Chapter 6

Student: ___________________________________________________________________________ 1. A change in behavior or belief to accord with others is called A. obedience. B. acceptance. C. conformity. D. compliance.

2. Even though you really dislike wearing a dress, you decide to wear one to your cousin's wedding. This is an example of A. obedience. B. acceptance. C. conformity. D. compliance.

3. In Western individualistic societies, the word "conformity" carries A. a positive value judgment. B. a negative value judgment. C. a neutral value judgment. D. both positive and negative value judgments.

4. Conformity that involves publicly acting in accord with an implied or explicit request, while privately disagreeing is called A. obedience. B. acceptance. C. conformity. D. compliance.

5. When our behavior is a result of our boss telling us to do something, it is a form of A. obedience. B. acceptance. C. conformity. D. compliance.

6. If you clean your room only because your parents order you to, your behavior is a form of A. obedience. B. acceptance. C. conformity. D. compliance.

7. Acting in accord with a direct order is called A. obedience. B. acceptance. C. conformity. D. compliance.

8. After hearing a great deal about the benefits of soy products from your friends, you decide to drink soy milk instead of cow's milk. Your behavior is an example of A. obedience. B. acceptance. C. conformity. D. compliance.

9. Conformity that involves both acting and believing in accord with social pressure is called A. obedience. B. acceptance. C. conformity. D. compliance.

10. _______ sometimes follows compliance. A. Obedience B. Acceptance C. Conformity D. Reactance

11. After hearing so much about the dangers of smoking cigarettes from the media and seeing numbers of people quit the habit, Jacob finally realizes that smoking is dangerous and therefore he quits. His behavior is an example of A. obedience. B. acceptance. C. conformity. D. compliance.

12. A classmate across the room yawns and then several other students yawn, this is an example of A. informational influence. B. psychological reactance. C. group cohesion. D. social contagion.

13. In his classic study of _______, Sherif had participants in groups call out estimates of the distance a small point of light appeared to move in a dark room. A. obedience B. group cohesiveness C. norm formation D. psychological reactance

14. Studies involving _______ most clearly demonstrate how social influence can take the form of acceptance. A. the judgments of the length of lines B. the judgments of the autokinetic phenomenon C. the shocking of innocent victims D. personality factors

15. Milgram's studies explored _______; Asch's studies explored _______. A. obedience; conformity B. conformity; norm formation C. obedience; norm formation D. conformity; obedience

16. Several restaurant managers complied with orders from a telephone caller, posing as a police officer, to strip search a customer or employee. This is an example of the power of _______ on compliance. A. group influence B. personality factors C. the closeness of the authority D. the legitimacy of authority

17. The copycat suicide phenomenon is most likely to occur A. in older adults. B. two to three months later. C. in places where the suicide story is publicized. D. during the winter.

18. A year after his original study, Sherif's participants were retested alone and gave answers that supported the original group's norm. This suggests that the process involved was really A. reactance. B. compliance. C. obedience. D. acceptance.

19. In the spring of 1954, Seattle residents were alarmed by widespread reports of damage by a mysterious windshield-pitting agent. According to the text, the true cause of public concern was most likely A. fallout from recent Pacific testing of the H-bomb. B. mass suggestibility. C. psychological reactance. D. the autokinetic phenomenon.

20. Chartrand and Bargh (1999) found that participants in an experiment who worked alongside another person who occasionally rubbed her face were unwittingly more likely to rub their face. They called this A. the chameleon effect. B. mood linkage. C. compliance. D. automatic processing.

21. The spread of bodily complaints within a school or workplace with no organic basis for the symptoms is called A. mass influence. B. social influence. C. mass delusion. D. mass hysteria.

22. Sherif is to the study of _______ as Asch is to the study of _______. A. conformity; compliance B. compliance; conformity C. norm formation; obedience D. norm formation; conformity

23. How did Asch's studies of conformity differ from those of Sherif? A. Asch's participants faced a more ambiguous task. B. Sherif's participants were dealing with facts rather than opinions. C. Asch's participants could clearly see the correct judgment. D. Sherif's participants were in the physical presence of the pressuring group while Asch's participants were not.

24. While control participants were correct about line-length judgments more than 99% of the time in Asch's conformity study, his naive participants conformed to the incorrect judgments of others ___ % of the time. A. 12 B. 37 C. 65 D. 87

25. According to the text, Asch's experiments lacked _______ but did possess _______. A. experimental realism; mundane realism B. mundane realism; experimental realism C. validity; reliability D. reliability; validity

26. Asch's conformity experiments showed that most people A. go along with others' decisions. B. conform even when wrong. C. tell the truth even when others do not. D. become confused when confronted.

27. The results of both the Sherif and Asch studies are startling because their studies did not employ any A. judgments about ambiguous stimuli. B. groups larger than four persons. C. experimental realism. D. open, obvious pressure to conform.

28. The most famous and controversial experiments in social psychology were conducted by A. Sherif. B. Milgram. C. Asch. D. Watson.

29. The experimenter in Milgram's study used all EXCEPT which of the following verbal prods to encourage participants to continue? A. "It is absolutely essential that you continue." B. "You will be penalized if you refuse to go on." C. "You have no other choice, you must go on." D. "The experiment requires that you continue."

30. When participants in Milgram's experiments wanted to quit, they were given A. shocks to keep them going. B. money as an incentive to keep going. C. up to four verbal prods to keep them going. D. a reward for being one of the few to disobey.

31. When Milgram asked 100 psychiatrists, college students, and middle-class adults to predict the results of his experiment, the respondents said that they thought _______ would _______. A. they themselves; never begin to administer the shocks B. they themselves; disobey by about 135 volts C. other people; disobey by about 210 volts D. other people; would go all the way to 450 volts

32. When Milgram conducted his first series of experiments with a sample of 20- to 50-year-old men, he found that over 60 percent of them A. refused to deliver shocks beyond 150 volts. B. refused to deliver shocks past the 300-volt level. C. went clear to 450 volts. D. asked to be released from the experiment by 135 volts.

33. In follow-up experiments to his initial study, Milgram made the learner's protests more compelling by having him complain of a heart condition, then scream and plead for release, and finally refuse to answer. With this added condition, A. the majority of participants still fully obeyed the experimenter's demands. B. teachers were more reluctant to deliver initial shocks. C. learners became more real and personal to the teacher. D. fewer participants went to 450 volts.

34. A psychiatrist who interviewed 40 of Milgram's participants a year after their participation concluded that A. none had been harmed. B. many were suspicious of all authorities. C. a minority of them had lowered self-esteem. D. most regretted having served in Milgram's study.

35. In light of the Milgram studies, which of the following is NOT one of the factors that determined obedience? A. the victim's emotional distance B. the victim's physical distance C. the authority's closeness and legitimacy D. whether or not the authority was institutionalized

36. In a variation of the Milgram study, the learner was in the same room as the teacher. Under these conditions, ___ % obeyed to 450 volts. A. 100 B. 80 C. 40 D. 20

37. In a variation of the Milgram study, teachers were required to force the learner's hand into contact with a shock plate. Under these conditions, ___ % obeyed. A. 100 B. 70 C. 30 D. 15

38. Consistent with what is known about depersonalization, Lydon and Dunkel-Schetter (1994) found that expectant women expressed more _______ to their pregnancies after seeing an ultrasound photo of the fetus. A. apathy B. resentment C. commitment D. hostility

39. In Milgram's research, when the experimenter gave the commands by telephone instead of in person, full obedience A. dropped to zero. B. dropped to 21 percent. C. dropped to 50 percent. D. increased to 73 percent.

40. In one variation of his original experiment, Milgram arranged for a confederate "clerk" (posing as a fellow participant) to assume command in the experimenter's absence. As a result of this manipulation, A. most teachers agreed to comply with the orders of their fellow group member. B. the teachers competed with him and with each other for the role of leader. C. participants became more positive about their roles in this cohesive group, and some even became enthusiastic. D. 80% of the teachers refused to comply fully.

41. In a study by Hofling and his colleagues (1966), 22 hospital nurses were telephoned by an unknown physician and ordered to administer an obvious drug overdose. Results showed that A. most would not act on the order unless the caller named a familiar physician as a reference. B. most nurses refused to comply unless given the order in writing. C. less experienced nurses complied but more experienced ones challenged the order. D. all but one proceeded to comply without delay.

42. When Milgram's experimental series was reenacted in Bridgeport, Connecticut, far from the prestige and authority of Yale University, the proportion of participants who fully complied with orders to shock the learner _______ compared to the Yale rate. A. remained unchanged B. decreased C. increased slightly D. increased significantly

43. A fad such as tattoos are an example of A. norm formation. B. conformity. C. obedience. D. reactance.

44. Interpreting events differently after hearing from others is what social psychologists call A. norm formation. B. conformity. C. obedience. D. reactance..

45. Doing as others do is what social psychologists call A. norm formation. B. conformity. C. obedience. D. reactance.

46. _______ occurs when soldiers or employees follow questionable orders, such as when nurses willingly follow a physician's order to give a patient a dangerously high dosage of medication. A. Norm formation B. Conformity C. Obedience D. Acceptance

47. You decide to pierce your tongue after all your friends have. This is an example of A. norm formation. B. conformity. C. obedience. D. reactance.

48. Although you did not like it when you first saw it alone, you go to the same movie with a friend for a second time. After she raves about it, you decide that it wasn't so bad after all. Your interpreting events differently after hearing your friend's opinion is called A. norm formation. B. conformity. C. obedience. D. reactance.

49. As an example of the liberating effects of group influence, ___ % of the participants in a variation of Milgram's study conformed to the confederate's behavior when the confederates defied the experimenter. A. 90 B. 45 C. 20 D. 10

50. During the 1970s, the military junta in power in Greece initially selected candidates for officers based on their submission to authority. The candidates were first asked to guard prisoners, then to observe torture, and then to eventually practice torture. This process demonstrates how _______ can breed _______. A. obedience; conformity B. conformity; obedience C. compliance; acceptance D. acceptance; compliance

51. Normative influence leads to compliance, especially for those A. in ambiguous situations. B. who are comfortable in their roles. C. who are seeking to climb a status ladder. D. who are in positions of authority.

52. A concern for _______ produces normative influence, while a concern for _______ produces informational influence. A. social image; being correct. B. being correct; social image C. being correct; gaining status D. social roles; authority figures

53. If we were to conclude that Milgram's obedient participants were particularly hostile and aggressive people, we would be A. making a correct inference. B. committing the fundamental attribution error. C. ignoring the power of behavior to shape attitudes. D. ignoring the strength of positive internal dispositions.

54. Research on group size and conformity has shown that A. as group size increases, conformity decreases. B. as group size increases, conformity increases. C. group size influences conformity in teenagers but not in adults. D. the conformity of females is more significantly influenced by group size than is the conformity of males.

55. According to conformity research, a group's social power is deflated when it loses its A. agenda. B. anonymity. C. unanimity. D. heterogeneity.

56. The extent to which members of a group are bound together, such as by attraction for one another, is called A. conformity. B. cohesion. C. compliance. D. unanimity.

57. The relationship between the degree to which a group is cohesive and the degree to which the group has power over its members is a _______ one. A. positive B. negative C. neutral D. curvilinear

58. Group members who feel attracted to the group are more responsive to its influence. This fact illustrates the impact of _______ on conformity. A. unanimity B. status C. cohesiveness D. co-morbidity

59. Mullen and her colleagues (1990) found that the average baseline jaywalking rate _______ in the presence of a non-jaywalking confederate. A. increases B. decreases C. stays the same D. increases, then gradually decreases

60. Mullen and her colleagues (1990) found that the average baseline jaywalking rate decreases in the presence of a non-jaywalking confederate, especially if the non-jaywalker is well dressed. This is an example of the power of _______ on conformity. A. unanimity B. status C. cohesiveness D. co-morbidity

61. In experiments, people have been found to conform more when they must _______ than when they must _______. A. respond publicly; write down their responses in private B. commit themselves in writing; announce their responses in public C. think before acting; react spontaneously D. explain their responses; keep silent

62. After President Bush announced his position regarding a possible war with Iraq, he was unlikely to change his mind. This most likely reflects the A. we-they polarity between the political parties. B. fact that public commitment reduces susceptibility to social influence. C. fact that the high status of the office elicits a need for uniqueness. D. fact that higher-status people are more susceptible to psychological reactance.

63. In calling sports decisions, umpires and referees rarely change their decisions as a result of a player's objection. This may be an example of how A. status produces psychological reactance. B. a we-they feeling has evolved between professional sports players and officials. C. the umpire or referee seeks to maintain emotional distance from players. D. public commitment reduces susceptibility to social influence.

64. Bearman and Brueckner (2001) found that teens who made a public virginity-until-marriage pledge became _______ likely to remain sexually abstinent than similar teens who do not make the pledge. A. somewhat less B. somewhat more C. extremely less D. extremely more

65. Bearman and Brueckner (2001) found that teens who made a public virginity-until-marriage pledge became somewhat more likely to remain sexually abstinent than similar teens who do not make the pledge. This is an example of how A. status produces psychological reactance. B. a we-they feeling has evolved between professional sports players and officials. C. the teen seeks to maintain emotional distance from would-be sexual partners. D. public commitment reduces susceptibility to social influence.

66. Conformity based on a person's desire to fulfill others' expectations, often to gain their acceptance, is called A. compliance. B. acceptance. C. normative influence. D. informational influence.

67. Conformity that occurs when people accept evidence about reality that is provided by other people is called A. compliance. B. acceptance. C. normative influence. D. informational influence.

68. When we go along with the crowd and act counter to our own beliefs and values, we are conforming because of A. compliance. B. acceptance. C. normative influence. D. informational influence.

69. Although he made a promise to himself to not take illegal drugs, Tom gave into peer pressure at a party to smoke marijuana because he did not want to be rejected by the others. Tom's conformity is a result of A. compliance. B. acceptance. C. normative influence. D. informational influence.

70. Conformity is greater when people respond publicly before a group. This pattern reflects A. compliance. B. acceptance. C. normative influence. D. informational influence.

71. Conformity is greater when people feel incompetent. This pattern reflects A. compliance. B. acceptance. C. normative influence. D. informational influence.

72. Which of the following is NOT an example of informational influence? A. when participants feel incompetent B. when the task is difficult C. when subjects are bilingual D. when people care about being right

73. According to the text, personality predicts behavior when social influences are A. obvious. B. covert. C. strong. D. weak.

74. The degree to which personality predicts our behavior is _______ related to the degree to which social influences predict our behavior. A. positively B. negatively C. somewhat D. not at all

75. Researchers have explored several areas in search of the factors affecting conformity. Which of the following is one of those areas? A. religion B. personality C. sexual orientation D. race

76. When the influence of the situation is _______, the consequent behavior is more likely to be a result of _______. A. weak; individual personalities B. weak; external circumstances C. strong; internal forces D. strong; dispositions

77. Which of the following statements about cross-cultural research on conformity is true? A. Findings using the Asch procedure have found similar conformity rates in most countries, except among the Bantu of Zimbabwe, a tribe with strong sanctions against nonconformity. B. When Milgram compared the conformity of French and Norwegian students, the French consistently conformed more. C. Recent conformity studies in Britain, Canada, and the United States have indicated much more conformity than was observed two or three decades ago. D. Conformity rates vary widely among European countries.

78. Which of the following statements is TRUE of conformity and obedience? A. They are primarily collectivistic phenomena. B. They are primarily individualistic phenomena. C. They are universal phenomena that vary by culture. D. They are universal phenomena that are uninfluenced by culture.

79. Compared to people in individualistic countries, those in collectivist countries are A. more likely to express psychological reactance. B. more responsive to others' influence. C. more susceptible to the fundamental attribution error. D. more likely to be independent.

80. Compared to Euro-American cultures, Asian cultures are more likely to teach their children A. independence. B. collectivism. C. to follow their own conscience. D. to respect another's privacy.

81. A social role is A. a cluster of norms. B. separate from culture. C. a weak influence on conformity. D. a role that feels awkward.

82. When Regina returned to the U.S. after two years in Madagascar, she felt uncomfortable and out of place. She was experiencing A. normative social influence. B. reentry distress. C. psychological reactance. D. anti-conformity.

83. High school students Aisha and Jared have been dating each other casually. When Aisha parents tell her to stop seeing Jared and ask her to go out with "nicer boys," Aisha announces that she and Jared are actually "in love" and have decided to go steady. Aisha's behavior most likely illustrates the effects of A. the false uniqueness effect. B. the fundamental attribution error. C. the self-serving bias. D. psychological reactance.

84. Knowing that someone is trying to coerce you may prompt you to do the opposite of that person's wishes. This response is predicted by A. the reactance theory. B. the theory of normative social influence. C. Milgram's theory of obedience. D. the social norms theory.

85. The high rate of underage drinking may be related to A. social roles. B. psychological reactance. C. a drive for uniqueness. D. informational influences.

86. The names we choose for our children often express our A. social roles. B. desire for uniqueness. C. self concept. D. reaction formation.

87. Ahmed generally likes to go home to visit his family during vacation. However, after his father tells him that he must be home during spring vacation, Ahmed decides to remain at college. Ahmed's behavior is best understood in terms of A. reaction formation. B. regression. C. psychological reactance. D. self-serving bias.

88. Research in both the United States and Canada revealed that the percentage of those who reported having been drunk in the last year was _______ for those over the legal drinking age than for those under the legal drinking age. A. slightly higher B. lower C. the same D. significantly higher

89. Research in both the United States and Canada revealed that the percentage of those who reported having been drunk in the last year was lower for those over the legal drinking age than for those under the legal drinking age. This exemplifies which of the following concepts? A. reaction formation B. regression C. psychological reactance D. the self-serving bias

90. A lone black female lawyer in a group of black and white male lawyers will be most conscious of being A. black. B. female. C. a lawyer. D. in a group.

91. The motive to protect or restore one's sense of freedom is known as A. rebellion. B. disobedience. C. resistance. D. reactance.

92. The psychological reactance theory may help explain why A. drinking on campus is heavier for underage drinkers than for legal-age drinkers. B. a toddler, ignoring a toy, protests and demands the toy back when a playmate begins to play with it. C. the demand for and value placed on an object is greater when the object is perceived to be rare or hard to get. D. All of the choices are correct.

93. In a study by Snyder (1980), students who were told that their personal attitudes were nearly identical to those of 10,000 other students _______ when they participated in a conformity experiment. A. were judged most attractive by their fellow participants B. were more willing to obey the experimenter's request to make a public commitment to a popular cause C. took on additional attitudes as well as the mannerisms of the majority D. asserted their individuality by being nonconformist

94. A study conducted by Snyder and Fromkin (1980) revealed that people feel better when they see themselves as A. very unique. B. moderately unique. C. not at all unique. D. collectivistic.

95. When William McGuire and his Yale University colleagues invited children to "tell us about yourself," they found that the children were most likely to mention their A. gender. B. nationality. C. distinctive attributes. D. most common personal characteristics.

96. Rivalry between groups is often most intense when the groups A. closely resemble each other. B. share a common goal. C. are very different. D. are of different ethnic groups.

97. According to Myers, an unchallenged assumption in individualistic Western nations is that _______ is good and _______ is bad. A. uniqueness; similarity B. similarity; uniqueness C. individualism; conformity D. conformity; individualism Critical Thinking Questions
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Describe what was done and what was found in Aschs (1955) study. Discuss the ethics of Milgrams study. Describe three of the variations done on Milgrams original obedience experiment. Be sure to discuss how the results varied as a function of these changes. Briefly summarize the studies by Sherif, Asch, and Milgram by listing the topic and method of each. Be sure to also provide a real life example of each study. What did Bierbrauer (1979) find when examining the role of the fundamental attribution error in a repeat of Milgrams experiment? Group size, unanimity, cohesion, status, public response and no prior commitment are all factors that influence peoples conformity. Explain each. Define and provide examples of both normative influence and informational influence. John wants to go out with Sue, but Sue is playing hard-to-get. John is all the more intrigued and motivated to get a date with Sue. Explain this scenario in terms of the reactance theory. Conformity is neither all bad or all good. Do you agree? Why or why not?

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