Essential Psychology
Student Resources
Multiple Choice Questions
1. According to Tuckman (1965), which of the following is NOT a stage of the life cycle of a group:
- performing
- norming
- reforming
- storming
Answer: C
2. The phenomenon whereby an individual in a group will tend to end up agreeing with a strong majority opinion in spite of their own judgement is known as
- normative influence
- informative influence
- critical mass influence
- bullying influence
Answer: A
3. The idea that the degree to which you will be influenced by the opinion of another group member will depend on how much you identify with that person is known as
- reactive intransigence influence
- referent informational influence
- reconciliation of internal influence
- reorganizational interest influence
Answer: B
4. Which of the following is NOT suggested as an explanation for poor group motivation?
- lack of individual feedback
- lack of clear performance standards
- seeing that others aren’t pulling their weight
- latent misanthropic enjoyment of group failure
Answer: B
5. The tendency whereby a group reaches a decision by trying to minimize conflict, neglecting to critically test and evaluate ideas, is termed
- group compromise
- group consensus
- groupthink
- group cohesion
Answer: C
6. The process whereby the presence of others is suggested to lead to individuals losing their sense of personal identity is termed
- deindividuation
- deindividualization
- individualization
- individuation
Answer: A
7. The tendency whereby groups make decisions that are more extreme than the individuals’ opinions within the group is termed
- group polarization
- group cohesion
- group deindividuation
- group extremism
Answer: A
8. Steiner (1972) called losses in group productivity due to poor coordination
- disorganization losses
- momentum losses
- process losses
- laziness losses
Answer: C
9. Which of the following did Wilfred Bion (1961) NOT observe as a quality that was likely to be present in a group with ‘good group spirit’?
- flexibility of group membership
- the presence of distinct subgroups
- common purpose
- valuing of all group members
Answer: B
10. The so-called ‘Hawthorne effect’ refers to which group-related phenomenon?
- one person in a group usually does most of the work
- people in groups tend to try to get away with doing as little as possible
- people always perform better when they’re being watched
- there is usually one person in a group who will try to argue against the majority
Answer: C
11. Which of the following terms is used to refer to the potential negative effects of group identification that stem from processes like stigma and rejection?
- the Social Curse
- the Exclusion Hypothesis
- the Norm-Violation Problem
- the Discrimination Dilemma
Answer: A
12. The term ‘groupthink’ was coined by
- Janis (1972)
- Jarvis (1972)
- Jager (1972)
- Jarratt (1972)
Answer: A
13. Groupthink refers to the process by which, when making decisions, the group places more importance on
- reaching a cohesive agreement
- making a quality decision
- reaching a speedy decision
- reaching a well-evaluated decision
Answer: A
14. Diener’s (1980) explanation of deindividuation posited that deindividuation is the result of
- decreased self-awareness
- decreased responsibility
- increased anonymity
- increased group size
Answer: A
15. Group polarization refers to the tendency whereby
- groups make decisions that are more extreme than the individuals’ opinions
- conflict of individuals’ extreme opinions causes the group to side with the majority
- the opinions of the minority shift to the majority
- groups make decisions that are less extreme than the individuals’ opinions
Answer: A
16. Which of the following is NOT a type of theory seeking to explain group polarization?
- persuasive argument
- social categorization processes
- social comparison processes
- social conformity processes
Answer: D
17. Identification with social groups has been shown to lead to various psychological outcomes. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
- self-esteem
- distinctiveness
- belonging
- narcissism
Answer: D
18. According to Tajfel and Turner (1979), which of the following is a primary reason for choosing to identify with a group?
- to avoid loneliness
- a fear of missing out
- a desire to prove loyalty to a stereotype
- to maintain a positive sense of self
Answer: D
19. The Social Cure (Jetten et al. 2009 & 2012) refers to
- improvements in group cohesion as a result of socializing together
- improvements in health and well-being as a result of identification with a group
- improvements in social mobility resulting from free social care provision
- improvements in health and well-being as a result of socialism
Answer: B
20. According to Moscovici (1980), the best way for a minority to exert influence on the majority’s opinion is to
- maintain a consistent position over time
- express extreme opinions
- stress the importance of their opinion
- express creative opinions
Answer: A