Deck 3: Social Beliefs and Judgments

Question 1

Andrea's mother invites Andrea and her boyfriend for dinner.She tells Andrea that she will make sushi.Hearing this,Andrea remembers a previous instance when her boyfriend had an allergic reaction to seafood.This scenario exemplifies:

A)belief perseverance.
B)reconstruction.
C)priming.
D)induction.

Answer 1

priming.

Question 2

The persistence of one's initial conceptions is called:

A)the hindsight bias.
B)cognitive dissonance.
C)belief perseverance.
D)counterfactual thinking.

Answer 2

belief perseverance.

Question 3

Incorporating inaccurate information into one's memory of an event after witnessing the event and receiving misleading information about it is called the:

A)priming effect.
B)confirmation bias.
C)information processing fallacy.
D)misinformation effect.

Answer 3

misinformation effect.

Question 4

Jumping out of your seat when you see an unexpected scene in a movie is what type of thinking?

A)controlled processing
B)automatic processing
C)internal processing
D)intentional processing

Question 5

You tend to assume a person is still a good friend even after the person acts otherwise.This tendency is known as:

A)belief perseverance.
B)belief continuity.
C)the correspondence bias.
D)the belief disconfirmation bias.

Question 6

Mental concepts or templates that intuitively guide our perceptions and interpretations are called:

A)schemas.
B)hypotheses.
C)ethics.
D)theories.

Question 7

Activating particular associations in memory is called:

A)triggering.
B)initiation.
C)galvanization.
D)priming.

Question 8

Zachary watches a horror movie alone.Later that night,he wakes up hearing a strange noise and notices an ominous shadow moving outside his window.Fearing that someone is trying to break into his house,he turns on the light.When he looks out through the window,he finds leaves rustling and the shadow of a plant.Which of the following best explains the initial reaction of Zachary?

A)Centration
B)Priming
C)The confirmation bias
D)The misinformation effect

Question 9

Despite reading numerous research studies that associate fast food consumption with heart disease and diabetes,Rachel continues eating fast food and considers it harmless.Rachel's thinking is an example of:

A)belief assimilation.
B)belief consolidation.
C)belief perseverance.
D)the operation of the availability heuristic.

Question 10

Implicit thinking that is effortless,habitual,and without awareness is called:

A)controlled processing.
B)automatic processing.
C)internal processing.
D)intentional processing.

Question 11

Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman notes that human beings have two brain systems.In this context,identify a characteristic of System 1.

A)It requires conscious effort.
B)It requires conscious attention.
C)It functions automatically.
D)It influences actions insignificantly.

Question 12

Ryan,an employee in an IT firm,recalls going on a fishing trip to a lake with his family as a child.It was a hot and humid day,and he had a minor accident.However,Ryan has forgotten the unpleasant memories of the day and fondly remembers the positive experiences,such as the lake,the fun they had,and the first fish they caught.In the context of reconstructing past attitudes,which of the following is illustrated in this scenario?

A)anthropocentric thinking
B)the backfire effect
C)the correspondence bias
D)rosy retrospection

Question 13

While waiting to cross the street,you witness a man ignoring the red signal and causing an accident.Then,the man who caused the accident gets out of his car to talk to you.He tells you that the signal was yellow when he tried crossing the street.Later,you tell the police that you remember the signal being yellow,not red,when the man tried crossing the intersection.This scenario illustrates:

A)the priming effect.
B)the confirmation bias.
C)belief perseverance.
D)the misinformation effect.

Question 14

In the context of psychology,the mutual influence of bodily sensations on intellective preferences and social judgments is known as:

A)congruence.
B)embodied cognition.
C)confabulation.
D)belief perseverance.

Question 15

Sometimes the basis for one's belief is discredited but an explanation of why the belief might be true survives. Social psychologists refer to this as:

A)rationalization.
B)cognitive dissonance.
C)attitude consistency.
D)belief perseverance.

Question 16

A researcher tells the participants of his study that risk-prone people make better firefighters than cautious people by showing some anecdotal evidence.Then,he asks the participants to explain why risk-prone people make better firefighters.Finally,he establishes that cautious people are better firefighters with the help of scientific evidence and informs the participants that the anecdote was made up for the study.In the context of belief perseverance,the participants of this study are most likely to:

A)change their original view and acknowledge that cautious people make better firefighters.
B)believe that both risk-prone and cautious people are likely to be equally good as firefighters.
C)be confused whether risk-prone or cautious people make better firefighters.
D)continue to believe that risk-prone people make better fighters.

Question 17

Jack works as a software engineer in a multinational company.He finds that the company is training employees to develop their leadership skills.Jack,who values self-development,considers this a good opportunity to improve his skills.In the context of perceiving and interpreting events,which of the following statements is true?

A)Jack's beliefs do not influence how he sees new information.
B)Jack's beliefs influence how he sees new information.
C)Jack's beliefs are unrelated to how he sees new information.
D)Jack's beliefs change with new information.

Question 18

Your best friend is a master chess player and has won numerous awards.When playing chess with her,you notice that she seems to be aware of strategies almost immediately after your moves.Her awareness of these strategies reflects what type of thinking?

A)controlled processing
B)automatic processing
C)internal processing
D)intentional processing

Question 19

In the context of reconstructing past attitudes,researchers asked students to answer a long survey that included a question about student control over the university curriculum.A week later,they agreed to write an essay opposing student control.After doing so,their attitudes shifted toward greater opposition to student control.When asked to recall how they had felt about the same issue a week earlier,most of the students:

A)remembered having held a very different attitude.
B)could not remember how they had felt.
C)remembered having felt the same as they do now.
D)admitted they had always supported student control of the university curriculum but pretended to oppose it in their essays.

Question 20

Explicit thinking that is deliberate,reflective,and conscious is called:

A)controlled processing.
B)automatic processing.
C)external processing.
D)intentional processing.

Question 21

Your brother appears to be self-assured when talking to others.You realize that your brother is more often confident about things rather than accurate about them.Your brother's behavior can be explained by the:

A)perseverance bias.
B)fundamental attribution error.
C)correspondence bias.
D)overconfidence phenomenon.

Question 22

Evan has a job interview in a different city.The airport in his city is far from his place.Despite being aware of the heavy traffic in his city,he starts late for the airport as he is convinced he can reach on time.However,he misses his flight and is unable to attend the interview.In the context of social thinking,this scenario illustrates:

A)the misinformation effect.
B)the overconfidence phenomenon.
C)the availability heuristic.
D)the representativeness heuristic.

Question 23

Assuming most crimes involve violence because the media generally reports stories on rapes,robberies,and beatings is an example of the _____ heuristic.

A)availability
B)representativeness
C)vividness
D)matching

Question 24

The tendency to overestimate the accuracy of one's beliefs is called the:

A)perseverance bias.
B)fundamental attribution error.
C)correspondence bias.
D)overconfidence phenomenon.

Question 25

The tendency to presume,sometimes despite contrary odds,that someone or something belongs to a particular group if resembling a typical member is referred to as the _____ heuristic.

A)availability
B)representativeness
C)vividness
D)matching

Question 26

Which of the following strategies will NOT be helpful in reducing the overconfidence bias?

A)Give prompt feedback to the person about his or her decisions.
B)Have the person consider disconfirming information.
C)Have the person think about why he or she could be wrong.
D)Give the person feedback about others' performance.

Question 27

Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman notes that human beings have two brain systems.In this context,which of the following is true of System 2?

A)It functions automatically.
B)It requires conscious attention.
C)It functions out of awareness.
D)It forms intuition or gut feeling.

Question 28

You immediately recognize your friend's voice over the phone.This is an example of:

A)controlled processing.
B)illusory correlation.
C)automatic processing.
D)an attribution error.

Question 29

Every semester,you underestimate how long you will take to complete a research paper that is due at the end of the term.Your behavior is an example of the:

A)perseverance bias.
B)fundamental attribution error.
C)correspondence bias.
D)overconfidence phenomenon.

Question 30

Sharon typically follows those news channels that support her existing political beliefs.She is not inclined to watch news on other channels as they may disprove her preconceptions.Sharon's approach illustrates the:

A)confirmation bias.
B)misinformation effect.
C)base-rate fallacy.
D)I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon.

Question 31

When we are eager to seek information that verifies our beliefs but less inclined to seek evidence that might disprove our beliefs,the _____ occurs.

A)hindsight bias
B)confirmation bias
C)self-fulfilling prophecy
D)fundamental attribution error

Question 32

Although travelers in the United States are more likely to die in an automobile crash than on an airplane trip covering the same distance,people often assume that flying is more dangerous than driving.What type of heuristic are people using when they make this assumption?

A)the availability heuristic
B)the representativeness heuristic
C)the vividness heuristic
D)the matching heuristic

Question 33

A cognitive rule that judges the likelihood of things in terms of their presence in memory is called the _____ heuristic.

A)availability
B)representativeness
C)vividness
D)matching

Question 34

During a hospital stay,you observed a man and a woman,both in health professional attire,talking to each other.You assumed that the man was a physician and that the woman was a nurse.Later,you found out the opposite to be true.What type of heuristic did you use during your initial reaction to the two individuals?

A)the availability heuristic
B)the representativeness heuristic
C)the vividness heuristic
D)the matching heuristic

Question 35

The tendency to judge something by intuitively comparing it to our mental representation of a category is to use the _____ heuristic.

A)availability
B)representativeness
C)vividness
D)matching

Question 36

One reason people are overconfident is that they are not inclined to seek out information:

A)from experts.
B)that is objective and factual.
C)that involves judging estimates and comparisons.
D)that might disprove what they believe.

Question 37

Natalie's friend Jordan enjoys eating good food and visits new restaurants every week.He watches cooking shows regularly and does not shy away from trying new cuisines.Seeing his interest in food,Natalie assumes that Jordan is an expert cook.Which of the following concepts of psychology is illustrated in Natalie's assumption?

A)counterfactual thinking
B)belief perseverance
C)the overjustification effect
D)the representativeness heuristic

Question 38

Which of the following is a thinking strategy that enables quick,efficient judgments?

A)an implicit attitude
B)an explicit attitude
C)a heuristic
D)a confirmation bias

Question 39

On the first day of class,we see a middle-aged man in the front of the room talking to a younger man.If we assume the older man is a professor and the younger man is a student,we are relying on _____.

A)the overconfidence phenomenon
B)the representativeness heuristic
C)belief perseverance
D)the misinformation effect

Question 40

Which of the following strategies might be helpful in reducing the overconfidence bias?

A)Get people to think of one good reason why their judgments might be wrong.
B)Delay feedback regarding the accuracy of people's judgments.
C)Inform people about the overconfidence bias.
D)Tell people that there is no remedy for the overconfidence bias.

Question 41

The tendency to imagine alternative scenarios and outcomes that might have happened,but did not,is called:

A)the base-rate fallacy.
B)automatic thinking.
C)the reflective bias.
D)counterfactual thinking.

Question 42

Yvette gets a B in her psychology exam.She tells her friend,"If I had put in a little more effort,I could have scored an A in the test." This is an example of:

A)implicit thinking.
B)explicit thinking.
C)counterfactual thinking.
D)the fundamental attribution error.

Question 43

After 9/11,many people abandoned air travel most likely because of the:

A)availability heuristic.
B)representativeness heuristic.
C)confirmation bias.
D)planning fallacy.

Question 44

Maxine is the captain of her school's basketball team.After losing an interschool basketball tournament by one point,she is depressed and feels guilty.She thinks that if she had not made three consecutive fouls,her team would have won the match.In the context of social thinking,this scenario illustrates:

A)cognitive dissonance.
B)priming.
C)egocentrism.
D)counterfactual thinking.

Question 45

Brian does not prepare well for an upcoming psychology exam.He is religious and prays regularly before the exam to score well.When he scores more than he expected,he assumes that he did well because he prayed.In the context of social thinking,this scenario illustrates the:

A)principle of simplicity.
B)illusion of control.
C)representative heuristic.
D)gambler's fallacy.

Question 46

In the context of social thinking,erroneously ascribing a behavior to the wrong source is called:

A)free association.
B)chunking.
C)misattribution.
D)belief perseverance.

Question 47

The theory of how people explain others' behavior by ascribing it either to internal dispositions or to external situations is called:

A)dispositional theory.
B)motivational theory.
C)situational theory.
D)attribution theory.

Question 48

Snap judgments of whether someone or something fits a category is known as _____.

A)the availability heuristic
B)counterfactual thinking
C)the representativeness heuristic
D)embodied cognition

Question 49

The statistical tendency for extreme scores or extreme behavior to return toward their average is called:

A)the regression heuristic.
B)regression toward the extreme.
C)regression toward the average.
D)reversion.

Question 50

Counterfactual thinking occurs when:

A)we are not expecting a favorable outcome.
B)we are surprised by favorable results.
C)we can easily picture an alternative outcome.
D)an event is insignificant.

Question 51

Thinking that our premonitions correlate with events represents:

A)the representative heuristic.
B)the availability heuristic.
C)an illusory correlation.
D)the overconfidence phenomenon.

Question 52

The idea that chance events are subject to our influence describes:

A)an illusory correlation.
B)the illusion of control.
C)the representative heuristic.
D)the availability heuristic.

Question 53

The perception of a relationship where none exists,or the perception of a stronger relationship than actually exists,is called:

A)the representative heuristic.
B)the availability heuristic.
C)an illusory correlation.
D)the overconfidence phenomenon.

Question 54

Ella participates in a beauty pageant and is the first runner-up.She thinks that she would have won the pageant if only she had performed better in the talent round.In the context of social thinking,which of the following is illustrated in this scenario?

A)elaboration
B)decentration
C)counterfactual thinking
D)convergent thinking

Question 55

Although you once earned a 100 in your physics exam,you have subsequently been unable to earn a perfect score again.Your experience may be understood in terms of:

A)an illusory correlation.
B)regression toward the average.
C)the representativeness heuristic.
D)counterfactual thinking.

Question 56

Caleb argues with his best friend over a misunderstanding.Subsequently,his friend stops talking to him as he is offended.Caleb later feels guilty for behaving immaturely and thinks of ways in which he could have handled the situation better and avoided the argument.In the context of social thinking,which of the following is exemplified in this scenario?

A)belief perseverance
B)counterfactual thinking
C)an illusory correlation
D)the overconfidence phenomenon

Question 57

A fellow student is consistently late for class.You assume this is because he is lazy and disorganized.What type of attribution are you making in this situation?

A)a motivational attribution
B)a dispositional attribution
C)a situational attribution
D)an illusory attribution

Question 58

Alex,a professional soccer player,played extremely well in the first few years of his career.Later,his career suffered a setback,and he became a mediocre player.In the context of psychology,this scenario illustrates:

A)the misinformation effect.
B)the overconfidence phenomenon.
C)regression toward the average.
D)counterfactual thinking.

Question 59

Which of the following statements about moods and judgments is true?

A)Unhappy people are as loving as happy ones.
B)Depressed people avoid self-focusing.
C)One's judgments are independent of one's moods.
D)Moods pervade one's thinking.

Question 60

Antonia Abbey and colleagues (1987,1991,2011)found that _____ are highly likely to attribute a _____ friendliness to sexual interest.

A)women;man's
B)men;woman's
C)both women and men;man's
D)both women and men;woman's

Question 61

In an experiment,Lee Ross set up a simulated quiz game.He randomly assigned some Stanford University students to play the role of questioner,some to play the role of contestant,and others to observe.Results indicated that:

A)both contestants and observers thought the questioners were more knowledgeable than the contestants.
B)both contestants and observers thought the contestants were more knowledgeable than the questioners.
C)observers thought the questioners were more knowledgeable,but contestants attributed the outcomes to the situation.
D)questioners thought themselves to be knowledgeable,but contestants attributed the outcomes to the situation.

Question 62

Inferring that Cinderella is truly meek as she cowers in her oppressive home is an example of how we often:

A)focus on internal traits.
B)ignore temporary moods.
C)forget about situational influences.
D)notice public and private behaviors.

Question 63

During his project presentation,Bob falls sick and performs poorly.However,his colleague,Dan,concludes that Bob is timid and lacks confidence.Dan's tendency to ignore Bob's sickness and focus on his traits as a reason for his poor performance exemplifies the:

A)false consensus bias.
B)misinformation effect.
C)fundamental attribution error.
D)dispositional bias.

Question 64

Researchers Edward Jones and Victor Harris (1967)had Duke University students read debaters' speeches supporting or attacking Cuba's leader at the time,Fidel Castro.When told that the debater chose which position to take,the students:

A)assumed the debater's position merely reflected the demands of the assignment.
B)described the speaker's position as poorly developed.
C)concluded that to some extent the speech reflected the person's own attitude.
D)concluded that the debating coach was an effective persuader.

Question 65

You are consistently late for your psychology class because the biology class scheduled immediately before the psychology class is in a different building in the campus.You are concerned as your professor may conclude you are not a serious student because of your chronic tardiness.So,you inform her why you are always late.Which of the following types of attributions is your professor likely to make about your behavior?

A)a motivational attribution
B)a dispositional attribution
C)a situational attribution
D)an internal attribution

Question 66

Your boss is always cranky.You assume this is because she is an unhappy person.What type of attribution are you making to explain her behavior?

A)a motivational attribution
B)a dispositional attribution
C)a situational attribution
D)an illusory attribution

Question 67

Attributing behavior to a person's environment is called a _____ attribution.

A)motivational
B)dispositional
C)situational
D)genetic

Question 68

Feng joins the production department of a textile company as a trainee.He finds out that his colleagues believe he is unfriendly and arrogant because he talks less.They do not consider the fact that he belongs to a culture different from their own in which talking less is highly valued.In the context of social thinking,which of the following is illustrated in this scenario?

A)the insufficient justification effect
B)counterfactual thinking
C)the fundamental attribution error
D)cognitive dissonance

Question 69

Attributing behavior to a person's traits is called a(n)_____ attribution.

A)motivational
B)dispositional
C)situational
D)epigenetic

Question 70

In the context of social thinking,which of the following illustrates a dispositional attribution?

A)Chiara dislikes playing with her classmates because she is an introvert.
B)Ayaan seldom talks openly with his mother because she is strict and unpredictable.
C)Thomas falls from his bike because the road is slippery.
D)Rhea loves spring season because the weather is cheerful.

Question 71

According to the fundamental attribution error,observers:

A)underestimate situational influences.
B)emphasize social circumstances.
C)underestimate internal causes.
D)engage in situational attribution.

Question 72

After reading a newspaper article about teenagers who illegally download music from the Internet,you conclude that those who engage in such behavior are morally bankrupt.It never occurs to you that the actual reason teenagers download music from the Internet is because they are not able to afford a compact disc,or they are tempted to download music because of peer pressure.Your thinking on this matter can be characterized by the:

A)false consensus bias.
B)misinformation effect.
C)fundamental attribution error.
D)dispositional bias.

Question 73

In the context of social thinking,which of the following exemplifies a situational attribution?

A)Daniel believes that others dislike him because he is not as good in mathematics as they are.
B)Harry decides not to go shopping during the weekend as he dislikes crowded places.
C)Paula is restless because it is a hot day,and she gets irritated when her brother invites her to play basketball.
D)Harper visits art museums in her leisure because she loves painting.

Question 74

In a study conducted by Lassiter et al.(2005,2007)and Lassiter and Irvine (1986),participants observed a suspect confessing during a police interview.The results indicated that the participants were likely to perceive the confession as genuine when:

A)live.
B)viewing through a two-way mirror.
C)the camera was focused on the suspect.
D)the camera was focused on the detective.

Question 75

Individuals who commit the fundamental attribution error tend to _____.

A)presume that others are the way they act
B)underestimate dispositional influences upon others' behavior
C)overestimate situational influences upon others' behavior
D)hold beliefs that lead to their own fulfillment

Question 76

The tendency for observers to underestimate situational influences and overestimate dispositional influences upon others' behavior is called the:

A)false consensus bias.
B)misinformation effect.
C)fundamental attribution error.
D)dispositional bias.

Question 77

In a study conducted by Lassiter et al.(2005,2007)and Lassiter and Irvine (1986),participants observed a suspect confessing during a police interview.The results indicated that the participants were likely to perceive the confession as coerced when:

A)live.
B)viewing through a two-way mirror.
C)the camera was focused on the suspect.
D)the camera was focused on the detective.

Question 78

Your boss is always cranky.You assume this is because he has not been given a raise for the last 10 years.What type of attribution are you making to explain his behavior?

A)a motivational attribution
B)a dispositional attribution
C)a situational attribution
D)a personal attribution

Question 79

Lillian is late for an appointment with her business partner,Owen,because of heavy rain.Instead of assuming that Lillian is irresponsible,Owen ascribes her delay to environmental factors.In the context of social thinking,this scenario illustrates:

A)the fundamental attribution error.
B)a dispositional attribution.
C)a situational attribution.
D)the illusion of transparency.

Question 80

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency for observers to _____ situational influences and _____ dispositional influences upon others' behavior.

A)overestimate;underestimate
B)underestimate;overestimate
C)underestimate;ignore
D)overestimate;ignore