Deck : Using Social Psychology to Achieve a Sustainable and Happy Future

Question 1

Dr. Palcon designs a study to test which strategy is best in terms of encouraging residents to recycle on a weekly basis. Dr. Palcon is most likely conducting __________ research.

A) applied
B) basic
C) correlational
D) observational

Answer 1

applied

Question 2

Dr. Morris investigates theories of how people form bonds to their pets. She is investigating a(n) __________ question.

A) basic
B) applied
C) experimental
D) correlational

Answer 2

basic

Question 3

According to your text, the residents of Miami are already being affected by which environmental problem?

A) global warming
B) air pollution
C) nuclear waste leakage
D) overpopulation

Answer 3

global warming

Question 4

Right after a massive fire that killed 10 people, the firefighters were instructed to attend a psychological intervention that lasted for several hours. During this time, they discussed their experiences and responses. This intervention is known as __________.

A) Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
B) Post-Traumatic Event Counseling
C) Trauma Reduction Intervention
D) Critical Trauma Debriefing

Question 5

Manuel is adopting a sustainable lifestyle by __________.

A) posting notes around the house reminding him and his roommate to turn off the lights and recycle
B) using the recycle bin in the apartment complex hallway provided by the apartment manager
C) raising sustainable lifestyle awareness to people in his apartment community
D) selling his car and either riding his bike or using public transportation to travel places

Question 6

A number of years ago, the Chinese government adopted a "One Child" rule, in which parents are only allowed to have one child per couple. Such a policy was aimed at addressing the problem of overpopulation by __________.

A) using authoritarian mandates
B) curbing population growth
C) increasing awareness of the problem
D) adopting a sustainable lifestyle using renewable resources

Question 7

Kurt Lewin would recommend __________ as the best way to study problems in social psychology because __________.

A) correlational methods; the researcher can find relationships between variables
B) observational methods; the researcher can describe behavior
C) experiments; the researcher can find cause-and-effect relationships
D) studies; the researcher can control behavior

Question 8

Dr. Garcia investigates how to reduce energy consumption in elementary school. He is investigating a(n) __________ research question.

A) basic
B) applied
C) experimental
D) correlational

Question 9

In order to test the effectiveness of an intervention using an experiment, it is best to have __________.

A) interviews from people before the intervention
B) Interviews from people after the intervention
C) a randomly assigned control group
D) mandatory enforcement of the intervention

Question 10

Which method would be best to determine whether Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) works?

A) basic experimental research
B) applied experimental research
C) computer models
D) correlational studies

Question 11

Humans' rapid consumption of natural resources such as fossil fuels and difficulty finding places to put their garbage are symptoms of the underlying problem of __________.

A) lack of awareness of environmental problems
B) apathy about the environment
C) overpopulation
D) illiteracy and lack of education

Question 12

Your text discusses the psychological intervention CISD. Critical Incident Stress Debriefing is supposed to __________.

A) prevent violence
B) prevent psychiatric problems such as PTSD
C) reduce the risk of suicide in victims
D) increase a sense of community and positive emotions

Question 13

Several automakers have recently come out with hybrid engines, which rely partially on gasoline and partially on electricity. Such innovations are examples of solving environmental problems by __________.

A) improving technology
B) adopting a sustainable lifestyle
C) raising awareness of the problem
D) eliminating our reliance on fossil fuels entirely

Question 14

A problem with social and psychological interventions is people use __________ to assess their effectiveness, which can be inaccurate.

A) correlational methods
B) common sense
C) observational data
D) survey information

Question 15

McNally and his colleagues have conducted controlled experiments to examine the effectiveness of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) on preventing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The results of the studies show that CISD is __________.

A) a very effective means of reducing PTSD
B) only effective on police officers
C) effective if administered within twenty-four hours of the trauma
D) not an effective means of preventing the onset of PTSD

Question 16

According to your text, which method is best suited for understanding the best interventions and solutions to real-world problems?

A) basic experimental research
B) applied experimental research
C) computer models
D) correlational studies

Question 17

Kurt Lewin is quoted as saying, "There is nothing so practical as a good theory." This quote is best interpreted as meaning that __________.

A) hypothesis testing is limited to the quality of the underlying theories
B) to solve difficult social problems, one first needs to understand the underlying theory
C) basic research is more important than application of the research
D) social psychologists should focus on solving world problems

Question 18

The author of the text describes the beauty of social psychology is that it addresses both __________ and __________ questions about human behavior.

A) practical; impractical
B) hypothetical; factual
C) basic; applied
D) behavioral norms; social norms

Question 19

Kurt Lewin is considered to be the __________.

A) founder of modern personality psychology
B) greatest applied methodologist of the twentieth century
C) founder of empirical social psychology
D) father of professional psychology

Question 20

Joe has just survived a horrible earthquake. After this traumatic event, he is asked if he wants to undergo Critical Incident Stress Debriefing. Based on information from your text, what would you suggest Joe do?

A) Joe should undergo CISD; it has been shown to prevent the onset of psychological disorders.
B) Joe should undergo CISD only if he wasn't physically injured.
C) Joe should not undergo CISD.
D) Joe should only undergo CISD if he experienced the trauma less than twenty-four hours ago.

Question 21

Evidence presented by your text suggests that using Critical Incident Stress Debriefing is not the best way to prevent the onset of later anxiety disorders. Why is this the case?

A) CISD is just a temporary solution to a long-lasting problem.
B) People experiencing intense negative emotions may not want to focus on the event.
C) CISD is usually not administered by a licensed psychotherapist.
D) Trauma victims are often cognitively loaded.

Question 22

According to your text, what is the biggest reason why Critical Incident Stress Debriefing was used, even without research evidence that it was effective?

A) Conducting research would have taken too much time.
B) A meta-analysis on hundreds of studies would be needed to determine its effectiveness.
C) Doing the research would have been too expensive.
D) Using CISD made good common sense.

Question 23

People's perceptions of how others actually do behave are called __________ norms.

A) injunctive
B) disjunctive
C) subjective
D) descriptive

Question 24

Injunctive norms address __________, whereas descriptive norms address __________.

A) people's perceptions of how other people behave; people's perceptions of approved behavior
B) people's perceptions of acceptable physical stressors; people's perceptions of approved behavior
C) people's perceptions of approved behavior; people's perceptions of how other people behave
D) people's perceptions of approved behavior; people's perceptions of acceptable physical stressors

Question 25

Which of the following anti-litter campaigns relies most on injunctive norms?

A) highway signs that read "Keep America Beautiful"
B) an ad with a picture of a crying Native American looking at a polluted landscape
C) highway signs that read "Don't Mess with Texas!"
D) television ads that show streets filled with garbage

Question 26

Public safety officials want to increase the use of seat belts among drivers and have decided to show a television ad documenting the rising use of seat belts among drivers. This represents the use of __________ norms to change safety behaviors.

A) descriptive
B) injunctive
C) conjunctive
D) proscriptive

Question 27

Amanda and Sybil are getting ready to go out, so they are comparing what they are wearing. Amanda says that she's wearing slacks even though the invitation says the dress requirement is "Cocktail dresses for ladies." Sybil decides she will wear slacks too. Sybil is conforming to the __________ norm.

A) injunctive
B) disjunctive
C) subjective
D) descriptive

Question 28

Based on research by Cialdini and his colleagues (1990), Lola would be the LEAST likely to toss her lunch bag on the ground in a space that __________.

A) does not contain any litter
B) contains one piece of litter
C) contains a light density of litter (fewer than two pieces per ten square feet)
D) contains a heavy density of litter (more than five pieces per ten square feet)

Question 29

Recall that participants in a field experiment by Reno and his colleagues (1993) were more likely to properly dispose of a handbill left on their windshields when they saw a confederate pick up and dispose of a fast-food bag. Results of this experiment reveal the power of __________ to reduce littering behaviors.

A) descriptive norms
B) self-awareness
C) injunctive norms
D) subjective norms

Question 30

Based on research in your text, burn victims who did not undergo CISD were __________ than those who did.

A) less likely to have anxiety disorders
B) more likely to have anxiety disorders
C) equally likely to have anxiety disorders
D) less likely to develop anxiety disorders if they were women

Question 31

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing had been mandatory for certain people who work with trauma. Based on the evidence presented in your text, what would you recommend to police and fire departments about requiring CISD for all employees?

A) It should be required of all personnel on a daily basis.
B) It should be required of all personnel after encountering a trauma.
C) It should be required annually.
D) It should be offered as an option or completely banned.

Question 32

According to the authors of your text, people's perceptions of what behaviors are approved or disapproved by others is the definition of __________ norms.

A) injunctive
B) disjunctive
C) subjective
D) descriptive

Question 33

Michelle and Emile were in a family restaurant when they noticed a couple of elderly ladies frowning at them. Apparently, the ladies did not approve of Michelle and Emile's public displays of affection. Michelle and Emile violated a(n) __________ norm.

A) injunctive
B) disjunctive
C) subjective
D) descriptive

Question 34

People follow two types of social norms, __________ norms, which are people's perceptions of what behaviors are approved or disapproved of by others, and __________ norms, those that are people's perceptions of how people actually behave.

A) descriptive; injunctive
B) injunctive; descriptive
C) behavioral; acceptable
D) acceptable; behavioral

Question 35

During a drought, Lynne noticed that all of her neighbors had stopped watering their lawns, even though there were no laws against watering. Lynne was following a __________ norm when she let her lawn turn brown, too.

A) descriptive
B) proscriptive
C) objective
D) productive

Question 36

Social psychologists are poised to help find solutions to applied psychological problems. Identify two reasons why.

A) rich theories of human behavior and a long history of successful interventions
B) a good track record of developing successful interventions and use of the experimental method
C) rich theories of human behavior and knowledge of the experimental method
D) use of many methods to study human behavior and advanced statistical knowledge

Question 37

Baca-Motes et al. (2013), Goldstein et al. (2008) and Terrier & Marfaing (2015) found a standard appeal to help the environment reuse your towels (washing towels every day wastes environmental resources) worked __________ than conveying a descriptive norm about what people actually do, "Join your fellow guests in helping to save the environment."

A) the same
B) better
C) better only with pictures of landfills
D) less well

Question 38

Recall that Cialdini and his colleagues (1990) found that students were least likely to toss handbills to the floor when there was a piece of discarded watermelon rind on the floor, compared to experimental conditions in which the floor was completely free of litter or when handbills were already scattered on the floor. One single piece of watermelon rind significantly reduced littering because it served to remind participants of __________.

A) descriptive norms
B) injunctive norms
C) littering as a social dilemma
D) the time and money costs to remove litter

Question 39

Nancy is listening to the radio while she drives. At the same moment she hears a message from the "Keep America Beautiful" campaign, she notices a fast-food bag on the side of the road. The difference between what Nancy hears and sees reflects the difference between __________ norms and __________ norms.

A) descriptive; objective
B) descriptive; injunctive
C) injunctive; descriptive
D) objective; descriptive

Question 40

Leo was involved in a terrible car accident and was injured quite seriously. However, he did not undergo CISD. Based on the research presented in the text, how might you expect him to feel compared to other victims who did experience CISD?

A) He will be less likely to have anxiety disorders.
B) He will be more likely to have anxiety disorders.
C) He will be equally likely to have anxiety disorders.
D) He will be less likely to develop anxiety disorders than if he were a woman.

Question 41

Based on what the text reports, one way to reduce drivers' use of gasoline by monitoring may be to __________.

A) display the current gas mileage on the dash of the vehicle
B) tell the driver how many miles per gallon the vehicle gets
C) ask drivers to keep track of how often they fuel up
D) allow the government to track how many miles each vehicle on the road drives in a week

Question 42

Recycling, although good for all of us, can be an inconvenient and effortful activity for individuals. In this sense, recycling represents a kind of __________.

A) injunctive norm
B) social dilemma
C) normative conflict
D) dissonance-arousing activity

Question 43

Aronson and his students (Dickerson et al., 1992) used __________ to convince university students to turn off water while soaping up in a shower room.

A) a social dilemma
B) hypocrisy
C) obtrusive signs
D) monetary incentives

Question 44

Mr. Bernes owns several factories and is concerned with his employees wasting energy. Based on evidence presented in your text about competition and energy consumption, what should Mr. Bernes do?

A) provide weekly feedback to his employees about how much energy their factory consumes
B) train workers on how to conserve energy
C) provide weekly comparative feedback about energy usage from several plants to employees
D) make energy conservation mandatory-"or else"

Question 45

Beth is the new director of the Municipal Water Conservation Board. Because the board has not been very successful in its appeals to encourage residents to stop wasting water, Beth has decided to change how their message is presented, by changing the public service ads sponsored by the Municipal Water Conservation Board. Which of the following television appeals would be most likely to encourage the public to use less water?

A) "If nobody conserves water, the city will have to impose mandatory restrictions."
B) "If you leave the water running when you brush your teeth, in one week, you will have wasted enough water to fill your bathroom."
C) "I know that water conservation devices are expensive, but it is for the good of the community that you install them."
D) "If you do not find a way to reduce your water usage, we will have to take punitive action."

Question 46

Recall that researchers asked some students on the way to a field house shower to sign a petition advocating water conservation, others to report on their water use, and others to do both. Those who both reported their water use and signed the petition took shorter showers than those students in the other two conditions because __________.

A) the intervention took too long and they had to hurry
B) they were reminded that they were not practicing what they preached
C) they became more aware of how much water they used
D) they made a public commitment to conserve water

Question 47

Research by Van Vugt and Samuelson (1999), in which water meters were installed in houses in one community, suggests that one way to resolve social dilemmas is to __________.

A) decrease the availability of the resource
B) increase the cost of the resource
C) make it easier for people to monitor their own resource use
D) make it easier for the city to monitor people's resource use

Question 48

Imagine you're a property manager and you'd like to get your tenants to cut down on the amount of trash they generate. Based on research by Graham, Koo, and Wilson (2011), what would be the best way to accomplish this?

A) Tell the tenants how much money they are saving in waste disposal fees when they generate less waste.
B) Tell the tenants how much better it is for the environment to generate less waste.
C) Tell the tenants how much better it is for the environment and how much money it saves them when they generate less waste.
D) Tell them that there will be a new fee if they don't cut their waste by 15%.

Question 49

A social dilemma is defined as a conflict in which the __________.

A) easiest action helps save resources.
B) most difficult actions are for the collective good
C) competitive nature of humans results in lower resource use.
D) easiest action for an individual will have harmful effects if chosen by most

Question 50

Gonzales, Aronson, and Costanzo (1988) trained home energy auditors to describe uninsulated attics as "naked," and to point out that small cracks lose as much heat as a hole the size of a football in the living room wall. Compared to homeowners exposed to the typical appeal, those exposed to the new appeals were more likely to follow the auditors' recommendations because the new appeals __________.

A) made the problem of energy loss more vivid and noticeable to homeowners
B) showed homeowners how to change their energy use habits
C) addressed the self-interest of the homeowners
D) elicited a public commitment from homeowners to conserve energy

Question 51

You want to get your roommates' friends to quit throwing their empty cans and cigarette butts onto the ground outside your apartment. Based on what Cialdini and his colleagues (1990) found in their research, you should invoke __________ norms because they are more effective than __________ norms in reducing litter.

A) descriptive; injunctive
B) salient; subtle
C) injunctive; descriptive
D) subtle; salient

Question 52

Graham, Koo, and Wilson (2011) asked students to track the number of miles they avoided driving on a Web site. Those who were keeping track drove __________.

A) more than those in a control group
B) less only if they were also told how much money they had saved on gas
C) less only if they were told about the savings in air pollution
D) less, especially when given feedback about financial savings and reduction in air pollution

Question 53

Recall that when researchers provided workers in a unit of a factory in the Netherlands with feedback on energy consumption in other units, energy-saving behaviors drastically increased. These results point to __________ as a useful process in encouraging energy-saving behaviors.

A) cognitive dissonance
B) self-perception
C) social comparison
D) a commons dilemma

Question 54

Recall that Guagnano, Stern, & Dietz, 1995 conducted a field experiment in Fairfax County, Virginia, where recycling efforts were instituted. These researchers found that positive attitudes best predicted recycling when residents __________.

A) had to find their own containers for recycling
B) had first agreed to recycle newspapers
C) were provided with free recycling containers.
D) were provided with financial incentives for recycling

Question 55

Professor Martinez always throws paper and soft drink cans into the garbage. Based on research related to water conservation , how might he be encouraged to recycle?

A) give him information about what can and cannot be recycled
B) have him lecture to his students about recycling, and then make him aware of his own behavior
C) point out that it is in his own self-interest to recycle
D) put signs on recycling bins to make them stand out

Question 56

Under which of the following circumstances would descriptive norms work the best to reduce littering?

A) A sign points to the nearest trash can.
B) Most people in the area are picking up their trash.
C) Everyone is cooperating to clean up after a party.
D) A billboard with a celebrity on it reminds people not to litter.

Question 57

Researchers introduced an intervention to reduce energy consumption in a factory in the Netherlands. Which of the following aspects of their intervention had the greatest (positive) impact on energy use?

A) placing announcements in company magazines
B) providing weekly feedback on a unit's consumption
C) offering cash incentives for energy-saving measures
D) providing comparative feedback on other units' consumption

Question 58

Descriptive norms work the best to reduce litter when __________.

A) everyone cooperates
B) everyone is able to pick up after themselves
C) everyone has strong pro-environment attitudes
D) everyone is motivated to pick up after themselves

Question 59

In an effort to encourage students to reduce the amount of water being used at the university gym, administrators put up a sign asking students to take shorter showers. However, water consumption did not decrease sufficiently, and some students even retaliated by taking long showers. Why did the sign fail to reduce water usage?

A) Students did not see the sign.
B) Students did not read the sign.
C) The sign did not involve psychological processes that successfully change behavior.
D) The sign did not create the feeling of a social dilemma.

Question 60

One way to encourage more people to recycle would be to institute curbside recycling. This includes providing free containers for sorting glass, paper, and aluminum, and increasing the number of recycling bins throughout a community. These strategies are likely to work, given Kurt Lewin's (1947) early assertion that __________.

A) subjective perceptions are more important than objective reality
B) big social changes can occur with the removal of small barriers.
C) attitudes are powerful predictors of simple behaviors (like recycling).
D) human beings dislike cognitive inconsistency

Question 61

Based on what the authors of your text report, what is something to strive for in the future that would increase your happiness?

A) a higher-paying job
B) a new BMW
C) a physically attractive spouse/romantic partner
D) satisfying social relationships

Question 62

Three of the controllable aspects of a person's life that can influence their happiness as discussed in your text are __________.

A) satisfying relationships, financial wealth, and having children
B) having children, pursuing a worthwhile goal, and helping others
C) satisfying relationships, pursuing something you love, and helping others
D) having many friends, monetary wealth, and being physical attractive

Question 63

Diener and Biswas-Diener (2008) and Diener and Seligman (2004) identified extremely happy college students, compared to their less-happy peers. Which of the following characteristics of relationships were associated with the extremely happy college students versus their less happy peers?

A) They spent more time in conversation and were more satisfied with their relationships.
B) They spent more time with other people and had wealthier friends.
C) They spent more time in conversation and had wealthier friends.
D) They spent more time with other people and were more satisfied with their relationships.

Question 64

The authors of your text report that the researchers have found that happy people also tend to __________.

A) make more money at their job
B) be more physically attractive than less happy people
C) have good relationships with others
D) be very goal-oriented people

Question 65

For a class project, Simone is surveying students about their reasons for attending college. The majority of students report their goal is to get a job where they can make a lot of money. These survey results are consistent with what would be expected by __________.

A) research on happiness
B) research on sustainable lifestyles
C) research on descriptive norms
D) research on affective forecasting

Question 66

Implementation intentions are defined as people's specific plans about how they will __________.

A) fulfill a goal
B) limit environmental stressors
C) limit social stressors
D) fulfill descriptive norms

Question 67

Benjamin is studying to be an accountant and wants to go to law school because tax lawyers make a lot of money. He thinks that lots of money and an expensive house and car will make him happy. Based on what the authors of your text report on affective forecasting, how good is he at predicting what will make him happy in the future?

A) very accurate most of the time
B) moderately accurate most of the time
C) not very accurate much of the time
D) only accurate when the stakes are high

Question 68

Based on information in your text, what is the relationship between income and happiness?

A) Positive: the more money you make, the happier you are.
B) Negative: the more money you make, the less happy you are.
C) Slightly positive: making enough money to afford the necessities is related to happiness.
D) Zero: there is no relationship between how much money a person makes and how happy he or she is.

Question 69

Working toward a goal can lead to flow and make it difficult to think of anything but the goal. Research indicates that this increases people's __________.

A) happiness
B) self-reliance
C) stress level
D) self-image

Question 70

The authors of your text suggest that external circumstances such as __________ impact a person's level of happiness.

A) pollution
B) average outdoor temperature
C) political upheavals
D) the number of cloudy days per year

Question 71

According to your text, the two reasons why helping others makes people feel happier are helping others __________.

A) enhances social relationships and increases the chances of monetary gain
B) enhances social relationships and enhances the person's self-esteem
C) enhances the person's self-esteem and increases the chances of monetary gain
D) increases the chances of monetary gain and increases the chances of finding a good mate

Question 72

Researchers wanted to increase workers recycling of plastic cups. Which of the following groups was most likely to actually recycle?

A) the workers who had visualized the recycling steps and written down a plan for how to do it
B) the workers who said they would recycle the cups
C) the male workers
D) the younger workers

Question 73

According to the authors of your text, happiness is determined in part by __________.

A) parenting style
B) genetics
C) astrological sign
D) how physically attractive a person is

Question 74

A college wants to reduce traffic and congestion on campus, while at the same time reducing carbon emissions. Based on research presented in this chapter, which of the following approaches would most likely be successful?

A) Put up signs near the parking decks asking people to drive only on the days they absolutely must.
B) Do nothing. The students' behavior cannot be modified.
C) Ask the students to think about and plan how to get around campus on foot or a bicycle, and to submit those plans to the student newspaper in writing.
D) Put a flyer on each car that comes on campus, asking them to consider not driving anymore that day.

Question 75

Your text suggests that the best predictor of whether someone is happy is the quality of his or her social relationships. Sandstron & Dunn (2014) tested the effects of a brief positive interaction with a stranger on mood. Their results indicated that participants who experienced a brief positive interaction reported __________.

A) no change in mood, but felt more connected to other people
B) a significantly better mood, but no difference in their connection to other people
C) no change in mood and no difference in their connection to other people
D) a significantly better mood and felt more connected to other people

Question 76

Based on what the authors of your text report on affective forecasting, how good are we at predicting what will make us happy in the future?

A) very accurate most of the time
B) moderately accurate most of the time
C) not very accurate much of the time
D) only accurate when the stakes are high

Question 77

Your text discusses a number of reasons for the correlation between happiness and social relationships. Regardless of the reason(s) why, having high-quality relationships has been shown to be a __________.

A) major source of happiness
B) major source of stress
C) source of temporary joy
D) drain on one's emotions

Question 78

Based on the idea of "flow" presented in your text, which of the following people is likely to be the happiest?

A) Joe, who has just won a basketball game
B) Kelly, who has just spent several hundred dollars on new clothes to make herself feel better
C) Tyler, who is in the middle of writing the final draft of his novel
D) Olga, who is thinking about starting a project

Question 79

The research presented in your text indicates that when a person is trying to achieve a goal, they are happiest when they __________.

A) have finally accomplished the goal
B) are planning how to accomplish the goal
C) easily achieve their goal
D) are working toward their goal

Question 80

"Flow" can best be described as a(n) __________.

A) pleasurable state during which people are so focused on their goal that they lose track of time.
B) pleasant state of arousal in which a person is focused on the needs of others.
C) altered state of consciousness in which a person's attention is divided among many tasks.
D) state in which people are so focused on their goal that they couldn't actually achieve it.