Module 42-43

-one is made to feel insecure. -one admires the group's status. -the group is unanimous.

In Asch's conformity experiments, researchers find that conformity to the group increases when:

"learner"; experimenter

In Milgram's experiments, participants were torn between whether they should respond to the pleas of the ______ or the demands of the ______.

when everyone else in the group agrees

In which situation is one most likely to conform?

central route persuasion

Ingrid is looking for a new car. She wants one that is dependable and affordable. Which form of persuasion would probably be MORE convincing to her?

We can expect that John will not perform well.

John is not a great golfer; he has only been playing golf for two years. One day, John was playing alone and a foursome in front of him told him he could play through. All four of the others watched him tee off. According to social facilitation research, what type of performance would you expect from John?

The judge will give him a lighter sentence.

Joshua is on trial for simple assault. He has pleaded not guilty. A psychiatrist has testified that Joshua has a gene that has altered the area of his brain related to aggressive behavior. What is likely to happen?

the chameleon effect.

Just hearing someone reading a neutral text in a sad voice creates "mood contagion" in listeners. This best illustrates:

the attitudes-follow-behavior principle

Lori decides to make a positive change in her life. Instead of going to work with a frown on her face, she will force herself to smile when she walks out the door. According to _____, by altering her behavior she stands a good chance of changing her attitude.

social loafing

Mark, Jane, and Meagan are working on a class project together. Meagan finds that Mark is rarely available and that he has contributed minimally to the project. Meagan is experiencing the _____ of Mark.

both her disposition and the situation

Michelle is invited to a dinner party by one of her closest friends. Michelle and her friend arrive together and spend part of the evening talking to each other. After dinner, Michelle's friend leaves the room to have a private discussion with one of the other guests. Michelle feels uncomfortable and sits by herself, not engaging with the other guests. Michelle's behaviors can be attributed to which of the following?

social facilitation.

Norman Triplett observed that adolescents wound a fishing reel faster in the presence of someone working simultaneously on the same task. This best illustrates:

cognitive dissonance theory

You have very strong opinions about the tuition increase. However, once you are the student representative for the College Board, you develop a more favorable attitude about the tuition increase. Which theory best explains why?

role

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.

conformity

adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

attitude

feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events.

social facilitation

improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others.

normative social influence

influence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.

informational social influence

influence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality. Accept that the other person is correct and follow their lead.

group polarization

the enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.

deindividuation

the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.

groupthink

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony or conformity results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome.

social psychology

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.

fundamental attribution error

the tendency for observers, when analyzing others' behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition.

social loafing

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable.

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.

cognitive dissonance theory

the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent. For example, when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes.

attribution theory

the theory that we explain someone's behavior by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition.

attribution

According to _____ theory, people explain behavior by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition.

attribution theory

According to the ______________, people explain behavior by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition.

the fundamental attribution error.

As Bella is driving to campus one day another car cuts her off and speeds ahead. Immediately she yells out "Crazy driver!" not realizing that the person may be rushing to get to the hospital. Her judgment best illustrates:

social facilitation

At her health club, Bonnie pedals an exercise bike much faster when other patrons are using nearby equipment. This best illustrates:

cognitive dissonance

Before Rhonda left for college, she told her friend Michelle that she thought sororities were filled with snobs and that she would never consider joining one. However, during Rhonda's first week on campus, she was approached by a sorority member who invited her to a social function and encouraged her to pledge. After Rhonda attended the party, she told Michelle, "Sororities do a lot of good things for the community. They're really service organizations." Rhonda's change in attitude to match her behavior reflects:

mood linkage

Ben's sister-in-law always has a smile on her face and a joke to tell. The moment she walks into the house he starts smiling, even before she says something funny. This is caused by:

situational attribution

Charlie's friend yells at him for being five minutes late for lunch. Rather than believe his friend is a rude jerk, he decides that she may be having difficulties with her partner. Therefore, he makes a _____ about her behavior.

try to align their attitudes and behavior.

Cognitive dissonance theory states that in order to reduce dissonance, individuals:

She can make sure the participants know that she has a Ph.D. from a prestigious university.

Dr. Yen is designing an experiment on obedience to authority. She will set up a learning laboratory and have participants deliver loud blasts of sound as punishment for incorrect answers (given by a confederate of the researcher). How can Dr. Yen increase the likelihood of the participants' obedience?

cognitive dissonance theory

During a test, Abe impulsively copied several answers from a nearby student's paper. He felt very uncomfortable about having done this until he convinced himself that copying answers is not wrong if classmates are careless enough to expose their test sheets. Which theory best explains why Abe adopted this new attitude?

the fundamental attribution error.

Eulalia stops for a cup of coffee and the waitress yells at her when she sits at a table that has not been cleared. She is convinced that she should find another line of work--one in which her angry personality traits will not interfere with her job. However, she disregards the possibility that the restaurant is short of help that day. Eulalia has just fallen prey to:

Situational attribution

Factors outside the person doing the action

She must be having a bad day.

Gussie and Max have been happily married for 54 years. This morning, however, Gussie made an unkind remark about Max's table manners. Given research findings on marital satisfaction and attribution, what did Max think of this comment?

conformity.

When we adjust our own behavior or thinking so that it coincides with a group standard, we are exhibiting:

Dispositional Attribution

Person's stable, enduring traits personality, ability, emotions

attitudes-follow-behavior principle

The ______________ indicates that, although we often cannot directly control all of our feelings, we can influence our feelings by changing our behavior.

groupthink.

The tragic decision to launch the space shuttle Challenger resulted in part from the minimal expression of dissenting views among NASA personnel and advisors. This best illustrates the dangers of:

central route persuasion

This occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.

deindividuation

What might account for the increase in Internet bullies during adolescence?

They may feel as though others in the residence hall are observing their behavior.

What might account for why, in college residence halls, students' attitudes become more similar to those living near them?

when the person giving orders is seen as an authority figure

When are people most likely to obey?

central route persuasion

occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.

peripheral route persuasion

occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness.