Question 1

The characteristics of groups leading to groupthink include all of the following except group

Accepted Answer

Groupthink is less about the size of the group and more about its cohesiveness, structure, and the stress levels it experiences. These factors contribute to a group's tendency towards conformity and unanimity, often at the expense of critical thinking and individual opinions.

Question 2

Based on the social comparison explanation of group polarization, group members' attitudes toward an issue should be most influenced by

Accepted Answer

Social comparison theory suggests that group polarization occurs because individuals want to be viewed favorably by their group, leading them to adopt more extreme positions that align with the majority's views. Therefore, the number of people in their group with a similar attitude would most influence their attitudes.

Question 3

Hendricks owns a small aerospace company and wants to recognize the signs of groupthink during the group meetings. She should be concerned that groupthink may be occurring if the group exhibits

Accepted Answer

Groupthink is characterized by a lack of critical evaluation of ideas, leading to poor decision-making. Close-mindedness is a sign of groupthink because it indicates that the group is not open to considering alternative viewpoints or solutions, which is essential for avoiding the pitfalls of groupthink.

Question 4

In a study, researchers asked groups of relatively prejudiced and unprejudiced high school students to respond to issues concerning racial attitudes, both before and after discussion. Following the group discussions, you would expect that

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is explained by the concept of group polarization, where after discussing an issue, a group tends to adopt a more extreme position in the direction they were already leaning. Thus, those initially unprejudiced would likely become even less prejudiced, while those initially prejudiced would become more so.

Question 5

Biased sampling is least likely to reduce group effectiveness when group members have ____ trust, and unique information is known by ____.

Accepted Answer

High trust among group members facilitates open communication and collaboration, making it easier to integrate unique information even when it is known by more than one member. This environment helps overcome the potential negative effects of biased sampling.

Question 6

To increase the performance of the team, the coach should

Accepted Answer

Setting specific, challenging, and reachable goals helps motivate the team, provides clear direction, and enhances performance by encouraging effort and persistence.

Question 7

How is normative influence different from informational influence?

Accepted Answer

Normative influence leads to compliance because individuals conform to the expectations of others to gain approval or avoid disapproval, without necessarily changing their underlying beliefs. Informational influence, on the other hand, results in a change in beliefs because individuals accept information from others as evidence about reality.

Question 8

Groupthink emerges when

Accepted Answer

Groupthink occurs when the desire for harmony or conformity in a group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome, prioritizing consensus over accurate information.

Question 9

Jai is allowed to speak to his supervisor, but not to report anything to his supervisor's supervisor. This describes the ____ in Jai's work group.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Jai is allowed to speak to his...

Question 10

Latasha joined a campus group called "Young Republicans." Which of these outcomes is most consistent with the persuasive arguments explanation for group polarization?

Accepted Answer

The persuasive arguments explanation for group polarization suggests that exposure to new arguments in favor of a pre-existing viewpoint can lead to more extreme positions. Thus, if Latasha hears new conservative arguments within the group, she might adopt more conservative beliefs.

Question 11

John, George, Paul, and Richard are air traffic controllers. They encounter a stressful, anxious situation in which two planes might soon collide. Which of the following conditions would most encourage this group to display groupthink when pondering their next step?

Accepted Answer

Groupthink is more likely to occur in highly cohesive groups, where the desire for unanimity and solidarity can suppress dissenting viewpoints and critical thinking, potentially leading to suboptimal decisions.

Question 12

Groupthink is more likely to occur

Accepted Answer

Groupthink is more likely to occur in highly cohesive groups because the members' strong desire for unanimity and togetherness can suppress dissenting viewpoints and lead to poor decision-making processes.

Question 13

According to Woolley and colleagues (2008) when it comes to expertise and planning,

Accepted Answer

Woolley and colleagues (2008) found that groups perform well on complex tasks only when they have both experts in the group and a well-planned approach to the task. This indicates that expertise alone is not enough for optimal group performance; planning is also crucial.

Question 14

_______ is a system through which groups collectively encode, store, and retrieve information.

Accepted Answer

Transactive memory is a system through which groups collectively encode, store, and retrieve information, allowing them to remember more together than any individual member could alone.

Question 15

One effective way for a leader to reduce the possibility of groupthink is to

Accepted Answer

Expressing opinions after other group members have voiced theirs allows for a wider range of ideas and opinions to be shared without bias from the leader's initial stance, reducing the risk of groupthink.

Question 16

Neve hates to wear tuxedos. Still he wears one to his brother's wedding to avoid the disapproval of his wife. This is a clear example of

Accepted Answer

Neve wears a tuxedo despite his personal dislike for it, primarily to avoid his wife's disapproval. This behavior is driven by the desire to conform to social expectations or norms to avoid disapproval or to gain approval, which is the essence of normative social influence.

Question 17

_______ refers to an inadequate execution of actions that will lead to optimum performance.

Accepted Answer

Process loss refers to any aspect of group interaction that inhibits good problem-solving, which includes inadequate execution of actions that would lead to optimum performance.

Question 18

What goal should your group's leader focus on to overcome biased information sampling while taking any decision?

Accepted Answer

Critical discussion and delay of consensus help ensure that all perspectives are considered, reducing the impact of biased information sampling.

Question 19

Kelly always remembers the information about family affairs, finances, and so forth. Her spouse, Kirk, always remembers the information about world history, politics, and so forth. Together, they are able to remember much more than they would alone. They have developed a ____ system.

Accepted Answer

A transactive memory system is a mechanism through which groups collectively encode, store, and retrieve knowledge. Kelly and Kirk have developed a system where they each remember different types of information, effectively creating a shared storage of knowledge that enhances their collective memory and ability to recall information.

Question 20

Biased sampling in groups is the process whereby

Accepted Answer

Biased sampling in groups refers to the tendency for information that is shared by many group members to be discussed more than information known by only a few members.

Quiz 8: Group Processes