Question 1

Using a disguised name, Ben sends threat mails and bullies his school friends on various online forums. This is an example of deindividuation that is primarily based on _____.

Accepted Answer

Deindividuation refers to the loss of individual identity and personal responsibility that can occur in a group setting, particularly when individuals are physically anonymous. In this case, Ben is not using his real name and is communicating through online forums, allowing him to feel less accountable for his actions and more prone to bullying and threatening behavior.

Question 2

People in groups will loaf less when the

Accepted Answer

People tend to loaf less when the task is challenging or appealing because they are more motivated to participate and exert effort. When the task is not involving or not rewarded, people may feel their effort won't make a difference or they won't be recognized for their contributions, leading to increased loafing. Group member cohesiveness and familiarity can also affect loafing, but it is not as strong a factor as task characteristics.

Question 3

In a study by Latané and his colleagues (1979), participants were asked to shout and clap as loud as possible. Participants produced the most noise when they

Accepted Answer

Participants produced the most noise when they thought they were shouting alone, a phenomenon explained by social loafing, where individuals exert less effort in a group compared to when they are alone.

Question 4

People in _______ cultures exhibit less social loafing than people in _______ cultures.

Accepted Answer

Collectivistic cultures place more emphasis on the group and communal success rather than individual success. Therefore, individuals in collectivistic cultures may feel a greater sense of accountability to their group, resulting in less social loafing. On the other hand, individualistic cultures place more emphasis on individual success and achievement, which may lead to a higher tendency for social loafing.

Question 5

Watson (1973) found that cultures with depersonalized warriors were

Accepted Answer

Watson's study found that cultures with depersonalized warriors were more likely to brutalize their victims.

Question 6

Social psychologists have accurately predicted that _______ will exhibit less social loafing.

Accepted Answer

Social psychologists have found that women generally exhibit less social loafing than men. This could be due to factors such as their greater emphasis on relational and cooperative values, as well as societal expectations for women to be more communal and nurturing.

Question 7

Sam has a tendency to contribute little effort to group assignments, as he thinks others will be sure to pick up the slack in an effort to get a good grade. Social psychologists would call Sam a

Accepted Answer

Social psychologists use the term "free rider" to describe individuals who contribute little effort to a group task or project, relying on others to pick up the slack and achieve the desired outcome. This behavior is also known as "social loafing." Thus, Sam would be considered a free rider based on his tendencies.

Question 8

Groups tend to loaf less when

Accepted Answer

Groups tend to loaf less when the members are friends because the personal connection and accountability to each other increase motivation and effort.

Question 9

Your psychology professor has assigned group projects to your class. She has chosen to individually grade each student's contribution to the assignment as an attempt to reduce

Accepted Answer

By individually grading each student's contribution, the professor is attempting to reduce social loafing - the phenomenon where individuals in a group may exert less effort since they feel their contribution will go unnoticed or undervalued. By assigning individual grades, each student is accountable for their own effort and is more likely to contribute fully to the project.

Question 10

Based on research cited in the text, who is most likely to honk aggressively at someone stopped at a green light?

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that drivers in enclosed vehicles, such as a convertible with the top up, are more likely to engage in aggressive behaviors like honking, possibly due to the anonymity and sense of security provided by the enclosure.

Question 11

When being observed increases evaluation concerns, _______ occurs; when being lost in a crowd decreases evaluation concerns, _______ occurs.

Accepted Answer

Social facilitation occurs when the presence of others leads to increased arousal and enhances the performance on simple tasks but can impair performance on complex tasks due to concerns about being evaluated. Social loafing describes the phenomenon where individuals exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone, often because the presence of others diffuses the sense of individual responsibility.

Question 12

At your factory job, output was measured at the end of every day by how much the team of workers you belonged to produced. Because of this evaluation procedure, your behavior was most likely to be characterized by _______; now that a new manager has taken over and each individual worker's output is measured by a computer, your behavior is now most likely to be characterized by _______.

Accepted Answer

Initially, when output was measured by team production, social loafing is likely because individuals might exert less effort, assuming others will pick up the slack. With individual output now measured by a computer, social facilitation is likely, as individuals may perform better due to the awareness of being individually monitored.

Question 13

Online communities offer many individuals to adopt different disguises, thus concealing their true identities and enabling them to be more mean or callous. This is an example of how _____ contribute(s) to deindividuation.

Accepted Answer

Anonymity allows individuals to conceal their true identities and therefore feel less accountable for their actions. This can lead to an increase in aggressive or callous behavior, contributing to deindividuation.

Question 14

In which of the following situation will deindividuation most likely occur?

Accepted Answer

Deindividuation is more likely to occur in large groups, as individuals may feel a sense of anonymity and reduced self-awareness, which can lead to a loss of normal inhibitions and an increase in impulsive behavior.

Question 15

Whenever your friend Ted surfs online, he writes terribly harsh letters to strangers using a bogus email address. Ted's behavior can likely be attributed to the role of _______ in deindividuation.

Accepted Answer

Anonymity allows individuals to feel less accountable for their actions and more likely to engage in behaviors they would not typically exhibit if their identity were known. Ted's use of a bogus email address indicates a desire for anonymity, which may have contributed to his harsh behavior towards strangers online.

Question 16

In the context of social loafing, when the output of collective farms and private plots were compared,

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that private plots tend to be more productive than collective farms due to decreased social loafing and increased individual motivation.

Question 17

On Halloween night, Diener and her colleagues (1976) conducted a study of trick-or-treat theft at homes scattered throughout the Seattle area. Given a chance to steal candy, the children who were _______ were most likely to commit transgressions.

Accepted Answer

According to the study, children who were anonymous and in a group were most likely to commit transgressions, including stealing candy.

Question 18

People are more likely to exhibit social loafing if

Accepted Answer

People are more likely to exhibit social loafing when rewards are divided equally regardless of individual effort as they feel their individual effort is not valued and they can rely on others to do the work.

Question 19

When individual efforts are pooled and not evaluated, evaluation apprehension is _______ and the probability of social loafing is _______.

Accepted Answer

Evaluation apprehension refers to the fear of being evaluated or judged negatively. When individual efforts are pooled and not evaluated, there is less evaluation apprehension which reduces the probability of social loafing. Therefore, the probability of social loafing is high when individual efforts are pooled and evaluated, and low when they are pooled and not evaluated.

Question 20

All of these issues contribute to deindividuation EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

Individual values actually work against deindividuation by emphasizing personal identity and individuality. The other options all contribute to deindividuation by decreasing self-awareness and personal identity.

Quiz 8: Memory