Psychology: Social Psychology: Conformity, Obedience, Bias Worksheet

Question 1

Define conformity in your own words. Then give one example of conformity that could happen at school.

Accepted Answer

Conformity is changing your behavior, beliefs, or appearance to match a group. An example is a student laughing at a joke they do not think is funny because everyone else is laughing.

Question 2

A student knows the correct answer to a question, but after hearing several classmates give a different answer, the student changes their answer to match the group. Is this more likely conformity, obedience, or discrimination? Explain.

Accepted Answer

This is more likely conformity because the student changes their answer to match the group. There is no direct command from an authority figure, and the example is not about unfair treatment of a group.

Question 3

In Asch's line experiment, participants often agreed with an obviously wrong group answer. What did this experiment show about social influence?

Accepted Answer

Asch's experiment showed that people may conform to a group's incorrect judgment because they want to fit in or avoid being the only person who disagrees.

Question 4

Explain the difference between normative social influence and informational social influence.

Accepted Answer

Normative social influence happens when people conform to be liked, accepted, or avoid rejection. Informational social influence happens when people conform because they believe the group may have accurate information.

Question 5

Read the scenario: During a fire drill, a student is unsure where to go, so they follow a crowd heading toward the exit. Which type of social influence is most likely involved? Explain.

Accepted Answer

This is most likely informational social influence because the student is uncertain and follows the crowd because they think the group may know what to do.

Question 6

Define obedience in psychology. Then explain how obedience is different from conformity.

Accepted Answer

Obedience is following a direct order or command from an authority figure. It differs from conformity because conformity involves matching a group, while obedience involves responding to authority.

Question 7

Milgram's obedience study involved participants who were told by an authority figure to continue giving what they believed were electric shocks. What question was Milgram trying to study?

Accepted Answer

Milgram was studying how far ordinary people would go in obeying an authority figure, even when the order seemed to harm another person.

Question 8

List two ethical concerns about Milgram's obedience study and explain why each is a concern.

Accepted Answer

One ethical concern is psychological stress because participants believed they might be hurting another person. Another concern is deception because participants were misled about the true purpose of the study.

Question 9

A coach tells players to make fun of a teammate who made a mistake. Some players obey because the coach is in charge. Identify one factor that may increase obedience in this situation and explain it.

Accepted Answer

One factor that may increase obedience is the coach's authority. People are more likely to obey someone they see as legitimate, powerful, or responsible for the group.

Question 10

Define the fundamental attribution error. Then apply it to this example: A driver cuts you off in traffic, and you immediately think, 'That person is rude.'

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overemphasize a person's character and underestimate the situation when explaining someone else's behavior. In this example, you assume the driver is rude instead of considering situational factors, such as an emergency or not seeing your car.

Question 11

Explain confirmation bias and give one example related to social media.

Accepted Answer

Confirmation bias is the tendency to notice, seek, or remember information that supports what we already believe. On social media, a person might click only on posts that agree with their political views and ignore reliable information that challenges those views.

Question 12

Classify each statement as stereotype, prejudice, or discrimination: A. 'Teenagers are irresponsible.' B. Feeling dislike toward someone because of their religion. C. Refusing to hire someone because of their age.

Accepted Answer

Statement A is a stereotype because it is a generalized belief about a group. Statement B is prejudice because it is a negative feeling toward someone based on group membership. Statement C is discrimination because it is an unfair action based on group membership.

Question 13

A student receives a low test grade and says, 'The teacher made the test unfair.' The same student receives a high test grade and says, 'I am really smart.' What bias does this show? Explain.

Accepted Answer

This shows self-serving bias because the student explains failure by blaming outside factors but explains success by giving themselves personal credit.

Question 14

In a group project, several students do less work because they believe others will handle the task. What social psychology concept is shown, and how could the group reduce it?

Accepted Answer

This shows social loafing, which happens when people put in less effort in a group than they would alone. The group could reduce it by assigning clear individual responsibilities and checking each person's progress.

Question 15

A school wants to reduce bias and improve cooperation between different student groups. Describe one strategy based on social psychology and explain why it may help.

Accepted Answer

One strategy is cooperative contact, where students from different groups work together toward a shared goal with equal status. This may help reduce bias because students see each other as teammates rather than as opposing groups.

Psychology: Social Psychology: Conformity, Obedience, Bias

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