In a quiz show, when a contestant is at a loss for the correct answer…

In a quiz show, when a contestant is at a loss for the correct answer to a question he may opt for an 'audience poll'. The person most often chooses the majority opinion because of which phenomena

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 1

The correct answer is Option (1) → Conformity

Option (1) Conformity — Correct. Conformity means behaving according to the group norm, the expectations of other group members. One reason people conform is that the norm is seen as reflecting the views of the majority, and most people believe that the majority is more likely to be right than wrong. A quiz contestant who asks the audience and picks the option most of them chose is following this very belief.

Option (2) Compliance — Incorrect. Compliance is behaving in a particular way in response to a request made by someone, or because external conditions force one to accept the influence. Nobody requests the contestant to choose the majority answer.

Option (3) Obedience — Incorrect. Obedience is behaviour in response to a person in authority, carrying out an instruction or an order, as when the class stops talking because the teacher says so. The audience gives no order.

Option (4) Identification — Incorrect. In Kelman’s terms, identification is influence based on agreement-seeking or identity-seeking, wanting to be like a person or group one values. The contestant is not trying to be like the audience; she or he only trusts the majority to be right.

Note: Conformity, compliance and obedience, with this quiz-show example, were there in the pre-rationalised NCERT, which NTA followed in 2023, and are not there in the NCERT book (2025-26). Hence this question has been picked from the pre-rationalised NCERT.

NCERT (Pre-rationalised): “Conformity, Compliance, and Obedience … If your answer is that you would agree to sign the letter, you have expressed a form of social influence called ‘conformity’ which means behaving according to the group norm, i.e. the expectations of other group members.…”

“…Compliance also refers to behaving in a particular way in response to a request made by someone.…”

“…Identification, according to Kelman, refers to influence process based on agreement-seeking or identity-seeking.…”

“…A distinguishing feature of obedience is that such behaviour is a response to a person in authority.…”

“Conformity … Third, the norm is seen as reflecting the views and beliefs of the majority. Most people believe that the majority is more likely to be right rather than wrong. An instance of this is often observed in quiz shows on television. When a contestant is at a loss for the correct answer to a question, s/he may opt for an audience opinion, the person most often tends to choose the same option that the majority of the audience chooses. By the same reasoning, people conform to the norm because they believe that the majority must be right.…”