Deck 43: Social Thinking

Question 1

Attribution theory was designed to account for

A) the process of revealing intimate aspects of ourselves to others.
B) the impact of both heredity and environment on social behavior.
C) the loss of self-awareness that occurs in group situations.
D) how people explain others' behavior.

Answer 1

how people explain others' behavior.

Question 2

Bart complied with his friends' request to join them in smashing decorative pumpkins early one Halloween evening. Later that night, he was surprised by his own failure to resist their pressures to throw eggs at passing police cars. Bart's experience best illustrates the

A) bystander effect.
B) foot-in-the-door phenomenon.
C) fundamental attribution error.
D) frustration-aggression principle.

Answer 2

foot-in-the-door phenomenon.

Question 3

The fundamental attribution error refers to our tendency to underestimate the impact of ________ and to overestimate the impact of ________ in explaining the behavior of others.

A) normative influences; informational influences
B) informational influences; normative influences
C) personal dispositions; situational influences
D) situational influences; personal dispositions

Answer 3

situational influences; personal dispositions

Question 4

Two neighboring nations are each stockpiling weapons. Each sees its neighbor's actions as an act of aggression and its own actions as self-defense. Evidently, these nations are victims of

A) peripheral route persuasion.
B) the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.
C) self-serving bias.
D) central route persuasion.

Question 5

The fundamental attribution error involves

A) becoming more extreme in one's individual opinions following group discussion.
B) performing a complex task more poorly when in the presence of others.
C) underestimating situational constraints on another's behavior.
D) losing self-restraint in group situations that foster anonymity.

Question 6

Marilyn judges her professor's strict class attendance policy to be an indication of his overcontrolling personality rather than a necessity dictated by the limited number of class sessions in a course that meets only once a week. Her judgment best illustrates

A) the mere exposure effect.
B) group polarization.
C) deindividuation.
D) the fundamental attribution error.

Question 7

Which branch of psychology is most directly concerned with the study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another?

A) developmental psychology
B) social psychology
C) personality psychology
D) clinical psychology

Question 8

When male students in an experiment were told that a woman to whom they would be speaking had been instructed to act in a friendly or unfriendly way, most of them subsequently attributed her behavior to

A) the situation.
B) the situation and her personal disposition.
C) her personal disposition.
D) their own skill or lack of skill in a social situation.

Question 9

Which of the following is true?

A) Attitudes and actions rarely correspond.
B) Attitudes predict behavior about half the time.
C) Attitudes are excellent predictors of behavior.
D) Attitudes predict behavior under certain conditions.

Question 10

Professor Stewart wrote a very positive letter of recommendation for a student despite having doubts about her competence. Which theory best explains why he subsequently began to develop more favorable attitudes about the student's abilities?

A) cognitive dissonance theory
B) scapegoat theory
C) two-factor theory
D) equity theory

Question 11

Which of the following phenomena is best explained by cognitive dissonance theory?

A) fundamental attribution error
B) the foot-in-the-door phenomenon
C) peripheral route persuasion
D) central route persuasion

Question 12

According to cognitive dissonance theory, dissonance is most likely to occur when

A) a person's behavior is not based on strongly held attitudes.
B) two people have conflicting attitudes and find themselves in disagreement.
C) an individual does something that is personally disagreeable.
D) an individual is coerced into doing something that he or she does not want to do.

Question 13

The participants in Philip Zimbardo's simulated prison study

A) were assigned the roles of prisoner or guard on the basis of their personality test scores.
B) found it very difficult to play the role of prison guard.
C) were so endangered by their role-playing experience that the study was discontinued.
D) became a cohesive unit when they pursued superordinate goals.

Question 14

Ksana insists that her boyfriend's car accident resulted from his carelessness. Her explanation for the accident provides an example of

A) the bystander effect.
B) deindividuation.
C) the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.
D) a dispositional attribution.

Question 15

Compared with central route persuasion, peripheral route persuasion tends to

A) be more durable.
B) occur more rapidly.
C) be more likely to influence behavior.
D) involve a greater number of logical arguments.

Question 16

Which theory describes how we explain others' behavior as being due to internal dispositions or external situations?

A) cognitive dissonance theory
B) reward theory
C) two-factor theory
D) attribution theory

Question 17

Caitlin concluded that her husband was late for dinner because he was caught in heavy traffic. Her conclusion best illustrates

A) deindividuation.
B) the bystander effect.
C) a situational attribution.
D) the reciprocity norm.

Question 18

Attribution theory suggests that we tend to attribute others' behavior either to their

A) heredity or their environment.
B) biological motives or their psychological motives.
C) thoughts or their emotions.
D) dispositions or their situations.

Question 19

Cognitive dissonance theory is most helpful for understanding the impact of

A) groupthink on social conflict.
B) deindividuation on the bystander effect.
C) team membership on social loafing.
D) role playing on attitude change.

Question 20

Central route persuasion is most likely when people

A) are naturally analytical.
B) are uninvolved in an issue.
C) make snap judgments.
D) have difficulty paying attention.

Question 21

Attitudes are ________ that guide behavior.

A) norms and roles
B) superordinate goals
C) belief-based feelings
D) dispositional attributions

Question 22

Observing yourself on a video replay is most likely to increase your tendency to attribute your behavior to

A) social norms.
B) role playing.
C) personality traits.
D) the mere exposure effect.

Question 23

Whether a person exercises regularly is best predicted by his or her attitude about

A) sports training.
B) physical health.
C) exercise.
D) social loafing.

Question 24

Instead of providing arguments in favor of a political candidate, ads may build political support by associating pictures of the candidate with emotion-evoking music and images. This strategy best illustrates

A) the social-responsibility norm.
B) deindividuation.
C) peripheral route persuasion.
D) informational social influence.

Question 25

The foot-in-the-door phenomenon refers to the tendency to

A) neglect critical thinking because of a strong desire for social harmony within a group.
B) perform simple tasks more effectively in the presence of others.
C) comply with a large request if one has previously complied with a small request.
D) experience an increasing attraction to novel stimuli as they become more familiar.

Question 26

Compared with people from East Asian cultures, those from individualistic Western countries are more likely to demonstrate

A) conformity.
B) ingroup bias.
C) ethnic stereotyping.
D) the fundamental attribution error.

Question 27

We are NOT likely to make the fundamental attribution error if we observe someone

A) in a variety of situations.
B) who is unemployed.
C) who is wealthy.
D) we dislike.

Question 28

Opinion change resulting from a thoughtful focus on the content of arguments illustrates

A) central route persuasion.
B) normative social influence.
C) social facilitation.
D) cognitive dissonance.

Question 29

Poverty and unemployment are likely to be explained in terms of personal dispositions by ________ and in terms of situational influences by ________.

A) the poor; the rich
B) women; men
C) social psychologists; evolutionary psychologists
D) political conservatives; political liberals

Question 30

A person's behavior is most likely to be consistent with his or her attitudes when

A) the attitudes are implicit rather than explicit.
B) external influences on behavior are minimal.
C) the person has not publicly communicated those attitudes.
D) the attitudes are discrepant with most other people's opinions.

Question 31

The fundamental attribution error is likely to lead observers to attribute a stranger's

A) lack of employment to a weak economy.
B) act of kindness to a compassionate personality.
C) criminal behavior to a poor education.
D) friendliness to social role requirements.

Question 32

The impact of our actions on our attitudes is best illustrated by the

A) fundamental attribution error.
B) foot-in-the-door phenomenon.
C) mere exposure effect.
D) frustration-aggression principle.

Question 33

The fundamental attribution error is illustrated in our tendency to underestimate the extent to which others' behavior is influenced by

A) genetics.
B) assigned roles.
C) their level of motivation.
D) personality traits.

Question 34

Politicians who publicly oppose a tax increase that they privately favor best illustrate that

A) a pooling of efforts toward a common goal contributes to social loafing.
B) the presence of others interferes with individual performance on difficult tasks.
C) actions may sometimes be inconsistent with attitudes.
D) group discussion enhances a group's prevailing attitudes.

Question 35

Carol is restless during class because her professor's distressed facial expressions lead her to believe that he dislikes teaching. The professor, on the other hand, is distressed because he sees Carol's restlessness as an indication that she lacks any motivation to learn. At this point, both student and professor should be informed of the dangers of

A) group polarization.
B) the mere exposure effect.
C) deindividuation.
D) the fundamental attribution error.

Question 36

We have a tendency to explain the behavior of strangers we have observed in only one type of situation in terms of ________ and to explain our own behavior in terms of ________.

A) informational influence; normative influence
B) situational constraints; personality traits
C) normative influence; informational influence
D) personality traits; situational constraints

Question 37

In explaining the actions of people we do not know well, we often demonstrate the

A) bystander effect.
B) mere exposure effect.
C) fundamental attribution error.
D) foot-in-the-door phenomenon.

Question 38

Vanna is tempted to shoplift a gold necklace even though she has negative feelings about shoplifting. Vanna is LEAST likely to steal the merchandise if

A) her negative feelings about shoplifting result from normative social influence.
B) she is suffering the effects of deindividuation.
C) she easily recalls her negative feelings about shoplifting.
D) she has recently shoplifted jewelry from several different stores.

Question 39

Our explanations of our own admirable actions are ________ likely to involve situational attributions than our explanations of our own shameful actions. Our explanations of our own actions performed long ago are ________ likely to involve dispositional attributions than our explanations of our own very recent actions.

A) less; less
B) more; more
C) less; more
D) more; less

Question 40

Freire did very poorly on his last arithmetic test. The tendency to make the fundamental attribution error might lead his sixth-grade teacher to conclude that Freire did poorly because

A) he is unmotivated to do well in school.
B) the test covered material that had not been adequately covered in class.
C) his parents had an argument the evening before the test.
D) he was not given enough time to complete the test.

Question 41

When a salesperson visits your home and asks you to try a free sample of a cleaning fluid, you agree. When he returns the following week and asks you to purchase an assortment of expensive cleaning products, you make the purchase. The salesperson appears to have made effective use of

A) the fundamental attribution error.
B) the social-responsibility norm.
C) the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.
D) deindividuation.

Question 42

After she was promoted to a high-level executive position in the large company for which she worked, Jorana developed more pro-business political attitudes. This best illustrates the impact of ________ on attitudes.

A) deindividuation
B) social facilitation
C) role playing
D) mirror-image perceptions

Question 43

Which theory best explains why our actions can lead us to modify our attitudes?

A) scapegoat theory
B) cognitive dissonance theory
C) social exchange theory
D) the two-factor theory

Question 44

After they had first agreed to display a 3-inch "Be a Safe Driver" sign, California home owners were highly likely to permit the installation of a very large and unattractive "Drive Carefully" sign in their front yards. This best illustrates

A) the chameleon effect.
B) the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.
C) the fundamental attribution error.
D) social facilitation.

Question 45

We are most likely to experience cognitive dissonance if we feel

A) little sense of responsibility for engaging in behaviors of which we personally disapprove.
B) little sense of responsibility for engaging in behaviors of which we personally approve.
C) a great sense of responsibility for engaging in behaviors of which we personally disapprove.
D) a great sense of responsibility for engaging in behaviors of which we personally approve.

Question 46

The set of prescribed behaviors associated with a particular social position is best described as a(n)

A) ingroup bias.
B) attribution.
C) attitude.
D) role.

Question 47

Aleksis has recently begun to bully and hurt his younger brother. If this behavior continues, it is likely that Aleksis will

A) experience a substantial loss of self-esteem.
B) develop an increasing dislike for his brother.
C) experience a sense of deindividuation.
D) develop a great sense of admiration and respect for his brother.

Question 48

Philip Zimbardo devised a simulated prison and randomly assigned college students to serve as prisoners or guards. This experiment best illustrated the impact of

A) team membership on social loafing.
B) self-disclosure on conciliation.
C) frustration on aggression.
D) role playing on attitudes.

Question 49

The discomfort we feel when two thoughts are inconsistent is called

A) cognitive dissonance.
B) implicit prejudice.
C) deindividuation.
D) social loafing.

Question 50

Fernando's favorable attitude toward capital punishment began to change when he was asked to offer arguments opposing it in a university debate class. His attitude change is best explained by ________ theory.

A) cognitive dissonance
B) social exchange
C) scapegoat
D) the two-factor

Question 51

David's history teacher asked him why so many German people complied with Hitler's orders to systematically slaughter millions of innocent Jews. David suggested that the atrocities were committed because the Germans had become unusually cruel, sadistic people with abnormal and twisted personalities. Use your knowledge of the fundamental attribution error and Milgram's research on obedience to highlight the weaknesses of David's explanation.