Question 1

James and Wanda just bought a house,and moved into a new,upscale neighborhood.One of their friends,who lives down the street from them,has installed a hot tub in her rock garden and has pointed out all the advantages of having one.James and Wanda are debating whether to install a rock garden with a hot tub in their new home.Their decision may be strongly influenced by the ________.

Accepted Answer

The informational social influence of their friend is the most likely to influence James and Wanda's decision. This type of influence occurs when people look to others for information about how to behave in a given situation. In this case, James and Wanda's friend has provided them with information about the advantages of having a hot tub, which may lead them to believe that it is a good idea to install one in their own home.

Question 2

Even though there is a sign that clearly says "Park closes after 9 P.M." Mary says to herself,"What a silly sign! I just want to walk around here;I'm not a 'bad guy'" and proceeds to walk in the park.Mary's behavior is ________ with normative focus theory since ________.

Accepted Answer

Mary's behavior is consistent with normative focus theory because she is disobeying an injunctive norm (the rule that the park closes after 9 P.M.) that she does not see as related to her own actions. She rationalizes her behavior by distinguishing herself from the "bad guys" the rule is presumably aimed at, indicating that she does not view the norm as applicable to her situation.

Question 3

If a single stationary source of light shines in a dark room,most people report that it appears to move.This is known as _____.

Accepted Answer

The autokinetic phenomenon refers to the perceptual illusion of perceiving a stationary point of light as moving when viewed in a dark room. This is a common phenomenon that occurs when there is no other point of reference in the environment. It is believed to be caused by small eye movements that occur when attempting to maintain constant fixation on the point of light.

Question 4

James,a 17-year-old high school student,has just moved to a new city and enrolled in a new school.At his old school,there were strong social norms against teenagers smoking cigarettes.At his new school,however,several of his new friends regularly smoke and say to him,"C'mon,don't be a jerk,have one of mine." As a result,James is likely to begin smoking because of ________.

Accepted Answer

The normative social influence refers to the influence of other people that comes from the desire to avoid their disapproval or other social sanctions. In this case, James' new friends are pressuring him to smoke, and he may feel the need to conform to their behavior in order to fit in and avoid their disapproval. This is an example of normative influence.

Question 5

When factors such as ________ and ________ are considered,gender differences in susceptibility to conformity disappear.

Accepted Answer

Confidence in one's own judgments (as determined by familiarity with the situation) and social status have been found to be important factors in determining susceptibility to conformity. When individuals are more confident in their own judgments or have higher social status, they are less likely to conform to group pressure. Gender differences in susceptibility to conformity have been found to disappear when these factors are taken into consideration.

Question 6

Normative focus theory says ________.

Accepted Answer

Normative focus theory suggests that norms will only influence behavior when they are salient, meaning when they are prominent or top-of-mind for the individual. The theory suggests that individuals tend to behave in ways that align with relevant norms, and that the presence and prominence of those norms will have a significant impact on behavior.

Question 7

A reason for any gender differences in conformity involves a difference in ________ between men and women.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A reason for any gender differences in...

Question 8

A practical implication of research on cultural differences in conformity is that there tends to be ________.

Accepted Answer

Research consistently shows that there is more conformity in countries with collectivistic cultures compared to those with individualistic cultures. This can have practical implications for businesses operating in different cultural contexts, as understanding the level of conformity expected in each culture can impact decision-making and communication strategies.

Question 9

Informational social influence is based on our desire to ________.

Accepted Answer

Informational social influence refers to the influence of other people that results from taking their comments or actions as a source of information about what is right, proper, or correct. We conform to informational social influence because we believe that others' interpretation of an ambiguous situation is more accurate than our own, so we use other people's views to validate our own. Therefore, the desire to be correct and have accurate perceptions drives us to conform to informational influence.

Question 10

Martha tells her friend June,"Didn't you hear that eating lots of garlic is good for you?" If June then changes her eating habits to include a lot of garlic,it would be due to ________.

Accepted Answer

June is changing her behavior based on the information provided to her by Martha that eating lots of garlic is good for her health. This is an example of informational social influence, where an individual conforms to others' behavior or beliefs because they believe that others have more accurate information or knowledge.

Question 11

In any particular situation,our conformity is influenced by at least four factors,including our desire to be liked by others,our need to be accurate,our need to be different from others,and our ________.

Accepted Answer

The fourth factor that influences our conformity is our desire to be in control of our own behavior. This refers to our need to regulate our own actions and make decisions based on our own values and beliefs, rather than simply following the crowd.

Question 12

The desire to be unique is our need to ________.

Accepted Answer

The desire to be unique is the desire to stand out or differ from others in some way.

Question 13

Zosha and three of her friends have just watched a new movie.As they walk out of the movie,Zosha's friends are talking about how much they enjoyed the movie and how good the actor's portrayal was.If one of her friends then asks Zosha how she liked the movie,she is likely to ________.

Accepted Answer

Since Zosha's friends are expressing their enjoyment of both the movie and the acting, it is likely that Zosha also enjoyed the movie. It would be appropriate for her to share her positive experience with her friends.

Question 14

In any particular situation,our conformity is influenced by at least four factors,including our desire to be in control of our own behavior,our need to be accurate,our need to be different from others,and ________.

Accepted Answer

Our desire to be liked by others is a strong social influence that can lead us to conform to the attitudes and behaviors of those around us in order to fit in and gain acceptance.

Question 15

In any particular situation,our conformity is influenced by at least four factors,including our desire to be in control of our own behavior,our desire to be liked by others,our need to be accurate,and our________.

Accepted Answer

Our conformity is influenced by our need to be different from others, as it can drive us to resist conforming in order to maintain a sense of individuality.

Question 16

Normative social influence is based on our desire to ________.

Accepted Answer

Normative social influence is the result of our desire to be liked or accepted by others, which may lead us to conform to their expectations, attitudes, and behaviors in order to avoid disapproval, rejection, or social sanctions. This form of social influence is more effective when we value the group's approval or when the situation is ambiguous, stressful, or emotionally charged.

Question 17

Michele's friends are very conservative in terms of their dress and appearance.Much to their amusement,Michele dyes her hair pink and green the following day.Michele's action can be explained by her need for ________.

Accepted Answer

Michele's action can be explained by her need for individuation, or asserting her individuality and standing out from her group of conservative friends.

Question 18

Most people believe that social influence plays a smaller role in shaping their persona actions,while other people are more susceptible.This belief is referred to as _____.

Accepted Answer

The belief that social influence plays a smaller role in shaping our actions is referred to as the introspection illusion. This illusion occurs because people tend to focus on their own internal motivations and beliefs, rather than external factors that may influence their behavior. Some people may be more susceptible to social influence, but the belief in the introspection illusion is common among most individuals.

Question 19

Jessie,Adam,Charles,and Paul were in the parking lot and saw a man as he fled from a convenience store after a robbery.When the police question the four friends,Paul answered first,saying that it was a black man who drove away in an older Pontiac car.Adam agreed with Paul fairly quickly.Jessie,who is not absolutely sure of the race of the suspect,is likely to ________ Paul and Adam because of the effect of ________.

Accepted Answer

Jessie is likely to agree with Paul and Adam due to the effect of informational social influence. Jessie is unsure of the race of the suspect, so she is likely to look to Paul and Adam for information and guidance on how to respond to the situation. Since Paul answered first and Adam agreed fairly quickly, it may seem to Jessie that they have more knowledge and expertise on the situation, leading her to conform to their belief about the suspect's race.

Question 20

People who see others picking up litter in a parking lot are less likely to litter themselves.This observation can best be explained by ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of People who see others picking up litter...

Quiz 8: Social Influence: Changing Others Behavior

Even though there is a sign that clearly says "Park closes after 9 P.M." Mary says to herself,"What a silly sign! I just want to walk around here;I'm not a 'bad guy'" and proceeds to walk in the park.Mary's behavior is with normative focus theory since .