Deck 13: Behaviour in a Social Context

Question 1

A psychologist who is discussing the causes of racism and prejudice argues that these negative beliefs are caused primarily by people's needs to enhance their self-esteem and to feel good about themselves.This psychologist's explanation is most consistent with

A) the fundamental attribution error.
B) social identity theory.
C) the self-serving bias.
D) realistic conflict theory.
E) self-fulfilling prophecy.

Answer 1

social identity theory.

Question 2

Gerri's boyfriend wants her to type his term paper for him,so he first asks her to type the cover page.After she does this,he then asks her to type the whole paper.Gerri appears to be a potential victim of

A) self-monitoring.
B) the low-ball technique.
C) the over-justification effect.
D) the foot-in-the-door technique.
E) the door-in-the-face technique.

Answer 2

the foot-in-the-door technique.

Question 3

People are most likely to aggress against another person when they perceive that the other person's behaviour was

A) unintended or controllable.
B) unintended or uncontrollable.
C) intended or controllable.
D) intended or uncontrollable.
E) vicious or uncontrollable.

Answer 3

intended or controllable.

Question 4

Consider the following scenario: when discussing her recent grades,Sherri indicated that she did very well in Math and attributes her success to studying very hard.Even though she studied equally hard for Chemistry,Sherri failed the exam but explains this failure in terms of her unfair professor. This is an example of:

A) primacy effect
B) stereotype threat
C) self-serving bias
D) fundamental attribution error
E) depressive realism

Question 5

Jon and Madison have been dating for several weeks and are both considering making their relationship exclusive and not seeing other people.According to the work on close relationships ,their relationship will tend to grow closer and deeper if

A) there is sexual intimacy.
B) the relationship exceeds their respective expectations.
C) there is no other reasonable alternative relationships for both of them.
D) their respective friends deem that Jon and Madison are similar.
E) there is enough self-disclosure.

Question 6

You watch a commercial for running shoes in which a very famous athlete claims that they use the shoes and they are the best.You decide to buy the shoes.You have been influenced by

A) the central route to persuasion.
B) the peripheral route to persuasion.
C) self-refutational approach to persuasion.
D) self-justification.
E) the theory of other-perception.

Question 7

After conducting a series of interviews,the members of the hiring committee feel fairly positive about Ms.Rajwa.After discussing her performance during the interview,the committee members feel even more positive about this job candidate.This is best considered an example of

A) cognitive dissonance.
B) group polarization.
C) group think.
D) realistic conflict theory.
E) stereotype threat.

Question 8

The text makes an important distinction between ___________,which refers to a negative attitude toward people based on their membership in a group,and ___________,which is concerned with actually treating people unfairly based on their group membership.

A) attribution;stereotype
B) stereotype;prejudice
C) prejudice;stereotype
D) prejudice;discrimination
E) discrimination;prejudice

Question 9

A stranger has collapsed on a city sidewalk due to a heart attack.According to Darley and Latané,what is the first thing that must happen before a bystander helps in this emergency?

A) the bystander must be in a good mood
B) the bystander must have pre-existing guilt
C) the bystander must have seen a helpful role model
D) the bystander experienced personal distress
E) none of the these

Question 10

The Asch conformity results involving the judgement of line lengths are all the more startling because the study did not employ any

A) judgments about ambiguous stimuli.
B) groups larger than four persons.
C) experimental realism.
D) open,obvious pressure to conform.
E) computers.

Question 11

To use the door-in-the-face technique for persuasion you must first

A) ask for a small favour.
B) ask for a large favour.
C) ask for general agreement to help you.
D) remind the other person that you have helped them in the past.
E) be prepared to change the rules.

Question 12

You are conducting a conformity experiment patterned after the one utilized by Solomon Asch.Under which of the following conditions would you expect conformity to be the highest (i.e. ,the most people will conform)?

A) when there are four confederates in the group
B) when financial incentives are offered for correct answers on an easy task
C) when there are two confederates in the group
D) when there is at least one dissenter in the group
E) both when two people are in the group AND when there is at least one dissenter in the group about equally

Question 13

Self-perception theory asserts that

A) people's attitudes are predictive of their future behaviour when cognitive dissonance is low.
B) people infer their attitudes from watching their own behaviours,just as they do when watching others.
C) people are more likely to change their attitudes when they perceive that their behaviours have been coerced.
D) people tend to attribute their own behaviours to external causes,while they tend to attribute the behaviour of others to internal causes.
E) people tend to attribute their successes to internal factors,but attribute their failures to external factors.

Question 14

Based on the findings of Milgram's research,which of the following led to the greatest decrease in harmful obedience in the study?

A) when the "teacher" actually administered the "shock"
B) when the "teacher" actually touched the student
C) when the "teacher" stood closer to the student
D) when the "teacher" was solely responsible for the outcome
E) when the "student" complained about heart problems

Question 15

You see an individual on the bus punch someone else in the nose.You immediately conclude that the first person is very aggressive.You have just committed the

A) fundamental attribution error.
B) self-serving bias.
C) recency bias.
D) communicator credibility error.
E) dissonance error.

Question 16

Suppose that someone has just opened a new night club and you freely choose to carry a big,obnoxious,heavy sign advertising this business around campus for three hours on a very hot day.According to _____________,you would probably rate this activity as the most enjoyable (or the least boring)if someone paid you _____ to do it.

A) the cognitive dissonance theory;$1
B) the self-fulfilling prophecy;$25
C) the norm of reciprocity;$1
D) the cognitive dissonance theory;$25
E) the norm of reciprocity;$25

Question 17

Krista has been in a romantic relationship with Alek for several months.Initially,her feelings for her partner were very intense and ranged from ecstatic highs when seeing her partner to sometimes heart-breaking lows when her partner was away.These feelings have faded somewhat,and more recently,she has also noticed more feelings of affection and caring for her partner.The difference between her initial and recent feelings best demonstrates the difference between Sternberg's

A) passionate love and companionate love.
B) companionate love and erotic love.
C) intimacy and consummate love.
D) commitment love and companionate love.
E) erotic love and monotony.

Question 18

After Gerri reluctantly agreed to type her boyfriend's psychology term paper,he told her it might actually be 75 pages long.Gerri appears to be a potential victim of

A) self-monitoring.
B) the low-ball technique.
C) the over-justification effect.
D) the lure technique.
E) the door-in-the-face technique.

Question 19

Which of the following characteristics would be the least likely to enhance the persuasiveness of a communicator?

A) having a communicator who is physically attractive
B) having a communicator who delivers a message that induces a moderate level of fear
C) having a communicator who is likeable
D) having a communicator who is perceived as being similar to you
E) having a communicator who is directive

Question 20

In a psychology experiment,the experimenter forces you to write a counterattitudinal essay in favour of raising tuition.After you do so,you asked what you really think about raising tuition.According to the theory of cognitive dissonance,you will

A) have a more positive attitude than before about raising tuition.
B) have a more negative attitude than before about raising tuition.
C) complain about the nature of the experiment.
D) not change your attitude at all.
E) feel a threat to your self-worth.

Question 21

Mary's mother is a non-smoker and she believes that the government should cut health care benefits to anyone who does smoke because they are responsible for any health problems they might experience-they deserve what happens to them.This is an example of

A) the fundamental attribution error.
B) the equal status effect.
C) the just world hypothesis.
D) out-group homogeneity bias.
E) misattribution.

Question 22

Let's say that you are very good at playing video games.So while playing in the mall one afternoon,you attract a large crowd to watch you.According to Zajonc's dominant response theory of social facilitation,you will

A) perform better.
B) perform worse.
C) perform at your usual level.
D) find that you can change people's attitudes towards video games.
E) alter your sequence of dominant responses to include an audience.

Question 23

Bree saw a person lying on the street.She felt the person's distress and decided to help.In doing so,she was able to reduce her own distress.This explanation of altruism is consistent with

A) diffusion of responsibility.
B) the negative state relief model.
C) social comparison.
D) the mood activating effect.
E) kin selection.

Question 24

Which of the following brain structures or neurotransmitters has NOT been linked to aggression?

A) amygdale
B) frontal lobes
C) hypothalamus
D) GABA
E) serotonin

Question 25

We have a natural tendency to categorize our environment.When we categorize people,we will tend to show

A) out-group favouritism.
B) in-group favouritism.
C) stereotype threat.
D) out-group homogeneity.
E) both in-group favouritism and out-group homogeneity.

Question 26

According to Harold Kelley,if consistency,distinctiveness,and consensus are all high we are likely to make

A) a self-serving error.
B) a personal attribution.
C) a situational attribution.
D) a primacy error.
E) a fundamental attribution error.

Question 27

Jorge is at a dating service looking to find a suitable mate.Research on physical attractiveness would suggest that he will choose to date

A) the most attractive person available.
B) someone who is less attractive than he is.
C) someone who is more attractive than he is.
D) someone who is similar in attractiveness to him.
E) someone who is average in attractiveness.

Question 28

If you wanted to increase the level of obedience in a standard Milgram experiment,which of the following would you do?

A) have a second participant with the teacher who actually flips the shock switch
B) make sure that the learner is in the same room as the teacher
C) have the experimenter give the orders by phone
D) have the experimenter appear to be an ordinary person
E) have the teacher force the learner's hand onto a shock plate

Question 29

Paul is feeling very frustrated and angry with his boss.Rather than attacking his boss,Paul goes to the gym and engages in a very vigorous workout.After the gym,he feels much better.A psychodynamic interpretation of this activity would focus on the concept of

A) catharsis.
B) overcontrolled hostility.
C) empathy.
D) social learning.
E) provocation.