Ch 7 - Group Influence (Exam 2)

Question 1

groups

Answer 1

• 2 or more people interacting and influencing each other
• many definitions

Question 2

why do people join groups? evolutionary perspective

Answer 2

• increases our chance of survival and reproduction
• social brain hypothesis: the reason we have large brains is because they evolved to navigate our complex social world

Question 3

why do people join groups? (2 other reasons)

Answer 3

1. sense of self and self-worth linked to group memberships
2. sense of meaning and purpose ie. terror management theory

Question 4

3 key features of groups

Answer 4

1. group cohesiveness - how bonded they are
2. group norms - guidelines for behaviour
3. social roles - specific behavioural guidelines

Question 5

social facilitation

Answer 5

• the presence of others can influence our performance
• on simple/well-learned tasks, the presence of others improves performance
• Cockroach study

Question 6

the presence of others increases ________

Answer 6

• physiological arousal
• increases the probability and speed of our dominant response

Question 7

why does the presence of others increase physiological arousal?

Answer 7

1. increased vigilance
2. evaluation apprehension
3. distractibility

Question 8

social loafing

Answer 8

• in the presence of others and when individual performance can’t be distinguished and evaluated people do
  1. worse on simple/easy tasks
  2. better on complex/difficult tasks

Question 9

deindividuation

Answer 9

• a feeling of anonymity provided by groups that leads to a loss of personal identity
• causes us to behave in ways we wouldn’t normally
• The Halloween Study

Question 10

why can deindividuation cause people to behave in uncharacteristic ways?

Answer 10

1. lowers individual accountability
2. lowers self-awareness
3. makes us more likely to follow the norms of the groups we’re in

Question 11

group polarization

Answer 11

• tendency for group discussions to strengthen the predominate position of the members in the group
• stereotype study

Question 12

persuasive argument theory (group polarization)

Answer 12

• group discussions increase the number of arguments members have in support of the predominant position

Question 13

comparison theory (group polarization)

Answer 13

• adopting a more extreme position leads to group acceptance and distinction
• agreeing but to an extreme degree
• establishes leadership

Question 14

process loss

Answer 14

• any group process that leads to poor decision making

Question 15

biased sampling

Answer 15

• type of process loss
• failure to share unique info

Question 16

conditions that reduce biased sampling

Answer 16

• leadership that encourages critical discussion
• clear plans on how and when to consider alternate info
• longer lasting discussions
• assign group members specific areas of review

Question 17

groupthink

Answer 17

• pressure to agree leads to a biased appraisal of options and poor decisions

Question 18

antecedents to groupthink

Answer 18

• group is highly cohesive
• group isolation
• a directive leader
• high stress
• poor decision making procedures

Question 19

symptoms of groupthink

Answer 19

• illusion of invulnerability
• direct pressure on dissenters to conform
• mindguards
• self-censorship
• illusion of unanimity
• belief in the moral correctness of the group
• stereotyped views of out-group

Question 20

defective decision making (groupthink)

Answer 20

• incomplete survey of alternatives
• failure to examine risks
• poor info research
• failure to develop contingency plans