1. A combination of group influence and conformity can produce behaviors that seem “crazy” or “insane” to an outside observer (e.g., cult membership, violent radicalization). However, this is not an example of mental illness (e.g., depression, anxiety). Rather, these extreme outcomes are the result of very ordinary social psychological processes. Explain some of the social psychological mechanisms that result in examples like this (e.g., joining a cult, participating in violent coups). 2. The presence of others can sometimes benefit our performance and other times inhibit our performance. Explain what factors determine when the presence of others (e.g., an audience, team) will improve performance versus interfere with it. Provide a specific example as part of your response. 3. Explain what groupthink is and when it is most likely to occur. What can a group do to recognize when groupthink may be setting in and what can leaders do to reduce the odds that groupthink negatively impacts the group’s performance. Provide a specific example as part of your response. 4. Choose a leader (e.g., political leader, CEO, activist) and indicate whether they would be thought of as a transformational leader or transactional leader (with details to justify choice). Also, indicate whether they would be thought of as a task-oriented or relationship-oriented leader (again with details to justify choice). Then, apply the Contingency Theory of Leadership to consider how much situational control the leader has and how this explains the leader’s performance. Is your example consistent with predictions of the Contingency Theory of Leadership?
