People are more likely to help someone in an emergency when they are alone than when they are with a group of other bystanders.

Answer: True

This counterintuitive finding is called the bystander effect (or diffusion of responsibility). The more people present in an emergency, the less likely any one individual is to help — because each person assumes someone else will act. This was dramatically illustrated in the tragic case of Kitty Genovese and subsequently studied by Darley and Latané. Knowing about this effect can help: if you need help, single someone out directly rather than appealing to a crowd.

Solomon Asch found that people would give obviously wrong answers to simple questions in order to:

A: Test the experimenter's reactions

B: Fit in with the group, even when they knew the group was wrong

C: Challenge authority

D: Demonstrate creativity

Correct: Fit in with the group, even when they knew the group was wrong

Asch's famous conformity experiments showed that around 75% of participants gave at least one clearly incorrect answer when surrounded by confederates who all gave the wrong answer. Most knew their answer was wrong — they conformed to avoid standing out. This illustrates normative social influence: we often go along with the group not because we believe they're right, but because we fear rejection or ridicule.

Why do humans have such a strong need to belong?

A: It is a product of modern culture, not a deep human need

B: Belonging to groups provided survival advantages throughout human evolution

C: People are naturally competitive and use groups to gain status

D: Belonging reduces boredom

Correct: Belonging to groups provided survival advantages throughout human evolution

The need to belong is one of the most fundamental human motivations, according to psychologists Roy Baumeister and Mark Leary. For most of human evolutionary history, being excluded from the group meant almost certain death — no protection, no food sharing, no allies. Our brains evolved to treat social rejection as genuinely painful (brain imaging shows social rejection activates the same regions as physical pain), and to find group membership deeply rewarding.

In group situations, people tend to perform better on all tasks compared to when alone.

Answer: False

It depends on the task. On simple or well-practised tasks, people often perform better in the presence of others — this is called social facilitation. But on complex, unfamiliar, or cognitively demanding tasks, the presence of others can impair performance — called social inhibition. Additionally, in groups, individuals sometimes put in less effort than they would alone, a phenomenon called social loafing, especially when individual contributions are anonymous.

The "fundamental attribution error" refers to the tendency to:

A: Blame external circumstances for our own failures

B: Over-attribute other people's behaviour to their personality, and under-attribute it to their situation

C: Assume the worst about strangers

D: Attribute our successes to luck rather than skill

Correct: Over-attribute other people's behaviour to their personality, and under-attribute it to their situation

The fundamental attribution error is the widespread tendency to explain other people's behaviour in terms of their character ("she's rude") rather than their circumstances ("she's having a terrible day"), while making the opposite error for ourselves. If you trip, you blame the pavement; if someone else trips, you think they're clumsy. This bias shapes how we judge others and can lead to unfair assessments and a lack of empathy.

What does research suggest about the relationship between social connection and physical health?

A: Social connection has no effect on physical health outcomes

B: Strong social connections are associated with longer life and better physical health

C: Too much social contact is associated with increased stress and worse health

D: Social connection only improves mental health, not physical health

Correct: Strong social connections are associated with longer life and better physical health

A landmark meta-analysis found that people with strong social relationships have a 50% greater likelihood of survival compared to those with poor social connections — an effect comparable to quitting smoking. Loneliness and social isolation are associated with increased inflammation, weakened immune function, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline. Social connection is not a luxury; it is a fundamental health need.