Deck 5: The Nature, Origins, and Functions of the Self

Question 1

The idea that people use their understanding of how others view them as the primary basis for knowing and evaluating themselves is known as:

A)the self-schema perspective.
B)social identity theory.
C)social role theory.
D)symbolic interactionism.

Answer 1

symbolic interactionism.

Question 2

The EAR device is used to:

A)scan people's brain activity while they are completing tasks.
B)assess people's ability to accurately process auditory input from their social environment.
C)measure a person's implementation attentions by coding their free associations about their goals.
D)record sounds in a person's environment,to ascertain information about their activities and personality.

Answer 2

record sounds in a person's environment,to ascertain information about their activities and personality.

Question 3

Yi-Chih is teaching an infant yoga class,and he is currently alone in the classroom with several male infants.How does research suggest Yi-Chih will think of himself in this situation?

A)as an adult
B)as a person doing yoga
C)as a boy
D)It is impossible to predict how Yi-Chih will see himself in this situation.

Answer 3

as an adult

Question 4

A _____ tends to be fairly consistent across situations,whereas a _____ tends to be differentially activated by situational cues.

A)social identity;looking-glass self
B)looking-glass self;social identity
C)working self-concept;self-schema
D)self-schema;working self-concept

Question 5

All of the following research findings about self-schemas are true EXCEPT which statement?

A)People are more likely to remember specific behaviors that reflect a self-defining attribute.
B)People process information about a self-defining attribute more quickly.
C)People's opinions about their central self-schema(s)tend to fluctuate dramatically in different situations.
D)People are reluctant to believe information that contradicts their sense of the extent to which they possess a self-defining attribute.

Question 6

Juwon observes that,in her society,women tend to perform maternal and familial tasks,whereas men tend to perform independent tasks requiring intelligence.According to social role theory,what is Juwon likely to conclude on the basis of her observations?

A)There is no biological difference between men and women;rather,their roles are socially constructed.
B)Juwon is free to choose whichever social role she would like to perform,whether more masculine or more feminine.
C)Women perform more maternal and familial tasks because they are intrinsically better at such tasks.
D)Juwon should perform tasks that require independence and intelligence,because there are not enough women performing these social roles.

Question 7

Social identity theory is the theory that:

A)people are equally likely to identify with ingroups and outgroups,depending on situational factors.
B)people define and evaluate themselves largely in terms of the social groups with which they identify.
C)the social groups we belong to,rather than the culture we are in,define who we are.
D)people have one prominent social identity (e.g. ,their ethnicity),which defines them across all situations.

Question 8

According to the text,all of the following are sources of self-knowledge EXCEPT which one?

A)appraisals from others
B)social comparisons
C)self-perceptions
D)first impressions

Question 9

All of the following are true about the self-concept EXCEPT which statement?

A)The self-concept always remains stable.
B)Some aspects of the self-concept remain stable,and others do not.
C)People quickly process information that is self-defining.
D)Social contexts play a role in the flexibility of the self-concept.

Question 10

When people have a sense of solo status,they tend to:

A)be capable of planting thoughts in the minds of others.
B)dislike being alone and strive at all times to be in the presence of others.
C)define themselves by attributes that distinguish them from others in the same situation.
D)be prejudiced against individuals who are self-sufficient or standoffish.

Question 11

The idea that our sense of self is often influenced by how we imagine people in our lives perceive us is referred to as our:

A)self-schema
B)looking-glass self
C)ego
D)identity

Question 12

A self-schema is defined as:

A)an integrated set of memories,beliefs,and generalizations about an attribute that is part of one's self-concept.
B)a set of expectations that a person possesses about how someone else is going to behave.
C)the part of the self that controls and directs behavior.
D)a belief that is variable across people about whether or not the self is stable or flexible.

Question 13

In a study of social identity theory,participants completed an artistic-preference task to determine if they had a "figure orientation" or a "group orientation." In reality,students were randomly assigned to a "figure orientation" or a "ground orientation" group.Next,they completed a questionnaire measuring a new personality trait called "surgency." Some of the participants were then told that members of their same group were high in "surgency." What were the results of this study?

A)Participants assigned to the "figure" group rated themselves as high in surgency.
B)Participants assigned to the "ground" group rated themselves as low in surgency.
C)Participants who believed their ingroup was high in surgency rated themselves as high in surgency.
D)Participants who believed that the outgroup was high in surgency rated themselves as high in surgency.

Question 14

The _____ is the aspect of the self that directs one's thoughts and actions.

A)self-concept
B)ego
C)social identity
D)self-schema

Question 15

As you walk into your classroom,you notice that all of the other students are traditional students and you are not! This is an example of:

A)a sense of solo status.
B)having a social role.
C)the looking-glass self.
D)a reflected appraisal.

Question 16

The view that a person holds of their own traits,social roles,and social identities is called the:

A)self-concept.
B)ego.
C)social identity.
D)self-schema.

Question 17

People in collectivist cultures define themselves more in terms of _____,while people in individualist cultures define themselves more in terms of _____.

A)attributes that make them unique;attributes that make them part of a group
B)the ego;the self-concept
C)the self-concept;the ego
D)attributes that make them part of a group;attributes that make them unique

Question 18

Which of these is NOT a reason discussed in the text for why there are gender differences in behavior?

A)Being told that a behavior is appropriate for one's gender makes a child more likely to engage in that behavior.
B)Children are more likely to model the behavior of same-sex adults.
C)Nearly all behaviors have biologically rooted gender differences.
D)People learn what behaviors are appropriate for their gender from their culture.

Question 19

When you answer the question "Who am I?" you are describing your:

A)ego.
B)self-esteem.
C)self-concept.
D)looking glass self.

Question 20

All of the following are true about males and females EXCEPT which statement?

A)Males and females are more different than they are similar.
B)Females and males are more similar than they are different.
C)When differences between males and females occur,they are statistically small.
D)People assume that differences between males and females are biologically based.

Question 21

A study showed that overweight people are significantly less happy if they live in a society that stigmatizes obesity than if they live in a society in which obesity is common and accepted.This illustrates the concept of:

A)the worse than average effect.
B)downward comparison.
C)the generalized other.
D)the looking-glass self.

Question 22

According to social comparison theory,with whom or what are we most likely to compare ourselves when trying to determine where we stand on a particular trait or ability?

A)national averages for that trait or ability
B)people who are in approximately the same range as us,or who are similar to us
C)people who are far better than us on that trait or ability
D)people who are far worse than us on that trait or ability

Question 23

What does research suggest about people's ability to evaluate themselves across a variety of domains and skills?

A)When people are evaluating themselves on physical abilities,they are generally more accurate than if they are evaluating themselves on abilities related to intelligence.
B)There are no discernible differences between those who give themselves high evaluations and those who give themselves low evaluations on a variety of abilities and skills.
C)If you give people sufficient incentive to make accurate evaluations,you can eliminate the better than average effect.
D)Those who give themselves the highest evaluations on a given ability or set of skills are often the worst performers.

Question 24

Baldwin and colleagues had graduate students evaluate their own research ideas after seeing a picture of a highly respected faculty member with a disapproving expression or seeing a less prominent figure with an approving expression.What did the results show?

A)Subjects primed with the highly respected faculty member judged their ideas less favorably than before.
B)Subjects primed with the highly respected faculty member judged their ideas more favorably than before.
C)Subjects primed with the less prominent figure judged their ideas less favorably than before.
D)Subjects primed with the less prominent figure judged their ideas more favorably than before.

Question 25

What is one of the foundational insights of social comparison theory?

A)People compare their achievements with an internal standard on social,but not on nonsocial,dimensions.
B)People often don't have an objective means of assessing their ability on a given dimension.
C)People compare themselves with others only when they are feeling generally confident about their abilities.
D)Comparisons between people are inevitably harmful for motivation.

Question 26

Cassia arrives at a job interview but has to wait outside the interview room with another candidate for the position.This candidate appears disorganized and is not well-dressed.What can we conclude about Cassia's state of mind based on social comparison theory?

A)Cassia has somewhat lowered self-esteem.
B)Cassia has somewhat heightened self-esteem.
C)Cassia will be more likely to use metaphors of cleanliness in the interview.
D)Cassia will be more likely to use metaphors of dirtiness in the interview.

Question 27

Hariqbal is preparing an online dating profile.One of the questions for the profile is whether he is a romantic person.In order to answer this question,Hariqbal thinks back on some of his most recent actions.Since in the past week he read a book of love poems,enjoyed a dramatic film,and took a long walk by the beach,he decides that he must be a romantic person.What process has Hariqbal engaged in?

A)self-perception
B)upward social comparison
C)the better than average effect
D)the misattribution of arousal

Question 28

The better than average effect refers to:

A)people's tendency to rank themselves higher than others on positive attributes.
B)people's tendency to perform better than average in areas that are strongly connected to their self-schema.
C)the fact that most people perform better than average on most tests of ability.
D)the fact that if you tell someone they have average ability in a given domain,they tend to interpret this feedback more positively than intended.

Question 29

What does research suggest about the relationship between people's ratings of their own physical attractiveness compared with how their close friends rate them?

A)There is no relationship between the two.
B)They are almost identical.
C)The two have a weak correlation (around 0.25).
D)The two have a strong correlation (around 0.75).

Question 30

Vazire's self-other knowledge asymmetry model states that in comparison with our understanding of ourselves:

A)others may have a more accurate view of us with regard to our external characteristics.
B)others may have a more accurate view of us with regard to our internal characteristics.
C)others may have a more accurate view of us based on others' opinions.
D)others may have a more accurate view of us based on social comparison.

Question 31

When we conclude that we must be anxious because we can't sleep,which theory describes our thought process?

A)social role theory
B)symbolic interactionism
C)social identity theory
D)self-perception theory

Question 32

The theory that people often infer their attitudes by observing their own behavior is called:

A)the looking-glass self.
B)reflective appraisal.
C)self-perception theory.
D)symbolic interactionism.

Question 33

In a study by Baldwin and colleagues (1990),Catholic participants were presented with a description of a sexual dream and then were subliminally exposed to an image of either the Pope or an unknown figure scowling in disapproval.What were the findings of the study?

A)Participants exposed to the Pope judged themselves more favorably than before.
B)Participants exposed to the Pope judged themselves less favorably than before.
C)Participants exposed to the other figure judged themselves more favorably than before.
D)Participants exposed to the other figure judged themselves less favorably than before.

Question 34

Layla plays in a local rock band that gets jobs at small venues,bars,and restaurants.One night the band has a meeting so they all can give each other feedback on how they perform with their specific instruments.What does research suggest will be Layla's experience of this meeting?

A)She will give the other band members disproportionately positive feedback.
B)She will give the other band members disproportionately negative feedback.
C)She will receive disproportionately negative feedback from the other band members.
D)She will interpret the feedback she receives as more negative than the other band members intend.

Question 35

Alois compares himself with several students who don't seem to study or do well on exams.Alois is engaging in:

A)upward social comparison.
B)downward social comparison.
C)reflected appraisal.
D)solo status.

Question 36

According to research,how will training a person to be better at a certain task affect that person's ability to accurately evaluate their own performance on that task?

A)Training at a task will have no effect on the accuracy of people's evaluations.
B)People who are trained at performing a task will evaluate their performance more accurately than if they had not received the training.
C)People who are trained at performing a task will rate their performance as worse than that of performers who received no training.
D)Training will lead people to evaluate their performance more positively if performance is determined by social comparison,rather than objective standards.

Question 37

What is the central proposition of self-perception theory?

A)The aspects of people's personalities which they perceive to be most important have the strongest influence on their behavior.
B)People are not capable of accurately perceiving their own characteristics.
C)People's perceptions of how others view them are a major determinant of how they treat others.
D)People sometimes infer their own attitudes and attributes by observing their behavior and the situation in which it occurs.

Question 38

Comparing oneself with those who are better off is making a(n)_____ comparison;comparing oneself with those who are worse off is making a(n)_____ comparison.

A)downward;upward
B)upward;downward
C)abstract;concrete
D)concrete;abstract

Question 39

Reflected appraisals refer to:

A)other people's beliefs about us.
B)our beliefs about what other people believe about us.
C)the attributions people make about their looking-glass selves.
D)opinions that arise in conversation between two people.

Question 40

According to the looking-glass model of the self,people understand themselves by first considering _____ and then incorporating those into the self-concept.

A)others' appraisals of the self
B)self-schemas
C)central self-goals
D)social identities

Question 41

According to self-awareness theory,an _____ focus of attention leads relevant standards to become salient.

A)internal
B)external
C)other
D)abstract

Question 42

Ascribing arousal resulting from one source to a different source is called _____;_____ is the process through which leftover arousal from one event intensifies reactions to another event.

A)downward comparison;upward comparison
B)upward comparison;downward comparison
C)misattribution of arousal;excitation transfer
D)excitation transfer;misattribution of arousal

Question 43

Jama is talking with her coworker.She has a pain in her neck,so she is moving her head up and down vigorously and repeatedly to reduce the discomfort.Jama's coworker is presenting her with an idea that he thinks they should bring up at the next board meeting.What does research suggest Jama's response will be?

A)It is impossible to determine Jama's response based on this information.
B)Jama will likely approve of the coworker's idea.
C)Jama will likely reject the coworker's idea.
D)Jama will only approve of the coworker's idea if she was already in a good mood.

Question 44

The idea that changes in facial expression elicit emotions associated with those expressions is referred to as:

A)the James-Lange theory.
B)the two-factor theory of emotion.
C)the facial feedback hypothesis.
D)misattribution of arousal.

Question 45

What are the "two factors" in Schachter's two-factor theory of emotion?

A)arousal and cognitive label
B)emotion and cognitive label
C)arousal and emotion
D)affect and arousal

Question 46

Which of the following human capabilities is NOT essential to self-regulation?

A)having self-awareness
B)our ability to convince ourselves that we're better at something than we actually are
C)being able to think abstractly about goals
D)being able to envision the future and what we will hypothetically be like

Question 47

All of the following are true about the two-factor theory of emotion EXCEPT which statement?

A)Emotion is a product of arousal and cognitive labeling.
B)Emotion is a product of self-perception and arousal.
C)The same arousal can be attributed to different emotions,depending on interpretation.
D)The level of arousal determines the intensity of an emotion.

Question 48

Self-awareness theory states that:

A)if people focus on other people rather than themselves,they are usually happier.
B)when people are focused on themselves,they are more likely to behave defensively.
C)human beings are self-aware,which gives them potential for overwhelming anxiety.
D)one's attitudes,values,and goals will be most likely to influence behavior when attention is focused on the self.

Question 49

In their research on self-perception theory,what did Storms and Nisbett (1970)find was an effective treatment for insomnia?

A)asking people to reflect on the reasons why they have insomnia
B)asking people to visualize themselves sleeping
C)giving people a placebo pill that they were told would cause arousal as they went to sleep
D)giving people a placebo pill that they were told would relax them and help them sleep

Question 50

The _____ theory states that one's attitudes,values,and goals will be most likely to influence behavior when the focus is on the self.

A)symbolic interaction
B)self-awareness
C)self-perception
D)social identity

Question 51

_____ is the idea that arousal caused by one event can intensify the emotional reactions of another,unrelated event.

A)The two-factor theory of emotion
B)Excitation transfer theory
C)The facial feedback hypothesis
D)Self-discrepancy theory

Question 52

Which of the following is NOT true about excitation transfer theory?

A)Misattribution to a second stimulus occurs.
B)Arousal is interpreted as a reaction to a second stimulus.
C)The effect occurs primarily when participants are aware of the leftover arousal.
D)The effect occurs primarily when participants are not aware of the leftover arousal.

Question 53

A set of processes for guiding one's thoughts,feelings,and behavior to reach desired goals is referred to as:

A)self-regulation.
B)cognitive reappraisal.
C)ego depletion.
D)implementation intention.

Question 54

_____ connects self-perceptional processes to emotional processes.

A)Affective forecasting
B)Self-awareness theory
C)Self-discrepancy theory
D)Misattribution of arousal

Question 55

One study tracked the daily influence of events on college students' moods,and also their own perceptions of the influence of events.What were the findings of this study?

A)All of the fluctuation in participants' daily moods could be explained by personality factors.
B)All of the fluctuation in participants' daily moods could be explained by situational factors.
C)Events like the weather and lack of sleep did not affect participants' moods,but the participants believed that they did.
D)Events like the weather and lack of sleep did affect participants' moods,but the participants believed that they did not.

Question 56

Individuals who repeatedly formed smiling expressions tended to find cartoons funnier than individuals who repeatedly formed frowning expressions.This is best explained by the _____ theory.

A)social role
B)symbolic interaction
C)self-perception
D)downward comparison

Question 57

Which theory suggests that emotion is a function of both physiological arousal and the label we give that arousal?

A)the two-factor theory
B)self-perception theory
C)excitation transfer theory
D)self-awareness theory

Question 58

According to self-awareness theory,what determines whether people distract themselves from negative self-awareness or commit to trying to be better in the future?

A)the likelihood that a negative discrepancy can be easily reduced
B)whether the person's cognitive faculties are impaired (e.g. ,by fatigue)
C)the person's level of neurotic tendencies
D)the extent to which the person was invested in the relevant goal before a negative discrepancy occurred

Question 59

Uri has just climbed a long flight of stairs very quickly to get to a meeting.Coming out of the stairwell,he passes a pretty woman whom he has never seen before.According to research on the misattribution of arousal,what is particularly likely to happen in this scenario?

A)Uri will ignore the woman to get to the meeting.
B)Uri will make a note to find out who the woman is,in order to determine whether he should be working with her on any projects.
C)Uri will believe that he is attracted to the woman.
D)Uri will not even notice the woman.

Question 60

Which of the following statements is the BEST description of Schachter and Singer's (1962)classic study on the two-factor theory of emotion?

A)Participants who were given an arousing injection and told that their arousal was a side effect of the injection were more likely to believe they felt happy or angry,depending on a confederate.
B)Participants who were given an arousing injection were more likely to feel angry when a confederate acted angry.
C)Participants who were given an arousing injection were more likely to feel happy when a confederate acted happy.
D)Participants who were given an arousing injection and not told that their arousal was a side effect of the injection were more likely to believe they felt happy or angry,depending on a confederate.

Question 61

Tran can't seem to understand his social psychology material.He feels like he will never be able to find a way to pass the test.Self-awareness theory predicts:

A)Tran will try harder to study.
B)Tran will organize a study group with his classmates.
C)Tran will avoid self-focus.
D)Tran will engage in self-comparison with others.

Question 62

Bettina's goal is to become a famous singer-songwriter.However,as her life goes on she begins to feel that this will be a very difficult goal to achieve.What does expectancy-value theory suggest will happen?

A)Bettina will keep striving to achieve the goal for the rest of her life.
B)Bettina will eventually give up on the goal and shift her energy to something else.
C)Bettina will be unable to achieve the goal but also be unable to give it up,and so she will begin to experience depression.
D)Bettina will be able to achieve the goal only if she maintains a high level of self-awareness.

Question 63

All of the following are methods that researchers have used to increase self-awareness EXCEPT which one?

A)asking people to focus on an object in their immediate environment
B)asking people to write an essay with singular first-person pronouns
C)placing people in front of a mirror
D)pointing a video camera at people

Question 64

We are more likely to feel _____ when we focus on a bad behavior we have committed,and to feel _____ when we think that we are a bad person.

A)guilt;shame
B)shame;guilt
C)angry;dejected
D)dejected;angry

Question 65

Self-discrepancy theory describes all of the following EXCEPT which view of the self?

A)the undesired self
B)the actual self
C)the ought self
D)the ideal self

Question 66

Participants who were either seated in front of a mirror or not seated in front of a mirror were asked to deliver shocks to another participant.What were the results of this study?

A)Participants in front of a mirror were less likely to punish the confederate.
B)Participants in front of a mirror were more likely to punish the confederate.
C)Among participants in front of a mirror,their preexisting attitudes toward punishment predicted their level of punishment.
D)Among participants in front of a mirror,their preexisting attitudes toward punishment had no effect on their level of punishment.

Question 67

In one study,participants were told that they had either done well or poorly on a test,and then they participated in a second study,ostensibly on alcohol preferences.What were the findings?

A)The participants who believed they did poorly on the test drank less wine.
B)The participants who believed they did poorly on the test drank more wine.
C)Among the participants who believed they did poorly,existing levels of private self-consciousness predicted higher levels of drinking.
D)Among the participants who believed they did poorly,there was no relationship between existing levels of private self-consciousness and levels of drinking.

Question 68

The _____ refers to our conscience,or beliefs about what we are obligated to do,while the _____ refers to our beliefs about what we would like to accomplish and become.

A)ideal self;ought self
B)ought self;ideal self
C)ego;looking-glass self
D)looking-glass self;ego

Question 69

Kaguya needs a study guide for an upcoming exam but cannot afford to buy one.She is about to steal one from the university bookstore,even though in general she feels petty theft is wrong.As she is about to walk out of the store with the book,she approaches the glass doors at the entrance,where she sees her reflection.What does research suggest is likely to happen?

A)Kaguya will steal the book.
B)Kaguya will not steal the book.
C)Kaguya will do better on the test after proving to herself how badly she wanted to do well.
D)Kaguya will do worse on the test than if she had not attempted to steal the book.

Question 70

The _____ theory states that a person's effort in pursuing a goal is based on the value of the goal,multiplied by the person's assessment of the chances of attaining that goal.

A)auto-motive
B)expectancy-value
C)self-discrepancy
D)action identification

Question 71

According to expectancy-value theory,the amount of effort a person is likely to expend on a goal is determined by the:

A)value of the goal and the extent to which other people want one to achieve it.
B)value of the goal and the person's estimation of how achievable it is.
C)relatedness of the goal to cultural values and the person's age.
D)relatedness of the goal to cultural values and the person's level of self-awareness.

Question 72

The most common way to study self-awareness is by:

A)asking people to focus on an object in their immediate environment.
B)asking people to write an essay with singular first-person pronouns.
C)placing people in front of a mirror.
D)pointing a video camera at people.

Question 73

Numani's father always wanted him to succeed in business.One day Numani is debating whether or not he should go to his management class or play Ping-Pong with his friends.Sitting on the couch,flipping through his cell phone to find a friend's number,he scrolls past his father's name in the contact list but doesn't notice it.What does research suggest Numani is likely to do?

A)play Ping-Pong
B)go to his management class
C)play Ping-Pong if he notices his reflection in the cell phone screen
D)become anxious

Question 74

Research suggests that people who frequently experience shame are more likely to:

A)have positive outcomes compared to those who frequently experience guilt.
B)seek ways to increase their level of self-awareness.
C)be angry or depressed.
D)try and make amends to the people whom they have offended.

Question 75

In one study,some people were primed with the name of a significant other prior to working on a task.What were the findings of the study?

A)Those primed with a significant other worked longer on the task.
B)Those primed with a significant other worked longer on the task if the significant other had low expectations of them.
C)Those primed with a significant other worked longer on the task if the significant other had high expectations of them.
D)Being primed with a significant other had no impact on people's performance of the task.

Question 76

What does research suggest about the relationship between goals and consciousness?

A)All goals are active on a conscious level.
B)People are often motivated by unconscious goals.
C)Unconscious goals are extremely rare.
D)Conscious goals are extremely rare.

Question 77

Shinobu is thinking about how he has performed in pursuing his goal of becoming a chemical engineer.He feels that there is only a small discrepancy between what he has accomplished and what he envisioned himself accomplishing.Self-discrepancy theory suggests he is likely to feel:

A)anxious and guilty.
B)calmly secure.
C)discouraged.
D)satisfied.

Question 78

The theory that even subtle exposure to goal-related stimuli can automatically activate the goal and guide behavior is called the _____ theory.

A)self-discrepancy
B)action identification
C)expectancy-value
D)auto-motive

Question 79

According to Higgins's self-discrepancy theory,the "ought" self is another word for:

A)ego.
B)ego-ideal.
C)conscience.
D)unconscious.

Question 80

Failures to live up to the ought self elicit _____,while failures to live up to the ideal self elicit _____.

A)hostility and frustration;a sense of challenge and determination
B)anxiety and guilt;dejection and sadness
C)dejection and sadness;anxiety and guilt
D)a sense of challenge and determination;hostility and frustration