Deck 6: The Key Self-Motives: Consistency, Esteem, Presentation, and Growth

Question 1

The induced hypocrisy paradigm has been used to show behavior change in which area of behavior?

A) safe sex
B) anticommunism
C) learning
D) military conflict

Answer 1

safe sex

Question 2

The cyberball experimental paradigm is used to investigate what experience?

A) ostracism
B) mortality salience
C) self-affirmation
D) extrinsic self-esteem

Answer 2

ostracism

Question 3

Minimal deterrence is:

A) giving someone a reward for something that they were intrinsically interested in doing.
B) using the least possible amount of external justification required to prevent undesirable behavior.
C) trying to interfere in the lives of others to the least possible degree.
D) a small, rather than a large, incentive for behavior.

Answer 3

using the least possible amount of external justification required to prevent undesirable behavior.

Question 4

According to research on self-verification, people who have negative views of themselves seek out others who _____.

A) have negative views of them
B) have positive views of them
C) have neutral views of them
D) have ambivalent views of them

Question 5

According to the dramaturgical perspective, if a person is not consciously aware that they are enacting a social role, then they are _____.

A) giving a sincere performance
B) giving a cynical performance
C) engaging in audience segregation
D) mimicking behavior

Question 6

Jason was diagnosed with cancer when he was 30. Initially, he was devastated by the news, and fell into a deep depression. However, he started going to a cancer support group, and realized that there were many people far sicker and more alone than he was. Eventually, he changed the course of his life and dedicated himself to founding and running a charity to improve the lives of people with debilitating illness. Running this charity makes him happier than anything he ever did before. Jason's story is most clearly an example of:

A) self-verification.
B) a redemption story.
C) a contamination story.
D) self-complexity.

Question 7

People often have an illusion of transparency, meaning that they:

A) overestimate the extent to which others know their own thoughts.
B) believe that others are more focused on the self than they are.
C) tend to consider themselves more honest than other people.
D) think that the world is a play in which everyone is playing different parts.

Question 8

The tendency to make external attributions for bad things one does, and internal attributions for good things one does, is referred to as:

A) the self-serving bias.
B) the actor-observer effect.
C) compensation.
D) self-affirmation.

Question 9

A flow state is one in which:

A) the individual is focused on a goal external to the current situation.
B) the individual identifies with important others and compares the self to them.
C) the individual is focused on what is occurring in their body.
D) a person's skills and the challenges of the situation are matched.

Question 10

Which of the following premises is suggested by self-affirmation theory?

A) People do well in life if they continually praise themselves.
B) People seek out views of themselves which are consistent with what they already believe about themselves.
C) People respond less defensively to threats to one aspect of themselves if they think about another valued aspect of themselves.
D) While some people require a sense of self-esteem, others can function without it.

Question 11

Self-determination theory proposes that _____ motivation is most healthy and fulfilling for the person.

A) introjected
B) intrinsic
C) extrinsic
D) social

Question 12

A sense of personal value based on enduring inner qualities is referred to as _____.

A) self-compassion
B) self-concept clarity
C) intrinsic self-esteem
D) extrinsic self-esteem

Question 13

In a classic method for studying dissonance, participants are prompted to engage in a counterattitudinal behavior. When there is little external justification for the behavior, people typically change their attitudes to match the behavior. What is the name for this method?

A) spreading of alternatives
B) effort justification
C) induced compliance
D) free choice paradigm

Question 14

A classic study by Cialdini (1976) and colleagues on people's reactions to their college sports team showed that students were more likely to wear school apparel when the football team had recently won a game. This study BEST demonstrates _____.

A) self-affirmation
B) compensation
C) symbolic self-completion
D) basking in reflected glory

Question 15

In a study, participants who received positive personality feedback before watching a disturbingly graphic video did not show a negative emotional reaction to the video. What theory of self-esteem motivation does this finding support?

A) anxiety-buffer
B) sociometer
C) status-maximizing
D) cognitive dissonance

Question 16

Suke is uncertain about her ability to pass a French exam. She is spending quite a bit of time worrying about how her failure on the exam might reflect poorly on her. Suke is also an athlete, and the day before the test her friend invites her to run a marathon. The exam is in the early morning, and Suke knows that running the marathon would exhaust her, making it difficult to do well on the test. What does research suggest Suke will do?

A) decline to run the marathon in order to be at her best for the exam
B) agree to run the marathon
C) become furious with her friend for suggesting such a thing
D) run the marathon, but ask for an extension to complete the exam on a different day

Question 17

Self-monitoring is:

A) the use of self-esteem as an indicator of whether one is accepted by others.
B) the act of being present in the moment and allowing the self to experience negative emotions.
C) an individual difference in people's desire and ability to adjust their self-presentations.
D) a tendency to compare the self to others in order to determine one's self-esteem.

Question 18

State self-esteem refers specifically to _____, while trait self-esteem refers specifically to _____.

A) a feeling about the self that can temporarily increase or decrease in positivity in response to changing circumstances; a general attitude toward the self, ranging from very positive to very negative
B) a general attitude toward the self, ranging from very positive to very negative; a feeling about the self that can temporarily increase or decrease in positivity in response to changing circumstances
C) an explicit attitude towards the self; an implicit attitude towards the self
D) an implicit attitude towards the self; an explicit attitude towards the self

Question 19

In the free choice paradigm for testing dissonance processes, people reevaluate their initial judgment of objects after choosing between them. This process is referred to as _____.

A) minimal deterrence
B) induced compliance
C) spreading of alternatives
D) trivialization

Question 20

Self-compassion involves:

A) seeking out others who share one's own self-view.
B) being in a situation where one's skills are equally matched to a challenge.
C) focusing on another aspect of the self when one fails in a particular aspect.
D) being kind to the self when one fails or feels inadequate.

Question 21

What is the status-maximizing theory of self-esteem, and what is the sociometer model? What do these perspectives have in common, and how are they different?

Question 22

What is self-concept clarity, and what is self-complexity? What are some of the benefits of having either of these qualities?

Question 23

What is the anxiety-buffer perspective on why people need self-esteem? Discuss some examples of research supporting this perspective.

Question 24

What is the overjustification effect? Describe a research finding demonstrating this effect.

Question 25

Describe the basic idea behind self-determination theory. What is extrinsic versus intrinsic motivation? What are the three basic needs posited by this theory?

Question 26

Describe the phenomenon of compensation. How does self-affirmation theory build on this basic idea?

Question 27

What is self-handicapping? Under what circumstances are people most likely to use this strategy?

Question 28

What is the basic premise of symbolic self-completion theory? Give a hypothetical example of a phenomenon or situation that could be explained by this theory.

Question 29

What is the basic idea behind cognitive dissonance theory? When is dissonance particularly disturbing? According to Festinger, what are the three most common ways to reduce dissonance?

Question 30

Describe the dramaturgical perspective. What is the difference between a sincere and a cynical performance?

Question 31

What is self-compassion? What are the three components of this experience?

Question 32

What is a self-narrative? What are two of the most common self-narratives, according to research?

Question 33

List and briefly discuss at least three of the five primary factors which research shows affects the magnitude of dissonance.

Question 34

According to the self-evaluation maintenance model, when are we likely to compare ourselves to successful others, and when are we unlikely to do so? Discuss examples.

Question 35

What is a flow state? What factors need to be satisfied for the individual to be in flow? What negative emotions can result when the individual is not in a state of flow?

Question 36

Identify and briefly describe the two most common experimental paradigms used to examine dissonance.

Question 37

Name and discuss at least two of the four primary implications of the body of research on self-esteem.

Question 38

Discuss one of two applications of ideas from cognitive dissonance theory-either the hypocrisy paradigm or the idea of minimal deterrence. How does research in these areas relate to real-world issues?

Question 39

What is the phenomenon of self-verification? What does research suggest about the consequences of this phenomenon?

Question 40

Describe the trait of self-monitoring. What are some of the differences revealed by research between those who score low versus high in this trait?

Question 41

N'Faly and Iarla are both attending psychotherapy to cure their agoraphobia. N'Faly's therapist is using a traditional exposure method, through which N'Faly will gradually get further and further from his house. Iarla is using a controversial new method, involving standing outside his house and screaming. What does research suggest will be the outcome of these therapies?

A) N'Faly will have less success.
B) Iarla will have more success.
C) Neither N'Faly nor Iarla will be more successful than the other.
D) If N'Faly and Iarla both believe they chose the therapy, they will experience some success.

Question 42

People from individualist cultures are more likely to experience dissonance _____, while people from collectivist cultures are more likely to experience dissonance _____.

A) in private settings; in public settings
B) in public settings; in private settings
C) during young adulthood; during older adulthood
D) during older adulthood; during young adulthood

Question 43

Santiago is addicted to candy, but he is also a nutrition expert who is aware that candy is bad for his health. Out of the following options, what is probably the MOST likely way that he will try to resolve his dissonance?

A) deciding that if he didn't eat candy, he would probably become unhappy and that would be bad for his health anyway
B) refusing to believe that candy is bad for his health
C) stopping all consumption of candy
D) convincing himself that candy is actually healthy

Question 44

Ataui is asked by her niece to explain why it is not good to sit around all day without exercising. Then, a few minutes later, Ataui reflects on the fact that she has not exercised in quite some time. According to research on cognitive dissonance processes, what is Ataui now likely to do?

A) engage in exercise
B) not engage in exercise, and come up with an excuse for not doing so
C) exercise if she feels like there is a strong external incentive to do so
D) exercise only if she can see no external reason why she should

Question 45

In a study on induced hypocrisy and condom use, which participants were most likely to purchase a condom at the end of the study?

A) those who had made a public speech advocating condom use
B) those who had not made a public speech advocating condom use
C) those who had not made a public speech advocating condom use before being reminded of a time when they did not use condoms
D) those who had made a public speech advocating condom use before being reminded of a time when they did not use condoms

Question 46

Which of the following factors does NOT typically affect the magnitude of dissonance?

A) level of commitment to an action
B) a person's level of self-esteem
C) the amount of external justification a person has for a behavior
D) the extent to which aversive consequences can be foreseen

Question 47

In a classic study conducted by Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) on cognitive dissonance, under which circumstance did subjects come to believe that a boring task was interesting.

A) when they did not have to tell someone that they enjoyed the task
B) when they were paid $1 to tell someone that they enjoyed the task
C) when they were paid $20 to tell someone that they enjoyed the task
D) if they were predisposed to make a good impression on others

Question 48

The phenomenon whereby people reduce dissonance by convincing themselves that what they suffered for is actually quite valuable is referred to as _____.

A) spreading of alternatives
B) effort justification
C) induced compliance
D) free choice paradigm

Question 49

In the induced hypocrisy paradigm:

A) participants advocate an opinion they already believe in, and then are reminded of a time when their actions contradicted that opinion.
B) participants are assigned varying degrees of severe tasks in order to gain entrance to a group, and their opinions about the group are assessed.
C) participants are made to feel that they have freely chosen to undertake a counterattitudinal behavior.
D) participants are given the least external justification necessary to prevent them from engaging in an undesirable behavior.

Question 50

Which of the following study designs describes the induced compliance paradigm?

A) a study in which people are given the opportunity to reduce dissonance in a number of different possible ways
B) a study in which individuals choose between alternatives and, subsequently, their attraction to the alternatives is assessed
C) a study in which individuals are allowed to choose between several undesirable tasks
D) a study in which individuals are forced to engage in a behavior that goes against their attitudes

Question 51

A study (Staw 1974) was conducted among those who signed up for the R.O.T.C. during the Vietnam era draft years. In this study, which group of individuals became comparably better soldiers?

A) those who would have been drafted
B) those who would not have been drafted
C) those who had to undergo a difficult initiation into the R.O.T.C.
D) those who had to undergo a mild initiation into the R.O.T.C.

Question 52

Which of the following possibilities is NOT a primary way to reduce dissonance?

A) trivialize the inconsistent cognitions
B) change one of the inconsistent cognitions
C) reflect deeply on the inconsistency between the two cognitions
D) add a third cognition that makes the original cognitions seem less inconsistent

Question 53

Which of the following study designs describes the free choice paradigm?

A) a study in which people are given the opportunity to reduce dissonance in a number of different possible ways
B) a study in which individuals choose between alternatives and, subsequently, their attraction to the alternatives is assessed
C) a study in which individuals are allowed to choose between several undesirable tasks
D) a study in which individuals are forced to engage in a behavior that goes against their attitudes

Question 54

What is the key idea behind cognitive dissonance theory?

A) People base their self-esteem on cognitive assessments of their ability.
B) People are willing to distort reality in order to maintain a sense of themselves as inconsistent and flexible.
C) People experience an uncomfortable tension with inconsistencies in their beliefs, attitudes, and behavior.
D) People are highly sensitive to unexpected information coming from the environment.

Question 55

A person is most likely to exaggerate the differences between two alternatives when they have been forced to choose between:

A) two relatively undesirable alternatives.
B) two equally desirable alternatives.
C) their most desired and least desired alternatives .
D) an alternative they already possess, and one they do not yet possess.

Question 56

Aronson and Mills (1959) conducted a classic study in which female college students were recruited for a discussion group. The discussion that they actually listened to was quite boring; however, prior to hearing the discussion, women participated in different conditions. Women in which experimental condition expressed the greatest interest in the discussion and commitment to the group?

A) those who did nothing prior to listening to the discussion
B) those who had to read mildly embarrassing sexual language in front of the experimenter
C) those who had to read explicit pornography in front of the experimenter
D) those who were already committed to being in the discussion group

Question 57

The induced hypocrisy paradigm is used to activate a sense of _____.

A) cynical performance
B) ostracism
C) cognitive dissonance
D) self-esteem threat

Question 58

Which of the following examples involves someone using the strategy of trivialization to reduce dissonance?

A) A smoker keeps smoking after telling herself that without smoking, she would gain weight.
B) A person who litters without taking the time to find a trash can decides that lots of people litter in that area, so it's not a big deal.
C) An animal rights activist decides to become a vegetarian.
D) A member of a conservative Christian denomination who realizes she is homosexual searches through the Bible for passages suggesting approval of homosexuality.

Question 59

Spreading of alternatives is a strategy that is relevant to _____.

A) the free choice paradigm
B) all instances of dissonance reduction
C) the induced compliance paradigm
D) the trivialization strategy

Question 60

Which of the following circumstances will NOT reduce the level of dissonance a person feels in a situation?

A) expecting that there will not be any serious consequences of an action
B) feeling like they had little choice in their decision
C) feeling like they have strong external justification for their behavior
D) feeling very committed to an action they have taken

Question 61

Trait self-esteem refers specifically to:

A) the level of positive feeling one has about oneself.
B) a feeling about the self that can temporarily increase or decrease in positivity in response to changing circumstances.
C) a general attitude toward the self, ranging from very positive to very negative.
D) an implicit attitude towards the self.

Question 62

A life story in which a set of obstacles are overcome and ultimately lead to positive experiences is referred to as a _____, while a life story in which a state of good fortune is transformed to a state of failure or tragedy is referred to as a _____.

A) contamination story; redemption story
B) redemption story; contamination story
C) positive self-view; negative self-view
D) negative self-view; positive self-view

Question 63

In a study (Aronson and Carlsmith 1963) conducted among preschoolers, children in which experimental condition were the most likely to change their attitudes towards a particular toy (which had initially been desirable) at the end of the study?

A) those who were not given an opportunity to play with the toy
B) those who had been told that the experimenter would be mildly annoyed if they played with the toy
C) those who had been told that the experimenter would be very angry if they played with the toy
D) those who played with the toy during the study

Question 64

State self-esteem refers specifically to:

A) the level of positive feeling one has about oneself.
B) a feeling about the self that can temporarily increase or decrease in positivity in response to changing circumstances.
C) a general attitude toward the self, ranging from very positive to very negative.
D) an implicit attitude towards the self.

Question 65

People high in self-concept clarity are _____ others' feedback, while those low in self-concept clarity are _____ others' feedback.

A) less sensitive to; more sensitive to
B) more sensitive to; less sensitive to
C) less likely to encounter; more likely to encounter
D) more likely to encounter; less likely to encounter

Question 66

Using the least possible amount of external justification required to prevent undesirable behavior is referred to as _____.

A) minimal deterrence
B) cognitive dissonance
C) induced compliance
D) initiation severity

Question 67

In social psychological research, self-verification refers primarily to:

A) trying multiple different self-concepts across the lifespan.
B) seeking out others who support the way one views oneself.
C) storing autobiographical information about the self.
D) focusing more on the needs of the self than the needs of others.

Question 68

What experimental paradigm has been used to demonstrate that cognitive dissonance processes are driven by a negative, affective state of tension?

A) induced hypocrisy
B) misattribution of arousal
C) the implicit attitudes test
D) excitation transfer

Question 69

Which of the following psychological phenomena has been identified by research as a resource that helps individuals preserve a sense of self-continuity and meaning, even in the face of reminders of mortality?

A) self-evaluation maintenance
B) self-compassion
C) nostalgia
D) self-monitoring

Question 70

Which of the following statements accurately summarizes findings from research on the narration of personally experienced traumatic events?

A) Narration of trauma does not help the individual cope.
B) Narration of trauma improves coping, but it is unclear why this happens.
C) Narration of trauma only improves coping among individuals who have high levels of self-complexity.
D) Narration of trauma primarily improves coping among those individuals who seek out cause-effect sequences in their story about the past.

Question 71

A clearly defined, internally consistent, and temporally stable sense of self is referred to as _____.

A) self-verification
B) self-esteem
C) self-concept clarity
D) self-schema

Question 72

A coherent life story connecting one's past, present, and possible future is referred to as (a) _____.

A) self-concept clarity
B) self-verification
C) self-complexity
D) self-narrative

Question 73

Which of the following research on cognitive dissonance processes could MOST clearly be considered the first empirical demonstrations of what phenomenon?

A) Freud's contention that psychological defenses substantially influence thoughts and behavior
B) James's contention that self-esteem is an important motivational force
C) the idea that people will sometimes go against the fundamental motive for self-consistency
D) the idea that people are driven to make sense of the relationships between people and objects in their environment

Question 74

Self-concept clarity refers to _____, while self-complexity refers to _____.

A) multiplicity in the self-concept; unity in the self-concept
B) one point in time; multiple points in time
C) multiple points in time; one point in time
D) unity in the self-concept; multiplicity in the self-concept

Question 75

Self-esteem is defined as:

A) the individual's level of life satisfaction.
B) the extent to which the person has a stable, coherent self-concept.
C) the level of positive feeling one has about oneself.
D) the extent to which one likes oneself.

Question 76

Which of the following statements accurately summarizes findings from research on possible selves?

A) People's possible selves are primarily positive.
B) People's possible selves are primarily negative.
C) While possible selves play an important role in self-verification, they have little influence on motivation and actual behavior.
D) Possible selves serve as an important guide to behavior and achievement.

Question 77

Arvind is depressed and does not really like himself. At his new school, there are two people who seem interested in being friends with him. One, Amanda, is generally positively disposed towards him and gives him compliments. The other, Lucas, seems to enjoy hanging out with Arvind but also is critical of him. Research suggests that Arvind:

A) will prefer to associate with Amanda.
B) will prefer to associate with Lucas.
C) will want to equally associate with both Amanda and Lucas.
D) will not really want to associate with either of these people.

Question 78

Francis experienced early success as a musician. He was well liked when he performed in local clubs and bars, and a representative from a record company expressed interest in signing him to a label. However, before achieving national recognition, his partner died, which caused Francis to fall into a deep depression. Eventually, he gave up his dream of being a musician, and now spends his time working in a local coffee shop. Francis's story is most clearly an example of:

A) self-verification.
B) a redemption story.
C) a contamination story.
D) self-complexity.

Question 79

What is the implication for parenting based on research on the minimal deterrence phenomenon?

A) Children are the happiest if their parents allow them to explore the environment, without providing a strict set of rules and norms.
B) The more difficult it is for children to feel included in a particular activity, the more they will ultimately justify engaging in that activity by seeing it as good.
C) Minimal deterrence is the most effective way to provide a child with sufficient external justification to avoid engaging in undesired behaviors.
D) Minimal deterrence will make a child more likely to internalize the idea that he or she doesn't want to engage in the undesired behavior.

Question 80

According to research on self-verification, people who have positive views of themselves seek out others who _____, and people who have negative views of themselves seek out others who _____.

A) have negative views of them; have negative views of them
B) have positive views of them; have positive views of them
C) have positive views of them; have negative views of them
D) have negative views of them; have positive views of them