Question 1

Bill conforms because he fears that he will be rejected by others in the group if he doesn't.His conformity results from:

Accepted Answer

Normative influence is the influence of other people that leads us to conform in order to be liked and accepted by them. Bill's fear of rejection by the group indicates normative influence as the reason for his conformity. Informational influence involves conforming because we believe others have the correct information and may not be applicable in this scenario. Obedience refers to complying with orders from an authority figure, which is not present in this scenario. Collective narcissism refers to a group's belief that they are superior to others, and does not apply to the situation with Bill.

Question 2

Olivia,a young woman,dyes her hair blue-green to stand out from the rest of the crowd.In this scenario,Olivia is most likely trying to _____.

Accepted Answer

Olivia is trying to assert uniqueness by dyeing her hair blue-green.

Question 3

Overall,it is revealed that people feel better when they see themselves as:

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that people feel better when they see themselves as moderately unique, meaning that they have some individual qualities but also share some commonalities with others. Being extremely unique can lead to feelings of isolation and being different from others, while being too similar to others can lead to feelings of unimportance and lack of individuality. Being collectivistic may have cultural value in some cultures, but it is not necessarily linked to individual well-being.

Question 4

Laura generally likes to go home to visit her family during vacation.However,after her father strictly tells her that she must be home during spring vacation,Laura decides to remain at college.Laura's behavior is best understood in terms of:

Accepted Answer

Psychological reactance is a response to perceived threats to one's freedom or autonomy. In this case, Laura's father's strict demand that she must be home during spring vacation may have triggered psychological reactance, leading Laura to defy her father's wishes and remain at college.

Question 5

Sophia,a 33-year-old married woman,gives birth to a baby boy and wants to find a rare name for her child.She searches the Internet rigorously and finally decides on a Hebrew name.In this scenario,Sophia takes the extra effort to _____.

Accepted Answer

Sophia takes the extra effort to assert uniqueness by searching for a rare Hebrew name for her baby boy.

Question 6

When William McGuire and his Yale University colleagues invited children to "tell us about yourself," they found that the children were most likely to mention their:

Accepted Answer

The study by William McGuire and his colleagues found that children are more likely to mention attributes that make them distinctive or unique compared to others around them.

Question 7

Rivalry between groups is often most intense when the groups:

Accepted Answer

Rivalry between groups is often most intense when they closely resemble each other, a phenomenon known as the narcissism of small differences. This concept suggests that groups with similar characteristics or goals may compete more fiercely to establish distinct identities or superiority over one another.

Question 8

The names we choose for our children often express our:

Accepted Answer

The desire for uniqueness often motivates parents to choose unique or uncommon names for their children.

Question 9

A person who both genuinely acts and believes in what the group has influenced him or her to do is most likely demonstrating:

Accepted Answer

Acceptance refers to when an individual truly believes in and agrees with the opinions and behaviors of a group they are a part of. This is characterized by internalization of the group's values and norms, as opposed to just going along with them out of fear or obligation (compliance) or reverting to childlike behavior (regression) in order to fit in with the group. Progression is not a relevant option in this context.

Question 10

In the context of resisting social pressure,the high rate of underage drinking may be related to:

Accepted Answer

Psychological reactance refers to the tendency to react against perceived threats to our freedom by asserting ourselves and doing the opposite of what we are being pressured to do. In the case of underage drinking, social pressure may create reactance, leading to an increase in drinking behavior. Other answer choices are not directly related to resisting social pressure and underage drinking.

Question 11

In the context of asserting uniqueness,a lone Black female lawyer in a group of Black and White male lawyers will be most conscious of being:

Accepted Answer

As the only woman in a group of men, the lone Black female lawyer is most likely to be conscious of her gender and being a minority in a male-dominated profession. While her race is also a factor, her gender is likely to be the most salient aspect of her identity in this context.

Question 12

In a study by Snyder (1980),students who were told that their personal attitudes were nearly identical to those of 10,000 other students _____ when they participated in a conformity experiment.

Accepted Answer

When students were told their attitudes were nearly identical to many others, they asserted their individuality by being nonconformist, as a reaction to the perceived loss of uniqueness.

Question 13

Sherif's study of individuals watching a pinpoint of light indicated that:

Accepted Answer

Sherif's study found that people tend to conform when they face ambiguous situations, such as the pinpoint of light that participants were asked to estimate the movement of. This suggests that social influence can be a powerful factor in shaping individual behavior.

Question 14

Knowing that someone is trying to coerce you may prompt you to do the opposite of that person's wishes.This response is predicted by:

Accepted Answer

The theory of psychological reactance suggests that when people perceive that their personal freedom or autonomy is being threatened or restricted by an external source, they may react by attempting to restore that freedom or autonomy. This can result in individuals doing the opposite of what the coercive person wants in order to assert their independence.

Question 15

David is part of a sales group.On many aspects of the sales strategy,he thinks that his group is making a big mistake,but he decides to give into the pressure and go along with what they decide.In the context of conformity,this change is best described as:

Accepted Answer

Compliance refers to the act of conforming to the expectations or demands of a group while privately disagreeing with them. In this scenario, David goes along with the sales group's decisions even though he privately disagrees with them. This is an example of compliance. Reactance involves reacting against the pressure to conform, acceptance involves genuinely agreeing with the group, and independence involves standing up for one's own beliefs and not conforming.

Question 16

In the context of resisting social pressure,the motive to protect or restore one's sense of freedom is known as:

Accepted Answer

Reactance refers to the motivation to protect or restore one's sense of freedom when it is perceived to be threatened or restricted. This can lead to behaviors such as disobedience or noncompliance with social pressures.

Question 17

Danielle,a young woman,goes to China for three years as part of a work assignment.She conforms to the behaviors and values in China and learns to talk and act appropriately according to their culture.When she comes back to her native country after completing her assignment,she finds it difficult to adjust to the prevailing social roles.Identify the phenomenon exemplified in this scenario.

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon exemplified in this scenario is reentry distress, which is the difficulty in adjusting to one's native culture after adapting to a different culture for an extended period of time. During her three years in China, Danielle learned to conform to the behaviors and values of the Chinese culture, but upon returning to her native country, she experienced difficulty in adjusting to the prevailing social roles. This is a common experience for individuals who have spent an extended period of time living and working in a foreign culture.

Question 18

Carter,a 20-year-old American,goes to Japan to study Buddhism.He takes time to conform to Japanese culture and to act appropriately.He changes his individualistic attitude to conform to the collectivistic culture in Japan.Which of the following is most likely exhibited in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

The scenario illustrates social role, as Carter is adapting to the cultural norms and expectations of the collectivistic culture in Japan. Psychological reactance is when individuals respond negatively to attempts to restrict their freedom, the chameleon effect is when individuals mimic the behavior of others unconsciously, and the boomerang effect is when attempts to persuade others have the opposite effect.

Question 19

Which of the following is explained by the theory of psychological reactance?

Accepted Answer

The theory of psychological reactance explains that when people feel their freedom to choose is restricted or threatened, they may do the opposite of what is being encouraged, such as teens eating less fruit when they are told it is healthy, as a way to assert their autonomy.

Question 20

When Milgram conducted the obedience study with 40 men,he found that:

Accepted Answer

Milgram found that approximately 65% of his subjects were highly obedient, meaning they were willing to administer what they believed to be dangerous and potentially fatal electric shocks to another person simply because they were instructed to do so by an authority figure.

Quiz 6: Conformity and Obedience