Exam 7: Attitudes, Beliefs and Consistency

Another term for "social learning" is "instrumental learning."

In Fritz Heider's balance theory, balance is synonymous with ____.

Dr. Cross conducts a study in which she repeatedly exposes Lucy to a neutral object (a small painting). The study is neither enjoyable nor painful for Lucy. Assuming that Lucy had a neutral attitude toward the painting at the beginning of the study, how should we expect her to feel about the painting by the end of the study?

The term ____ is used to refer to the idea that people live and function in the social universe based on certain beliefs about reality.

You are trying to persuade your mother to lend you some money. You decide to make your attack in the evening, when she will be tired and distracted. This evening strategy is likely to be effective (assuming your mother is not in a bad mood) because in the evening she will be more likely than usual to rely on the ____ system, which will in turn ____.

Which of the following statements about why humans have attitudes is most accurate?

Research has demonstrated that people are more likely to imitate behaviors if they have seen others rewarded for performing those behaviors, and less likely to imitate behaviors if they have seen others punished for performing those behaviors. This type of learning is known as ____________________.

Iris is a vegetarian, but she ate a steak last night. When would she be most likely to try to rationalize her steak-eating?

Research has shown that attitudes that are certain, stable, consistent, available, and based on direct experience are especially effective in predicting behavior. These attitudes best illustrate the term ____.

Wei-Shin was mugged while he was walking across campus alone one evening. The event left him with his wallet and identity stolen, and a broken nose and rib. Wei-Shin thinks to himself, "What kind of world is this, where someone will mug a poor college student?" Wei-Shin is having trouble coping because this traumatic event has challenged his ____.

Research indicates that students who enter college knowing their likes and dislikes on academically relevant issues tend to experience better physical and mental health in the college setting than do other students.

Paul is trying to train his puppy, Cupcake. He yells "Bad dog!" whenever Cupcake fails to do what he wants. Paul seems to be using _____.

The pressure to maintain consistency among beliefs and behaviors is ____.

Mariah has an unplanned, unwanted pregnancy. She is thinking about having an abortion. But her family members and close friends are all strongly opposed to abortion. The influence of their views on Mariah's decision to pursue abortion or not best illustrates the importance of ____.

Research on effort justification and cognitive dissonance theory might suggest that we will be more attracted to potential dating partners who ____ than potential dating partners who ____.

Discuss cognitive dissonance theory. What does the theory say, and what kinds of predictions does it make?

One variant of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) measures attitudes toward a single group (e.g., just the elderly). This variant of the IAT is known as the ____.

Martin's wife died suddenly in a traumatic accident. He believes it was a senseless death with no point. Jack's wife died in a similar manner. Jack believes his wife's death has provided an opportunity for the family to develop a foundation serving others with her life insurance benefits. Jack and Martin will probably cope equally well with their tragic circumstances.

Research on post-trauma coping suggests that-contrary to what many people think-blaming oneself for a trauma can, in some cases, help people recover. This seems to be because self-blame causes people to _____.

Suppose that Dylan has a new girlfriend whom he really likes. He programs his cell phone so that every time his new girlfriend calls, his phone plays the new Justin Timberlake single. After he has had his phone programmed this way for a little while, he notices that he feels happy whenever he hears the Justin Timberlake song. What is the best term for the role of the Justin Timberlake song?