Week 12: Group Processes

Question 1

A ___ refers to three or more people who interact and are interdependent in the sense that their needs and goals cause them to influence each other.

Answer 1

group

Question 2

The need for groups may be due to our ___ past, there was a substantial survival advantage to establishing bonds with other people. People who bonded together were better able to hunt for and grow food, find mates, and care for children.

Answer 2

evolutionary

Question 3

___ ___ are shared expectations in a group about how particular people are supposed to behave. For example, a manager is expected to manage their employees. A police officer is expected to uphold the law.

Answer 3

Social roles

Question 4

A group in your dorm encourages alcoholic beverages at parties, whereas a group in your recreational board games club prohibits alcoholic beverages during get-togethers. This is an example of

a) society norm
b) social norm
c) individual norm
d) display norm

Answer 4

b) social norm

Question 5

___ ___ are the qualities of a group that bind members together and promote liking between them.

Answer 5

Group cohesiveness

Question 6

The Stanford prison experiment is an example of student guards getting too into their ___ ___, acting in cruel ways to harass and humiliate the student prisoners.

a) social norms
b) conformity roles
c) social roles
d) obedience roles

Answer 6

c) social roles

Question 7

You have two groups of friends, one group is a tight-knit and committed bunch, whereas the other does not care much for each other. Which of the following is most likely?

a) You are more likely to stay with the tight-knit and committed group as you mutually like each other
b) You are more likely to stay with the group that does not care much for each other as it takes lesser effort to commit to the group
c) You are equally likely to stay in either group, whether you are close or not does not affect the likelihood of leaving
d) It is unknown whether you would stay in either group, as they are many factors then can cause us to leave certain groups

Answer 7

a) You are more likely to stay with the tight-knit and committed group as you mutually like each other

Question 8

Group cohesiveness can cause a group to perform well if it requires close cooperation between group members. However, cohesiveness can get in the way of optimal performance if

a) there is one dissenter among the group causing cohesiveness to collapse
b) maintaining good relations among group members becomes more important
c) one blindly follows the leader of the group without any reason
d) the group is inexperienced or new

Answer 8

b) maintaining good relations among group members becomes more important

Question 9

Group diversity can

a) cause more friction inside the group, leading to decreased performance
b) lead to an increased likelihood that the group will disband
c) cause the group to perform at its optimal level
d) cause a relatively negligible effect on group performance

Answer 9

c) cause the group to perform at its optimal level

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of a group?

a. Four people standing in a queue at a Starbucks store to order a coffee.
b. A three-person work team collaborating on an academic project.
c. Seven commuters waiting together silently at a subway station.
d. Four people sitting at individual tables waiting their food orders to arrive.

Answer 10

b. A three-person work team collaborating on an academic project.

Question 11

Which of the following is a common reason for people to join
groups?

a. To increase the chances of receiving help from their classmates.
b. To stop feeling lonely.
c. To get a sense of social identity.
d. All of the above.

Answer 11

d. All of the above.

Question 12

Group cohesiveness is particularly important for a group when

a. the group has formed for primarily social reasons.
b. the group’s primary objective is problem solving.
c. the group is diverse in terms of gender but not when it is diverse in terms of race.
d. financial decision making is involved.

Answer 12

b. the group’s primary objective is problem solving.

Question 13

From an evolutionary perspective, groups

a. are more productive when they have two or three members as opposed to when they are larger.
b. help fulfil a basic human need to affiliate and belong with others.
c. often lead to immoral behaviour, such as that observed among abusive prison guards.
d. are better able than individuals to avoid the influence of social norms.

Answer 13

b. help fulfil a basic human need to affiliate and belong with others.

Question 14

Richard needs a team of highly goal-oriented individuals for a short-term project. The members would be required to work closely with each other and solve issues relating to a new product being launched by the company. Can cohesiveness between the team members interfere in the optimal
performance of the team?

a. No, a group is formed mainly for social reasons and cohesiveness is an essential element of any group.
b. Yes, if maintaining good relations between group members becomes more important than finding solutions to problems.
c. Yes, a good team is one that remains focused on routine tasks rather than being cohesive.
d. No, a group that is high on cohesiveness ensures effective decisions by its members.

Answer 14

b. Yes, if maintaining good relations between group members becomes more important than finding solutions to problems.

Question 15

___ ___ is when people are in the presence of others and their individual performance can be evaluated, there is a tendency to perform better on simple tasks and worse on complex tasks.

Answer 15

Social facilitation

Question 16

Jin Wei is a 9-year-old boy performing a task of easy mathematical problems such as “1+1” and “2x3”. His sister, Miso, is observing him doing the equations.
Jin Wei is expected to

a) perform worse as he feels stressed from his sister observing him
b) perform as expected because the fact that his sister is observing him does not affect him at all
c) perform better as the task is easy and he would feel more energised by his sister
d) not perform at all as he does not like his sister very much

Answer 16

c) perform better as the task is easy and he would feel more energised by his sister

Question 17

___ ___ is the concern one feels when they about being judged. It can cause one person to feel physiologically aroused.

Answer 17

Evaluation apprehension

Question 18

___ ___ is when people are in the presence of others and their individual performance cannot be evaluated, there is a tendency for the person to perform worse on simple or unimportant tasks, but better on complex or important tasks.

Answer 18

Social loafing

Question 19

John is a group project with 4 other several members. The group would be graded as a whole and the tasks of the project are quite simple. Which of the following behaviour is the most likely?

a) John would put in extra effort as the task is simple and he wants everyone to get a good grade
b) John would take it a little bit easy and not work as hard as there is no individual evaluation
c) John would put in the same amount of effort as if the project was graded individually
d) John would put in the least amount of effort as the task is simple and the group is graded as a whole

Answer 19

b) John would take it a little bit easy and not work as hard as there is no individual evaluation

Question 20

___ ___ is the tendency to focus on and care about personal relationships with other individuals.

Answer 20

Relational interdependence

Question 21

Research has found that the tendency to loaf is ___ in Western cultures than in Asian cultures, this may be due to the different self-definitions prevalent in these cultures.

a) stronger
b) weaker

Answer 21

a) stronger

Question 22

___ is the loosening of normal constraints on behaviour when individuals cannot be identified (such as when they are in a crowd).

Answer 22

Deindividuation

Question 23

___ ___ describes a situation where individuals within a group lose their individual judgement and act based on the collective behaviour of the crowd, often leading to actions they might not take alone.

Answer 23

Mob mentality

Question 24

Deindividuation can make people feel ___ accountable for their actions, as they are less likely to be singled out and blamed for their behaviour from the group/crowd.

Answer 24

less

Question 25

When group members are together and deindividuated, they become __ likely to act according to the group norms than societal norms.

Answer 25

more

Question 26

The concept of social facilitation is so named because of the idea that when the presence of others is arousing, a. this arousal facilitates better task performance. b. this arousal facilitates a well-learned, dominant response. c. hard tasks are facilitated, but easy tasks are impeded. d. deindividuation is facilitated.

Answer 26

b. this arousal facilitates a well-learned, dominant response.

Question 27

Which of the following is not an explanation for why the presence of other people can be arousing? a. The presence of other people is distracting and causes conflict, as individuals have to decide what they should pay attention to. b. When other people are around, an individual has to be on alert in anticipation of what might happen next. c. When other people are around, individuals become more concerned about how they are being evaluated. d. Having other people around makes an individual feel less accountable for his or her own actions.

Answer 27

d. Having other people around makes an individual feel less accountable for his or her own actions.

Question 28

Based on the models of social facilitation and social loafing, which of the following strategies should lead to a better performance in an examination? a. Studying unfamiliar materials alone. b. Studying unfamiliar materials with your classmates. c. Reviewing your studied materials alone. d. Doing a practice test alone.

Answer 28

c. Reviewing your studied materials alone.

Question 29

Women are less likely to engage in social loafing compared to men because they tend to a. be lower in relational interdependence. b. have no relational interdependence. c. be higher in relational interdependence. d. know that people will notice them.

Answer 29

c. be higher in relational interdependence.

Question 30

Jessica is a researcher who is interested in studying the impact of deindividuation on helping behaviour. She performs a lab experiment where some of the participants are asked to enter a room with some other participants, while others entered the room alone. Furthermore, one half of all these participants were asked for their names, while the other half were not. After the study is complete, the participants were asked if they could spare five more minutes to help another researcher with a short survey. Based on the effects of deindividuation, which you learned in this section, in what conditions would you expect the participants to be least likely to help? a. When they entered the lab alone and were asked for their names. b. When they entered the lab alone and were not asked for their names. c. When they entered the lab with others and were asked for their names. d. When they entered the lab with others and were not asked for their names.

Answer 30

c. When they entered the lab with others and were asked for their names.

Question 31

___ ___ is any aspect of group interaction that inhibits good problem solving.

Answer 31

Process loss

Question 32

Which of the following reasons are possible as to why process loss occurs? 1) Groups do not try hard enough to identify competent members 2) Groups are reluctant to challenge competent members 3) Groups allow one person to dominate the discussion while others tune out 4) Groups are reluctant to change 5) Groups are reluctant to disagree with everyone else 6) Group assumes something is known to everyone when it is not a) 1, 2, 4, and 5 only b) 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 only c) 1, 3, 5 and 6 only d) 1, 2, 4 and 5 only e) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6

Answer 32

e) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6

Question 33

___ ___ is the combined memory of a group that is more efficient than the memory of the individual members.

Answer 33

Transactive memory

Question 34

You are in a scenario where you have to vote for a particular candidate to be president of the club. You have information that the president is a volunteer at an animal centre, but you are unsure whether the information is shared around in the group. You are more likely to share this unique information if: a) the discussion is short and succinct, so important information is discussed immediately b) the discussion if longer as it would get beyond the shared information in the group c) there is a silent moment in the discussion, leaving opportunity to bring out the information d) the discussion is about to end, urging you to bring up the information

Answer 34

b) the discussion if longer as it would get beyond the shared information in the group

Question 35

____ is a decision process in which maintaining group cohesiveness and solidarity is more important than considering the facts in a realistic manner.

Answer 35

Groupthink

Question 36

In which scenario is groupthink most likely to occur? a) When the group is mildly cohesive and there is no appointed leader b) When the group is not cohesive, and ruled by a directive leader c) When the group is highly cohesive and ruled by a directive leader d) When the group is mildly cohesive, and there is an appointed directive leader

Answer 36

c) When the group is highly cohesive and ruled by a directive leader

Question 37

Groupthink is more likely to occur when the group is ___. a) isolated from contrary opinions b) inclusive of contrary opinions c) welcoming of contrary opinions d) indifferent of contrary opinions

Answer 37

a) isolated from contrary opinions

Question 38

Research has demonstrated that groups and their leaders can take several steps to make groupthink less likely. Which of these steps are correct? 1) Remain impartial, the leader should not take a directive role but remain impartial 2) Seek outside opinions, the group should invite opinions from outgroup members 3) Create subgroups, the leader can divide the group into subgroups that first meet separately and then meet together 4) Seek anonymous opinions, secret ballots or anonymous decisions ensures that people give true opinions, uncensored by a fear of recrimination from the group 5) Appoint an opposition, someone who, given a certain argument, takes a position they do not necessarily agree with for the sake of debate. a) All are correct b) 1, 2, and 5 only c) 2, 3 ,4 and 5 only d) 1, 3, and 4 only

Answer 38

a) All are correct

Question 39

___ ___ is the tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclinations of their members.

Answer 39

Group polarisation

Question 40

In the ___ ___ interpretation of group polarisation, all individuals bring to the group a set of arguments supporting their initial recommendations.

Answer 40

persuasive argument

Question 41

In the ___ ___ interpretation of group polarisation, people often want to look useful in discussions. To do so, many people would take a position that is similar to everyone else’s – but a little more extreme. This snowballs into a chain reaction, in which an initial position is supported by group members in an incremental manner.

Answer 41

social comparison

Question 42

___ ___ ___ is the idea that certain key personality traits make a person a good leader, regardless of the situation.

Answer 42

Great person theory

Question 43

___ leaders are leaders who set clear, short-term goals and reward people who meet them.

Answer 43

Transactional

Question 44

___ leaders are leaders who inspire followers to focus on common, long-term goals.

Answer 44

Transformational

Question 45

The ___ ___ of leadership is the idea that the effectiveness of a leader depends both on how task- or relationship-oriented the leader is, and on the amount of control the leader has over the group.

Answer 45

contingency theory

Question 46

___-___ leaders are leaders who are concerned more with getting the job done than with workers' feelings and relationships.

Answer 46

Task-oriented

Question 47

___-___ leaders are leaders who are more concerned with workers' feelings and relationships.

Answer 47

Relationship-oriented

Question 48

In which situations are task-oriented leaders believed to do well in? a) Only low-control work situations b) Only high-control work situations c) Only moderate-control work situations d) Both low- and high-control work situations

Answer 48

d) Both low- and high-control work situations

Question 49

In which situations are relationship-oriented leaders believed to do well in? a) Only low-control work situations b) Only high-control work situations c) Only moderate-control work situations d) Both low- and high-control work situations

Answer 49

c) Only moderate-control work situations

Question 50

Which of the following is not an example of process loss? a. Transactive memory b. Group polarization c. Failure to share uniquely held information d. Groupthink

Answer 50

a. Transactive memory

Question 51

One step that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of groupthink is a. putting in place a strong, directive group leader. b. taking group votes aloud rather than relying on secret ballot or other anonymous methods. c. creating subgroups that meet on their own first before reconvening and sharing the content of their discussions with the group at large. d. emphasizing the importance of being unanimous.

Answer 51

c. creating subgroups that meet on their own first before reconvening and sharing the content of their discussions with the group at large.

Question 52

Which of the following statements explain why group polarization occurs? a. If the decision represents a cherished group value, individuals want to appear to have that valued trait by being more extreme than their initial tendency. b. When everyone shares their unique knowledge in the group, people get exposed to new ideas in favour of their original position, which further strengthens this position. c. Once you arrive at a decision, you want to believe it is the right one by appearing to have a more extreme opinion than that of the other person. d. All of the above.

Answer 52

d. All of the above.

Question 53

Mike tells his subordinates at work, “For the upcoming season, we are aiming for a 50% increase in our sales. If we meet this goal, all of us will get a higher end-of-year bonuses; or else, we will all be penalized.” Mike is most likely to be a _______ leader. a. transformational b. transactional c. task-oriented d. relationship-oriented

Answer 53

b. transactional

Question 54

A ___ ___ is a conflict in which the most beneficial action for an individual will, if chosen by most people, have harmful effects on everyone.

Answer 54

social dilemma

Question 55

The ___-___-___ strategy is a means of encouraging cooperation by at first acting cooperatively but then always responding the way your opponent did (cooperatively or competitively) on the previous trial.

Answer 55

tit-for-tat

Question 56

___ is a form of communication between opposing sides in a conflict in which offers and counteroffers are made and a solution occurs only when both parties agree.

Answer 56

Negotiation

Question 57

___ solutions are solutions to a conflict whereby the parties make trade-offs on issues, with each side conceding the most on issues that are unimportant to it but important to the other side.

Answer 57

Integrative

Question 58

When it comes to social dilemmas, a. an individual who adopts a cooperative strategy will always be more profitable than one who is selfish. b. the most beneficial course of action for an individual will, if chosen by most people, be harmful to all in the long run. c. one always has to win, and one side always has to lose. d. laboratory studies cannot be useful in understanding the escalation and persistence of group conflicts.

Answer 58

b. the most beneficial course of action for an individual will, if chosen by most people, be harmful to all in the long run.

Question 59

Consider the prisoner’s dilemma. You will receive the worst possible outcome for yourself as an individual if a. you are cooperative and so is your partner. b. you are cooperative but your partner is selfish. c. you are selfish and so is your partner. d. you are selfish but your partner is cooperative

Answer 59

b. you are cooperative but your partner is selfish.

Question 60

Recall the Deutsch and Krauss trucking game discussed in this chapter. When the two groups were first given a chance to communicate, why didn’t the profit increase for both parties? a. The communication did not foster trust. b. The communication was not timely enough. c. The communication was limited due to language barriers and differences in goals. d. The communication was done only by a select number of people in each group as opposed to everybody

Answer 60

a. The communication did not foster trust.

Question 61

Which of the following is true about negotiation and bargaining? a. Most people in a negotiable context do not realize there are always solutions favourable to both parties. b. A neutral mediator is useful in resolving conflicts between people and groups. c. Old-fashioned, face-to-face negotiations tend to be resolved faster and more easily. d. All of the above.

Answer 61

d. All of the above.

Question 62

According to Sigmund Freud, ___________ is an inevitable by-product of civilization. a. negotiation b. cooperation c. conflict d. psychology

Answer 62

c. conflict

Question 63

Why are groups often homogeneous (comprised of members who are alike in age, sex, beliefs, and opinions)? a. People who are already similar to each tend to be drawn to joining the same groups. b. Evolutionary pressures caused people with similar genes to join groups and people with dissimilar genes to avoid each other. c. Groups are more productive when they are homogeneous. d. Social loafing prevents us from seeking out new people and experiences.

Answer 63

a. People who are already similar to each tend to be drawn to joining the same groups.

Question 64

Social norms are a. behaviours expected from people who occupy certain positions. b. behaviours that promote mutual liking and bind members together. c. a powerful determinant of one’s behaviour. d. group members listening to each other’s opinions

Answer 64

c. a powerful determinant of one’s behaviour.

Question 65

The presence of others increases physiological arousal. Therefore, one is expected to perform better during a simple task in the _________ and a difficult task in the _________. a. presence of others; absence of others b. absence of others; presence of others c. presence of others; same way d. absence of others; same way

Answer 65

a. presence of others; absence of others

Question 66

The tendency to engage in social loafing is stronger in _________; it is also stronger in _________. a. men than women; Asian cultures than Western cultures b. women than men; Asian cultures than Western cultures c. men than women; Western cultures than Asian cultures d. women than men; Western cultures than Asian cultures

Answer 66

c. men than women; Western cultures than Asian cultures

Question 67

Based on what you have learned about deindividuation, under which of the following conditions would you expect a pair of 7-year-old twins who are trick-or-treating on Halloween to take more candies than they are required to take? a. When they were alone and anonymous. b. When they were in a group and anonymous. c. When they were alone and wearing costumes. d. When they were in a group and not wearing costumes.

Answer 67

b. When they were in a group and anonymous.

Question 68

Which of the following statements best describes groupthink? a. A collective style of thinking where maintaining a feeling of group togetherness and agreement becomes more important than finding the optimal solution through a group discussion. b. The tendency to make worse decisions as a group than as individuals. c. A conversational process by which the group as a whole recommends riskier decisions than that which any of the individual members initially recommended. d. An authoritarian style of leadership in which the group leader tries to impose his or her will on everyone else, leading other group members to silence themselves instead of voicing their opinions.

Answer 68

a. A collective style of thinking where maintaining a feeling of group togetherness and agreement becomes more important than finding the optimal solution through a group discussion.

Question 69

Which of the following is not a typical cause of groupthink? a. Excessive desire to appease a leader. b. Being anonymous. c. Overvaluing group cohesion. d. Being insulated from information outside the group.

Answer 69

b. Being anonymous.

Question 70

Which of the following is most likely to lead to process loss in a committee? a. All members of the committee listen carefully to each other’s opinions. b. The committee members are good friends and have known each other for years. c. Individual committee members share information that others lack. d. The most competent member on any given topic feels free to speak up.

Answer 70

b. The committee members are good friends and have known each other for years.

Question 71

Which of the following is true about research on leadership? a. Female leaders are more likely than male leaders to be put in precarious, high-risk positions where it is difficult to succeed. b. The best leaders are just born that way. c. People in all cultures value the same traits in leaders. d. If a woman succeeds in becoming a leader of an organization and acts in an agentic way, she is evaluated in the same way that male leaders are.

Answer 71

a. Female leaders are more likely than male leaders to be put in precarious, high-risk positions where it is difficult to succeed.

Question 72

Which of the following strategies would help one achieve a successful negotiation? a. Keep in mind that integrative solutions are often available. b. Be respectful to others’ needs and take their perspectives into account. c. Negotiate directly or face-to-face with the person on the other end of the conflict. d. All of the above.

Answer 72

d. All of the above.