Chapter 8 Social Influence Exam Questions

TB_Baron_Chapter 8

Key: Answer, Page, Type, Learning Objective, Level

Type

A=Applied

C=Conceptual

F=Factual

Level

(1)=Easy; (2)=Moderate; (3)=Difficult

LO=Learning Objective

SG=Used in Study Guide

p=page

TB_Baron_Chapter 8

Multiple Choice Single Select

M/C Question 1
Suppose you are taking a friend to a party. The invitation specified that the party would begin at 6:00. When you arrive at your friend’s apartment at 5:45 to pick her up, she tells you she won’t be ready to leave before about 6:30 and comments that “Nobody arrives on time, anyway.” Your friend is following a(n) ________.

1. explicit social norm
2. tendency toward conformity
3. symbolic social influence factor
4. implicit social norm

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 2
In Asch’s classic experiment, a standard-setting line was first presented to small groups of people, followed by the presentation of three comparison lines of different lengths. In one condition, three accomplices, posing as students, chose an incorrect answer before the subject could respond. Frequently, the subject would then also select an incorrect response. This result illustrates ________.

1. the effects of compliance
2. the low-ball technique
3. an informational social influence
4. the influence of group pressure to conform

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 3
In several variations on Asch’s classic experiment, a standard-setting line was first presented to small groups of people, followed by the presentation of three comparison lines of different lengths. In one condition, two of three accomplices, posing as students, chose an incorrect answer before the subject could respond. The third accomplice sometimes chose a correct response and sometimes chose a more incorrect response. Under these conditions, respondents were more likely to choose the correct response. These results suggest ________.

1. it becomes easier to resist conformity pressure once unanimity of the group is broken
2. group pressure to conform has only minimal effects on behavior
3. it is not possible to resist conformity pressure
4. group pressure to conform is uniform and universal

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 4
Erin has been living with her boyfriend for a year. During that time, Erin has heard her boyfriend and his family make many negative comments about Asians. When her boyfriend’s family is around, Erin also occasionally makes negative comments about Asians, even though she doesn’t believe these comments are based in facts. This situation best represents the distinction between ________ and ________.

1. private speech; public beliefs
2. private conformity; public acceptance
3. public conformity; private acceptance
4. public speech; private beliefs

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 5
Norman is in a group where he strongly believes that his judgment is correct, but he does not want to appear different. A possible way he may deal with this situation is to ________.

1. alter his perception of the information provided so that he can feel comfortable with conforming to the group influence
2. privately reject the information provided by the group but appear to be open to later arguments
3. argue his point of view, then pretend to allow the group to persuade him to their point of view
4. somehow convince the group that he should be perceived as an authority on the matter

Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 6
Three college friends went swimming in a local creek, ignoring both a No Trespassing sign and a No Swimming sign. These friends were violating ________.

1. informational social influences
2. descriptive norms
3. symbolic social influences
4. injunctive norms

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 7
Imagine that you are at the park with a friend one day when you and your friend see someone casually toss a sandwich wrapper on the ground. Your friend comments, “How crude! People should not litter,” and picks the trash up to drop it in a nearby trash receptacle. Your friend's words represent ________.

1. a descriptive norm
2. environmental awareness
3. symbolic social influence
4. an injunctive norm

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 8
Even though there is a sign that clearly says “Park closes after 9 P.M.,” Mary says to herself, “What a silly sign! I just want to walk around here; I'm not a ‘bad guy’” and proceeds to walk in the park. Mary’s behavior is ________ with normative focus theory since she ________.

1. consistent; has not been thinking about the injunctive norm in question
2. inconsistent; is disobeying an injunctive norm that she does not see as related to her own actions
3. consistent; is disobeying an injunctive norm that she does not see as related to her own actions
4. inconsistent; has not been thinking about the injunctive norm in question

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 9
Zosha and three of her friends have just watched a new movie. As they walk out of the movie, Zosha’s friends are talking about how much they enjoyed the movie and how good the actor’s portrayal was. If one of her friends then asks Zosha how she liked the movie, she is likely to say that ________.

1. she liked the acting but not the movie
2. she liked the movie but not the acting
3. the movie and the acting were terrible
4. she also enjoyed the movie

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 10
James, a 17-year-old high school student, has just moved to a new city and enrolled in a new school. At his old school, there were strong social norms against teenagers smoking cigarettes. At his new school, however, several of his new friends regularly smoke and say to him, “C’mon, don’t be a jerk, have one of mine.” As a result, James is likely to begin smoking because of the ________.

1. informational social influence
2. normative social influence
3. foot-in-the-door technique
4. normative focus influence

Difficulty=Hard

M/C Question 11
James and Wanda just bought a house, and moved into a new, upscale neighborhood. One of their friends, who lives down the street from them, has installed a hot tub in her rock garden and has pointed out all the advantages of having one. James and Wanda are debating whether to install a rock garden with a hot tub in their new home. Their decision may be strongly influenced by the ________ influence of their friend.

1. compliance
2. normative focus
3. the informational social
4. individuation

Difficulty=Hard

M/C Question 12
Jessie, Adam, Charles, and Paul were in the parking lot and saw a man as he fled from a convenience store after a robbery. When the police question the four friends, Paul answered first, saying that it was a black man who drove away in an older Pontiac car. Adam agreed with Paul fairly quickly. Jessie, who is not absolutely sure of the race of the suspect, is likely to ________ with Paul and Adam because of the effect of ________ social influence.

1. disagree; informational
2. disagree; normative
3. agree; informational
4. agree; normative

Difficulty=Hard

M/C Question 13
Martha tells her friend June, “Didn’t you hear that eating lots of garlic is good for you?” If June then changes her eating habits to include a lot of garlic, it would be due to ________.

1. peer pressure
2. normative social influence
3. individuation
4. informational social influence

Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 14
A practical implication of research on cultural differences in conformity is that there tends to be ________.

1. unpredictable differences between individualistic and collectivistic cultures
2. more conformity in countries with collectivistic cultures
3. more conformity in countries with individualistic cultures
4. less conformity in countries with collectivistic cultures

Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 15
Zimbardo’s prison experiment demonstrates that ________ can overpower ________, and people may conform to expected roles.

1. personality traits; situational norms
2. roles; injunctive norms
3. situations; personalities
4. informational norms; descriptive norms

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 16
Tina and Rachael are the only two members of a jury who are trying to convince the rest of the jury that the defendant is not guilty. Tina and Rachael offer very different explanations for why the jury should vote not guilty. Because of their differing explanations, they will be ________ to convince the majority to acquit the defendant than if both had a common explanation.

1. less likely
2. more likely
3. less likely, but only if the jury members won’t listen to their explanations
4. just as likely

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 17
All of the following individuals would likely be considered a “compliance professional” EXCEPT a(n) ________.

1. telephone operator
2. fundraiser
3. sales representative
4. advertiser

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 18
After seeing a commercial for sneakers supposedly designed by the basketball star Michael Jordan, Dave decides to rush out and buy a pair. Dave has been influenced as a result of the compliance principle of ________.

1. commitment/consistency
2. scarcity
3. friendship/liking
4. authority

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 19
One of the factors associated with compliance is social validation. This is because we ________.

1. want to be correct, and one way to do so is to emulate the behaviors of others whom we see as similar to ourselves in some way
2. are more willing to comply with requests from friends or from those we like than with requests from strangers or people we dislike
3. are more willing to comply with requests that call attention to scarcity than to those that do not
4. are more likely to comply with requests that come from those who hold a position of authority over us

Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 20
Ada had missed the notes for several classes and asked Rob for the notes for one day. Rob gave the notes to Ada, who copied them and then asked Rob for a week’s worth of notes. Because of the ________, Rob is highly likely to give Ada the notes.

1. foot-in-the-door technique
2. two stage compliance approach
3. lowball technique
4. door-in-the-face technique

Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 21
Jack has agreed to purchase a new car for $18,000. However, just before he gets ready to sign the contract, the salesman tells Jack that the sales manager will not approve the amount allowed for his trade-in, and that the contract will have to be higher, probably around $19,000. Jack has just been the victim of the ________.

1. lowball technique
2. door-in-the-face technique
3. that’s-not-all technique
4. foot-in-the-door technique

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 22
When an auto dealer offers you an extra option as a “closer” for a deal, the dealer is using ________.

1. ingratiation
2. the foot-in-the-door technique
3. the door-in-the-face technique
4. the that’s-not-all technique

Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 23
When confronted with the that’s–not-all technique, we should always remember that the person making the request ________.

1. correctly assumes that we will mindlessly approve of a cost reduction of any item—including a very expensive one
2. is trying to give us a “good” deal in order to help us out
3. ultimately just wants to gain compliance
4. is watching our reactions and will add a bonus only if he or she feels it will work

Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 24
Jenna saw in the paper that a department store was having a “One-Day Closeout of Winter Dresses” sale. If she goes to that sale and buys something, she will be a victim of the ________.

1. lowball procedure
2. foot-in-the-door technique
3. door-in-the-face technique
4. deadline technique

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 25
One way in which symbolic social influence may work is by allowing the psychological presence of others to trigger goals with which the other persons are associated. This may, in turn, influence our ________.

1. performance on tasks and our commitment to reaching these goals
2. effort to achieve particular goals and meet behavioral standards
3. liking for these persons and our willingness to exert effort on their behalf
4. cognitions about our behaviors and activate heuristic thinking

Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 26
Your best friend Natalie has recently warned you against giving anyone you don’t know well a ride home from a party. Recently, you attended a party and spent the whole night reminiscing with other friends about fun times you had all shared with Natalie. Later, a stranger approaches you and asks for a ride home; because your relational schema is activated, you will most likely

1. refuse to give the stranger a ride.
2. give the stranger a ride if the stranger looks friendly.
3. give the stranger a ride if the stranger looks like Natalie.
4. refuse to give the stranger a ride because the stranger looks nothing like Natalie.

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 27
One reason that people are willing to obey persons in authority who order them to engage in destructive behaviors is that ________.

1. total submission to the commands of authority figures is always an appropriate course of action
2. the authority figure may inadvertently stimulate heuristic mental processes that limit our ability to think about what we are doing
3. the authority figure relieves those who obey of responsibility for their actions
4. the authority figure represents a significant threat to those who do not obey

Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 28
One reason that people are willing to obey persons in authority who order them to engage in destructive behaviors is that ________.

1. the authority figure represents a significant threat to those who do not obey
2. authority figures may inadvertently stimulate heuristic mental processes that limit our ability to think about what we are doing
3. authority figures are selected on the basis of their superior knowledge and understanding in most situations
4. persons in authority often possess visible signs of their status that remind us of the social norm for obedience to authorities

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 29
A possible reason why authority figures can be so successful in getting obedience for horrific tasks is that they ________.

1. encourage systematic processing
2. encourage thoughtful consideration of their position
3. try to engage in the process of ingratiation
4. allow the obedient person to escalate their tasks very gradually

Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 30
One way to help people become more resistant to commands from authorities that may lead to destructive behaviors is toc

1. expose people to the positive effects of obedience to authorities
2. remind people that they—not the authorities—are responsible for any harm done
3. expose people to the negative consequences of disobedience to authorities
4. remind people that challenges to authority can sometimes be met with violence

Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 31
While watching a movie in a theater, Bill turns around to see a coworker of his, Ori, talking very loudly on his cell phone. Ori is receiving many dirty looks from people in the theater. Ori is violating ________.

1. a social norm
2. a law
3. cohesiveness
4. social influence

Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 32
Jenna is hoping to become a member of a very exclusive club. Many of her friends are already members, and Jenna would do anything to gain acceptance into such an exclusive group. One night, Jenna is hanging out with many of the women who are already members in the club, and they suggest going skinny-dipping in the town’s public pool. Usually, Jenna would never consider doing something of this nature, but, on this night, she agrees. Jenna’s agreement is likely due to ________.

1. the autokinetic phenomenon
2. cohesiveness
3. descriptive norms
4. reactance

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 33
On a backpacking trip, Carla lost her wallet, which contained all her cash and credit cards. She is waiting on a money transfer from her father, but it will take over two days. She already hasn’t eaten anything for a whole day, and she is considering stealing food from a supermarket and then paying the store back after she receives the money. Carla is having trouble bringing herself to steal the food, though, because not stealing food is a(n) ________ norm.

1. descriptive
2. conformity
3. injunctive
4. informational

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 34
Which of the following is a true of human behavior?

1. It is mostly determined by individual personality traits.
2. It is mostly determined by the situations in which people find themselves.
3. It is mostly determined by a person’s genetic makeup.
4. It is mostly determined by a person’s geographical location.

Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 35
Jimmy considers himself to be an atheist and does not pray. However, he is dating a girl, Eileen, whose family is religious. He has never met her family before and wants to make a good impression when he does. On Thanksgiving, he goes to Eileen’s family’s house to meet them for the first time. Before the meal is served, the family bows their heads to pray. Jimmy follows along and even says “Amen” at the need of the prayer. This change in Jimmy’s behavior is due to ________.

1. informational social influence
2. conformity pressure resistance
3. normative social influence
4. synchronous behavior influence

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 36
Among the following, who is a compliance professional?

1. A political fund-raiser
2. A social media editor
3. A software developer
4. An administrative assistant

Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 37
Two years ago, Ursula loaned Katie $300 even though the two women didn’t know each other very well. Now, Ursula has approached Katie to ask if Katie can loan her $200. Katie says yes. Katie’s compliance rests on the principle of ________.

1. social validation
2. authority
3. reciprocity
4. friendship

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 38
On Monday, a stranger approached Dani and asked her to give a donation to a local charity that supported new artists in town. While she supported the mission of the charity, she declined to give any money. Then, on Wednesday, another person approached Dani and asked her the same question. During the discussion, Dani found out that she and the person were from the same hometown in Iowa. Dani gave $100 to the charity. The cause of the difference in Dani’s behavior is likely due to the concept of ________.

1. ingratiation
2. incidental similarity
3. flattery
4. self-promotion

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 39
Pauline asked her neighbor, Tom, if he could watch her dog for a night because she had to go on an overnight business trip. Tom agreed. The next month, Pauline asked Tom if he could watch the dog for two nights, and Tom agreed. Then, 2 months later, Pauline asked Tom if he could watch the dog for a week, and Tom agreed. Pauline was successful with getting compliance from Tom on her requests due to the fact that she utilized the ________.

1. lowball procedure
2. door-in-the-face technique
3. that’s-not-all technique
4. foot-in-the-door technique

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 40
Which of the following compliance tactics is based on scarcity?

1. The deadline technique
2. The that’s-not-all technique
3. The door-in-the-face technique
4. The foot-in-the-door technique
   

Difficulty=Easy

M/C Question 41
Sam has been working in the same position without any promotion or salary increase for 2 years. He currently makes $45,000 per year, but he thinks that someone with his experience should make $50,000. During his annual appraisal, he approaches the topic with his boss. Sam asks for a $10,000 a year raise. His boss says that the current budget cannot support such an increase. Sam then asks for a $5,000 a year raise, and his boss agrees. Which technique did Sam use to attain compliance from his boss?

1. The foot-in-the-door technique
2. The deadline technique
3. The door-in-the-face technique
4. The that’s-not-all technique

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 42
Mrs. Taunton is a teacher at a middle school in New York City. One day, her students are acting very boisterously. Mrs. Taunton quickly raps a ruler on the desk and says, “Be quiet!” Which type of social influence caused the students’ behavior to change?

1. Conformity
2. Compliance
3. Obedience
4. Ingratiation

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 43
Many atrocities have been committed because of a gradual escalation in the scope of commands given from a person in authority. This factor is closely related to which compliance technique?

1. The door-in-the-face technique
2. The lowball technique
3. The that’s-not-all technique
4. The foot-in-the-door technique
   

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 44
Which of the following strategies has been shown to contribute to sharp reductions in destructive obedience?

1. Reminding individuals that they, rather than authorities, are responsible for any harm produced
2. Giving individuals a finite number of requests that they should agree to obey
3. Reminding individuals to slow down and consider their options before they obey a request
4. Providing individuals with history lessons that involve instances of destructive obedience

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 45
One of the key findings from Stanley Milgram’s studies was that pressures to obey are ________.

1. reduced as people become more sophisticated
2. easy to resist if they involve harming another person
3. difficult to resist even if they involve harming another person
4. not general in scope and vary widely among cultures

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 46
Marla and Tim are watching a documentary on television about the kidnapping of children. At one point during the documentary, during a scene in which a dramatization shows the reaction of a father when he learns of his daughter’s kidnapping, Marla looks over at Tim and notices that he is crying. Tim’s emotion is due to ________.

1. destructive obedience
2. social contagion
3. intentional social influence
4. synchronous behavior

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 47
Quentin has never liked his coworker, Ryan. One day, he notices that Ryan is called into the manager’s office, and he can overhear the manager chastising Ryan for his months of low sales numbers. Quentin takes pleasure in this fact. Quentin is experiencing ________.

1. social contagion
2. Schadenfreude
3. destructive obedience
4. synchronous behavior

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 48
Rachel attends a New Year’s Eve party with her friends. They are having fun at the party, dancing and drinking champagne. At one point during the party, a woman that Rachel doesn’t know asks her if she wants to go into another room and try some cocaine with her. Instinctively, Rachel’s first thought is “what would my mother think if she knew about this?” Rachel can’t bear the thought and declines. Her decision is due to ________.

1. destructive obedience
2. Schadenfreude
3. symbolic social influence
4. social contagion

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 49
Frank hires a handyman to install drywall in a room he’s renovating. Frank has always wanted to know how to do this himself, so he watches much of the work the handyman does and takes notes on the supplies needed and the procedures followed. The following year, Frank installs drywall in another room by himself. Frank was able to do this due to ________.

1. social contagion
2. symbolic social influence
3. modeling
4. Schadenfreude
   

Difficulty=Medium

M/C Question 50
Which of the following is a form of unintentional social influence?

1. Conformity
2. Compliance
3. Obedience
4. Modeling

Difficulty=Easy

Essay

Essay Question 51
Describe three factors affecting conformity

Difficulty=Medium

Essay Question 52
Describe the two basic motives that cause people to conform and the two kinds of social influence those motives give rise to.

Difficulty=Medium

Essay Question 53
Sexual motives may impact when men and women choose to conform and to engage in nonconformity. Please explain these motives and the findings that support this reasoning.

Difficulty=Hard

Essay Question 54
Under what conditions and how can a minority influence the majority?

Difficulty=Medium

Essay Question 55
What is symbolic social influence? Describe the classic study done to examine such influence. Name and describe the process by which symbolic social influence may take place. Explain the study in which people were asked to think about a friend or a coworker. What happened relevant to symbolic social influence?

Difficulty=Hard

Essay Question 56
Define “cohesiveness” and explain its relationship to the tendency to conform.

Difficulty=Medium

Essay Question 57
Compare and contrast the foot-in-the-door technique and the door-in-the-face technique and provide an example of each.

Difficulty=Medium

Essay Question 58
Which tactic for gaining compliance is based on scarcity? What is this technique called, what does it involve, and what is an example?

Difficulty=Medium

Essay Question 59
What are the four factors that combine to make it all too easy to obey orders from people in authority, even if these commands involve harming others and violating one’s own ethical or moral standards?

Difficulty=Hard

Essay Question 60
What is the difference between social contagion and schadenfreude and what is an example of each?

Difficulty=Medium