Question 1

Fraternity hazing sometimes involves deindividuation, causing people to behave in uncharacteristic ways.Suppose a fraternity event that is to involve hazing is moved into a room with a wall of mirrors.How would that change the event, and why?

Accepted Answer

The presence of mirrors increases self-awareness, which can counteract the effects of deindividuation by making individuals more conscious of their actions and how they align with their personal and social standards. This heightened self-awareness can lead to a decrease in behaviors that are inconsistent with one's self-image, such as engaging in hazing.

Question 2

Expected standards of conduct that influence behaviors are referred to as

Accepted Answer

Social norms are the expected standards of behavior that influence how individuals will act in a particular situation or group. Conformity refers to the tendency to adjust one's beliefs or behavior to fit with the norms of a group, while group decision making is the process of reaching a decision as a group. Obedience refers to the act of following the orders or commands of an authority figure. While all of these concepts are related to behavioral influence, social norms are the most fitting answer to the question, as they directly refer to the expected standards of conduct that influence behavior.

Question 3

When the teacher in Milgram's obedience study received orders over the phone instead of face-to-face, the level of obedience

Accepted Answer

The level of obedience decreased when the teacher received orders over the phone instead of face-to-face. This suggests that the physical distance between the authority figure and the participant has a significant impact on the level of obedience.

Question 4

Cat wants a new laptop.Her husband thinks that this is an unnecessary expense.She initially proposes buying a $2,500 laptop.When her husband gets upset, she suggests that she could get a used laptop for $700.Cat is using the approach.

Accepted Answer

Cat initially proposes buying a high-priced laptop ($2,500) but when her husband refuses, she suggests a lower-priced option ($700). This is an example of the door-in-the-face technique, where a person starts with a large request that is likely to be rejected in order to then make a smaller request that seems more reasonable in comparison.

Question 5

Jodie is a member of a jury that is trying to decide whether to award a plaintiff $5,000 or $10,000 in damages.While most of the jury favors the smaller award, Jodie favors the larger one.Jodie is the last to respond when the foreman polls the jury.What would make Jodie most likely to maintain her own view?

Accepted Answer

Jodie is more likely to maintain her own view if one other juror also votes for the larger award, as this will provide her with some support and validation for her opinion. If there is little discussion before the jury is polled or if the other jurors are all male or female, this is less likely to impact Jodie's opinion.

Question 6

Which of the following best explains the social brain hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

The social brain hypothesis proposes that primates have large brains, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, due to the demands of living in dynamic social groups. This allows for complex social interactions and the ability to constantly adapt to changing social situations.

Question 7

In Milgram's obedience studies, about percent of the participants administered the maximum shock, and of them tried to quit the study.

Accepted Answer

In Milgram's obedience studies, about 66% of the participants administered the maximum shock level, and almost all of them showed signs of extreme tension, with some trying to quit the study.

Question 8

When everyone in her class stated that he or she liked to dance, Jill reported liking it, too, even though she dislikes it.This incident is an example of

Accepted Answer

This incident is an example of conformity, which refers to the tendency to change one's attitudes or behavior to align with the standards of a group or society, even if it goes against one's own beliefs or values. Jill's decision to report liking to dance is a form of social influence, as she is conforming to the norms of her class in order to fit in and avoid social disapproval.

Question 9

The main conclusion of Milgram's studies is that

Accepted Answer

Milgram's studies showed that ordinary people are willing to obey authority figures even when it means causing harm to others, as long as they believe they are not personally responsible for their actions. This suggests that people's obedience to authority is a powerful force that can override their own moral values and judgments.

Question 10

Trey, a teaching assistant, is recording grades for a large introductory psychology class.If Trey finds this task to be easy, where would social facilitation theory suggest he ought to work to make the best progress?

Accepted Answer

Social facilitation theory suggests that individuals tend to perform better when in the presence of others. In this case, working in his office with other teaching assistants who are also recording grades would enhance Trey's performance due to the presence of others.

Question 11

According to Zajonc, the presence of other people affects performance because it arousal, which .

Accepted Answer

Zajonc's theory of social facilitation explains that the presence of others leads to an increase in arousal, which in turn causes the individual to produce the dominant/automatic response. Therefore, option D (increases; leads to the dominant response) is the best choice.

Question 12

Annabel just started working on a very difficult paper for her psychology class.Given what you know about social facilitation and the presence of others on performance, where should Annabel work on the paper to make the best progress?

Accepted Answer

Social facilitation theory suggests that people tend to perform better when they are working in front of other people, but only if the task is relatively easy or well-learned. For more difficult tasks, like writing a difficult paper, the presence of others can be distracting and impair performance. Therefore, it's best for Annabel to work alone in a quiet environment where she can focus on the task in front of her without any distractions from others. This makes option B the best choice.

Question 13

Darius works 2 hours a week as a tutor.He tells his boss that he cannot do more.Gradually, he agrees to add an extra hour here and there, until finally he is tutoring 12 hours a week.Darius has gotten into this situation through the compliance technique known as the

Accepted Answer

This technique involves making a small request and then gradually increasing the demand. In this case, Darius initially refused to tutor more than 2 hours a week but ultimately agreed to tutor 12 hours after being asked to tutor for additional hours one at a time.

Question 14

Human beings have evolved as social animals who live in groups, in part because

Accepted Answer

Living in groups provides safety from competing groups and predators, which increases the likelihood of survival and reproductive success. This contributes to the evolution and maintenance of social behavior. The other options are not as significant factors in the evolution of social behavior in humans.

Question 15

Mr.Lahore has hired four college students to paint his house.Given what you know about social loafing, which set of conditions is likely to produce the best work?

Accepted Answer

Social loafing is less likely to occur when individuals are working alone because each person's effort is directly identifiable and accountable. When each student paints a room by themselves, it ensures that their individual contributions can be seen, reducing the likelihood of social loafing and potentially leading to better work.

Question 16

The Stanford prison study illustrates that people

Accepted Answer

The Stanford prison study demonstrated that people behave in accord with their roles in a situation. The study revealed that the guards in the simulated prison began to exhibit cruel and sadistic behavior, while the prisoners became passive and submissive. This suggests that people's behavior is shaped by their perceived roles in a given context, rather than being solely a result of their innate tendencies.

Question 17

In , the presence of others may lead to increased arousal and enhanced performance.

Accepted Answer

Social facilitation refers to the phenomenon where the mere presence of others enhances an individual's performance on certain tasks. This occurs due to increased arousal levels in the presence of others.

Question 18

In the , people will be more likely to agree with a small request after they have refused a large request.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as the door-in-the-face technique, where a large unreasonable request is made first, which is typically refused. Then, a smaller, more reasonable request is made, which is more likely to be agreed to as a result of the contrast effect.

Question 19

When Milgram decreased the physical distance between the teacher and the learner in his obedience studies so that the teacher could see the learner, the level of obedience

Accepted Answer

Milgram found that when the teacher and learner were in the same room, obedience decreased significantly. The physical proximity of the learner increased empathy and made it harder for the teacher to ignore the learner's distress. Therefore, the level of obedience decreased.

Question 20

Stanley Milgram's experiment illustrated the phenomenon of

Accepted Answer

Milgram's experiment studied how people obey authority even when it leads them to harm others. This phenomenon is known as obedience.

Quiz 12: Social Psychology