
B)Remaining independent in the face of majority pressure
C)Maintaining a consistent opinion over time
D)Appearing to have an open mind

Accepted Answer

Maintaining a consistent opinion over time is often seen as the most influential factor because it demonstrates confidence and certainty, which can lead others to reconsider their own views and potentially adopt the minority opinion.

Question 10

You behave in the same way as a certain professor does because you believe the professor has accurate knowledge and is doing the "right" thing. Your action best represents the phenomenon of
A)social facilitation
B)normative social influence
C)social comparison
D)informational social influence

Accepted Answer

This behavior is an example of informational social influence, where individuals conform to the behavior of others because they believe those others have accurate information or the "right" answer, especially in uncertain or ambiguous situations.

Question 11

Elliot is led to a room with nine other people. All ten people are then shown a picture of two lines. The line on the left is clearly shorter than the line on the right. But, when the experimenter asks everyone which line is shorter, all of the other people say that the line on the right is shorter. When it is Elliot's turn to respond we would expect him to say that
A)he is not sure which line is shorter
B)the lines are the same length
C)the line on the left is shorter
D)the line on the right is shorter

Accepted Answer

This scenario is an example of the Asch conformity experiments, where individuals often conform to group opinion even when it contradicts their own senses.

Question 12

Janie's basketball team has collected money to buy the coach a gift at the end of the season. Most of the girls want to get the coach a gift certificate to her favourite restaurant, but Janie and Susie want to get her tickets to the Final Four tournament that year. After a lot of discussion, Janie and Susie agree to get the gift certificate. Some of the other girls pointed out that the restaurant certificate would be better because this way the coach could take her husband and they did not have enough money to get two tournament tickets. This made Janie and Susie change their opinion about the best gift. The two girls conformed due to
A)group think
B)normative social influence
C)informational social influence
D)social facilitation

Accepted Answer

Janie and Susie changed their opinion after being presented with information about why the restaurant certificate was a better choice, indicating informational social influence.

Question 13

All of the following were mentioned as factors that increase the influence of a minority opinion EXCEPT
A)when the person with the minority opinion is consistent over time
B)when the person with the minority opinion is resistant to hearing the majority side's viewpoint
C)when the person with the minority opinion remains independent in the face of majority pressure
D)when the person with the minority opinion appears to keep an open mind

Accepted Answer

Factors that increase the influence of a minority opinion include consistency over time, independence in the face of majority pressure, and appearing to keep an open mind. Being resistant to hearing the majority side's viewpoint is not mentioned as a factor that increases the influence of a minority opinion; rather, openness and flexibility can contribute to the minority's persuasiveness.

Question 14

Research studies have determined that levels of conformity tend to be ___________ between individualistic cultures compared to collectivist cultures.
A)similar
B)higher
C)lower
D)undifferentiated

Accepted Answer

Individualistic cultures emphasize personal independence and self-expression, leading to lower levels of conformity compared to collectivist cultures, which prioritize group harmony and cohesion.

Question 15

A person who changes her personal investment strategy based on the advice of her knowledgeable financial advisor is best demonstrating the power of ______________ social influence.
A)facilitative
B)informational
C)normative
D)self-serving

Accepted Answer

Informational social influence occurs when an individual changes their behavior or beliefs based on the information or knowledge from others, especially in situations where they are uncertain or perceive the others as more knowledgeable. In this case, changing an investment strategy based on the advice of a knowledgeable financial advisor is an example of informational social influence, as the person is relying on the advisor's expertise to make informed decisions.

Question 16

Remaining independent in the face of pressure, being consistent over time, and appearing to maintain an open mind were all factors that
A)maximize minority influence
B)increase conformity
C)decrease the fundamental attribution error
D)increase obedience

Accepted Answer

Remaining independent in the face of pressure, being consistent over time, and appearing to maintain an open mind are strategies that can maximize minority influence. These factors help the minority viewpoint to be taken more seriously and considered more carefully by the majority.

Question 17

In a carefully controlled experiment, a doctor orders a nurse to administer 50 mg of a drug to a patient. The nurse knows that the recommended dose is 20 mg and the maximum allowed dose is 40 mg. In one condition, the doctor gives the nurse the order by telephone. According to research by Milgram, approximately what percentage of nurses receiving the order by phone will comply with the 50 mg order?
A)1%
B)20%
C)50%
D)95%

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a carefully controlled experiment, a doctor...

Question 18

Research has determined that the impact of a minority influence on a group is largest when
A)the group size is large (10 to 15 people)
B)the person with the minority opinion does not appear open to hearing the majority side's views
C)the issue being discussed is controversial
D)the person with the minority opinion remains independent in the face of majority pressure

Accepted Answer

The impact of a minority influence is largest when the person with the minority opinion remains independent and consistent, as this can lead to the majority re-evaluating their views and potentially adopting the minority perspective.

Question 19

Asch demonstrated that a substantial percentage of participants conformed to obviously inaccurate line judgements made by several confederates. Follow-up interviews with the participants revealed that
A)only informational social influence appeared to be responsible for these results
B)only normative social influence appeared to be responsible for these results
C)neither informational nor normative social influence were responsible for these results
D)both informational and normative social influence were responsible for these results

Accepted Answer

Asch's experiments showed that conformity occurred due to both informational social influence (looking to others when the situation is ambiguous) and normative social influence (conforming to be liked or accepted by the group).

Question 20

In subsequent experiments examining the factors that influence conformity, Asch determined that
A)conformity continuously increased as group size increased
B)conformity increased as group size increased from 1 to about 4 or 5, but further increases in group size did not increase conformity
C)conformity increased as group size increased from 1 to about 9 or 10, but further increases in group size did not increase conformity
D)conformity was typically unchanged as group size increased from 1 to about 4 or 5, but further increases in group size served to increase conformity

Accepted Answer

Asch's experiments showed that conformity increased with group size up to a point (around 4 or 5 members), but beyond that, additional increases in group size did not significantly increase the level of conformity.

Quiz 13: Behaviour in a Social Context

Asch found that all of the following factors served to decrease conformity in his experiments except

A young child decides to dress more like his peers in order to avoid their rejection and teasing. This child is best demonstrating the effect of

You are conducting a conformity experiment patterned after the one utilized by Asch. Under which of the following conditions would you expect conformity to be the highest (i.e., the most people will conform) ?

Which of the following was mentioned as one of the factors that can increase obedience?

Which factor decreases the likelihood that Joyce will conform to the opinion of her group?

Which of the following statements regarding follow-up studies on Milgram's obedience experiment is most accurate?

In his famous study examining obedience, Milgram found that the majority of his participants

Which of the following factors that increase the impact of minority opinions may be the most influential factor?

You behave in the same way as a certain professor does because you believe the professor has accurate knowledge and is doing the "right" thing. Your action best represents the phenomenon of

All of the following were mentioned as factors that increase the influence of a minority opinion EXCEPT

Research studies have determined that levels of conformity tend to be ___________ between individualistic cultures compared to collectivist cultures.

A person who changes her personal investment strategy based on the advice of her knowledgeable financial advisor is best demonstrating the power of ______________ social influence.

Remaining independent in the face of pressure, being consistent over time, and appearing to maintain an open mind were all factors that

Research has determined that the impact of a minority influence on a group is largest when

Asch demonstrated that a substantial percentage of participants conformed to obviously inaccurate line judgements made by several confederates. Follow-up interviews with the participants revealed that

In subsequent experiments examining the factors that influence conformity, Asch determined that