Chapter 9: Group Processes

A group is defined as

two or more people with shared goals and interaction

What happens when someone repeatedly violates group norms?

they may be rejected

Which BEST describes a social role?

expectations for specific group members

What does the Stanford Prison Study demonstrate?

roles and situations strongly influence behavior

According to social facilitation theory, how does the presence of others affect an individual’s performance on tasks that are well-learned and relatively simple?

performance improves due to increased arousal

According to Zajonc’s theory of social facilitation, why does the presence of others tend to impair performance on tasks that are complex or not well-learned?

increase arousal interferes with correct performance

In a study by Michaels et al., skilled pool players performed better when others were watching, whereas less skilled players performed worse. These findings support which conclusion?

social facilitation depends on the difficulty of the task and skill level

Social loafing refers to the tendency for individuals to:

exert less effort when their individuals contributions are not identifiable

In Max Ringelmann’s classic rope-pulling experiment, what was the key finding regarding group performance?

individuals exerted less effort as group size increased

Why are individuals more likely to engage in social loafing when working in groups?

their individual performance cannot be evaluated

A student studies alone for a difficult exam but takes the actual test in a crowded classroom where their performance is graded individually. Based on social facilitation theory, what is the MOST likely outcome?

the student performs better because the task is well-learned and evaluated

In which situation would an individual be MOST likely to show social loafing rather than social facilitation?

clapping in a large audience where individual effort cannot be identified

A social dilemma is a situation in which individuals must decide whether to act in their own self-interest or in the interest of the group. Which of the following scenarios BEST illustrates a social dilemma?

a person chooses not to recycle because it is inconvenient, even though widespread recycling benefits society

In the classic prisoner’s dilemma, two individuals must independently decide whether to cooperate or betray one another. Even though mutual cooperation would lead to the best overall outcome, both individuals often choose to defect. What is the primary psychological reason for this pattern?

they fear being taken advantages of and choose the safer selfish option

In repeated interactions such as the prisoner’s dilemma, which strategy has been shown to be most effective in promoting cooperation over time, and why?

Tit-for-tat, because it begins cooperatively and then mirrors the other person’s behavior

Public goods dilemmas involve shared resources that individuals can either contribute to or exploit. Which of the following scenarios BEST represents a public goods dilemma?

group members contribute unequal efforts but share the same rewards

In a study (Deutsch & Krauss), participants competed over access to a shared road, researchers introduced the ability to threaten the other person. What effect did these threats have?

increased conflict and caused both sides to lose more

Two people in a negotiation realized they value different things to trade based on their priorities, so they both benefit.

integrative (win-win through trade-offs)

______ tend to be higher than _____ in relational interdependence

women;men