Question

"An illustration of the way public commitments can lead to consistent further action, was provided in a famous experiment performed by two prominent social psychologists, Morton *Deutsch* and Harold *Gerard* (1955).

What was this about?"
A) The impact of peer pressure on decision-making.
B) The study of group dynamics in a workplace setting.
C) The effects of public commitments on behavior and attitudes.
D) The analysis of individual personality traits.

Answer 1

The experiment by Deutsch and Gerard in 1955 investigated the effects of public commitments on behavior and attitudes, revealing that public commitments can increase conformity due to added social pressure.

Step-by-step explanation:

The famous experiment performed by Morton Deutsch and Harold Gerard in 1955 focused on the effects of public commitments on behavior and attitudes. They discovered that people are more likely to conform to certain behaviors or attitudes when their responses are made in public compared to when made in private. This is due to the increased pressure to maintain consistency in front of others, which reinforces the commitment made. Their research contributes to the broader field of social psychology, including studies on conformity, social influence, and group dynamics. This phenomenon can be related to various aspects of social interactions and decisions, such as the decision to marry, and group influence demonstrated in situations like deindividuation or the justification of effort in group initiations.