Final answer:
Self-confidence helps individuals resist peer pressure rather than making them more susceptible to it. This stands in contrast to what happens when individuals lack self-confidence, which can lead them to conform to others' expectations more readily.
Step-by-step explanation:
The benefit of having self-confidence is not being more likely to give in to peer pressure; in fact, it's the opposite. A benefit of self-confidence is the capacity to resist peer pressure and maintain personal values and judgments. A self-confident person tends to be more assertive in their decisions, can remain relaxed when meeting new people, and is less driven by a need to conform. Social influence like informational social influence becomes more likely under conditions where the answer to a situation is unclear or when the group involved has a perceived expertise (choices b and c).
Collective action problems tend to be less severe in small groups because of easier monitoring of individual behavior (choice b), a reduced ability to free-ride, and stronger peer pressure (choice d). In Asch's conformity experiments, factors such as very small group size, the presence of an ally, and the ability to keep one's answer private (choice d) helped individuals resist the pressure to conform. Lastly, group dynamics can lead to phenomena such as diminished personal accountability, a tendency to prioritize group cohesion, and a potential reduction in critical thinking.