Which of the following best describes the experience at a fast food restaurant from a social psychology perspective?

• A. It demonstrates the bystander effect, where people are less likely to help others in a group setting.
• B. It is an example of a social script, where individuals follow culturally defined expectations for behavior in a specific setting.
• C. It is best explained by cognitive dissonance, where individuals feel discomfort from holding conflicting beliefs about food.
• D. It is primarily an example of classical conditioning, where food choices are learned through repeated associations.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the key concepts mentioned in the options: bystander effect, social script, cognitive dissonance, and classical conditioning. Each concept explains different social or psychological phenomena.
2. Step 2: Define the bystander effect: it occurs when individuals are less likely to help someone in need when others are present, due to diffusion of responsibility. Consider if this applies to typical fast food restaurant behavior.
3. Step 3: Define social scripts: these are culturally learned guidelines or expectations for how to behave in specific social situations, such as ordering food or interacting in a restaurant setting.
4. Step 4: Define cognitive dissonance: this is the psychological discomfort experienced when holding conflicting beliefs or attitudes, such as feeling guilty about unhealthy food choices.
5. Step 5: Define classical conditioning: a learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, influencing behavior through repeated pairings, such as associating a brand with positive feelings.
6. Step 6: Analyze the fast food restaurant scenario: people typically follow expected behaviors like ordering, waiting, and eating, which aligns with following a social script rather than the other phenomena.
7. Step 7: Conclude that the best description is the social script, as it explains how individuals behave according to culturally defined expectations in that setting.