Psychology of Social Situations: Conformity, Obedience, and Group Influence

AP Psychology· difficulty 2/5

Replicating Latané's classic experiment, students are asked to clap and shout as loudly as possible. Half perform alone; half in groups of six, believing the group's combined output is measured. Per-person sound output drops by roughly 30% in the group condition, even though all participants insist they exerted full effort.

The drop in per-person output most clearly illustrates:

  • A

    Conformity to group norms

  • B

    Social facilitation

  • C

    Social loafing

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  • D

    Bystander effect

Explanation

When individuals' contributions cannot be evaluated, they reduce effort on additive tasks—the textbook definition of social loafing.

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