Question 1

A group consists of two or more people who share a feeling of unity but who do not necessarily ever interact.

Accepted Answer

A group consists of two or more people who interact with one another and share a sense of unity or identity; interaction is a key component of group formation.

Question 2

The concepts of in-group and out-group are important because they highlight the physical barriers to group membership for many different people.

Accepted Answer

The concepts of in-group and out-group primarily highlight the psychological and social barriers to group membership, rather than physical barriers. These concepts explain how individuals categorize themselves and others into groups they feel a connection with (in-groups) and those they do not (out-groups), influencing attitudes and behaviors towards members of these groups.

Question 3

Groupthink is a decision-making process in which group members share an illusion of invulnerability that leads to overconfidence and a tendency to ignore contrary evidence.

Accepted Answer

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people when the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Members often share an illusion of invulnerability, leading to overconfidence and a tendency to dismiss contrary evidence or opinions.

Question 4

The old saying that "many hands make light the work" turns out to be true; each person in a group tends to do less work than if he or she were alone.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as social loafing, where individuals exert less effort to achieve a goal when they work in a group than when they work alone.

Question 5

The concept of relative deprivation suggests that we tend to be discontented when we experience a gap between what we have and what we believe we should have.

Accepted Answer

Relative deprivation is the experience of feeling deprived of something to which one believes they are entitled, leading to feelings of discontent when comparing oneself to others or against personal expectations.

Question 6

The Kennedy administration's Bay of Pigs invasion illustrates Parkinson's Law.

Accepted Answer

Parkinson's Law, which states that "work expands to fill the time available for its completion," does not directly relate to the Bay of Pigs invasion, which was a failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by the CIA-sponsored paramilitary group Brigade 2506 in 1961.

Question 7

Garrett J. Hardin's tragedy of the commons illustrates a social dilemma in which the consequences of personal self-interest are social disaster.

Accepted Answer

Garrett J. Hardin's tragedy of the commons describes a situation where individual users, acting independently according to their own self-interest, deplete or spoil shared resources, leading to a collective disaster. This concept highlights the conflict between individual interests and the common good.

Question 8

Sociologists have found that emotions tend to play a greater role in larger groups than they do in dyads.

Accepted Answer

In smaller groups or dyads, emotions tend to play a more significant role because interpersonal relationships are more intense and personal, allowing for greater emotional influence and connection. In larger groups, individual relationships are less intense, and the influence of emotions is more diluted.

Question 9

Research has shown that the popular adage "two's company, three's a crowd" is meaningless; there's no real difference between a two-person and a three-person group.

Accepted Answer

Research in social psychology suggests that the dynamics and interactions within a group can significantly change when moving from a two-person (dyadic) group to a three-person (triadic) group. A two-person group often allows for more direct and deeper communication, while the addition of a third person can introduce complexities such as coalition formation, feelings of exclusion for one member, and shifts in attention and interaction patterns.

Question 10

Instrumental ties tend to dominate secondary groups.

Accepted Answer

Secondary groups are often formed for practical reasons, focusing on achieving specific goals or tasks, which means that the relationships (ties) within these groups are primarily instrumental in nature.

Question 11

Expressive group ties are those social links formed to achieve a specific goal.

Accepted Answer

Expressive group ties are formed for emotional or support purposes, not to achieve a specific goal. That description fits instrumental group ties.

Question 12

"Reference groups" is a term used by sociologists to mean categories of citations.

Accepted Answer

Reference groups in sociology refer to groups that individuals use as a standard for evaluating themselves and their own behavior, not categories of citations.

Question 13

Although the leading cause of death for U.S. teenagers is car crashes, the death rate drops when teens travel in groups.

Accepted Answer

The death rate for teen drivers increases with each additional teenage passenger, due to increased likelihood of risky driving behaviors and distractions.

Question 14

Two types of leadership roles tend to evolve in small groups: the instrumental leader and the expressive leader.

Accepted Answer

Instrumental leaders focus on achieving group goals and tasks, while expressive leaders focus on maintaining group cohesion and morale.

Question 15

Recent studies confirm that democratic leadership always yields better results than authoritarian leadership.

Accepted Answer

Leadership effectiveness depends on various factors including the context, culture, type of organization, and specific challenges being faced. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, and both democratic and authoritarian leadership styles can be effective in different situations.

Question 16

Primary groups are fundamental to both individuals and society because they are critical to the socialization process, to personal need satisfaction, and to social control.

Accepted Answer

Primary groups, such as families and close friends, play a crucial role in the socialization process by teaching norms, values, and culture. They also satisfy personal needs for affection, belonging, and identity, and exert social control by influencing behavior and expectations.

Question 17

In-groups and out-groups are made up of people who have "innie" and "outie" belly buttons, respectively.

Accepted Answer

In-groups and out-groups refer to social groups with which an individual identifies as a member (in-group) and those they do not identify with or consider themselves apart from (out-group), not to physical characteristics like belly button types.

Question 18

Contrary to popular opinion, researchers found that authoritarian leadership tends to produce only low levels of frustration and hostile feelings.

Accepted Answer

Research generally indicates that authoritarian leadership can lead to higher levels of frustration and hostile feelings among subordinates due to the lack of autonomy and participation in decision-making processes.

Question 19

Instrumental group ties are those social links formed when a person becomes emotionally committed to other people.

Accepted Answer

Instrumental group ties are formed based on practical or goal-oriented reasons, not emotional commitments. Emotional commitments are characteristic of expressive ties.

Question 20

Size, face-to-face contact, and the development of group bonds are factors affecting the likelihood that primary groups will arise.

Accepted Answer

Primary groups are characterized by close, personal, and enduring relationships, and factors such as small size, face-to-face contact, and the development of strong emotional ties among members significantly contribute to the formation and sustainability of these groups.

Quiz 4: Social Groups and Format Organizations