Making reference to several group-related concepts covered in your textbook, discuss how membership in a group can serve both positive and negative functions. Can you cite an example of a group to which you've belonged that demonstrates some of these concepts?
What will be an ideal response?
Groups can serve as a place where people work together toward a common goal. Group membership can also fulfill the need for a psychological connection with others who are similar to us (social identity). An evolutionary perspective would indicate that survival in a group is easier than survival alone. Lastly, people will often use social comparison to build their self-esteem when they are in a group that can be perceived as being superior (a winning football team). Some of the negative aspects of a group include group polarization, where you begin to believe more strongly in what you share with your group; groupthink, where the group has difficulties seeing all sides of a decision; and social loafing, where individuals in the group put forth less effort toward the goals of the group.
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To test the role-playing hypothesis of dissociative identity disorder (DID), Nicholas Spanos and colleagues conducted analogue experiments in which they asked college students to play the role of an accused murderer. What have these studies shown?
a. Role playing causes dissociative identity disorder b. The symptoms of DID can be induced through hypnosis c. The ease of role-taking correlates with risk for DID d. Most individuals deny having a "hidden part," even under hypnosis
A form of prejudice that surfaces in subtle ways when it is safe, socially acceptable, and easy to rationalize is called
a. modern racism. b. relative deprivation. c. illusory correlation. d. reverse discrimination.
Elizabeth watched 20 episodes of a new television series. She thought that every one of the episodes she saw was terrible. However, all Elizabeth's friends think that this is one of the best television series of all time. In this case, most people should make:
a. an external attribution for Elizabeth's rating of the new television series b. an internal attribution for Elizabeth's rating of the new television series c. a situational attribution for Elizabeth's rating of the new television series d. an attribution error in explaining Elizabeth's rating of the new television series
If you understand the phrase, "por favor, señorita," you understand the ________of the Spanish language
a. plurality c. displacement b. semanticity d. infinite creativity