Question

Donna is a hardworking member of her group. She is responsible, articulate, organized, and encouraging. Once in a great while LaDonna is late to a meeting. While this is generally unacceptable behavior in the group, the other members rarely say anything because LaDonna is such a vital and important member. The group members are extending ________ to Donna.

A. ascribed status
B. earned status
C. status hierarchy
D. idiosyncracy credit
E. fantasy chains

Answer 1

Answer: D. Idiosyncracy credit

Explanation: Such credit refers to persons who have high capacities on the basis of their personal qualities, competences based on which they are able to break some of the rules and expectations of the group, and yet to do so in an acceptable way, i.e that the members of the group do not call it as difficult, but as acceptable deviation, and often they do not say anything about it, there are no complaints about it. This notion, which refers to one's credibility and importance within a group, is a subject of study in social psychology. This kind of credit is "achieved" each time a credible person meets the needs and requirements of group members, and then every time the influence of such a credible person grows with the members, and the credit thus obtained is "spent" each time the said credible person breaks the rules of the group, and for as long as there is credit.