Question 1

The authors of your text suggest that there are two major motivations for people to conform:

Accepted Answer

The two major motivations for people to conform, as suggested, are not knowing what to do in a confusing situation and wishing to avoid ridicule and rejection. These motivations drive individuals to align their behaviors with those around them to gain a sense of security and social acceptance.

Question 2

You are a little confused about how to address your new boss.Even though you are told that your new supervisor's name is Charlie Rose, you have noticed that everyone at work calls him "Boss." You, too, decide to start calling your supervisor "Boss." This decision is a product of

Accepted Answer

C

Question 3

The United States has celebrated independence and rugged individualism from the time of its inception.This suggests that American attitudes toward conformity are

Accepted Answer

The celebration of independence and rugged individualism in the United States suggests a general negative attitude toward conformity, as conformity implies a willingness to align with group norms and behaviors, which contrasts with the values of independence and individualism.

Question 4

It's Libby's first day in college.When she approaches the professor to have an "add" form signed, she listens to other students to see if they address the professor as "Professor," "Dr.," "Mrs.," or by her first name, and then she does the same.This is an example of

Accepted Answer

Libby is using informational social influence by observing others to determine the appropriate way to address the professor, as she assumes others have more information about the social norms in this context.

Question 5

An important feature of informational social influence is that it often leads to

Accepted Answer

Informational social influence is the phenomenon where individuals conform to the behavior or opinions of others because they believe those others have more knowledge or expertise in the situation. This can lead to private acceptance, where the individual actually adopts the beliefs or behaviors of the group. It is different from normative social influence, which leads to public compliance due to a desire to fit in or avoid rejection, and obedience, which is a response to direct orders from an authority figure.

Question 6

Your niece Caitlin is deathly afraid of glass elevators.You have just read Chapter 8, and have decided to use informational social influence to convince Caitlin that there is no need to be afraid to ride in glass elevators.How would you apply the concept of informational social influence in this situation?

Accepted Answer

By getting Caitlin's friends to ride in a glass elevator and wave to her, she will observe their behavior and perceive that they are not afraid. This will provide her with informational social influence because she will be using her friends' behavior as a reference point to determine how she should behave. This can help reduce her fear and increase her likelihood of riding in a glass elevator in the future. The other options (A, B, D) involve either punishment or force, which are not effective ways to use informational social influence.

Question 7

There have been great examples of social influence and terrible examples of social influence.As an example, what do the Heaven's Gate followers and the "Freedom Riders" in the American civil rights movement have in common? They

Accepted Answer

Both the Heaven's Gate followers and the "Freedom Riders" were confronting extreme and confusing situations and looked to others to decide how to behave. The Heaven's Gate followers believed in the idea of "exiting" their bodies to reach a higher spiritual plane and followed their leader Marshall Applewhite blindly. Similarly, the "Freedom Riders" were facing violent opposition and did not have a clear guideline on how to behave, which led them to look to each other for guidance and support.

Question 8

Bob is from Michigan.He's familiar with cultural norms that emphasize

Accepted Answer

Michigan is known for its American individualism, which places an emphasis on the importance of personal independence and self-reliance.

Question 9

Rachel is attending Catholic mass for the first time with her best friend Maria.Rachel is unfamiliar with when to sit, when to kneel, or when to stand, and doesn't know when to respond to what the priest says and when to remain silent.When it is time for parishioners to receive Communion, Rachel looks quizzically to Maria, who silently shakes her head.Rachel remains seated while the rest of the congregation files toward the altar.This situation best exemplifies

Accepted Answer

Rachel is experiencing informational social influence, where she is unsure of how to behave in this new situation and is looking to others for guidance and information on how to act. Maria is not providing any guidance, leaving Rachel to rely on observing the actions of others, which leads to her confusion and inaction.

Question 10

The authors of your text describe a series of horrible telephone hoaxes that were done a few years ago in which a caller falsely identified himself as a police officer and had restaurant managers perform unnecessary strip searches and other degrading acts on subordinates.The fact that the managers he called actually did what he instructed them to do illustrates that people very readily

Accepted Answer

The fact that the managers obeyed the instructions of someone they believed to be a police officer indicates that people are likely to obey authority figures. This phenomenon is known as the Milgram obedience study, where participants administered painful electric shocks to another person when instructed to do so by a person in authority.

Question 11

Informational social influence occurs because

Accepted Answer

Informational social influence occurs when individuals conform to the opinions or behaviors of others because they see them as a source of information to guide their own behavior. This happens especially in ambiguous or unfamiliar situations where people are uncertain about what is the appropriate way to act. In these cases, they use others' actions or opinions as cues to determine what they should do. Social norms (Option B) influence conformity through normative social influence, which involves pressure to conform in order to gain social approval or avoid rejection. Option A and D address other motives for conformity, which are not directly related to seeking information from others.

Question 12

According to the authors of your text, what is the most plausible explanation as to why the U.S.soldiers followed their lieutenant's orders to massacre the citizens of the peaceful village of My Lai during the Vietnam War?

Accepted Answer

The authors of the text suggest that the most plausible explanation for the soldiers following their lieutenant's orders to massacre the citizens of the peaceful village of My Lai was that they were conforming to authority in a confusing and chaotic situation. This idea is supported by research on obedience to authority and group conformity.

Question 13

Victor goes to a fancy French restaurant.There are utensils on the table that he's never even seen before, and more spoons and forks than he's ever seen on one table.Eager to dine in an appropriate and sophisticated way, Victor secretly watches other diners to see what they do.This is an example of

Accepted Answer

Victor is observing the behavior of others in order to learn what is appropriate and sophisticated in this particular situation. This demonstrates informational social influence, which occurs when individuals change their behavior in order to conform to the behavior of others because they believe those others have more knowledge about the situation.

Question 14

Reynald is participating in a research study where he is watching a dot of light in a dark room.In time it appears to move.Later, he finds out that it was really stationary.This phenomenon is

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described is known as the autokinetic effect, which is a visual illusion where a stationary object appears to move in a dark environment due to the lack of visual reference points. It is often used in psychology research on perception and conformity. Options A, C, and D are not accurate explanations.

Question 15

Wendy's roommate is laying out her clothes for the first day of classes.Wendy wasn't sure what to wear but now has an idea and picks her outfit to be similar.This type of conformity arises from

Accepted Answer

Wendy's decision to pick her outfit based on her roommate's choice suggests that she was influenced by her roommate's behavior because she believed her roommate had more information about what to wear. This is an example of informational social influence, which occurs when individuals conform to the behaviors or attitudes of others because they believe that those others have more knowledge or information. Normative social influence (A) is conformity to social norms in order to be accepted and avoid rejection or disapproval. Voluntary obedience (B) is not a recognized concept within social influence. Unintentional social influence (C) also does not apply to this situation, as Wendy was consciously seeking guidance from her roommate.

Question 16

In which of the following cases is conformity due to information social influence LEAST likely to occur?

Accepted Answer

In this scenario, conformity due to information social influence is least likely to occur because the situation does not involve ambiguous or uncertain circumstances. The need to conform to the actions or thoughts of others arises when the situation is unclear or ambiguous, and people look towards others for guidance. In this case, a repairman falling off a ladder and breaking his leg is a clear and unambiguous situation, where the onlookers would not be uncertain or unsure about what needs to be done.

Question 17

When "Freedom Riders" conformed with their group of fellow civil rights activists, they conformed by behaving ________, but when soldiers in the Vietnamese village of My Lai conformed, they behaved ________, illustrating that conformity itself it not always simply good or bad.

Accepted Answer

The Freedom Riders conformed in a peaceful and nonviolent manner, while the soldiers in My Lai conformed violently, committing atrocities against the villagers. This illustrates that conformity itself is not always good or bad, but can lead to positive or negative outcomes depending on the behavior of those conforming. Option A is incorrect because both groups were in a group and acted as a group. Option B is incorrect because the use of emotions or logic is not the defining factor in their behavior. Option D is incorrect because both groups were acting as part of a larger group.

Question 18

According to your text, our construals of the concept "conformity" are shaped by

Accepted Answer

Our construals of "conformity" are influenced by our cultural self-image, as it affects how we perceive and interpret social behaviors and norms.

Question 19

Khadija has conformed to others' behaviors or attitudes because she believes that their interpretations of an ambiguous situation are more accurate than hers.________ has occurred.

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes informational social influence, where Khadija is conforming because she believes others have better knowledge or understanding of the situation.

Question 20

Alejandro has changed his behavior because of the real or imagined presence of others.This is known as

Accepted Answer

Conformity refers to adjusting one's behavior or beliefs to match those of others in a group, whether real or imagined. In this scenario, Alejandro has changed his behavior due to the presence of others, indicating conformity. Obedience, on the other hand, refers to following the orders or commands of an authority figure, which is not mentioned in the scenario. Interdependence and cooperation refer to working together and relying on each other in a group or team, which does not necessarily imply changes in behavior.

Quiz 8: Conformity: Influencing Behavior