Psychology Chapter: Group Dynamics and Facilitation

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Questions and Answers

What phenomenon is described as the tendency for the presence of others to improve a person's performance?

Social disruption

Social facilitation (correct)

Social engagement

Social inhibition

According to Zajonc, what is the relationship between arousal levels and performance on simple tasks?

Arousal has no effect on performance

Arousal improves performance (correct)

Arousal negatively affects performance

Arousal creates confusion

What type of tasks does Zajonc suggest suffers from increased arousal?

Repetitive tasks

Simple tasks

Complex tasks (correct)

Familiar tasks

What did Allport find about the performance of participants working independently in the presence of others?

Their performance improved Signup and view all the answers

Which group of animals did researchers find exhibited social facilitation by moving more sand in pairs?

Ants Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'dominant responses' refer to in the context of social facilitation?

Responses that have been well learned and are most probable Signup and view all the answers

What did studies find about the eating behavior of animals in the presence of others?

They eat more when with others Signup and view all the answers

What can sometimes hinder performance according to the findings on social facilitation?

The presence of others in complex tasks Signup and view all the answers

What defines a group in the context of social psychology?

Two or more people who interact and influence each other Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a primary advantage of being in a group?

Protection from predators and aggressive humans Signup and view all the answers

What key concept did Triplett investigate in his 1898 study?

The effect of competition on performance Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding social facilitation?

It describes improved performance in the presence of others Signup and view all the answers

Social loafing occurs when:

People exert less effort when working collectively Signup and view all the answers

What was one limitation identified in Triplett's study of competitive performance?

Self-selection of participants affected the results Signup and view all the answers

What evolutionary advantage does group living provide?

Efficiency in food gathering and child rearing Signup and view all the answers

Which mammal is mentioned as not benefiting from group lifestyle?

Orangutans Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon describes increased alertness and motivation when others are present, particularly strangers?

Mere presence Signup and view all the answers

What is evaluation apprehension primarily concerned with?

Fearing performance evaluation by others Signup and view all the answers

According to Markus (1978), how does the presence of others affect performance on familiar versus unfamiliar tasks?

It enhances performance on familiar tasks only Signup and view all the answers

What is stereotype threat?

Anxiety caused by fearing the confirmation of negative stereotypes Signup and view all the answers

How did evaluating women in the context of mathematics demonstrate stereotype threat in the study by Ben-Zeev et al.?

Women performed worse on difficult tasks when stereotyped Signup and view all the answers

How does anxiety from stereotype threat influence performance on tasks?

It can enhance performance on easy tasks but hinder on difficult tasks Signup and view all the answers

Which task condition aligns with a higher arousal level due to mere presence according to Markus's study?

Familiar tasks under observation Signup and view all the answers

What was a key methodological component in Markus's study about mere presence?

Participants changed into oversized shoes and lab coats Signup and view all the answers

What was the result of the rope-pulling task when participants believed they were pulling alone?

They pulled 18% harder than when believing others were pulling. Signup and view all the answers

According to social impact theory, how does group size affect individual effort?

Individual effort decreases as group size increases up to a certain point. Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary finding in Latané's 1979 study regarding participants clapping and shouting?

Participants clapped 1/3 louder when believing they were alone than with five others. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes social loafing based on Latané's research?

Social loafing is less prevalent when individuals are identifiable. Signup and view all the answers

What happened to participants' pulling effort when they believed three or more others were pulling with them?

Their pulling effort did not decrease further beyond believing two others were pulling. Signup and view all the answers

What is the dependent variable (DV) in the study conducted by Ben-Zeev et al. (2005)?

Number of completions Signup and view all the answers

In Ringlemann's (1913) study, what was identified as the reason for decreased effort per worker in a group setting?

Coordination loss Signup and view all the answers

What task was categorized as a 'novel task' in Ben-Zeev et al.'s (2005) study?

Writing first name backwards Signup and view all the answers

What effect does the presence of others have according to the concept of social facilitation?

It increases the likelihood of the dominant response occurring Signup and view all the answers

In the study by Ingham et al. (1974), what technique was used to deceive participants about the number of people pulling the rope?

Using blindfolds and a confederate to take slack Signup and view all the answers

What is not a condition tested in Ben-Zeev et al.'s (2005) study?

Competitive group condition Signup and view all the answers

What observation did Ringlemann (1913) make regarding group performance?

Individual efforts decreased with group size Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the 'well-learned task' condition in Ben-Zeev et al.'s (2005) study?

Writing full name in cursive repeatedly Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

What is a Group?

Two or more people who interact and influence one another.
They perceive themselves as "us".
Provides protection, efficient food gathering, and assistance in child rearing.
Evolved psychological need to belong.
Group Lifestyle is not always beneficial for large mammals.
- Orangutans are an example; they eat scattered fruit, live in trees where there are no predators, and thus do not benefit from a group lifestyle.

Found that cyclists were faster when racing against other riders.
Triplett's first experiment was flawed because the subjects, who chose to race against the clock versus others, may have liked competition.
Triplett found that children wound a fishing reel faster when they were with another child.
Further studies proved that other animals, like ants, dogs, and fish, perform better on tasks (like moving sand, eating, etc.) when in groups.

Zajonc and the Presence of Others

Zajonc's (1965) theory: The presence of others increases arousal.
High arousal leads to better performance on simple tasks, but poorer performance on complex tasks.
Dominant responses, those that are well-learned, are more likely to occur in the presence of others.

Evaluation Apprehension

Evaluation apprehension is the fear of being judged poorly by others, and it can contribute to arousal.
Studies found that joggers sped up when passing a woman, but not when passing a woman with her back to them.
The size and status of an audience also increases anxiety.

Stereotype Threat

The risk of underperformance experienced by individuals when they fear conforming to negative stereotypes.
For example, priming “Women are poor at maths" can negatively affect their performance on a math test.
Anxiety from stereotype threat can enhance performance on easy tasks, but hinder performance on complex tasks.
Study by Ben-Zeev et al. (2005): women performed better on easy tasks when there was no threat to their stereotype, but did worse on more difficult tasks.

Ringlemann found that individual effort decreases when a person is in a group pulling a load.
He attributed effort loss to a lack of coordination, not motivation.
Ingham et al. (1974) found that participants pulled harder when they believed they were alone, versus in a group, even when they were alone.
Latané et al. (1979) found that individuals clapped and yelled more loudly when they believed they were alone.
Social Impact Theory: Social pressure is divided among group members as group size increases.
As group size increases, individuals feel less pressure to make the maximum effort.
Identifiability contributes to social loafing. For example, swimmers in a relay feel less pressure to perform well because they don't feel directly responsible for the outcome of the race.

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Description

This quiz explores the concepts of group dynamics and social facilitation as presented in psychological studies. It covers key theories from researchers like Triplett and Zajonc, focusing on how individuals interact within groups and the effects on performance. Test your understanding of these essential psychological principles.