Psychology Degree Social Influence and Behavior 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Milgram's obedience experiments, what factor most significantly reduced participants' willingness to deliver shocks?
- Increasing the shock voltage
- Moving the experimenter out of the room
- Adding a second confederate who refused (Correct answer)
- Telling participants others had complied
Correct answer: Adding a second confederate who refused
When a peer confederate refused to continue, compliance dropped dramatically because social support undermined the authority's power.
Question 2: The 'foot-in-the-door' technique works primarily because of which psychological principle?
- Reciprocity
- Commitment and consistency (Correct answer)
- Social proof
- Scarcity
Correct answer: Commitment and consistency
People comply with larger requests after agreeing to small ones because they want to remain consistent with their self-image as helpful.
Question 3: Which concept describes the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone?
- Group polarization
- Deindividuation
- Social loafing (Correct answer)
- Diffusion of responsibility
Correct answer: Social loafing
Social loafing occurs when individual contributions are not identifiable, reducing personal accountability.
Question 4: A person publicly agrees with a group's opinion but privately disagrees. This is an example of:
- Internalization
- Identification
- Compliance (Correct answer)
- Conversion
Correct answer: Compliance
Compliance involves outward conformity without private acceptance, driven by desire to avoid conflict or gain rewards.
Question 5: According to Moscovici's research, minority influence is most effective when the minority is:
- Large in number
- Consistent and persistent (Correct answer)
- High in status
- Backed by an authority figure
Correct answer: Consistent and persistent
Consistent and unwavering minority positions signal confidence and cause majority members to reconsider their views.
Question 6: The 'bystander effect' is best explained by which two processes?
- Social loafing and group polarization
- Diffusion of responsibility and pluralistic ignorance (Correct answer)
- Conformity and obedience
- Deindividuation and reactance
Correct answer: Diffusion of responsibility and pluralistic ignorance
Bystanders fail to help because they assume others will act (diffusion) and look to others who also appear unconcerned (pluralistic ignorance).
Question 7: Which term describes the intensification of a group's initial attitudes after group discussion?
- Groupthink
- Risky shift
- Group polarization (Correct answer)
- Social facilitation
Correct answer: Group polarization
Group polarization means that discussion tends to push the group toward a more extreme version of its pre-discussion average opinion.
Psychology Degree Social Influence and Behavior 2
In Milgram's obedience experiments, what factor most significantly reduced participants' willingness to deliver shocks?