Question 1

Related to the confirmation bias,an example of "tunnel vision" would be:
A)In advance of the board meeting regarding the company's decision to move their offices,Ken has made up his mind to move the office to Wisconsin.He spends a lot of time finding information on the tax benefits of doing business in Wisconsin and overlooks similar tax benefits in Indiana.
B)Carl hasn't made up his mind about moving the company to a new location.He spends most of his time researching the lowest tax rates nationwide,and looking into what states are the least restrictive in terms of environmental compliance.
C)Mary feels secure in her viewpoint to move the company headquarters to Wisconsin,but also spends time researching cities such as Kansas City,Minneapolis,and Columbus,to inform herself of the quality of life and opportunities for business growth in these locations.
D)Kim feels pressured by the group to conform to the majority viewpoint of where to move the company headquarters.She limits her group input,and instead focuses on improving the company's product prototype.

Accepted Answer

Tunnel vision occurs when someone is so focused on a particular outcome or idea that they ignore other relevant information. In this example, Ken has already decided on moving the office to Wisconsin and is only seeking out information that confirms his belief, while ignoring potentially important information about other locations. This shows a clear example of tunnel vision.

Question 2

Groups perform better than individuals on a wide range of demonstrable tasks.What is a key reason why groups outperform individuals faced with the same task?
A)Groups are much more overconfident than individuals,regardless of their actual accuracy.
B)Groups are more likely to exacerbate some of the shortcomings displayed by individuals.
C)Groups outperform individuals due to a process in which group members become more accurate during the group interaction.
D)Groups are more likely to neglect case-specific information and ignore base-rate information.

Accepted Answer

This is known as the "wisdom of crowds" effect, where the collective intelligence of a group leads to better decision-making and problem-solving. Group members can challenge each other's opinions, share information and insights, and come to a better understanding of the task at hand. This process results in increased accuracy and better performance.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a behavioral consequence of decision fatigue?
A)Spending more money
B)Making more accurate decisions
C)Making harsh decisions
D)Avoiding decision-making altogether

Accepted Answer

Decision fatigue refers to the deterioration of decision making after making a lot of decisions. It can lead to spending more money, making harsh decisions, or avoiding decision-making altogether, but it does not typically result in making more accurate decisions. Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

Question 4

Group polarization is best described as the tendency for:
A)people in groups to follow the crowd,and,in some cases,engage in mob behavior.
B)groups to ostracize members who do not agree with them.
C)group discussion to mitigate group opinion; producing less extreme judgment than might be obtained by pooling individuals' views separately.
D)group discussion to intensify group opinion; producing more extreme judgment than might be obtained by pooling individuals' views separately.

Accepted Answer

Group polarization refers to the phenomenon where group discussion results in the strengthening of the group's initial attitudes and beliefs. In other words, group members tend to adopt more extreme or polarized views after discussing an issue than they held prior to the discussion. This occurs because people are exposed to arguments and ideas they may not have considered before, and they also feel social pressure to conform to the group's views. Group polarization can lead to more significant shifts in attitudes and behaviors, both positive and negative, depending on the initial leanings of the group.

Question 5

Key symptoms of groupthink take root and blossom in groups that succumb to the pressures of reaching unanimity.Which of the following is one of those symptoms?
A)Members of the group regard themselves as invulnerable,morally correct,and exempt from organizational standards.
B)The group's process of creating ideas and reaching decisions is balanced,and out-group member opinions are respected.
C)There is a diversity of opinions within the group.
D)Group members constantly discuss their reservations about the group's controversial viewpoint.

Accepted Answer

When groupthink occurs, members often begin to see themselves as invulnerable and morally correct, leading them to feel exempt from organizational standards.

Question 6

Which situation best illustrates the escalation of commitment?
A)A marketing manager fails to state the disadvantages of a product,and only states the positive benefits of that product.
B)A marketing manager does not give credit to a team member whose idea was instrumental for the product development.
C)A marketing manager makes decisions using a majority voting technique,and does not listen to the minority viewpoint.
D)A marketing manager continues to promote a specific brand,despite clear evidence that the brand is losing market share to competitors.

Accepted Answer

The escalation of commitment occurs when an individual or a group continues to invest resources (such as money, time, or effort) in a project that is failing, hoping for a turnaround even when clear evidence suggests that it is unlikely. In this case, the marketing manager is continuing to promote a brand that is losing market share to competitors, which demonstrates a commitment to the brand despite a lack of success.

Question 7

The two psychological explanations for group polarization are: informational influence and normative influence.Informational influence is best described as the need ________; normative influence is best described as the need ________.
A)to have power (influence)over others; to fit in with the group
B)for cognition; for emotion
C)to be right (accurate); to be liked (accepted)
D)to be liked (accepted); to be right (accurate)

Accepted Answer

Informational influence is the need to be right (accurate) and normative influence is the need to be liked (accepted).

Question 8

All of the following are true about conformity EXCEPT:
A)conformity is greater when people make difficult judgments.
B)conformity is greater when the rest of the group is unanimous.
C)conformity is greater when people value and admire their team.
D)conformity is greater when people have high social status in their team.

Accepted Answer

Conformity is actually greater when people have low social status in their team, as they may feel pressure to conform in order to fit in or avoid rejection.

Question 9

All of the following may help a group avoid or minimize groupthink EXCEPT:
A)increasing the size of the team.
B)inviting outsiders who have a different perspective.
C)appointing a devil's advocate.
D)establishing procedures to protect alternative viewpoints.

Accepted Answer

Increasing the size of the team may actually increase the likelihood of groupthink as there are more individuals who may conform to the group's ideas and opinions. The other options (B, C, and D) all help to encourage diverse perspectives and critical thinking, which can minimize groupthink.

Question 10

Groupthink occurs when team members place the goal of ________ above all other decision priorities.
A)good judgment
B)ethical decisions
C)efficiency
D)consensus

Accepted Answer

Groupthink occurs when team members prioritize reaching a consensus above all other decision priorities. This leads to a lack of critical thinking and independent thought, and can result in poor decision-making. The goal of consensus overrides the need for good judgment and ethical decisions, as well as efficiency.

Question 11

A demonstrable task is a task that:
A)can be demonstrated to a group.
B)demonstrates the skill of the person who completes it.
C)has an obvious,correct answer.
D)demonstrates the cohesion of a group.

Accepted Answer

A demonstrable task is one that has an obvious, correct answer, making it easy to demonstrate or verify.

Question 12

The confirmation bias is best described as the tendency for people to:
A)seek and consider evidence that supports their preferred hypothesis,and discount or ignore information that refutes their beliefs.
B)want others to agree with them because of their need to be liked.
C)not want to act as a devil's advocate in a group,even though it would help the group.
D)put unwarranted confidence in their decisions.

Accepted Answer

The confirmation bias refers to the tendency for individuals to seek out information that confirms their beliefs or hypotheses, while ignoring or selectively interpreting information that contradicts those beliefs. This bias can lead to the reinforcement of existing beliefs and the rejection of alternative perspectives or evidence.

Question 13

Research has found that instigating and upholding task-oriented conflicts in the decision-making process can be a strategy to counteract biased information seeking.One conflict-stimulating procedure involves assigning a counterargument role to a group member.When consensus on a particular decision solution has emerged,the contrary employee tries to identify all weaknesses inherent in it.The group must then react to this criticism,and see if the arguments put forth can be invalidated.This procedure is an example of what type of dissent?
A)Devil's advocate procedure
B)Abilene paradox
C)Escalation of commitment
D)Confirmation bias

Accepted Answer

The procedure described in the passage is an example of the devil's advocate procedure, where a member is assigned the role of presenting counterarguments to avoid groupthink and encourage critical thinking. The other options listed (B, C, and D) are not applicable in this context.

Question 14

All of the following can help minimize the escalation of commitment EXCEPT:
A)setting limits.
B)continuing to invest based upon how many resources have already been invested.
C)recognizing and accepting sunk costs.
D)seeking external review.

Accepted Answer

Continuing to invest based upon how many resources have already been invested is actually a factor that can contribute to the escalation of commitment, rather than minimizing it. The other options (setting limits, recognizing and accepting sunk costs, seeking external review) are all strategies that can help minimize escalation of commitment.

Question 15

The framing bias makes specific predictions about how people will behave when faced with a sure course of action versus a gamble.Which of the following best describes the effects of the framing bias?
A)People are risk-averse (i.e.,preferring a sure thing)for both gains and losses.
B)People are risk-seeking (i.e.,preferring a gamble)when choosing among gains and losses.
C)People tend to be risk-averse when choosing among gains,but risk-seeking when choosing among losses.
D)People tend to be risk-seeking when choosing among gains,but risk-averse when choosing among losses.

Accepted Answer

The framing bias predicts that people tend to be risk-averse when choosing among gains, but risk-seeking when choosing among losses. This means that people are more likely to choose a sure thing when it comes to gaining something, but are more willing to take risks when it comes to avoiding a loss. Option C describes this phenomenon accurately.

Question 16

Regarding ways to avoid groupthink,what is the goal of using the risk technique?
A)It allows groups to adopt different perspectives in order to create a mechanism that will instigate thinking more carefully about problems.
B)It creates an atmosphere in which team members can express doubts and raise criticisms without fear of rejection or team hostility.
C)It allows team members to assume the perspective of other constituencies with a stake in the decision.
D)It gives teams an opportunity to identify a second solution as an alternative to their first choice.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Regarding ways to avoid groupthink,what is the...

Question 17

The Abilene Paradox is a bias that was initially described by what kind of situation?
A)A family continues a trip across the hot desert even though nobody wants to take the trip.
B)A football game in Texas results in conflict when the teams cannot play fairly.
C)U)S.President Kennedy decides to invade Cuba,despite clear evidence that the plan won't work (Bay of Pigs).
D)A famous financier defrauds thousands of people by committing fraud,theft,and money laundering in a huge Ponzi scheme (Bernie Madoff).

Accepted Answer

The Abilene Paradox was initially described in the context of a family taking a trip to Abilene, Texas, even though none of them actually wanted to go. This example highlights the social dynamics that can lead to group members agreeing to something that nobody actually wants, out of a fear of speaking up and taking a different route. The other options listed are not relevant to the Abilene Paradox.

Question 18

There are four key processes involved in the escalation of commitment cycle.Which of the following is NOT one of those processes?
A)Psychological determinants
B)Project-related determinants
C)Risk determinants
D)Structural determinants

Accepted Answer

The four key processes involved in the escalation of commitment cycle are psychological determinants, project-related determinants, structural determinants, and social determinants. Risk determinants are not considered as one of the key processes involved in the escalation of commitment cycle.

Question 19

Marilyn,Bob,and Carl all believe a certain defendant is probably guilty and should be sentenced.Individually their recommendations for a sentence are 3,5,and 7 years.When they meet as a group however,they recommend 10 years.This change and collective shift is called:
A)groupthink.
B)group polarization.
C)the Abilene paradox.
D)an escalation of commitment.

Accepted Answer

Group polarization refers to the phenomenon where a group's attitudes or beliefs become more extreme than those of its individual members. In this scenario, Marilyn, Bob, and Carl individually recommend sentences of 3, 5, and 7 years, but when they meet as a group, they recommend 10 years. This shift towards a more extreme recommendation is an example of group polarization. Groupthink is a similar phenomenon where group members prioritize group consensus over individual dissent, the Abilene paradox refers to a decision-making phenomenon where individuals go along with a group decision even if they disagree with it, and escalation of commitment refers to a phenomenon where individuals continue to invest time or resources into a failing project or situation. None of these concepts accurately describe the situation described in the question.

Question 20

An example of the overconfidence bias is:
A)Bill's tendency to consider evidence that supports his position on illegal immigration,but disregards evidence that refutes his beliefs.
B)Carol and her team have been working on a new product for several years and one expensive prototype has become their main focus.When evaluating the choices for launch,the group judges the top prototype as the best one for launch over less expensive options.
C)Joe makes a stock price prediction and believes that there is only a 5% chance that his estimate is wrong; overlooking recent articles about the bad financial health of the business.
D)a judge in a criminal court hears over 80 cases a day.The defendants whose cases are heard late in the day were given harsher sentences.

Accepted Answer

Joe's belief that there is only a 5% chance that his estimate is wrong shows overconfidence bias. Joe ignores relevant information about the bad financial health of the business and fails to consider alternative outcomes.

Quiz 7: Team Decision Making: Pitfalls and Solutions

Related to the confirmation bias,an example of "tunnel vision" would be:

Groups perform better than individuals on a wide range of demonstrable tasks.What is a key reason why groups outperform individuals faced with the same task?

Which of the following is NOT a behavioral consequence of decision fatigue?

Group polarization is best described as the tendency for:

Key symptoms of groupthink take root and blossom in groups that succumb to the pressures of reaching unanimity.Which of the following is one of those symptoms?

Which situation best illustrates the escalation of commitment?

The two psychological explanations for group polarization are: informational influence and normative influence.Informational influence is best described as the need ; normative influence is best described as the need .

All of the following are true about conformity EXCEPT:

All of the following may help a group avoid or minimize groupthink EXCEPT:

Groupthink occurs when team members place the goal of ________ above all other decision priorities.

A demonstrable task is a task that:

The confirmation bias is best described as the tendency for people to:

All of the following can help minimize the escalation of commitment EXCEPT:

The framing bias makes specific predictions about how people will behave when faced with a sure course of action versus a gamble.Which of the following best describes the effects of the framing bias?

Regarding ways to avoid groupthink,what is the goal of using the risk technique?

The Abilene Paradox is a bias that was initially described by what kind of situation?

There are four key processes involved in the escalation of commitment cycle.Which of the following is NOT one of those processes?

Marilyn,Bob,and Carl all believe a certain defendant is probably guilty and should be sentenced.Individually their recommendations for a sentence are 3,5,and 7 years.When they meet as a group however,they recommend 10 years.This change and collective shift is called:

An example of the overconfidence bias is: