Question 1

Langer et al. (1978) found that if an experimenter approaches people with a request with no justifiable reason, they often respond

Accepted Answer

Langer et al. (1978) conducted experiments demonstrating that people often comply with requests even when no real reason is given, a phenomenon they described as "mindless compliance." This showed that the mere structure of a request, even without a justifiable reason, can lead to compliance.

Question 2

Collectivist cultures have which of the following characteristics as per Triandis (1995)?

Accepted Answer

Collectivist cultures are often characterized by low complexity, low affluence, and cultural homogeneity, as described by Triandis in 1995. This reflects the emphasis on community, shared values, and social harmony typical of collectivist societies.

Question 3

Research on majority and minority influence suggests all of the following except that

Accepted Answer

Majorities are generally more influential on questions of fact due to their normative influence, which pressures individuals to conform to the group norm to avoid social disapproval. However, on subjective questions, where personal opinions or tastes are involved, the influence of majorities and minorities can vary and is not as straightforward as the statement suggests. Minorities can exert a significant influence through informational influence, especially when they present consistent, confident, and unwavering viewpoints, leading individuals to reconsider and possibly change their private views.

Question 4

Compared to conformity, compliance occurs

Accepted Answer

Compliance specifically refers to changing one's behavior in response to a direct request from another person, unlike conformity, which involves changing one's behavior to match the actions or beliefs of others, often without a direct request.

Question 5

A cultural orientation in which independence, autonomy, and self-reliance take priority over group allegiances is called

Accepted Answer

Individualism emphasizes personal freedom, self-reliance, and independence, distinguishing it from collectivism, which values group goals and cohesion.

Question 6

According to Hollander's (1958) work on idiosyncrasy credits, which of the following individuals would be most effective in convincing a majority to change their opinion?

Accepted Answer

Hollander's theory of idiosyncrasy credits suggests that individuals who have historically conformed to group norms and built up social capital are more likely to be effective in persuading the group to change. These credits allow them more leeway to deviate from the group's expectations without immediate rejection.

Question 7

Which of the following explanations for why a consistent behavioral style increases minority influence is least plausible ?

Accepted Answer

Consistent minorities typically exert informational social influence by presenting new or alternative viewpoints, rather than normative social influence, which involves conforming to the expectations of others to be liked or accepted. Normative influence is more characteristic of majority influence, where the desire to fit in with the larger group can lead individuals to conform.

Question 8

At a campaign meeting, the majority of the staff argues that they should use negative ads to attack their opponent. Despite their strong feelings on this matter, Stefan argues successfully for positive ads. According to the dual-process approach, Stefan's influence has probably resulted in

Accepted Answer

Stefan's successful argument for positive ads, despite the majority's initial preference for negative ads, likely led to conversion. This means that the staff members changed their internal beliefs or attitudes as a result of Stefan's persuasive argument, aligning with the dual-process approach to persuasion, which suggests that people can be influenced through thoughtful consideration of arguments (central route) or more superficial cues (peripheral route). In this case, Stefan's argument presumably engaged the staff's thoughtful consideration, leading to a genuine change in attitude.

Question 9

According to the dual-process approach, majorities exert influence by producing ____, whereas minorities exert influence by producing ____.

Accepted Answer

Majorities often lead to public conformity due to social pressure, while minorities can lead to private conformity as they encourage deeper cognitive processing and internalization of ideas.

Question 10

Some researchers are planning to go around the world and put participants in a version of the Asch study in which they are asked to make judgments about the lengths of lines. Cross-cultural research suggests that the least amount of conformity should be observed in cultures

Accepted Answer

Cultures characterized by financial independence and prosperity often promote individualism, which tends to result in lower conformity rates. This is because individuals in such societies are more likely to feel free to express their own opinions, even when they diverge from the group consensus.

Question 11

Which of the following key factors does not contribute to individualistic culture?

Accepted Answer

Individualistic cultures emphasize personal freedom and independence rather than adhering strictly to group norms, which is more characteristic of collectivist cultures. Therefore, conformity, which involves aligning one's behaviors and beliefs closely with those of a group, does not contribute to individualistic culture.

Question 12

The idea that minority influence works in the same way as majority influence is most consistent with

Accepted Answer

The single-process approach suggests that both minority and majority influences work through similar psychological mechanisms, contrasting with dual-process models that propose different processes for each.

Question 13

______ show a high level of interdependence within their social network.

Accepted Answer

Farmers often rely on a strong network of support and cooperation within their community for resources, labor, and knowledge sharing, leading to a high level of interdependence.

Question 14

Interpersonal credits a person earns by following group norms are called ____ credits.

Accepted Answer

Idiosyncrasy credits are earned by individuals in a group through conformity to group norms, which later allow for some deviation without severe sanctions.

Question 15

Hiroko is usually very agreeable and goes along with his friends' plans. Tonight, however, he tells his friends that even though they all want to go out for Mexican food, he has a strong preference for Italian food. Even though he is the only person who initially votes for Italian, Hiroko's friends eventually come to agree with him because he usually does go along with the group. This best epitomizes which of the following phenomena associated with minority influence?

Accepted Answer

Hiroko's situation exemplifies the concept of idiosyncrasy credits, which suggests that individuals who generally conform to group norms are more likely to be allowed by the group to deviate from these norms occasionally. Since Hiroko usually agrees with his friends, he has accumulated enough goodwill or "credits" to influence the group's decision in his favor this time.

Question 16

If American children raised in ways consistent with mainstream American culture and Chinese children raised in ways that were consistent with traditional Chinese culture were placed in the same classroom, which of the following statements would probably be true ?

Accepted Answer

American culture typically emphasizes individualism, while traditional Chinese culture often values collectivism, which includes a higher tendency towards conformity. Therefore, in a shared classroom setting, American children might show less conformity than Chinese children due to these cultural differences.

Question 17

Psychologists tend to refer to a culture that values the virtues of interdependence and social harmony as

Accepted Answer

Collectivist cultures emphasize the needs and goals of the group as a whole over the needs and desires of each individual. In such cultures, interdependence and social harmony are highly valued virtues.

Question 18

Which of the following statements is true of the dual-process approach to understanding minority influence?

Accepted Answer

Group majorities and minorities exert their influence in very different ways, according to the dual-process approach. This perspective suggests that majority influence often leads to public compliance due to normative social influence, while minority influence can lead to deeper cognitive processing and potentially private acceptance due to informational social influence.

Question 19

The residents in Burberry Hill have convened to discuss whether to build a neighborhood pool. The majority are in favor of building a pool. However, Miguel, a long-time resident, expresses his opposition. Which of the following is unlikely ?

Accepted Answer

Miguel expressing a dissenting opinion in a group that initially favors building a pool is more likely to result in private conformity, where individuals may privately agree with Miguel's points even if the group's public consensus doesn't immediately reflect this. Public conformity might occur when individuals outwardly agree with the group despite personal disagreements, but in this context, Miguel's opposition could lead to genuine private agreement from some residents who reconsider their positions based on his arguments.

Question 20

The "minority slowness effect" refers to the finding that

Accepted Answer

The "minority slowness effect" is observed when individuals holding minority opinions exhibit slower response times in discussions or when answering questions about the topic, compared to those with majority opinions. This is attributed to the additional cognitive processing required to maintain and defend a less popular stance.

Quiz 7: Conformity