Question 1

The confirmation bias is best described as the tendency for people to:
A) seek and consider evidence that supports their preferred hypothesis, and discount or ignore information that refutes their beliefs.
B) want others to agree with them because of their need to be liked.
C) not want to act as a devil's advocate in a group, even though it would help the group.
D) put unwarranted confidence in their decisions.

Accepted Answer

The confirmation bias refers to the tendency for people to seek out and favor information that confirms their preexisting beliefs or hypotheses while dismissing or ignoring information that contradicts their beliefs. They often do so unconsciously, and it can be difficult for them to recognize this bias in their thinking. This can lead to errors in judgment and decision-making.

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a behavioral consequence of decision fatigue:
A) spending more money.
B) making more accurate decisions.
C) making harsh decisions.
D) avoiding decision-making altogether.

Accepted Answer

Decision fatigue is the phenomenon where a person's decision-making ability decreases after making multiple decisions or choices. This can result in a variety of negative behavioral consequences such as impulsive spending (A), making harsh decisions (C), and avoiding decision-making altogether (D). However, it does not typically lead to making more accurate decisions (B).

Question 3

There are four key processes involved in the escalation of commitment cycle. Which of the following is NOT one of those processes?
A) Psychological determinants
B) Project-related determinants
C) Risk determinants
D) Structural determinants

Accepted Answer

The four key processes involved in the escalation of commitment cycle are psychological determinants (emotions, attitudes, and biases), project-related determinants (goal commitment, project complexity, sunk costs), structural determinants (limited alternatives, time pressure), and social determinants (peer pressure, organizational norms). Risk determinants are not considered one of the key processes in the escalation of commitment cycle.

Question 4

Group polarization is best described as the tendency for:
A) people in groups to follow the crowd, and, in some cases, engage in mob behavior.
B) groups to ostracize members who do not agree with them.
C) group discussion to mitigate group opinion; producing less extreme judgment than might be obtained by pooling individuals' views separately.
D) group discussion to intensify group opinion; producing more extreme judgment than might be obtained by pooling individuals' views separately.

Accepted Answer

Group polarization refers to the phenomenon where group discussions tend to intensify the preexisting views of members, leading to more extreme judgments or decisions. In other words, group discussion strengthens the prevailing attitude or belief within a group, making it more extreme than the individual members’ views. Group polarization occurs because of the social comparison process, where individuals compare their opinions with the group’s views, leading to a desire to conform and gain social approval. As a result, people tend to endorse the most extreme and popular viewpoints, leading to group polarization.

Question 5

Key symptoms of groupthink take root and blossom in groups that succumb to the pressures of reaching unanimity. Which of the following is one of those symptoms?
A) Members of the group regard themselves as invulnerable, morally correct, and exempt from organizational standards.
B) The group's process of creating ideas and reaching decisions is balanced, and out-group member opinions are respected.
C) There is a diversity of opinions within the group.
D) Group members constantly discuss their reservations about the group's controversial viewpoint.

Accepted Answer

One of the key symptoms of groupthink is "Members of the group regard themselves as invulnerable, morally correct, and exempt from organizational standards." This is indicative of a dangerous sense of self-assuredness that can lead to poor decision-making. The other options are not indicative of groupthink symptoms.

Question 6

All of the following are TRUE about conformity EXCEPT:
A) conformity is greater when people make difficult judgments.
B) conformity is greater when the rest of the group is unanimous.
C) conformity is greater when people value and admire their team.
D) conformity is greater when people have high social status in their team.

Accepted Answer

Conformity is not greater when people have high social status in their team. In fact, research suggests that people with higher social status may be more likely to engage in nonconformity behaviors.

Question 7

A demonstrable task is a task that:
A) can be demonstrated to a group.
B) demonstrates the skill of the person who completes it.
C) has an obvious, correct answer.
D) demonstrates the cohesion of a group.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A demonstrable task is a task that:
A)...

Question 8

The two psychological explanations for group polarization are: informational influence and normative influence. Informational influence is best described as the need __________; normative influence is best described as the need __________.
A) to have power influence) over others; to fit in with the group
B) for cognition; for emotion
C) to be right accurate); to be liked accepted)
D) to be liked accepted); to be right accurate)

Accepted Answer

Informational influence is the need to be right or accurate, while normative influence is the need to be liked or accepted.

Question 9

Regarding ways to avoid groupthink, what is the goal of using the risk technique?
A) It allows groups to adopt different perspectives in order to create a mechanism that will instigate thinking more carefully about problems.
B) It creates an atmosphere in which team members can express doubts and raise criticisms without fear of rejection or team hostility.
C) It allows team members to assume the perspective of other constituencies with a stake in the decision.
D) It gives teams an opportunity to identify a second solution as an alternative to their first choice.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Regarding ways to avoid groupthink, what is...

Question 10

Research has found that instigating and upholding task-oriented conflicts in the decision-making process can be a strategy to counteract biased information seeking. One conflict-stimulating procedure involves assigning a counterargument role to a group member. When consensus on a particular decision solution has emerged, the contrary employee tries to identify all weaknesses inherent in it. The group must then react to this criticism, and see if the arguments put forth can be invalidated. This procedure is an example of what type of dissent?
A) Devil's advocate procedure
B) Abilene paradox
C) Escalation of commitment
D) Confirmation bias

Accepted Answer

The procedure described in the passage is known as the devil's advocate procedure. This type of dissent involves assigning a group member to take on the role of a counterargument to challenge the consensus decision and identify any weaknesses in it. It is a strategy to counteract biased information seeking and promote critical thinking within groups. The other options, B) Abilene paradox, C) Escalation of commitment, and D) Confirmation bias, are different concepts that are not directly related to the procedure described in the passage.

Question 11

Which situation best illustrates the escalation of commitment?
A) A marketing manager fails to state the disadvantages of a product, and only states the positive benefits of that product.
B) A marketing manager does not give credit to a team member whose idea was instrumental for the product development.
C) A marketing manager makes decisions using a majority voting technique, and does not listen to the minority viewpoint.
D) A marketing manager continues to promote a specific brand, despite clear evidence that the brand is losing market share to competitors.

Accepted Answer

This situation illustrates the escalation of commitment, as the marketing manager is persisting with a failing strategy, despite clear evidence that it is not working. This may be due to the sunk costs that have already been invested in the brand, or a desire to prove the initial decision was right, even when faced with new information.

Question 12

All of the following can help minimize the escalation of commitment EXCEPT:
A) setting limits.
B) continuing to invest based upon how many resources have already been invested.
C) recognizing and accepting sunk costs.
D) seeking external review.

Accepted Answer

Continuing to invest based upon how many resources have already been invested is a common trap in escalation of commitment, therefore it does not help minimize it. In contrast, setting limits, recognizing and accepting sunk costs, and seeking external review are all strategies that can help minimize escalation of commitment.

Question 13

All of the following may help a group avoid or minimize groupthink EXCEPT:
A) increasing the size of the team.
B) inviting outsiders who have a different perspective.
C) appointing a devil's advocate.
D) establishing procedures to protect alternative viewpoints.

Accepted Answer

Increasing the size of the team may actually increase the likelihood of groupthink, as larger groups often have more difficulty reaching consensus and may become more insulated from outside perspectives. The other options - inviting outsiders, appointing a devil's advocate, and establishing procedures to protect alternative viewpoints - all introduce diverse perspectives and encourage critical thinking, which are effective ways to avoid groupthink.

Question 14

Groupthink occurs when team members place the goal of __________ above all other decision priorities.
A) good judgment
B) ethical decisions
C) efficiency
D) consensus

Accepted Answer

Groupthink occurs when team members prioritize reaching consensus above all other decision priorities. This can lead to a lack of critical thinking, independent evaluation of options, and overall poor decision-making.

Question 15

The framing bias makes specific predictions about how people will behave when faced with a sure course of action versus a gamble. Which of the following best describes the effects of the framing bias?
A) People are risk-averse i.e., preferring a sure thing) for both gains and losses.
B) People are risk-seeking i.e., preferring a gamble) when choosing among gains and losses.
C) People tend to be risk-averse when choosing among gains, but risk-seeking when choosing among losses.
D) People tend to be risk-seeking when choosing among gains, but risk-averse when choosing among losses.

Accepted Answer

The framing bias predicts that people will tend to be risk-averse when faced with a sure gain, but risk-seeking when faced with a gamble for gains. However, when faced with potential losses, people tend to be risk-seeking when presented with a sure loss, but risk-averse when presented with a gamble that could possibly result in a larger loss. Therefore, option C accurately summarizes the effects of the framing bias.

Question 16

An example of the overconfidence bias is:
A) Bill's tendency to consider evidence that supports his position on illegal immigration, but disregards evidence that refutes his beliefs.
B) Carol and her team have been working on a new product for several years and one expensive prototype has become their main focus. When evaluating the choices for launch, the group judges the top prototype as the best one for launch over less expensive options.
C) Joe makes a stock price prediction and believes that there is only a 5% chance that his estimate is wrong; overlooking recent articles about the bad financial health of the business.
D) a judge in a criminal court hears over 80 cases a day. The defendants whose cases are heard late in the day were given harsher sentences.

Accepted Answer

Joe's confidence that his stock price prediction is nearly infallible is an example of overconfidence bias, as he is disregarding evidence that suggests his estimate could be incorrect.

Question 17

Marilyn, Bob, and Carl all believe a certain defendant is probably guilty and should be sentenced. Individually their recommendations for a sentence are 3,5, and 7 years. When they meet as a group however, they recommend 10 years. This change and collective shift is called:
A) groupthink.
B) group polarization.
C) the Abilene paradox.
D) an escalation of commitment.

Accepted Answer

Group polarization refers to the phenomenon where a group's collective opinion or decision becomes more extreme than individual opinions held prior to group discussion. In this case, Marilyn, Bob, and Carl individually recommended sentences of 3, 5, and 7 years, respectively. However, when they discussed as a group, their recommendation became more extreme, resulting in a recommendation of 10 years. This shift towards a more extreme viewpoint is an example of group polarization.

Question 18

Groups perform better than individuals on a wide range of demonstrable tasks. What is a key reason why groups outperform individuals faced with the same task?
A) Groups are much more overconfident than individuals, regardless of their actual accuracy.
B) Groups are more likely to exacerbate some of the shortcomings displayed by individuals.
C) Groups outperform individuals due to a process in which group members become more accurate during the group interaction.
D) Groups are more likely to neglect case-specific information and ignore base-rate information.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as the "Wisdom of Crowds" and is based on the idea that groups can correct errors and improve accuracy through collaboration and diversity of perspectives. This process facilitates the sharing and integration of information, which leads to more accurate decision-making.

Question 19

Related to the confirmation bias, an example of "tunnel vision" would be:
A) In advance of the board meeting regarding the company's decision to move their offices, Ken has made up his mind to move the office to Wisconsin. He spends a lot of time finding information on the tax benefits of doing business in Wisconsin and overlooks similar tax benefits in Indiana.
B) Carl hasn't made up his mind about moving the company to a new location. He spends most of his time researching the lowest tax rates nationwide, and looking into what states are the least restrictive in terms of environmental compliance.
C) Mary feels secure in her viewpoint to move the company headquarters to Wisconsin, but also spends time researching cities such as Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Columbus, to inform herself of the quality of life and opportunities for business growth in these locations.
D) Kim feels pressured by the group to conform to the majority viewpoint of where to move the company headquarters. She limits her group input, and instead focuses on improving the company's product prototype.

Accepted Answer

Ken has a preconceived idea of where the office should be moved to and is only looking for information that supports his viewpoint, while disregarding information that contradicts it. This is an example of tunnel vision, where one only focuses on information that supports their preconceptions.

Question 20

The Abilene Paradox is a bias that was initially described by what kind of situation?
A) A family continues a trip across the hot desert even though nobody wants to take the trip.
B) A football game in Texas results in conflict when the teams cannot play fairly.
C) U.S. President Kennedy decides to invade Cuba, despite clear evidence that the plan won't work Bay of Pigs).
D) A famous financier defrauds thousands of people by committing fraud, theft, and money laundering in a huge Ponzi scheme Bernie Madoff).

Accepted Answer

The Abilene Paradox was initially described by management expert Jerry B. Harvey in the context of a family trip to Abilene, where each family member independently did not want to go, but due to a lack of communication, the family went anyway, resulting in a disappointing and uncomfortable trip.

Quiz 7: Team Decision Making: Pitfalls and Solutions

The confirmation bias is best described as the tendency for people to:

Which of the following is NOT a behavioral consequence of decision fatigue:

There are four key processes involved in the escalation of commitment cycle. Which of the following is NOT one of those processes?

Group polarization is best described as the tendency for:

Key symptoms of groupthink take root and blossom in groups that succumb to the pressures of reaching unanimity. Which of the following is one of those symptoms?

All of the following are TRUE about conformity EXCEPT:

A demonstrable task is a task that:

The two psychological explanations for group polarization are: informational influence and normative influence. Informational influence is best described as the need ; normative influence is best described as the need .

Regarding ways to avoid groupthink, what is the goal of using the risk technique?

Which situation best illustrates the escalation of commitment?

All of the following can help minimize the escalation of commitment EXCEPT:

All of the following may help a group avoid or minimize groupthink EXCEPT:

Groupthink occurs when team members place the goal of __________ above all other decision priorities.

The framing bias makes specific predictions about how people will behave when faced with a sure course of action versus a gamble. Which of the following best describes the effects of the framing bias?

An example of the overconfidence bias is:

Marilyn, Bob, and Carl all believe a certain defendant is probably guilty and should be sentenced. Individually their recommendations for a sentence are 3,5, and 7 years. When they meet as a group however, they recommend 10 years. This change and collective shift is called:

Groups perform better than individuals on a wide range of demonstrable tasks. What is a key reason why groups outperform individuals faced with the same task?

Related to the confirmation bias, an example of "tunnel vision" would be:

The Abilene Paradox is a bias that was initially described by what kind of situation?