Deck 14: Integrating Social Psychology

Question 1

Which of the following is FALSE regarding proximate and ultimate explanations of social behavior?

A) Proximate explanations focus on immediate causes.
B) Proximate and ultimate explanations are incompatible alternatives to one another.
C) Ultimate explanations focus on distal causes.
D) Proximate questions are narrower in focus.

Answer 1

Proximate and ultimate explanations are incompatible alternatives to one another.

Question 2

Sue wants to be a biologist but thinks her biology professor,Dr.Wu,is wrong in her opinions about what kind of research is important.But when Sue goes to Dr.Wu's office,she is very friendly.Sue is acting friendly because she's concentrating on her ________ goal of getting a good grade rather than her ________ goal of becoming a renowned biologist.

A) larger; narrow
B) narrow; focused
C) proximate; ultimate
D) selfish; selfless

Answer 2

proximate; ultimate

Question 3

Which of the following perspectives provides the MOST proximate explanations for human social behavior?

A) social cognitive perspective
B) social learning perspective
C) evolutionary perspective
D) sociocultural perspective

Answer 3

social cognitive perspective

Question 4

Athletes who are blind from birth

A) lose self-esteem if they think the sighted athletes believe they are non-competitive.
B) make the same facial expressions as sighted athletes when they win or lose.
C) have political attitudes more closely aligned to their physical condition than do sighted athletes.
D) are found to be more attractive than sighted athletes.

Question 5

The finding that in some cultures it is unacceptable for men to wear skirts,whereas in other cultures wearing a particular type of skirt signifies family honor,is best described as an example of

A) the influence of genetics on behavior.
B) the influence of punishment on behavior.
C) the influence of norms on behavior.
D) the influence of learning on behavior.

Question 6

Research shows that the neurological effects of being excluded from a social interaction are

A) impossible to detect.
B) similar to those experienced when we fail at a task.
C) similar to those experienced when we are in physical pain.
D) related to those experienced when we fall in love.

Question 7

The major theoretical perspectives in social psychology are

A) incompatible alternatives.
B) mutually exclusive.
C) interlinked views of the same social phenomena.
D) none of the above

Question 8

Ultimate causes are associated most closely with ________,whereas proximate causes are most closely associated with ________.

A) modern times; ancestral times
B) particular cultures; all of human history
C) social cognitive explanations; evolutionary
D) ancestral times; modern times

Question 9

One of the central explanatory elements of the sociocultural perspective is

A) the impact that genes have on behavior.
B) the effects of one's learning history on one's behavior.
C) the role of attentional processes on behavior.
D) the focus on the role of norms in regulating behavior.

Question 10

Nira says men are more aggressive because of sexual selection for dominance,whereas Shalini thinks it's because men are taught to be more aggressive by the culture.Nira is giving a/an ________ explanation,whereas Shalini is giving a/an ________ explanation for the same behavior.

A) social learning; sociocultural
B) evolutionary; social cognitive
C) evolutionary; sociocultural
D) social cognitive; evolutionary

Question 11

________ explanations of social behavior focus on background or historical causes.

A) Mediational
B) Proximate
C) Ultimate
D) Group

Question 12

Broad-ranging questions about why humans generally form monogamous pair bonds are addressed by

A) the evolutionary perspective.
B) proximate levels of explanation.
C) a focus on background and historical factors.
D) all of the above

Question 13

The perspective that studies human social behavior through the lens of the influence of natural selection on the brain is the

A) social cognitive perspective.
B) sociocultural perspective.
C) social learning perspective.
D) evolutionary perspective.

Question 14

Suppose that some researchers are investigating different social norms regarding multiple body piercings.This research is most closely related to the ________ approach.

A) social learning
B) social cognitive
C) evolutionary
D) sociocultural

Question 15

Sheila says men are more aggressive because of sexual selection for dominance,whereas Rudy thinks it's because men are taught to be more aggressive by the culture.Sheila is giving a/an ________ explanation,whereas Rudy is giving a/an ________ explanation for the same behavior.

A) ultimate; proximate
B) individual; social
C) proximate; ultimate
D) developmental; individual

Question 16

Powerful new mathematical tools are being used to study ________,or the ways in which attitudes and behaviors spread and cluster within groups.

A) dynamical systems
B) groupthink
C) static phenomena
D) mass communications

Question 17

Sociocultural theorists and evolutionary theorists both look across cultures to study social behavior,but whereas sociocultural theorists focus on ________,evolutionary theorists focus on ________.

A) cultural norms; cultural learning
B) cross-cultural differences; cross-cultural similarities
C) cross-cultural similarities; cross-cultural differences
D) the behavior of groups; the behavior of individuals

Question 18

Which of the following perspectives provides the MOST ultimate causes of human social behavior?

A) sociocultural perspective
B) social learning perspective
C) social cognitive perspective
D) evolutionary perspective

Question 19

Some sociocultural theorists argue that to understand human behavior,all we need to do is understand the way culture shapes behavior.According to your book,what is wrong with this assessment?

A) Culture is shaped by evolutionary factors, so to understand culture you need to include evolution.
B) Culture really doesn't influence human social behavior.
C) There is a one-way relationship such that cultural factors influence evolution.
D) Culture is only a proximate cause of behavior.

Question 20

Explaining why the Japanese tend to be less comfortable with talking into answering machines than Americans is probably best tackled from a(an)________ perspective.

A) evolutionary
B) sociocultural
C) collectivistic
D) individualistic

Question 21

One difference between the evolutionary and sociocultural perspectives is

A) that the former focuses on similarities across cultures and the latter on differences across cultures.
B) that the former focuses on mating and the latter focuses on childrearing.
C) that the former emphasizes proximate influences and the latter ultimate influences.
D) none of the above

Question 22

The perspective that focuses on an individual's response to rewards and punishments in a given environment is the ________ perspective.

A) sociocultural
B) social learning
C) evolutionary
D) social cognitive

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT true of the relationship between social learning and social cognition?

A) Learning something new requires attention, encoding and memory.
B) Past experience with reward and punishment influences current schemas.
C) Research in both areas focuses on momentary changes in attention and judgment.
D) Social cognition facilitates learning.

Question 24

Attributional processes are best considered under the ________ approach to social psychology.

A) evolutionary
B) social cognitive
C) sociocultural
D) social learning

Question 25

Todd,a 6-year-old boy,sees a girl down the street performing amazing aerial acrobatics on her skateboard.Later,he tells his mom he saw a BOY doing neat tricks on his skateboard.According to the findings of Martin and Halverson (1983),why didn't Todd tell the truth?

A) Todd is intentionally lying to his mother.
B) The girl was acting out of line with gender stereotypes for girls, which distorted Todd's memory.
C) Todd is jealous of the girl's abilities, so he decided to say that it was a boy.
D) Boys do not remember gender information as well as girls.

Question 26

According to Cross and Markus (1993)why does it bother us so much when we are unable to discern a person's gender?

A) Gender is a vivid social category.
B) Human beings are inherently nosy.
C) We want to know whether the person is a potential romantic partner.
D) Gender is not a particularly relevant social category.

Question 27

Toshikazu's parents threaten to take away his video games if he doesn't do his homework.However,this threat depends upon whether or not Toshikazu believes his parents will follow through.This is an example of the interaction between the

A) social cognitive and sociocultural perspectives.
B) evolutionary and social cognitive perspectives.
C) social learning and sociocultural perspectives.
D) social learning and social cognitive perspectives.

Question 28

Psychologists working from a contemporary evolutionary perspective argue AGAINST which of the following?

A) that genes play a role in contemporary human psychology
B) that genes and culture interact to impact human psychology
C) that culture doesn't explain human behavior, only genes do
D) that inclusive fitness can help explain the origins of some altruistic behavior

Question 29

Two students hear a speech by a presidential candidate.One student concludes that the candidate is a forceful leader with innovative ideas,but the other student concludes that the candidate is a poor leader with no new ideas.Which perspective can best explain these different interpretations?

A) social cognitive
B) sociocultural
C) social learning
D) evolutionary

Question 30

What was the main conclusion of Martin's (1987)research comparing actual gender differences to stereotypes of gender differences?

A) There are very few actual gender differences.
B) Stereotypes of gender differences are smaller than actual gender differences.
C) Men actually rated themselves as more tender and compassionate than women.
D) Stereotypes are magnifications of smaller actual gender differences.

Question 31

How do evolutionary psychologists study human behavior?

A) by looking for cross-cultural differences in behavior
B) by living with gorillas or other primates and studying their behavior
C) by testing evolutionarily-based hypotheses in studies with humans
D) by examining individual differences in perceptions of reality

Question 32

Martin Luther King Jr.used powerful patriotic symbols and images of happy children to ensure that listeners were in a positive mood when they heard about his civil rights cause.This effective technique draws primarily from the ________ perspective.

A) evolutionary
B) social learning
C) social cognitive
D) sociocultural

Question 33

Which is NOT one of the core processes involved in social cognition?

A) attention
B) memory
C) behaving
D) interpretation

Question 34

The distinction between automatic and thoughtful or effortful processing discussed in relation to attitude change is an example of the ________ perspective.

A) social cognitive
B) evolutionary
C) social learning
D) sociocultural

Question 35

The finding that children raised together in a kibbutz pod do not feel romantically attracted to each other is best explained by

A) the social learning perspective.
B) the sociocultural perspective.
C) a combination of the sociocultural and social learning perspectives.
D) a combination of the social learning and evolutionary perspectives.

Question 36

After an extensive review of research on gender differences,Eagly (1995)concluded that

A) people have a reasonably good feel for which differences are large and which are small.
B) people don't really know what the true differences are.
C) people try follow norms governing gender-based behavior, but are not very good at it.
D) there really are no gender differences in behavior.

Question 37

The social cognitive perspective primarily focus on ________ explanations of social behavior.

A) background
B) immediate
C) historical
D) individual

Question 38

Whereas archeologists hunt for fossils in the ground,psychologists can be said to seek fossils

A) in the artifacts of culture.
B) inside the head as psychological mechanisms.
C) in the books and journals people write.
D) in the behavior of animals.

Question 39

Which of the following is true regarding cross-cultural research on marriage patterns?

A) In societies where polygyny is allowed, most men are polygynous.
B) When polygamy is allowed, polyandry is more common than polygyny.
C) Most people pair up monogamously with one man and one woman.
D) In most societies, only people of high social status may marry monogamously.

Question 40

In the Condry and Condry (1976)study,why did people change their perception of the reaction of a baby to a jack-in-the-box based on whether they were told the baby was a girl or a boy?

A) Girl babies acted differently than boy babies.
B) The people misremembered the babies' reactions.
C) They knew that boys and girls react differently to punishment.
D) They adjusted their perceptions to fit with gender-role schemas.

Question 41

The two basic principles of social behavior are that

A) situations change people and people change situations.
B) that social behavior is goal-oriented and represents a person-situation interaction.
C) that evolution affects psychology and psychology affects evolution.
D) that people are driven to gain status and to manage their self-image.

Question 42

Which of the following best explains why men and women act in line with gender stereotypes?

A) Social learning that some behaviors are more appropriate for one sex or the other leads to gender stereotypes.
B) Cultural norms about how men and women should act lead to gender stereotypes.
C) Gender differences in reproductive biology lead to gender stereotypes.
D) all of the above

Question 43

Women occupy fewer positions of leadership in business and politics.How would the social learning perspective explain this gender disparity?

A) Women don't try to attain leadership positions because they believe it's impossible.
B) Women have the responsibility to bear, nurse, and care for children.
C) Women are not rewarded for displaying leadership qualities.
D) Women as leaders are not acceptable in Western culture.

Question 44

The goals of being seen as likable,fitting in,conforming to the preferences of others,and gaining approval are all associated with the fundamental goal

A) to establish social ties.
B) to attract and retain mates.
C) to understand ourselves and others.
D) to defend ourselves and those we value.

Question 45

The goal of defending ourselves and others whom we value is often associated with which of the following social behaviors?

A) aggression
B) prejudice
C) intergroup conflict
D) all of the above

Question 46

Which perspective would explain gender differences in behavior by emphasizing the division of labor arising from reproductive biology?

A) evolutionary
B) social learning
C) sociocultural
D) social cognitive

Question 47

The different goals of coping with feelings of annoyance,gaining or maintaining status,protecting oneself or others,or gaining material or social benefits,may all contribute to the expression of

A) attitude change.
B) cognitive stereotyping.
C) aggressive behavior.
D) affiliative behavior.

Question 48

Which of the following principles is common to all five basic motives in social psychology?

A) Social behavior is the result of experience with reward and punishment.
B) Social behavior is influenced by natural selection.
C) Social behavior is dependent upon an individual's perception of events.
D) Social behavior represents an interaction between the person and the situation.

Question 49

Nancy finds out that her friends formed a study group and didn't invite her to join.Nancy begins to think badly of herself,and her self-esteem decreases.According to the work of Leary et al (1995),self-esteem is acting as a ________ that tells Nancy she has been excluded.

A) barometer
B) cyclometer
C) sociometer
D) neurometer

Question 50

Roger is highly motivated to be the chief editor of the college newspaper.He concentrates on it so much that sometimes he's rude to others on the paper.Roger's need for ________ is interfering with the extent to which others find him ________.

A) winning; dominant
B) dominance; agreeable
C) agreeableness; dominant
D) structure; intelligent

Question 51

The idea that social behavior is goal-oriented is consistent with which of the four major perspectives in social psychology?

A) the evolutionary perspective and the sociocultural perspective
B) perspectives that focus on ultimate explanations for behavior
C) perspectives that focus on proximate explanations for behavior
D) the idea is consistent with all four perspectives

Question 52

You have a friend who keeps a list of their "enemies" and is constantly doubting your loyalty as a friend.This person has some symptoms of

A) obsessive-compulsive disorder.
B) paranoid personality disorder.
C) histrionic personality disorder.
D) antisocial personality disorder.

Question 53

A graduate student wants to study features of the person that influence the type of romantic relationship that people desire.The graduate student decides to focus on genetic predispositions and human nature.Which perspective is the graduate student utilizing?

A) social cognitive perspective
B) social learning perspective
C) sociocultural perspective
D) evolutionary perspective

Question 54

The textbook argues that,instead of trying to explain gender differences in terms of only our genes,our cultural learning experiences,or in our minds,we should

A) look for gender differences as a product of all of these working together.
B) look for gender differences only in our culture and our genes.
C) focus primarily on how gender differences assist with mating behavior.
D) focus primarily on how gender differences impact helping behavior and aggression.

Question 55

One of the basic principles of social behavior is

A) it is driven by evolutionary pressures.
B) it helps to conserve mental effort.
C) it helps us gain and retain mates.
D) it is goal-oriented.

Question 56

The social motive of social status includes benefits such as

A) access to rewards.
B) attracting mates and promoting the survival of offspring.
C) understanding ourselves better.
D) both A and B

Question 57

J.Edgar Hoover may have kept extensive records of the sex lives of powerful people in order to keep anyone from exposing the potentially damaging fact that he was a homosexual.This fits with which fundamental goal?

A) managing one's self-image
B) gaining social approval
C) gaining and maintaining status
D) supporting and protecting one's group

Question 58

According to the textbook,

A) different goals of social behavior are interdependent.
B) different goals of social behavior are independent.
C) different goals of social behavior are unrelated to the five basic motives.
D) the goals associated with each theoretical perspective are not shared by other perspectives.

Question 59

According to your textbook,all of the following are fundamental social motivations EXCEPT

A) to establish social ties.
B) to understand ourselves and others.
C) to gain and maintain status.
D) to succeed in career endeavors.

Question 60

Francois associates with high status friends in order to gain and maintain status,whereas Antonio acts aggressively in order to gain and maintain status.What principle of social behavior does this situation illustrate?

A) Different people use different behaviors to attain the same goal.
B) The same goals underlie different social behaviors.
C) Some behaviors are more effective for particular goals than others.
D) When people fail to gain status via association, they resort to aggression.

Question 61

Which of the following is NOT true of the goal of attracting and retaining mates?

A) We are constantly consciously aware of the goal.
B) It involves imperfectly tuned mechanisms.
C) It consists of strategies that were beneficial to our ancestors.
D) It is flexible and sensitive to the environment.

Question 62

Humans are relatively unique among mammals in our reproduction and child-rearing tendencies in that

A) we tend to be monogamous.
B) fathers invest more in offspring than in most other species.
C) we have evolved mechanisms for finding mates.
D) our goals regarding mate selection are conscious.

Question 63

Francesca participates in sorority rush at her university.She chooses two sororities that she really likes,and one of these chooses her as a member.This is an example of

A) a situation choosing the person.
B) a person changing a situation.
C) a situation changing a person.
D) different people reacting differently to the same situation.

Question 64

The boss brings two employees into his office,tells them that they've not been working to their potential,and that he wants them to put more effort into their jobs.One employee breaks down in tears and decides he is worthless,while the other smiles and embraces the opportunity to reach her potential.This is an example of the way in which

A) situations choose the person.
B) different people respond differently to the same situation.
C) gender affects perception.
D) people choose their situations.

Question 65

When Kate is coaching basketball,she wants her team to fear and respect her,but when Kate is at home,she wants her husband and children to find her sensitive and loving.Kate is

A) allowing situations to choose the person.
B) allowing the person to change the situation.
C) hoping that different people respond differently to the same situation.
D) responding to different situations priming different parts of the person.

Question 66

The central lesson of the Bridging Function and Dysfunction sections in your textbook is that

A) disordered social behavior is very difficult to treat.
B) disordered social behavior is best treated as very dissimilar from so-called normal behavior.
C) disordered social behavior is best treated with outpatient, rather than inpatient, care.
D) disordered social behavior often highlights and exaggerates normal psychological mechanisms.

Question 67

Research has shown that individuals with aggressive tendencies prefer to watch violent movies,whereas non-aggressive individuals prefer to watch non-violent movies.This is an example of

A) people choosing their situations.
B) different people responding differently to the same situation.
C) situations choosing the person.
D) different situations priming different parts of the person.

Question 68

From the evolutionary perspective,________ are aspects of the person,whereas ________ are aspects of the situations.

A) schemas; habits
B) internal social standards; societal norms
C) habits; rewards
D) genetic predispositions; features of our ancestors' environment

Question 69

From the sociocultural perspective,societal norms are features of the ________ that influence social behavior,whereas internal social standards are features of the ________ that influence social behavior.

A) person; situation
B) interaction; situation
C) situation; person
D) society; smaller group

Question 70

Cherie is kissed by Humroy.Whether or not Cherie feels this kiss is rewarding or punishing depends primarily on

A) the social context and the goals that are activated at the time.
B) Cherie's current mood state.
C) the relevance for Cherie of the social motive of maintaining status.
D) sociocultural factors.

Question 71

Although we do our best to choose situations that match our dispositions,we often end up in circumstances we cannot perfectly predict.Which of the following is an example of this?

A) A reserved woman selects a small, rural liberal arts college because she does not like crowds and finds a quiet, conforming college atmosphere.
B) Emotional people do not wish to be parents, but if they become parents, they become less emotional.
C) Young children trying out for a sports team have a disadvantage if they were born shortly before the birthday cut-off date because older children have better maturity, coordination, and experience. Thus, the younger children play less, a circumstance that may affect the younger children in later years.
D) none of the above

Question 72

The central lesson of the Bridging Function and Dysfunction sections in your textbook is that

A) disordered social behavior typically has a sociocultural cause.
B) disordered social behavior illustrates how the situation can change the person.
C) disordered social behavior often highlights and exaggerates normal psychological mechanisms.
D) abnormalities in brain chemistry are the primary reason for disordered social behavior.

Question 73

Lester grew up in a bireligious household in which one parent was Catholic and one was Muslim.Lester has borrowed elements of each religion in his everyday life.When he sees the Christian symbols in his home,he begins thinking about the Bible,and when he sees the Muslim artifacts,he begins thinking about the Koran.This is an example of

A) different situations priming different norms.
B) different people changing his situation.
C) different situations priming different parts of the same person.
D) the same situation priming different parts of the person.

Question 74

The cognitive bias that results from seeking evidence that is consistent with our theories,and ignoring evidence that is inconsistent,is known as the

A) confirmation bias.
B) normative heuristic.
C) availability heuristic.
D) false consensus bias.

Question 75

Amitesh takes a social psychology class.He starts to think of himself as a social scientist and is inspired to pursue a Ph.D.in social psychology.This is an example of

A) different persons responding differently to the same situation.
B) the person changing the situation.
C) the situation changing the person.
D) different situations priming different parts of the person.

Question 76

Dr.Lopez conducts experimental laboratory research on attraction,but also conducts field studies on the way in which attractiveness influences choices of real-world romantic partners.Dr.Lopez is taking a ________ approach to research.

A) backwards
B) correlational
C) full cycle
D) theoretical

Question 77

Which of the following is FALSE about human reproduction?

A) Humans have a small number of offspring.
B) Most human males invest little more than sperm in reproduction.
C) Humans lavish a great deal of care on each offspring.
D) Humans care for their offspring for up to three decades.

Question 78

Winston Churchill's inspiring and transforming the British people during World War II is an example of

A) the person changing the situation.
B) situations changing the person.
C) situations choosing the person.
D) different situations priming different parts of the person.

Question 79

Why is it not sufficient to conduct social psychological research just by watching and listening to what people do?

A) Observers have limited perceptual capacity.
B) People hide their true motives.
C) Observers oversimplify and distort what they hear and see.
D) all of the above

Question 80

According to your textbook,one of the reasons that J.Edgar Hoover had a tendency to see communist associations was that he could easily bring to mind examples of communist associations.This cognitive bias is known as the ________.

A) representativeness heuristic
B) confirmation bias
C) availability heuristic
D) false consensus bias