Psychology Chapter on Social Influence Techniques

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary strategy behind the foot-in-the-door technique?

Securing agreement to a small request first to increase compliance later (correct)

Making a large request followed by a smaller one

Asking for immediate compliance without any prior requests

Presenting a request as less than the true cost

Which of the following best defines the door-in-the-face technique?

Asking for compliance based on social pressure

Shifting from a large request to a smaller one after refusal (correct)

Setting a low initial price that is later increased

Requesting compliance without any prior requests

What is a common outcome when using the low-ball technique?

People tend to negotiate for better terms after the initial agreement

Agreement is more likely after securing an initial commitment (correct)

People are more likely to refuse both requests

Individuals often feel confused about their decision

How does the presence of others affect individual performance in easy tasks according to social facilitation?

It can boost arousal and facilitate the dominant response Signup and view all the answers

What scenario is best described by social loafing?

Individuals exert less effort in a group task than when working alone Signup and view all the answers

Why might social facilitation lead to impaired performance on challenging tasks?

Due to increased stress and feelings of being threatened Signup and view all the answers

What principle explains why individuals are more likely to agree to a final arrangement in the low-ball technique?

Commitment and consistency Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of passive spectators on an individual's performance known as?

Audience effects Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason for social loafing in group settings?

Belief that individual contributions won't be recognized Signup and view all the answers

How can social loafing be effectively minimized in collaborative work?

Make the project personally relevant to each member Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon occurs when group discussions lead members to adopt more extreme positions?

Group polarization Signup and view all the answers

What is groupthink characterized by?

Hasty decisions to maintain group cohesion Signup and view all the answers

What role does arousal play in social facilitation according to Zajonc's theory?

Enhances performance on simple tasks at high arousal Signup and view all the answers

What is a likely outcome of working with individuals who are dissimilar in a group setting?

Higher likelihood of social loafing Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes role-playing?

Performing actions based on social expectations of a given position Signup and view all the answers

What effect does group discussion usually have on individual attitudes?

It reinforces existing attitudes positively or negatively Signup and view all the answers

What are the three components that make up an attitude?

Cognitive belief, emotional feeling, and behavioral Signup and view all the answers

Which type of attitude is characterized by automatic associations that can be difficult to change?

Implicit attitudes Signup and view all the answers

When do attitudes most likely influence behavior?

When they are strongly held beliefs Signup and view all the answers

In which scenario might cognitive dissonance occur?

When attitudes and behavior contradict each other Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about explicit attitudes is NOT true?

They are often unconscious and automatic. Signup and view all the answers

Why might attitudes about healthy eating not predict behavior for some individuals?

Because they may not have experienced challenges related to it. Signup and view all the answers

Which describes a situation where attitudes are likely to predict behavior?

A passionate advocate for environmental conservation Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of an explicit attitude given in the context?

Jeremy expresses how much he hates attending prom. Signup and view all the answers

What type of change is more likely to be achieved through persuasion when the issue is personally important?

Long term Signup and view all the answers

Which element of persuasion is most influenced by the source of communication's expertise?

Credibility Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason people are often less resistant to social pressure?

Low social anxiety Signup and view all the answers

What drives altruistic behavior according to the content?

Self-sacrifice Signup and view all the answers

What is the basis for kin selection in prosocial behavior?

Adaptive reproductive success Signup and view all the answers

Why might people find it difficult to empathize with certain individuals?

Empathy gap Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is least likely to enhance persuasion according to the identified elements?

Complexity of the message Signup and view all the answers

What is the norm of reciprocity in the context of helping behavior?

Helping those who have helped us Signup and view all the answers

What leads individuals to reduce cognitive dissonance when their attitudes and behavior are inconsistent?

Adjusting their attitudes to align with their actions Signup and view all the answers

In the Festinger & Carlsmith (1959) study, which group was most likely to report the study as interesting?

Participants paid $1 and asked to lie Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of the central route of persuasion as defined in the elaboration likelihood model?

Consideration of strong evidence and arguments Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the peripheral route of persuasion?

It relies on superficial cues like attractiveness Signup and view all the answers

What did participants paid $20 in the study likely experience due to their payment?

High cognitive dissonance Signup and view all the answers

How can reducing cognitive dissonance affect one’s attitude?

It may cause individuals to adopt a more favorable view of the behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is a reason why participants who were not paid felt differently than those who were paid?

They had no financial incentive to lie Signup and view all the answers

What overall motivation drives the phenomenon of cognitive dissonance?

The need to maintain psychological consistency Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of having more bystanders present during an emergency situation?

The probability of the victim receiving help decreases. Signup and view all the answers

What contributes to the diffusion of responsibility in emergencies?

Bystanders assume others will take action. Signup and view all the answers

Which strategy can be effective in mobilizing individuals to help during a crisis?

Point to a specific individual and ask them to assist. Signup and view all the answers

Why might people be less likely to empathize with a group of struggling individuals?

They may feel overwhelmed by the scale of the issue. Signup and view all the answers

What psychological concept explains why individuals may not help in a situation where many are present?

Bystander effect Signup and view all the answers

How does the presence of similar others impact empathy levels?

Empathy is heightened towards those who share similarities. Signup and view all the answers

Why might the bystander effect delay the help a victim receives?

People assume someone else will take action. Signup and view all the answers

Which situation is most likely to provoke empathy from bystanders?

An individual child in distress. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Today's Announcements

Quiz 5 (Learning and Memory): Opened November 4th (a week later than the original posting date of October 28th). Closes November 17th at 11:59 PM.
Applied Activity (Milgram): Due November 7th at 11:59 PM.

Conformity, obedience, and compliance
Group influences
Prosocial behavior

Persuasion

How to get people to do what you want.

Compliance Techniques

Foot-in-the-door technique: Asking for a small favor first to increase likelihood of a larger favor.
Door-in-the-face technique: Asking for a large favor, then a smaller one (the actual request).
Low-ball technique: Getting someone to agree to an offer, then increasing the cost or commitment.

Group Influence

Effects of groups on individual performance.
Social facilitation: Presence of others can boost arousal and facilitate dominant responses. Easy tasks are facilitated (better performance); challenging tasks are impaired (worse performance). Examples include audience effects and co-action effects.
Social loafing: Tendency to exert less effort when working with others than when working alone. Minimizing social loafing: Making the project interesting, more personally relevant, and clear expectations for contributions from each person.
Group polarization: After group discussion, members tend to shift to more extreme positions. If members have initial positive views, discussions can be make them even more positive.
Groupthink: Tendency for groups to make hasty decisions to maintain group cohesion ("Well, since everyone else thinks it's a good idea…")

Role-playing

Refers to actions expected of those who occupy a particular social position. (Example cited Stanford Prison Experiment).

Attitudes and Attitude Change

Attitudes are beliefs and feelings that influence reactions.
- Cognitive component (thoughts and beliefs).
- Emotional component (affective feeling).
- Behavioral component (predisposition to act).
Implicit vs. explicit attitudes:
- Implicit: Automatically activated, often learned through repeated exposure, more difficult to change.
- Explicit: Conscious and report-able, shaped by values and norms, easier to update with new information.
When attitudes don't match behavior, this leads to cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive dissonance theory: People are highly motivated to appear consistent to others and themselves. Discrepancy between behavior and attitude leads to tension; Adjustments to attitudes or behavior resolve the tension. (Example Festinger & Carlsmith (1959) study).

Changing Attitudes Through Persuasion

Elaboration likelihood model: Explains attitude change through two routes:
- Central route: Thoughtful consideration of evidence (e.g., persuasive arguments).
- Peripheral route: Association with cues (e.g., attractiveness of the speaker).

Persuasion Elements

Source of communication (e.g., credibility, attractiveness, likeability).
Audience (e.g., people with lower intelligence easier to persuade).
Message (e.g., emotional vs. unemotional).
Medium (e.g., repetition influences people).

Prosocial Behavior

Prosocial behavior: Actions benefiting others. Includes helping, cooperation, and sympathy.
Altruism: Helping others with self-sacrifice.
Motivations for helping others:
- Kin selection: Helping relatives to pass on genes.
- Norm of reciprocity: Helping those who reciprocate.
- Empathy gap: Understanding others’ suffering.
Bystander effect: Likelihood of help decreases as the number of bystanders increases.
Steps to helping in an emergency: Individuals can take specific steps to address the bystander effect; Notice, Recognize the Emergency, Take responsibility, Identify what needs to be done, and act on it.

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Description

Test your understanding of social influence techniques in psychology, such as foot-in-the-door and door-in-the-face. This quiz covers principles like social loafing and social facilitation, exploring how these concepts affect individual performance. Perfect for psychology students looking to reinforce their knowledge.