Group Theory and Group Skills Exams
Chapter 8: Controversy and Creativity
1. Controversy is a conflict characterized by
a. Incompatible opinions where a winner is sought
b. Incompatible opinions where agreement is sought
c. Incompatible opinions where avoiding conflict is sought
d. Individuals decide without discussion
2. Aristotle’s Deliberate Discourse is:
a. Giving an oration at the Coliseum
b. Engaging in philosophical questions and answers
c. Taking action after discussing the issue with everyone involved
d. Discussing advantages and disadvantages of proposed actions
3. Which is NOT a step in the controversy procedure?
a. Research and prepare a position
b. Present and advocate positions
c. Argue for the other side
d. An impartial judge decides the winner
4. Perspective-taking is most present in
a. Debate
b. Controversy
c. Concurrence-seeking
d. Individual decision-making
5. A characteristic of both controversy and debate is
a. Consensus-seeking
b. Concurrence-seeking
c. Researching and presenting positions
d. Reversing perspectives
6. Controversy is constructive when there is
a. Cooperation and conflict
b. Competition and conflict
c. Cooperation and conflict
d. Group processing
7. The process which brings the most open-minded to opposing views is
a. Debate
b. Controversy
c. Concurrence-seeking
d. Individualistic decision-making
8. The process lease likely to produce intellectual conflict is
a. Debate
b. Controversy
c. Concurrence-seeking
d. Individual decision-making
9. Individuals who hold strong beliefs about an issue are apt to
a. Accept confirming information at face value
b. Be highly critical of disconfirming evidence
c. Seek out unbiased concurrence-seeking groups
d. a & b
e. All of the above
10. Presenting a position and providing reasons why others should adopt it is
a. Cognitive rehearsal
b. Decision-making
c. Advocacy
d. Deductive thinking
11. Roberto and Alicia disagree on a topic important to each of them. To strengthen their relationship they should engage in
a. Debate
b. Concurrence Seeking
c. Controversy
d. Agreeing to disagree
12. Advocating a position and defending it against refutation require
a. Certainty in the correctness of your views
b. Cognitive rehearsal and elaboration
c. Concurrence-seeking
d. Inductive reasoning
13. When individuals in a controversy are confronted by different ideas and conclusions, they
a. Develop epistemic curiosity
b. Become more close-minded
c. Bond with those who agree with them
d. Become disinterested in the process
14. In controversy, members critically analyze one another’s positions in order to
a. Win the controversy for their side
b. Refute them
c. Determine weaknesses and strengths
d. Reduce conflict
15. Individuals who disagree will engage in perspective-taking
a. In a cooperative context
b. In a competitive context
c. When they wish to discount the other’s ideas
d. In concurrence-seeking
16. Integrating a number of different ideas and facts into a single position is
a. Synthesizing
b. Dualistic thinking
c. Elaboration
d. Overt controversy
17. The purpose of having group members engage in controversy is to
a. Help the stronger arguers determine the group’s decision
b. Help the weaker arguers have their say
c. Find a position all members can implement
d. Keep harmony among group members
18. Marcella has decided that she wants her employees to discuss ideas openly and honestly. So she has them practice the process of
a. Debate
b. Controversy
c. Concurrence-seeking
d. Friendly competition
19. Within a cooperative context, controversy promotes
a. Open-minded listening to opposing positions
b. Motivation to learn more
c. More accurate understanding of the opponent’s position
d. b and c
e. All of the above
20. When disagreeing with others in a controversy, it is most important to
a. Confirm their competence
b. Incorporate their views into your own
c. Develop clever ways to refute their ideas
d. Be diplomatic
21. Perspective-taking means
a. Looking at the issue from a disinterested third person perspective
b. Looking at the issue from the other person’s perspective
c. Looking at all the reasons in favor of your perspective
d. Taking the ideas of the other side and integrating them into your side
22. Rational argument includes all EXCEPT
a. Generating ideas
b. Collecting and organizing relevant information
c. Allowing the best arguers to win
d. Using inductive and deductive logic
23. Rational argument requires group members to
a. Change their minds based on logical arguments
b. Use logic to refute ideas that they did not have
c. Make conclusions early in the process
d. Integrate ideas to include everyone’s initial position
24. Minority influence occurs when members in the minority
a. Silence nonconformists
b. Go along with the majority opinion
c. Create a sub-group of dissenters
d. Persuade members of the majority to agree with them
e. All of the above
25. Minority opinions are most persuasive when
a. They hold steadily to their view
b. They are willing to compromise a little
c. More than one person holds the opinion
d. a & c
e. All of the above
26. To make sure the group engages in productive controversy, it is most important that they
a. Brainstorm all possible ideas
b. Have each individual publicly state their opinion
c. Have everyone argue for opposing positions
d. Reach a decision containing everyone’s ideas
27. The process of controversy is important for a democracy because
a. A democracy is the only political system where controversy is allowed
b. Truth is most likely to emerge with free and open discussion
c. Most people disagree with political decisions
d. The minority can overwhelm the majority
28. When group members replace old beliefs with new ones, it is the
a. Analytic phase
b. Framework phase
c. Belief phase
d. Synthesizing phase
29. Controversy is constructive when there is
a. Members realize their first answer is probably the right answer
b. Members seek to compromise among ideas
c. The smartest member’s ideas are adopted
d. Members have time to reflect on the ideas and perspectives
30. What is NOT a characteristic of an open-minded group?
a. Emphasize differences between what they do and do not believe
b. Remembers and considers information that disagrees with currently held
beliefs
c. Organizes new beliefs to solve the problem
d. Seeks out opposing beliefs
31. What is NOT a characteristic of closed-minded people?
a. Less able to organize and integrate new beliefs
b. Evaluate information consistent with their beliefs more positively
c. Tend to accept statements from authorities as true
d. Are more interested in compromise
32. An important requirement for creative problem solving is
a. Freewheeling members
b. Open-minded members
c. Evaluating members
d. Homogeneous members
33. What is NOT a reason for brainstorming?
a. Encourage divergent thinking
b. Produce many different ideas in a short time
c. Get all group members to participate
d. Allow group members to see who gives the best ideas
34. What is NOT a characteristic of brainstorming?
a. All criticism is ruled out
b. Wild ideas are accepted
c. Focus is on several problems or issues
d. Builds on others’ ideas
35. A problem with group brainstorming exists when
a. Members interrupt each other
b. Members blurt out ideas
c. There isn’t much time for doing it
d. Only one member talks at a time
36. A problem with brainstorming is
a. Everyone thins their ideas are the best ones
b. People may not be able to access their ideas
c. People build on others’ ideas instead of contributing their own
d. Too many ideas confuse the issue
37. In brainstorming, priming is
a. Presenting ideas from low-accessible categories
b. Separating secondary ideas from prime ideas
c. Letting the people who know the most about a topic do the brainstorming
d. Paying attention to the people with the best ideas
38. Paying attention to the ideas of other in important in brainstorming because
a. It keeps the group from repeating rejected ideas
b. It allows the minority to include their ideas
c. It activates low-accessible ideas
d. It makes no difference
TRUE OR FALSE
- Controversy occurs when two sides disagree with each other’s ideas and opinions and ask a mediator to determine who is right.
- For constructive controversy, there has to be both cooperation and conflict.
- In controversy, when a decision is made, the controversy ends and participants commit themselves to a common course of action.
- Concurrence-seeking is close to the groupthink concepts of Janis.
- The greater the cooperative elements and the lesser the competitive elements, the more constructive the conflict.
- In group discussions, if there is a margin of support for one alternative, other ideas have little chance of being accepted.
- Controversy has been found to diminish good relationships among those involved in the controversy.
- The purpose of controversy is to judge sides and adopt the best one.
- A cooperative context is more likely to result in concurrence-seeking than in information seeking.
- Minority opinions are most persuasive when they are unwilling to compromise.
- Brainstorming is more effective in a group than when individuals brainstorm on their own.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
- Explain the differences between controversy, concurrence seeking, debate, and individualistic decision making.
- Explain how the process of controversy leads to better thinking.
- Explain why groups avoid conflict in decision-making situations.
- Why is individual decision-making lacking?
- Why is debate unsatisfactory for good decision-making?
- What are ways in which a group can stifle good ideas?
- Explain the process (steps) of controversy.
- Why is creating uncertainty in a group member a good thing?
- Why is a cooperative context important for the success of a controversy?
- What are the effects of a competitive context on those involved in controversy?
- What are the effects of a cooperative context on those involved in controversy?
- Why is it important to confirm the other’s competence when disagreeing with them?
- What are the elements of rational argument?
- How can those with a minority opinions influence the majority opinion?
- How does the controversy procedure foster support for the minority opinion?
- How does controversy affect creativity?
- What are some important procedures for motivating creativity?
- Explain the differences between open-minded and close-minded groups.
- Explain why priming and attention are important for diversity of ideas in brainstorming.
Chapter 8: Controversy and Creativity
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Additional Exercises for Chapter 8: Controversy and Creativity
Your Behavior in Controversies (I)
The purposes of this exercise are (1) to make you more aware of your typical actions when involved in a controversy and (2) to make your group more aware of the pattern of members’ actions when they are involved in a controversy. The procedure is as follows:
1. Working by yourself, complete the following questionnaire.
2. Using the scoring table, determine (a) your scores and (b) the average of all group members’ scores.
3. Engage in a group discussion of (a) the strategies used most frequently during a controversy and (b) how controversies may be managed more constructively.
Understanding My Controversy Behavior
Each of the following questions describes an action taken during a controversy. For each question write 5 if you always behave that way, 4 if you frequently behave that way, 3 if you occasionally behave that way, 2 if you seldom behave that way, and 1 if you never behave that way.
1. When I disagree with other group members, I insist that they change their opinions to match mine.
2. If someone disagrees with my ideas and opinions, I feel hurt and rejected.
3. I often infer that persons who disagree with me are incompetent and ignorant.
4. When other disagree with me, I try to view the issue from all points of view.
5. I try to avoid individuals who argue with me.
6. When others disagree with me, I view it as an interesting opportunity to learn and to improve the quality of my ideas and reasoning.
7. When I get involved in an argument with others, I become more and more certain that I am correct and argue more and more strongly for my own point of view.
8. When others disagree with my ideas, I get hostile and angry at them.
9. When I disagree with others, I am careful to communicate respect for them as persons while I criticize their ideas.
10. I am careful always to paraphrase the thoughts and feelings of others when they present ideas and opinions that are different from mine.
11. When others disagree with me, I generally keep my ideas and opinions to myself.
12. When others disagree with me, I encourage them to express their ideas and opinions fully, and seek to clarify the differences between their position and perspective and mine.
13. I view my disagreements with others as opportunities to see who “wins” and who “loses.”
14. I often insult those who criticize my ideas and opinions.
15. When another person and I disagree, I carefully communicate, “I appreciate you, I am interested in your ideas, but I disagree with your current position.”
16. When others disagree with me, I keep thinking of my ideas and opinions so that I do not forget them or get confused.
17. I am careful not to share my ideas and opinions when I think others may disagree with them.
18. When I disagree with others, I listen carefully to their ideas and opinions and change my mind when doing so is warranted by their information and reasoning.
19. When others and I disagree, I try to overpower them with my facts and reasoning.
20. I tend to dislike those who disagree with my ideas and opinions.
21. When I am disagreeing with and criticizing others’ ideas and opinions, I let them know that I like them as a person.
22. I try to view the situation and issue from my opponent’s shoes when involved in a disagreement about ideas and opinions.
23. I refuse to get into an argument with anyone.
24. When others disagree with me, I try to clarify the differences among our ideas and opinions, clarify the points of agreement, and seek a creative integration of all our ideas and information.
25. When others and I disagree, I have to convince them that I am right and they are wrong.