Deck 13: Social Psychology

Question 1

Chuck is a highly ambitious graduate student who does not intend to let anything get in the way of excelling in each of his classes and graduating at the top of his class.When he learns that the professor for one of his course modules is an attractive young woman,he opts for a different module.He believes that attractive women cannot be good educators.Chuck's attitude toward attractive women best illustrates:

A)altruism.
B)a stereotype.
C)affirmative action.
D)the false consensus effect.

Answer 1

a stereotype.

Question 2

Lauren is watching a live golf tournament on television and sees a golfer frown after he makes his shot.Lauren would make the fundamental attribution error if she assumed that the golfer:

A)just missed a putt.
B)has a volatile personality.
C)was thrown off by the flash of a camera.
D)thought it looked like it was going to rain.

Answer 2

has a volatile personality.

Question 3

In the context of research in the area of physical attractiveness,which of the following faces will most likely be rated as most attractive?

A)A face in which the distinctive features have been digitally enhanced
B)A face with an unusually small forehead and unusually large lips
C)A round face with unusually large eyes
D)A composite of multiple faces that have been digitally blended to produce an "average" face

Answer 3

A composite of multiple faces that have been digitally blended to produce an "average" face

Question 4

Sheila is late for class.Assuming that she is the actor and her teacher is the observer,her teacher is most likely to attribute Sheila's tardiness to:

A)a faulty alarm clock.
B)her lack of organizational skills.
C)poor traffic.
D)her parents letting her sleep late.

Question 5

Eric is known for his calm temperament,but one day he yelled at his roommate for not doing the laundry.When asked,Eric said he had been fired from his job that morning.According to the attribution theory,Eric's yelling can best be attributed to _____ causes.

A)internal
B)unstable
C)predictable
D)controllable

Question 6

Samantha studied all night for her history exam and felt well-prepared.However,she did not get to give the exam because the power went out in the school and the exam was rescheduled for a later date.In the context of the attribution theory,which of the following best describes why Samantha did not give her exam on the original date?

A)Internal causes
B)Stable causes
C)Uncontrollable causes
D)Positive causes

Question 7

In the context of the attribution theory,which of the following best illustrates a stable cause of behavior?

A)A company lays off 10 employees because of economic downturn.
B)A woman, who loves children, breaks up with her boyfriend because he does not want children of his own.
C)A college student is unhappy during the first semester because he is finding his classes difficult.
D)A family is rendered homeless after a tornado destroys their home.

Question 8

Professor Jenkins conducts research on how the behavior of candidates in interviews differs when they are interviewed by one interviewer and when they are interviewed by a panel of interviewers.His area of interest fits best into the field of _____ psychology.

A)neurological
B)cognitive
C)social
D)abnormal

Question 9

Hiroko's fifth-grade teacher was disappointed when he performed poorly in math.She believes that Asian students are academically excellent and never perform poorly.In this scenario,the teacher's beliefs best illustrate:

A)polarization.
B)stereotyping.
C)altruism.
D)deindividuation.

Question 10

Mr.and Mrs.Lee warn their new babysitter that their son,Dennis,is very aggressive and mischievous and must be strictly disciplined.As a result,Alison is over-strict with Dennis and does not let him out of her sight.This facilitates Dennis' aggressive and mischievous behavior.This scenario best illustrates:

A)the self-fulfilling prophecy.
B)altruism.
C)the false-consensus effect.
D)self-objectification.

Question 11

Greg feels that he did poorly on his first job interview only because the interviewer did not like him.He knows that he will perform better at other interviews.According to the attribution theory,Greg is attributing his performance at the first interview to:

A)internal factors.
B)unstable factors.
C)controllable factors.
D)predictable factors.

Question 12

Rachel's new roommate,Berta,has not done laundry for an entire week.Her clothes are lying all over their room.This leads Rachel to assume that Berta is an untidy and undisciplined person.What Rachel does not know is that Berta is currently taking finals and working 40 hours per week.In the context of social cognition,Rachel is primarily _____ to explain Berta's behavior.

A)using social comparison
B)making a fundamental attribution error
C)using the self-serving bias
D)relying on the false consensus effect

Question 13

Billy is a third-grade student with a reputation for bullying his classmates.Billy is punished by his teacher even when he unknowingly hurts someone or unintentionally makes a mistake.When Billy tries to explain his innocence to his teacher,she refuses to believe him because he has always been a "troublemaker." In this scenario,Billy's teacher is encouraging Billy's indiscipline through the _____.

A)bystander effect
B)door-in-the-face technique
C)self-fulfilling prophecy
D)false consensus effect

Question 14

Joseph does exceptionally well in his math exam.Which of the following represents internal attribution as an explanation for Joseph's good performance?

A)His hard work
B)An easy test
C)His good luck
D)A good teacher

Question 15

The process by which individuals come to understand the causes of others' behavior and form an impression of them as individuals is called _____.

A)attribution
B)altruism
C)egoism
D)ethnocentrism

Question 16

The processes by which individuals use social stimuli to form impressions of others is known as _____.

A)self-perception
B)cognitive dissonance
C)person perception
D)effort justification

Question 17

Which of the following is true of social cognition in social psychology?

A)It refers to the way people select social information.
B)It refers to the way people interpret social information.
C)It refers to the way people remember social information.
D)All of these.

Question 18

Felicia tells her mother that she failed the biology test because her professor made the test too difficult.Felicia is attributing her performance to _____ factors.

A)external
B)intuitive
C)stable
D)controllable

Question 19

Maria believes that her roommate did not clean the dirty dishes last night because she was exhausted after an unusually busy day at work.Maria is explaining her roommate's behavior through _____.

A)internal attribution
B)external attribution
C)the bystander effect
D)the false consensus effect

Question 20

Research in psychology suggests that many attractive people possess a number of positive characteristics.One explanation for this is that expectations cause individuals to act in ways that serve to make their expectations about attractive people come true.This is known as the _____.

A)fundamental attribution error
B)false consensus effect
C)self-serving bias
D)self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 21

Sally is very intelligent and has a great personality.However,she has always seen herself as unattractive and,as a result,is often depressed.Sally's depression is most likely facilitated by feelings of:

A)egoism.
B)altruism.
C)social contagion.
D)self-objectification.

Question 22

Teresa asks herself whether she is as popular as Cathy.This question is an example of gaining self-knowledge through the process of:

A)mere exposure.
B)effort justification.
C)reciprocity.
D)social comparison.

Question 23

According to studies done in the area of self-objectification,which of the following statements is true?

A)Women who feel objectified are more likely to reject sexism.
B)Women who feel objectified are less likely to engage in social activism.
C)Chronic feelings of objectification are associated with higher self-esteem.
D)Chronic feelings of objectification are associated with lower levels of depression.

Question 24

Eric gets a C on his science quiz,and rationalizes his performance by telling himself that he did not do too badly considering most of his friends got a D.In this scenario,Eric is making a(n)_____ social comparison.

A)upward
B)positive
C)downward
D)negative

Question 25

The _____ effect means individuals overestimating the degree to which other individuals think or act the way they do.

A)mere exposure
B)bystander
C)group polarization
D)false consensus

Question 26

Gerald,a high-school senior,sees another student stumble and drop her books in the hall.If Gerald makes the fundamental attribution error,how would he most likely explain the student's behavior?

A)She must have tripped over something.
B)She is a clumsy person.
C)She had too many books to carry.
D)She was trying to get out of someone's way.

Question 27

If Cathy blames her history teacher for her poor performance on a history test she is engaging in:

A)the self-serving bias.
B)self-objectification.
C)altruism.
D)the false consensus effect.

Question 28

When Karen does poorly on a weekly test,she blames it on the distractions she had at school that week.In this scenario,Karen is using the _____ to justify her performance on the test.

A)mere exposure effect
B)self-serving bias
C)confirmation bias
D)false consensus effect

Question 29

Mary is a very shy young woman.She wants to buy a dress to wear at a friend's wedding.Mary tries on many dresses but does not buy any of them because she feels that they all will make her attract too much attention from the opposite sex.In this scenario,Mary is giving into the feeling of _____.

A)altruism
B)egoism
C)self-objectification
D)social contagion

Question 30

Which of the following statements is true of stereotype threat?

A)A person facing stereotype threat usually performs well in any test to prove he or she is better than what is indicated by the stereotype.
B)A person who experiences stereotype threat is well aware of stereotypical expectations for him or her as a member of a group.
C)In stereotype-relevant situations, a person experiences anxiety about exceeding the expectations of others.
D)In stereotype-relevant situations, a person has the tendency to over-perform.

Question 31

In a recent softball game,Cindy misplayed a ground ball,which was scored as an error,causing her team to lose the game.According to the self-serving bias,Cindy is likely to reason that she misplayed because:

A)she is not a good player.
B)of her low involvement in the game.
C)she did not train well.
D)of a bad bounce.

Question 32

Which of the following statements is true of social comparison?

A)When engaging in social comparison, people try to act like others and lose their true identity.
B)Social comparison provides distinctive characteristics of a person and helps in building an identity.
C)In downward social comparison, people consider themselves to be inferior and compare themselves to people superior to them.
D)Social comparison is an individual's fast-acting, self-fulfilling fear of being judged based on a negative stereotype about his or her group.

Question 33

In a basketball game,Jaquin made the winning shot and scored the maximum number of baskets.According to the self-serving bias,Jaquin is likely to attribute his victory to:

A)his excellent skill in the game.
B)his coach.
C)his luck.
D)the poor team spirit of the other team.

Question 34

Despite evidence to the contrary,Denise thinks she is smarter than most of the people in her class.Denise's unfounded attitude about herself is an example of a(n):

A)positive illusion.
B)altruistic idea.
C)fundamental attribution error.
D)stereotype.

Question 35

Joey and Phillip are high school students,in the same class.Joey imitates Phillip's stammer in front of his friends and laughs.When none of his friends comment on his imitation,Joey assumes that they find Phillip's stammer funny as well.This scenario best exemplifies the _____ effect.

A)false consensus
B)bystander
C)group polarization
D)mere exposure

Question 36

Tommy hit the game-winning home run for his team.In the context of the self-serving bias,Tommy is the actor,and he is most likely to attribute his success to:

A)his coach.
B)his fans.
C)luck.
D)himself.

Question 37

The theory of social comparison was proposed by _____.

A)Albert Bandura
B)Leon Festinger
C)Stanley Milgram
D)Soloman Asch

Question 38

A very attractive woman walks by Henry and his friends while they are playing basketball.His friends begin to whistle at her,but Henry feels that it is demeaning for the woman and does not participate.According to the false consensus effect,Henry's friends are most likely to think that:

A)Henry is not interested in the girl.
B)Henry did not find the girl attractive.
C)Henry disapproves of their behavior.
D)Henry feels the way they do.

Question 39

Kaylee is in her car at a traffic light waiting for the light to turn green.Just as it does,a man driving a red truck goes speeding past Kaylee and just about misses crashing into her car.Kaylee abuses him and thinks to herself that his license should be revoked.What Kaylee does not know is that the truck's breaks have failed.In this scenario,Kaylee is demonstrating _____ while attempting to explain the man's behavior.

A)explicit racism
B)the fundamental attribution error
C)the mere exposure effect
D)consensual validation

Question 40

According to research on stereotype threat,individuals should be especially concerned about tests of ability if they:

A)ask for race or ethnic information before the test starts.
B)include instructions that are long and complex.
C)are administered by men and women from different racial or ethnic backgrounds.
D)claim to be culturally or racially sensitive.

Question 41

Which of the following is a similarity between the cognitive dissonance theory and self-perception theory?

A)Both theories suggest that behavior can change attitudes.
B)Both theories suggest that when attitude changes, behavior changes too.
C)Both theories suggest that attitude remains constant while behavior changes.
D)Both theories suggest that individuals should change their behavior to fit their attitude.

Question 42

According to Carl Hovland,which of the following is NOT an element of persuasion?

A)Communicator
B)Audience
C)Intention
D)Message

Question 43

Which of the following is proposed by the self-perception theory?

A)Behavior can change and influence the attitude of a person.
B)A person's attitude is always constant while the behavior can change.
C)Individuals make inferences about their behavior by assessing their attitude.
D)Individuals' attitudes determine their behavior.

Question 44

According to the cognitive dissonance theory,when attitudes and behavior conflict,individuals are most likely to reduce cognitive dissonance by:

A)changing their attitudes to fit the behavior.
B)moving on to a different task.
C)ignoring the conflict.
D)consulting others.

Question 45

In the context of attitudes,_____ theory contends that behaviors can influence attitudes.

A)self-perception
B)self-efficacy
C)social identity
D)social comparison

Question 46

Dan tells himself that even though smoking is injurious to health,he needs to smoke because he puts on too much weight if he stops,and that is worse for his health.In the context of social cognition,this justification best illustrates an attempt to reduce:

A)the exposure effect.
B)cognitive dissonance.
C)self-objectification.
D)the consensus effect.

Question 47

Hugh buys a new calculator for $125 from the PaperMills stationery store.A week later,he sees an ad from another stationery store,StationMax,selling the same calculator for $65.Hugh feels guilty about having wasted so much money on the calculator but justifies his action by saying that StationMax items are always of poor quality.In the context of attitudes,Hugh's statement reflects an attempt to reduce his:

A)cognitive dissonance.
B)self-perception.
C)informational influence.
D)absentmindedness.

Question 48

In the context of persuasion,attempts at persuasion may be more difficult when:

A)the audience has a weak attitude.
B)the audience is younger.
C)a source has a vested interest in the message.
D)a source has too much power.

Question 49

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic that increases the credibility of a communicator and helps the communicator persuade other people?

A)Similarity
B)Prejudice
C)Expertise
D)Attractiveness

Question 50

According to studies over the past half-century,which of the following is a condition under which a person's attitude will guide his or her actions?

A)When the person shows a lack of awareness about the attitude
B)When the person has a vested interest in the issue
C)When the person has not practiced activities supporting the attitude
D)When the person's attitude is positive but weak

Question 51

Avery returns home after being away for one year.When she sees her dog again,she is overcome with happiness and hugs him.Based on her reaction,she determines that she must like him more than she thought she did before she left home.Her opinion about her dog can be best explained with the help of the _____ theory of attitudes.

A)self-efficacy
B)social contagion
C)self-perception
D)social facilitation

Question 52

Professor Green has to make an important presentation to his company's board members.He is struggling to choose between a PowerPoint presentation and a short video to get his point across.Which element of persuasion is the professor struggling with?

A)Communicator
B)Audience
C)Medium
D)Message

Question 53

Gary's mother tells him that he must complete his homework before he goes out to play.Gary does not like to disobey his mother but he really wants to go out and play.He convinces himself that his mother has been mean to him lately so he can disobey her just this one time without feeling guilty.Gary is trying to change his attitude to fit his behavior most likely to reduce the _____ he is experiencing.

A)social contagion
B)cognitive dissonance
C)deindividuation
D)egoism

Question 54

Millicent knows that she puts on weight whenever she eats cake,yet she bakes a cake every week.In the context of social cognition,Millicent will most likely experience _____.

A)cognitive dissonance
B)altruism
C)effort justification
D)egoism

Question 55

Chelsea is a chain smoker.She plans to stop smoking because she knows that smoking will harm her health.In this scenario,Chelsea is trying to change her behavior to fit her attitude,which will most likely reduce her _____.

A)consensual validation
B)cognitive dissonance
C)prejudice
D)egoism

Question 56

_____ are people's opinions and beliefs about other people,objects,and ideas,and how they feel about the world.

A)Attributions
B)Traits
C)Attitudes
D)Skills

Question 57

_____ means coming up with a rationale for the amount of work a person puts into getting something,typically by increasing the value associated with things that are difficult to attain.

A)Conceptual validation
B)Effort justification
C)Informational social influence
D)Self-perception

Question 58

When Cameron was asked if he liked animated movies,he said yes.According to the self-perception theory,which of the following statements is the best explanation for Cameron's answer?

A)Cameron likes animated movies, because his friends like them.
B)Cameron has a positive attitude toward animated movies, so he likes them.
C)Cameron likes animated movies because he has watched and enjoyed all of them.
D)Cameron has been told that he likes animated movies so he believes it to be true.

Question 59

According to the self-perception theory of attitudes,if people are not sure how they feel about something,what should they do?

A)They should compare themselves to others.
B)They should assess their emotions.
C)They should ask a friend.
D)They should consider their behavior.

Question 60

An individual's psychological discomfort caused by two inconsistent thoughts is known as:

A)mere exposure
B)egoism
C)cognitive dissonance
D)prejudice

Question 61

Which of the following is true of agreeableness in the context of prosocial behavior?

A)It has no association with brain structures.
B)It is the personality trait that is least associated with prosocial behavior.
C)It is related to greater volume in the posterior cingulate cortex.
D)It is independent of the trait of kindness.

Question 62

In the context of prosocial behaviors,which of the following is an accurate description of egoism?

A)Egoism involves helping others so that they may return the favor.
B)Egoism involves helping another person to avoid guilt.
C)Egoism involves helping another in order to appear powerful.
D)All of these.

Question 63

Which of the following statements is true of the biological factors associated with prosocial behavior?

A)People having low levels of serotonin exhibit prosocial behavior.
B)The hypothalamus is associated with nurturing parental behaviors.
C)Dopamine receptors in the brain are associated with prosocial behavior.
D)When a person feels compassion for others, areas of the cerebellum are activated.

Question 64

Caroline has volunteered to work with the underprivileged children who are participants in her professor's literacy project.She is hoping that her professor will take this into consideration when calculating her grades.In this scenario,Caroline is demonstrating an expectation of _____.

A)prejudice
B)reciprocity
C)false consensus
D)inoculation

Question 65

Which of the following statements is true of the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion?

A)The central route is effective when people lack the time or energy to think about the message.
B)The central route works by engaging the audience thoughtfully with a sound, logical argument.
C)The central route involves factors such as the source's attractiveness or the emotional power of an appeal.
D)The central route is often used by television advertisers to persuade the viewers into buying their products.

Question 66

_____ helps individuals to resist persuasion.

A)Conformity
B)Inoculation
C)Proximity
D)Groupthink

Question 67

Random acts of kindness,such as helping a visually impaired person cross the street,are examples of _____.

A)obedience behaviors
B)inoculation
C)discrimination
D)prosocial behaviors

Question 68

Samuel walks up to Katie and asks if she would be willing to wear a ribbon to show support for his cause.Though the ribbon is unattractive,it is small,so Katie agrees to wear it.Once Katie has agreed to this request,Samuel asks her if she would be willing to make a donation of $15 to his cause.Katie cannot refuse because she feels that Samuel is relying on her.In the context of persuasion,this scenario best demonstrates the _____ technique.

A)door-in-the-face
B)inoculation
C)deindividuation
D)foot-in-the-door

Question 69

Allison is attending a seminar where a presenter is attempting to persuade people to make a rather risky but potentially profitable financial investment.The presenter provides a rational and factual explanation for why the investment is profitable,even though there are risks involved.Alison finds the presenter's idea compelling and decides to invest.The way the presenter persuades Allison to invest exemplifies the:

A)fundamental attribution error.
B)cognitive dissonance theory.
C)central route to persuasion.
D)foot-in-the-door technique.

Question 70

In the context of persuasion strategies,the door-in-the-face technique involves:

A)making a smaller request at the beginning.
B)relying on the notion that the person doing the persuading has formed a relationship with the person being persuaded.
C)making the biggest pitch first.
D)avoiding the notion that the person being persuaded feels a sense of obligation to the person doing the persuading.

Question 71

Twelve-year-old Ryan's father returns from work tired.Ryan wants his father to take him to his favorite movie,which starts in an hour.Which route of persuasion should Ryan attempt to obtain the highest rate of success?

A)Central
B)Peripheral
C)Egotistic
D)Altruistic

Question 72

Which of the following is a difference between the central and peripheral route to persuasion?

A)The central route is effective when people have the ability and the motivation to pay attention, while the peripheral route is not.
B)The central route involves factors like the source's attractiveness and emotional power, while the peripheral route involves logical arguments.
C)The central route uses short presentations that require very little time, while the peripheral route uses detailed presentations.
D)The central route is more often used by television advertisers as compared to the peripheral route.

Question 73

If Jennifer is ready to donate one of her kidneys to anybody who needs it,she is demonstrating _____ behavior.

A)obedient
B)persuasive
C)altruistic
D)stereotypical

Question 74

Betty sent Christmas cards to everyone in her address book and received Christmas cards in return from most of the recipients.This result is consistent with the social behavior known as:

A)reciprocity.
B)inoculation.
C)altruism.
D)ethnocentrism.

Question 75

Which of the following is generally considered to be a more powerful medium for changing attitudes in the context of persuasion?

A)Television
B)A blog
C)A social networking site
D)Newspaper

Question 76

_____ is the personality trait most strongly associated with prosocial behaviors.

A)Prejudice
B)Extraversion
C)Egoism
D)Agreeableness

Question 77

Paula tumbles down the steps and twists her ankle.Parker,a passerby,stops to help Paula.He supports her to her car and drives her to the hospital so that she gets immediate treatment.Once she is with the doctor,he leaves,leaving Paula with no way to contact him.In the context of prosocial behavior,Parker has best demonstrated _____.

A)egoism
B)altruism
C)reciprocity
D)prejudice

Question 78

In the context of social behavior,_____ is the key to altruism.

A)sympathy
B)empathy
C)selfishness
D)prejudice

Question 79

The advertising committee for a politician is going door-to-door and asking people to place a big,unattractive election sign on their lawns.Assuming that most people will refuse at first,the advertising committee is prepared to ask them to place a small sign on their lawns,which is the actual plan.Which strategy for successful persuasion is the advertising committee using in this scenario?

A)The foot-in-the-door strategy
B)The door-in-the-face strategy
C)The inoculation technique
D)The negative appeal approach

Question 80

Jeremy is struggling with whether the presentation he makes should consist of strong logical arguments,or should be short with elements of surprise in it.In the context of the elements of persuasion,which element is Jeremy struggling with?

A)Communicator
B)Target
C)Medium
D)Message