Deck 15: Social Psychology

Question 1

Doni enters an elevator and stands in it facing the back instead of turning around to face the elevator door. Doni is violating

A) her gender role.
B) a social role.
C) a social norm.
D) a stereotype.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of the phenomenon of costly signaling in action?

A) Making a private donation to a hospital
B) Failing to help because others are around
C) Showing off one's wealth
D) Chasing down a thief who has stolen a stranger's purse

Answer 2

D

Question 3

______________ is a broad field of study that includes how individuals perceive and think about other people, as well as how the presence of other people can influence individuals' behaviors.

A) Social psychology
B) Sociology
C) Anthropology
D) Social philosophy

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The guidelines for how to behave in social contexts are called

A) social cognitions.
B) social roles.
C) social norms.
D) conformities.

Question 5

Which of the following does not explain why social loafing may occur?

A) The individual believes that even if the group succeeds, there will be very little reward in it for each individual group member.
B) The individual believes that the group will fail no matter what his or her contribution is.
C) The individual believes that he or she has little to contribute to a group.
D) The other group members refuse to work with the individual.

Question 6

If you were raised in a culture of honor, you are most likely to _________:

A) avoid aggressive acts at all costs.
B) rely solely on the legal system to provide justice.
C) insult or attack others without provocation.
D) be accepting of situations in which someone took revenge on another person.

Question 7

The way we each affect the thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors of others and are, in turn, affected by others is the study of

A) social psychology.
B) sociology.
C) anthropology.
D) social philosophy.

Question 8

While working on a group project in class, Dustin tries extra hard and volunteers to take on more work than the rest of the group. Based on this, fellow group members decide to slack off a little. Dustin's group is demonstrating _____.

A) social facilitation
B) cognitive dissonancy
C) social loafing
D) disobedience

Question 9

The concept of _____ explains why parents would risk their own lives to rescue one of their children.

A) self-serving bias
B) a culture of honor
C) reciprocal altruism
D) kin selection

Question 10

_____ occurs when an individual has two thoughts that are inconsistent with each other, creating a motivation to reduce the discrepancy.

A) Groupthink
B) Social facilitation
C) Cognitive dissonance
D) Obedience

Question 11

Society teaches that the value of helping goes beyond the benefits an individual might receive, and that individuals who cannot help themselves require special help. Based on _____, people feel compelled to help individuals who cannot help themselves such as the elderly and people with medical crises.

A) altruism
B) empathy
C) costly signaling
D) the social responsibility norm

Question 12

Which of the following is a criticism of the Implicit Associations Test (IAT)?

A) The IAT may measure only familiarity with a stereo-type, not actual prejudice.
B) The IAT actually measures explicit prejudice, not implicit prejudice.
C) The IAT is not reliable when subjects are retested.
D) Subjects can change their responses to make themselves appear less prejudiced.

Question 13

What makes the central route to persuasion distinct from the peripheral route?

A) The central route relies on information and evaluation of options, whereas the peripheral route is based on intuition and quick decisions.
B) The central route is based on reinforcement, whereas the peripheral route is based on punishment.
C) The peripheral route takes longer than the peripheral route.
D) The central route is based on intuition and quick decisions, whereas the peripheral route relies on information and evaluation of options.

Question 14

_____ is complying with instructions from an individual who has authority.

A) Obedience
B) Groupthink
C) Conformity
D) Mimicry

Question 15

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to attribute the actions of others to _____.

A) ingroup factors
B) outgroup factors
C) their disposition
D) the situation

Question 16

Some researchers believe that humans' capacity for empathy is based on the nerve cells called _____.

A) sympathy neurons
B) mirror neurons
C) empathy cells
D) altruism neurons

Question 17

We tend to think of our beliefs as being our own, and as being immune to group influences. This phenomenon is known as _____.

A) groupthink
B) the bias blind spot
C) social facilitation
D) self-determinism

Question 18

Which scenario is best explained by the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

A) You are stuck in heavy traffic and you start to threaten other motorists.
B) You threaten another person who is behaving inappropriately toward a family member.
C) You have excessively high levels of testosterone so you seek out aggressive situations.
D) All of these situations can be explained using the frustration-aggression hypothesis.

Question 19

Some behaviors, such as cursing and wearing revealing clothing are acceptable in some social contexts, but are considered unacceptable in other situations, such as in a business office. Which of the following explains why this is the case?

A) Social norms only apply to social contexts with written guidelines for behavior, for example, the workplace.
B) Many social norms are specific to a social context.
C) Social norms vary from person to person and are not related to the social context.
D) Social norms only exist for major societal issues, such as theft and murder; there are no social norms for trivial behaviors such as cursing or appropriate dress.

Question 20

Greg asked you to sign a petition for his student fundraising group. After he gets your signature, he asks you for a small donation. Which technique does Greg seem to be using?

A) Foot-in-the-door
B) Central route
C) Door-in-the-face
D) None of the above

Question 21

You get on an elevator. Everyone is facing to the right. You turn and also face to the right. This is an example of

A) obedience.
B) comparison.
C) attribution.
D) conformity.

Question 22

While __________ are general rules that apply to members of a group, ___________ are guidelines that apply to specific positions within the group.

A) conformity rules; obedience rules
B) obedience rules; conformity rules
C) social roles; social norms
D) social norms; social roles

Question 23

Research shows that people often

A) unconsciously copy the behavior of those around them for no apparent reason.
B) try to avoid social situations by disappearing into the background and avoiding being noticed.
C) pretend to occupy a social role that is not their own.
D) change the color scheme of their clothing to match the clothing of those of the most popular people in their group.

Question 24

In general, when an individual mimics aspects of the behavior of another, the imitator tends to be ___________by the imitated person.

A) viewed unfavorably
B) ignored
C) viewed favorably
D) asked to stop

Question 25

If you're like ___ percent of participants in the original Asch study, you would conform to the incorrect norm on at least once during testing.

A) 45
B) 55
C) 65
D) 75

Question 26

Which of the following is true about conformity?

A) Conformity is often a conscious decision.
B) Conformity is always caused by the desire to be liked by others.
C) Conformity cannot be studied in the laboratory.
D) People tend to be less likely to conform when responses are made publically.

Question 27

In the experiments conducted by Solomon Asch, what was the main task that subjects had to perform?

A) pretend they were prison guards
B) selecting line sizes
C) plunge their hands into buckets of water that were either ice cold or scalding hot
D) deliver electric shocks to helpless victims

Question 28

What does the Stanford prison study tell us about the relationship between social roles and behavior?

A) People who are naturally aggressive and authoritarian seek out social roles that allow them to behave in this way.
B) "Good" people will refuse to behave according to the norms of a social role if they are required to be harsh or abusive to other people.
C) When people are placed in social roles with a lot of power, their behavior often changes to fit their new role.
D) Inmates naturally take on different social roles in a prison, with some becoming aggressive and authoritarian, while others become passive and submissive.

Question 29

According to your textbook, one of the situations that produces more mimicry than others is when an individual

A) is hanging out with old friends.
B) is not interested in how others perceive them.
C) dislikes the person they are imitating.
D) wants to make a good impression.

Question 30

Ginger's new college roommate tends to wink a lot at the end of sentences to indicate that she is joking. After living together for a few weeks, Ginger unconsciously begins to wink when she makes a joke. This is an example of

A) cognitive dissonance.
B) the chameleon effect.
C) social facilitation.
D) groupthink.

Question 31

Imitating the behavior of one individual is called _____________, whereas changing your behavior to fit in with a group is called_____________.

A) mimicry; conformity
B) conformity; mimicry
C) obedience; conformity
D) conformity; obedience

Question 32

In the Stanford Prison Study, male college students agreed to participate in a two-week experiment to discover what would happen when they took on the roles of prisoners and guards. The researchers found that:

A) within a short time the prisoners became distressed and panicky, developing emotional symptoms and stress-related illnesses.
B) about five percent of the guards became tyrannical, giving the prisoners electric shocks when they were slow in obeying.
C) 90 percent of the guards tried to be "tough but fair" and demanded that the tyrannical guards lighten up on the prisoners because it was only an experiment.
D) the study was conducted in an unused wing of a real prison; therefore, the realistic atmosphere enhanced the role behavior of prisoners and guards.

Question 33

Wilhelm doesn't follow sports, but he agrees to go to a football game with a friend. Because he is unfamiliar with the rules, Wilhelm watches the other spectators around him carefully to see when they clap, stand, cheer, and boo and then copies their behavior. Which strategy is Wilhelm using?

A) groupthink.
B) parodying.
C) mimicry.
D) obedience.

Question 34

The Stanford Prison Study demonstrates how a person's _______________ affects behavior.

A) social role
B) values
C) beliefs
D) past experience

Question 35

When individuals find themselves in new situations where they are uncertain of how to behave, they often copy the behaviors of others, a strategy known as

A) mimicry.
B) obedience.
C) groupthink.
D) parodying.

Question 36

What actual event could have been predicted based on the results of Zimbardo's classic prisoner study at Stanford University?

A) the prison break at Attica prison in New York
B) the events in Waco, Texas, in which followers of a cult were killed by government agents
C) the events at Abu Gharib prison in Iraq
D) the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001

Question 37

Daniel's friends would probably describe him as easy going and a bit of a jokester. However, after becoming a police officer, Daniel feels that he is expected to be serious and strict. Daniel is feeling pressure to conform his behavior to the ______________ of police officer.

A) norm
B) prejudice
C) groupthink
D) social role

Question 38

When an individual, who is part of a larger group, puts forth less effort than other group members, ________ occurs.

A) cognitive dissonance
B) social loafing
C) conformity
D) the bystander effect

Question 39

Drill instructors in the military often yell at new recruits and try to humiliate them. In contrast, this behavior would never be tolerated from a kindergarten teacher, who is expected to be patient and nurturing. The behavior of both drill instructors and kindergarten teachers are examples of

A) social roles.
B) conformity.
C) obedience.
D) social norms.

Question 40

Solomon Asch set up an experiment in which eight people were shown a 10-inch line and then had to choose the line that matched it in length from a choice of three other lines. Through this experiment, Asch was studying

A) bystander apathy.
B) social loafing.
C) groupthink.
D) conformity.

Question 41

A group member is more likely to engage in social loafing if he or she believes that

A) the other group members are trying very hard.
B) his or her performance will not make a difference to the group's performance.
C) the group will receive a large reward for good performance.
D) his or her effort is critical to the overall performance of the group.

Question 42

_______________ participants in Milgram's study administered shock to the learner.

A) Very few
B) Most
C) None of the
D) All of the

Question 43

_____________ occurs when members of a group discuss characteristic attitudes of their group and, as a result, their views become stronger.

A) Social facilitation
B) Group polarization
C) Groupthink
D) Social loafing

Question 44

Which of the following is a decision-making problem in which group members avoid arguments and strive for agreement?

A) deindividuation
B) social loafing
C) obedience
D) groupthink

Question 45

A group of chemists, who have been working together on a new diet pill for the last four years, meet to discuss their new drug. Over the years, they have all come to respect each other and have formed a close bond. Upon discussing the effectiveness and safety of the diet pill, many members of the group found themselves agreeing with most of the comments that were made. Somewhere along the way, no one seemed to pay much attention to the fact that some of the subjects in the clinical trials of that drug became ill. It seemed that because nobody wanted to disrespect anyone else, the topic of ill subjects was dropped. What psychological phenomenon occurred here?

A) social facilitation
B) group polarization
C) groupthink
D) social loafing

Question 46

________ can occur when individuals who are part of a group focus on preserving group solidarity at the expense of considering all possible alternatives or even failing to use rational thought in the process.

A) Social facilitation
B) Groupthink
C) Social loafing
D) Group polarization

Question 47

Social facilitation is most likely to occur when individuals

A) have had relatively little practice.
B) are alone.
C) are novices.
D) have mastered the task they are performing.

Question 48

When Milgram and his team set up several variations of his original study, they found that people were more likely to disobey when

A) the experimenter wore a white lab coat instead of street clothes.
B) a confederate acting as another teacher refused to comply.
C) a second experimenter agreed the experiment should continue.
D) the experimenter appeared to be an authority figure.

Question 49

Which of the following statements is most likely to contribute to groupthink?

A) "Let's hear some differing opinions."
B) "What do you think?"
C) "I'm sure we all agree on this."
D) "We need to look at all of the evidence."

Question 50

What did Milgram study?

A) the authoritarian personality
B) bystander apathy
C) the effects of watching violence on television
D) obedience to authority

Question 51

What is the term for an improvement in performance caused by the perception that others are watching?

A) social loafing
B) social idleness
C) social facilitation
D) social productivity

Question 52

William is a police officer who is instructed by a superior officer to beat a subject in order to obtain a confession. According to research done on obedience, William is more likely to disobey this order if:

A) the superior officer is in the room with William and the suspect.
B) another senior officer agrees that William should beat the subject.
C) the suspect asks William to stop.
D) William sees another police officer refuse to continue beating the subject.

Question 53

_______ found that normal people in normal times will often follow orders to hurt innocent people.

A) Solomon Asch
B) Kurt Lewin
C) Carolyn Sherif
D) Stanley Milgram

Question 54

A social psychologist has been invited to give a community lecture on the importance of Milgram's research. He asks a social psychology class for suggested titles. Which of the following titles might they suggest as the most appropriate?

A) "Obedience and Aggression Are Inborn"
B) "Do Not Underestimate the Power of Perceived Authority"
C) "Training in Ethics Can Overcome the Pull of Obedience"
D) "Make a Small Request First and the World Can Be Yours"

Question 55

Before Stanley Milgram conducted his study on obedience, he asked a number of psychiatrists and psychologists how many people would go all the way to the highest voltage under the instructions of the authority. Milgram found that

A) The experts accurately predicted that about 45 percent of the participants would inflict what they thought were dangerous amounts of shock.
B) The experts accurately predicted that about 25 percent of the participants would inflict what they thought were dangerous amounts of shock.
C) The experts greatly underestimated how many participants would inflict what they thought were dangerous amounts of shock.
D) The experts greatly overestimated how many participants would inflict what they thought were dangerous amounts of shock.

Question 56

Complying with instructions or orders from an individual who is in a position of authority is called

A) mimicry.
B) conformity.
C) groupthink.
D) obedience.

Question 57

Which statement best describes an important finding of Milgram's classic research?

A) Individuals easily conform to group norms.
B) The presence of other people makes aggression more likely.
C) People will easily obey an authority figure and do harm to others.
D) Agreeing to a small request makes it more likely you will agree to a big request.

Question 58

Your textbook's authors use the term bias blind spot to refer to the fact that people

A) often fail to notice stimuli that they are not paying attention to.
B) tend to be unaware of the social influences that bias our beliefs.
C) tend to judge the validity of their beliefs based on whether they can support them with visual evidence or not.
D) often blame their poor decisions on biased thinking.

Question 59

You and your group have had four weeks to complete a group project for your economics class. You are now four days away from the due date, and you and one other group member have been putting in all of the time and effort. The other two members come occasionally to group meetings and due the minimal work required. This unfortunate situation is known as

A) social facilitation.
B) groupthink.
C) social loafing.
D) social referencing.

Question 60

Marco has been running each afternoon trying to beat his college's record for the 400 meter sprint. Despite all his practicing, he hasn't been able to come in under his usual time. There's a big fan turnout for the track meet on Saturday against the rival school and Marco not only beats the old record, but far surpasses it. Marco's behavior illustrates

A) social facilitation.
B) social compensation.
C) social loafing.
D) the bystander effect.

Question 61

Whenever a person has two contradictory cognitions at the same time, a state of _____________ exists.

A) groupthink
B) justification of effort
C) cognitive dissonance
D) self determinism

Question 62

When an individual's attitudes do not match up with his/her behaviors, ________ is likely to occur.

A) compliance
B) discrimination
C) cognitive dissonance
D) prejudice

Question 63

A local charity sends you return mailing labels and asks you to contribute whatever you can. You go ahead and send $5. A month later, you receive another request, but this time for $10, along with numerous other charities to contribute to. While you feel good that you contributed, you may be experiencing the

A) foot-in-the-mouth technique.
B) foot-in-the-door technique.
C) door-in-the-face technique.
D) door-in-the-foot technique.

Question 64

There are two alternative pathways to persuading others. One leads us to respond to persuasive arguments on the basis of quick judgments. This is known as the

A) central route.
B) peripheral route.
C) afferent route.
D) efferent route.

Question 65

Representative Jansen, a U.S. congresswoman, believes in the reproductive rights and welfare of women but voted to ban late-term abortions. Jansen feels very uneasy about the conflict between her beliefs and her behavior. She is most likely experiencing

A) fundamental attribution.
B) cognitive resolution.
C) cognitive dissonance.
D) the fundamental attribution error.

Question 66

Miranda received a phone call from a telemarketer for a local charity. The telemarketer asked for a $1000 donation. When Miranda refused, the telemarketer then asked for $25, to which Miranda agreed. This is an example of the

A) foot-in-the-door technique.
B) door-in-the-face technique.
C) low-ball technique.
D) bait-and-switch technique.

Question 67

The phenomenon of ________________ explains why meetings between proponents and opponents of an idea often ends with participants having more extreme opinions on the issue than they did before the meeting.

A) social facilitation
B) groupthink
C) group polarization
D) social loafing

Question 68

When she is not at the bar, Jayla preaches to everyone about the dangers of smoking. However, she does smoke an occasional cigarette when she is at the bar with her friends, although at those times she feels somewhat frustrated by her own smoking behavior. Jayla is likely experiencing ________ when she smokes.

A) groupthink
B) cognitive dissonance
C) social facilitation
D) compliance

Question 69

________ involves making a small request before asking for a bigger one.

A) The foot-in-the-door technique
B) The door-in-the-face technique
C) The low-ball technique
D) The bait-and-switch technique

Question 70

Luka and Will attend a meeting at work to decide whether or not to expand the company. Luka believes expanding the company is a good idea while Will does not, however neither one feels strongly about the issue. If group polarization occurs as a result of the meeting, which of the following will most likely be true after the meeting?

A) Both men will support expanding the company.
B) Neither man will support expanding the company.
C) Both men will be even more uncertain about the correct course of action.
D) Both men will believe more strongly in their original positions.

Question 71

Your friend asks you to borrow $50 from you. You tell him no. Then he asks for a mere $10, which you gladly give him. While you feel good to have helped him out, you may have just experienced the

A) foot-in-the-mouth technique.
B) foot-in-the-door technique.
C) door-in-the-face technique.
D) door-in-the-foot technique.

Question 72

Darnel believes very strongly that large corporations are evil and are destroying America. One day however, a large corporation releases a new tablet computer that Darnel runs out to buy. When asked about his purchase of a product made by a large corporation, Darnel says, "Well, I suppose not all corporations are evil." Darnel's change in attitude is likely an attempt to

A) reduce cognitive dissonance.
B) avoid making the fundamental attribution error.
C) avoid group polarization.
D) use the door-in-face technique.

Question 73

The ________ technique involves asking for an unreasonably large request before asking for the small request you are hoping to have granted.

A) foot-in-the-door
B) door-in-the-face
C) low-ball
D) bait-and-switch

Question 74

Cognitive dissonance is

A) a state of tension that occurs when a person simultaneously holds two cognitions that are psychologically inconsistent.
B) the tendency of members of a group to avoid taking responsibility for their actions because they assume that others will do so.
C) the tendency for members of a close-knit group to think alike for the sake of harmony and to suppress disagreement.
D) a belief that a statement is true just because the person has heard it repeated over and over again.

Question 75

When Sam went looking for a new car, he met a beautiful saleswoman who described the beauty of the car and the flashiness, and how good Sam would look driving it. She did not mention the poor gas mileage, the exorbitant price, and the poor road performance. Sam made a snap decision to buy the car from the persuasive saleswoman. Sam was using which alternative pathway in making a decision?

A) the central route
B) the peripheral route
C) the afferent route
D) the efferent route

Question 76

There are two alternative pathways to persuading others. One leads us to evaluate the merits of the persuasive arguments carefully and thoughtfully. This is known as the

A) central route.
B) peripheral route.
C) afferent route.
D) efferent route.

Question 77

When we experience an unpleasant state of tension between two or more conflicting thoughts, we are experiencing

A) a self-fulfilling prophecy.
B) obedience.
C) the fundamental attribution error.
D) cognitive dissonance.

Question 78

Even though Jane thought it was wrong to take from others, she didn't want to be rejected by her peers, so she began shoplifting along with them. Jane probably experienced ___________ when she stole.

A) the fundamental attribution error
B) reactance
C) central route change
D) cognitive dissonance

Question 79

Which one of the following activities will NOT reduce cognitive dissonance?

A) changing the behavior to match the attitude
B) changing the thought to justify the behavior
C) developing new thoughts to justify the behavior
D) continuing the behavior in spite of the conflicting thoughts

Question 80

In 1954, Marian Keech convinced her followers that aliens from planet Clarion had sent her a message that the world was coming to an end on December 21, but that they could be saved. When the world did not come to an end, Mrs. Keech and many of her followers reduced cognitive dissonance by

A) deciding that the aliens had been pulling a practical joke on them.
B) deciding that their efforts had been justified and had spared the planet.
C) trying to bring about the end of the world on their own by encouraging the U.S. President to start World War III.
D) using logical analysis to realize that they had been mistaken.