Social Facilitation and Groups
During a race, Susan is running faster when there are other runners nearby than when she is running alone. According to Zajonc’s theory, why is Susan performing better in the presence of others?
According to Zajonc’s theory, the presence of others increases arousal, making her more likely to engage in her dominant (well-learned) response, which in this case is running faster.
Sarah feels lonely and is actively seeking companionship. According to the need to belong theory, why is Sarah driven to form relationships?
The need to belong theory suggests that humans have an intrinsic drive to form stable, meaningful relationships to satisfy social and emotional needs.
Tom watches someone collapse in the street but does not offer help because there are many other people around. Why did Tom fail to act?
The bystander effect suggests that individuals are less likely to help when others are present, due to diffusion of responsibility and the assumption that others will intervene.
James has a strong aversion to people from a particular ethnic group, but he denies being prejudiced. What does this suggest about modern racism?
This suggests that James may be exhibiting modern racism, where individuals outwardly reject prejudiced beliefs but harbor implicit biases or discomfort about members from a particular ethnic group.
Tom and Alex are working on different projects in the same room. Alex feels nervous and performs worse because he knows Tom is watching, but Tom is focused and does not notice that Alex is struggling. Based on Zajonc’s theory, what can we infer about the respective difficulties of their projects?
Zajonc’s theory explains that the presence of others can lead to arousal, which enhances performance on simple tasks (as seen with Tom) but impairs performance on more difficult tasks (as seen with Alex).
Susan notices that she gets along better with people who share similar opinions, hobbies, and values. Why does similarity breed attraction according to social psychology?
Similarity breeds attraction because it leads to more pleasant interactions, validation of one’s own beliefs, and the expectation of mutual liking.
Jane witnesses a car accident and feels distressed by the victim’s suffering. She doesn’t help, but her distress decreases when she leaves the scene. According to Batson’s theory, what motivated Jane’s lack of helping?
Batson’s theory of personal distress suggests that Jane helped to reduce her own discomfort, not to alleviate the victim’s suffering.
During a summer camp, two groups of children who initially dislike each other are made to work together toward common goals. What does this scenario demonstrate about reducing intergroup conflict?
This demonstrates the contact hypothesis, which suggests that intergroup conflict can be reduced when groups work toward superordinate goals under conditions of equal status.
In a psychology experiment, participants are asked to either wear KKK robes or nurse uniforms while making decisions about administering electric shocks to another participant. What effect did anonymity have on participants’ behavior, and why?
Anonymity led to deindividuation, where participants wearing KKK robes administered higher shock levels, while those in nurse uniforms were more prosocial. This shows that group norms and anonymity influence behavior under deindividuation.
Mark meets a woman who is very attractive, and he immediately assumes that she is also intelligent, kind, and successful. What psychological phenomenon explains this assumption?
This assumption is explained by the “what-is-beautiful-is-good” schema, where people tend to attribute positive qualities to physically attractive individuals.
A researcher offers money to participants who help someone in need, but later removes the reward. Afterward, participants are less likely to help when there’s no reward. What explains this behavior?
The overjustification effect occurs when external rewards reduce intrinsic motivation, leading to decreased helping behavior once the reward is removed.
A study shows that people are more likely to remember negative actions performed by minority group members than similar actions performed by majority group members. What does this indicate?
This is an example of paired distinctiveness, where rare or distinctive events (negative behaviors and minority groups) are more memorable and likely to reinforce stereotypes.
A political party is debating a controversial policy proposal. After a few members strongly advocate for the policy, the rest of the group quickly falls in line, even though some members have reservations. They all choose not to voice their concerns to avoid disrupting the unity of the group. What concept explains the group’s failure to critically assess the policy proposal?
This is an example of groupthink, where certain members protect the group from dissenting views to preserve harmony and avoid conflict, contributing to a lack of critical thinking during decision-making.
Karen is dissatisfied with her relationship because she finds her partner’s behavior irritating. However, Karen is highly committed to the relationship due to the time and effort she has invested. How does the investment model explain Karen’s behavior?
The investment model suggests that Karen’s commitment is influenced by her high investment in the relationship, making her more likely to stay despite dissatisfaction.
Alice sees on the floor in the middle of a crowded café. She hesitates to intervene, noticing that no one else is reacting or coming forward to help. Alice assumes that because others aren’t helping, they must know the is not an emergency. What concept explains Alice’s hesitation to help in this scenario?
Pluralistic ignorance explains that people look to others to determine whether the situation is an emergency, which can lead to inaction when no one else responds.
During a job interview, Rachel notices that she tends to rate applicants with names that sound more similar to her own as more competent, even though all applicants have similar qualifications. What does this reveal about Rachel’s potential biases?
This is an example of in-group favoritism, where individuals tend to favor others who are perceived to be part of their social group, often based on arbitrary similarities.