What is the role of an individual assigned as a 'devil's advocate' within a group?

Correct answer: To express conflicting opinions and force the group to fully discuss alternatives.

Explanation

This question tests the understanding of a specific technique, the devil's advocate, used to improve group communication and decision-making.

Other questions

Question 1

What term refers to the perception, by group members or others, that a collection of individuals forms a cohesive group, often described as 'groupiness'?

Question 2

In the stages of group development, which stage is characterized by members expressing their independence and potentially disagreeing on various matters, a phase often compared to adolescence?

Question 3

According to Gersick's observational study of teams, what pattern did each team follow regarding their approach to a task?

Question 4

What is the term for the tendency to perform tasks more poorly or slower in the presence of others?

Question 5

According to Robert Zajonc's theory, the presence of others increases arousal, which in turn enhances the performance of what type of response?

Question 6

In a meta-analysis by Bond and Titus (1983) reviewing over 200 studies, how many research participants were involved?

Question 7

What is the term for an outcome in situations where groups perform more poorly than expected, given the characteristics of the members of the group?

Question 8

According to a study by Jones (1974), what percentage of team performance on baseball teams was accounted for by the skill of individual players?

Question 9

According to the same study by Jones (1974), what percentage of team performance on basketball teams was attributed to group process?

Question 10

Which type of task is defined as one where the work can be divided up among individuals?

Question 11

A group task in which the group's performance is determined by its best group member is known as what?

Question 12

Hiking up a mountain in a group, where the group must wait for the slowest hiker to catch up, is an example of what type of task?

Question 13

What are 'Eureka!' or 'Aha!' tasks?

Question 14

In Ringelmann's (1913) research on rope pulling, what was the substantial process loss he observed?

Question 15

In the Ringelmann (1913) rope-pulling study, groups of eight men pulled at what percentage of their expected capability?

Question 16

What group process loss occurs when people do not work as hard in a group as they do when they are alone?

Question 17

What phenomenon, described by Janis, occurs when a competent group makes a poor decision due to strong conformity pressures and a flawed group process?

Question 18

Individuals in a group who are selected by a leader to help quash dissent and increase conformity are known as what?

Question 19

In the 'hidden profile' study by Stasser and Titus (1985), what percentage of groups chose the superior Candidate A when crucial information was not shared among all members initially?

Question 20

What is the most significant reason that brainstorming in face-to-face groups is often ineffective?

Question 21

What is the phenomenon called when, after a group discussion, the attitudes held by individual members become more extreme in the direction of the existing norm?

Question 22

According to research by Myers and Kaplan (1976) on simulated juries, what was the effect of deliberation on the jurors' opinions about a defendant's guilt?

Question 23

The persuasive arguments approach explains group polarization as a result of what process?

Question 24

What is the term for the tendency of people to overvalue the productivity of their groups?

Question 25

In a study by Williams, Harkins, and Latané (1981), what intervention virtually eliminated social loafing in a group cheering task?

Question 26

According to the chapter, what is the most effective size for working groups?

Question 28

The chapter suggests that group diversity can have both benefits and costs. What is one of the potential costs mentioned?

Question 29

In a meta-analysis by Wendy Wood (1987) on gender diversity, what was found regarding the performance of groups composed of only men?

Question 30

What is a key reason that setting specific and difficult goals improves group performance?

Question 31

In the summary of group task characteristics, a task in which the group input is combined such that the performance of the individuals is averaged is known as what?

Question 32

What is the primary formula used to describe the relationship between actual productivity, potential productivity, and group process?

Question 33

In the Latané, Williams, and Harkins (1979) experiment on shouting, how did they differentiate coordination losses from social loafing (motivation loss)?

Question 34

What type of group is most likely to experience groupthink?

Question 35

Which of the following historical events is NOT mentioned in the text as a decision analyzed in terms of groupthink?

Question 36

What is the term for a task where there is no clearly correct answer, such as a jury determining guilt or innocence?

Question 37

According to the chapter, why are death-qualified juries potentially biased?

Question 38

In studies of jury deliberations, what typically happens when a jury is evenly split, for example, three to three or six to six?

Question 39

What is one of the main affective reasons for the 'illusion of group effectivity'?

Question 40

What social comparison might cause a group member to reduce their effort if they believe others are being rewarded more for the same amount of work?

Question 41

What type of group setting is most likely to reduce social loafing?

Question 42

In the context of the horse-trading problem, where the correct answer is not immediately apparent even when proposed, what type of task is it considered?

Question 43

Research on brainstorming has found that electronic brainstorming using group support systems can be more effective than face-to-face brainstorming primarily because it reduces what?

Question 44

What part of the self-concept results from our membership in social groups?

Question 45

What is the primary condition necessary for group polarization to occur?

Question 46

According to the social identity explanation of group polarization, why do groups adopt more extreme beliefs?

Question 47

In Hazel Markus's (1978) study on social facilitation and inhibition, how did the presence of a confederate affect participants' performance on an easy task versus a difficult task?

Question 48

A key finding from research on information sharing in groups is that members tend to discuss information that all members have access to while ignoring what?

Question 49

What is the final stage of group development where the group's task is completed or members develop new interests outside the group?

Question 50

What is a potential benefit of having diversity among group members?