Deck 1: Introduction to Social Psychology

Question 1

Ted likes Diane and smiles at her every chance he gets.Diane wonders why Ted is always smirking at her sarcastically and studiously avoids him.Ted thinks he's being friendly and cannot understand Diane's standoffishness; Diane thinks Ted is a jerk and cannot figure out why he won't leave her alone.This situation best represents the power of ________ in explaining social behaviour.

A) construals
B) biases
C) beliefs
D) social influence
E) attitudes

Answer 1

construals

Question 2

Which of the following is the best example of a construal?

A) whether or not a woman decides to marry
B) results of a political poll
C) the average age of people who vote for liberal candidates.
D) the number of people in the audience of The Jerry Springer Show
E) the perceived aggressiveness of girls versus boys

Answer 2

the perceived aggressiveness of girls versus boys

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of a direct persuasion attempt?

A) Ramona works hard in school to make her mother proud.
B) Jason moves from Calgary to P.E.I. and picks up a Maritimes accent.
C) Garin watches a romantic comedy to make his girlfriend happy.
D) Marianne thinks of her ex-boyfriend and becomes sad.
E) A bully threatens Billy and makes him give the bully his lunch money.

Answer 3

A bully threatens Billy and makes him give the bully his lunch money.

Question 4

The task of the psychologist is to

A) explore the unconscious.
B) understand and predict behaviour.
C) explain physiological functioning.
D) understand the impact of economic factors.
E) predict future events.

Question 5

One application of Ross's idea of naïve realism is to assist the negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis.How would understanding naïve realism potentially help these parties negotiate more successfully?

A) They would understand their religious differences and be able to communicate effectively.
B) Both sides would understand that their perceptions are biased, and try to be more objective.
C) The Palestinians would come to understand the historical occupation of Israel, and leave the West Bank.
D) Both sides would understand the role of culture in forming construals, and use conflict resolution skills appropriately.
E) Israelis would come to understand the historical perspective of Palestinians, and leave the West Bank.

Question 6

Not all social influence is direct or deliberate.Which of the following is the best example of more indirect or subtle social influence?

A) A political candidate delivers a speech to convince voters that she is not really liberal.
B) A parent disciplines his child by taking away her favorite toy.
C) Your friends try to persuade you to do something you don't really want to do.
D) An advertising campaign is launched to promote a new soft drink.
E) A student is exposed to new ideas in his courses, and rethinks his original attitudes.

Question 7

Research by Lee Ross suggests that even when people recognize that others perceive information differently,they persist in thinking that others are biased while they themselves are objective.This illustrates the idea of

A) social psychology.
B) naïve realism.
C) individual differences.
D) implicit values.
E) conflicting construals.

Question 8

Social psychologists use the term ________ to describe the way in which people perceive,comprehend,and interpret their social worlds.

A) perspective
B) construal
C) belief
D) assumption
E) social psychology

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of social interpretation OR construal?

A) You didn't do well on the test because you stayed up all night cramming.
B) You feel guilty because you persuaded your professor to raise your grade on an exam.
C) You almost fell asleep at the wheel, so you pull off the road to take a short nap.
D) You decide to postpone work because you like to sleep in.
E) When you are hungry, you have trouble concentrating.

Question 10

What is the general topic of most interest to social psychologists?

A) interpersonal relationships
B) social influence
C) anti-social behaviours
D) personality
E) attitudes and beliefs

Question 11

Karen returns home from her first year of university,and is very proud of her GPA.She earned a 3.0 ("B")average.She's unhappily surprised to discover that her parents are disappointed that she didn't perform better.This situation best represents the power of ________ in explaining social behaviour.

A) socialization
B) interpersonal conflict
C) family dynamics
D) achievement motivation
E) construals

Question 12

The word "construal" refers to

A) the way in which people perceive, comprehend, and interpret the social world.
B) information provided by other people.
C) imagined events.
D) social norms.
E) objective reality.

Question 13

Which of the following professionals are most likely to rely on common sense?

A) social psychologists
B) sociologists
C) philosophers
D) personality psychologists
E) journalists

Question 14

Lee Ross describes the idea of "naïve realism" as

A) our conviction that we perceive things "as they really are."
B) the scientific study of the way in which people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people.
C) the way in which people perceive, comprehend, and interpret the social world.
D) the aspect of people's personalities that make them different from other people.
E) the naïve conviction that other people are usually correct in their perceptions.

Question 15

Social psychology is defined as the scientific study of the way people's ________ are influenced by the ________ presence of other people.

A) thoughts and feelings; real or imagined
B) thoughts, feelings, and behaviours; real or imagined
C) behaviours; real
D) behaviours; imagined
E) thoughts and behaviours; imagined

Question 16

According to the authors of your text,one hazard of relying too heavily on folk wisdom is that

A) "common sense" is frequently wrong or oversimplified.
B) journalists and other communicators of "common sense" information are hopelessly biased.
C) "common sense" is useless to most social psychologists.
D) "common sense" is often indistinguishable from folk wisdom.
E) "common sense" is only useful for thinking about social interactions.

Question 17

Compared to social psychologists,journalists,politicians,and our grandmothers are more likely to rely on ________ to explain social influence.

A) public opinion polls
B) empirical data
C) religious beliefs
D) idle speculation
E) common sense

Question 18

From across the room,J.T.sees his mother sigh and he approaches to give her a hug in the hopes of cheering her up.In this case,J.T.'s behaviour is an example of ________ social influence attempt.

A) an unintended
B) a direct
C) an ineffective
D) a covert
E) an indirect

Question 19

Jeremy is in love with Carol and views her temper as an endearing example of her "feistiness." Her coworkers,however,interpret Carol's temper as rude and insensitive.This example illustrates the power of love to influence our

A) construals.
B) behaviours.
C) relationships.
D) personality.
E) influence attempts.

Question 20

At the end of their first date,Chad said goodnight to Sara,then quickly walked away.Even though she thought they both had a good time on the date,Sara started to wonder if Chad's quick departure meant that he didn't like her.Another term for Sara's interpretation of Chad's behaviour is

A) Counterfactual thinking.
B) Continuity bias
C) Gestalt
D) The accuracy motive
E) A construal.

Question 21

What does philosophy have in common with folk wisdom? Both

A) often contain contradictions, and it's difficult to know which explanation is right.
B) are often incorrect in their assumptions about social behaviour.
C) are often based on social norms.
D) often become outdated with rapid societal changes.
E) rely often on subjective construals.

Question 22

Why is it unwise to rely on folk wisdom in explaining human social behaviour?

A) The ideas of folk wisdom are not relevant to contemporary society.
B) Social psychologists rely too much on folk wisdom.
C) Folk wisdom is often wrong or oversimplified.
D) People who rely on folk wisdom fail to consider the social environment.
E) Folk wisdom requires careful empirical analysis.

Question 23

Professor Hume has spent the last 10 years studying the interpersonal factors that cause individuals to be aggressive.She is most likely to be

A) a sociologist.
B) a philosopher.
C) an anthropologist.
D) an economist.
E) a social psychologist.

Question 24

The social science that focuses on the effect of broad social factors like social class is

A) social psychology.
B) sociology.
C) anthropology.
D) philosophy.
E) economics.

Question 25

Which of the following questions is most likely to be asked by a social psychologist?

A) Are some characteristics genetically determined?
B) Do some types of people make better leaders than others?
C) What situations cause people to behave rudely?
D) Are some people more vulnerable to mental disorders?
E) Are some kinds of people more susceptible to recruitment into cults?

Question 26

Why is a scientific approach preferable to reliance on folk wisdom and common sense?

A) Common sense approaches focus on the situation and not on personality.
B) Common sense puts too much emphasis on personality.
C) Nothing useful can be learned from journalists, philosophers, or social critics.
D) Folk wisdom and common sense are filled with contradictions.
E) Science has tested and debunked most folk wisdom.

Question 27

Your roommate left her homework on the couch,where you plan to watch TV.When you move her work,you notice that she is reading an article describing an experiment that investigated the cues people give when they really like someone.You conclude that your roommate is taking a class in

A) social psychology.
B) philosophy.
C) anthropology.
D) sociology.
E) political science.

Question 28

Which of the following social phenomena would be of interest to both social psychologists and sociologists?

A) The relation between murder and social class.
B) The relationship between gender and homicide rates.
C) The variation of homicide rates across countries.
D) Teaching frustrated people alternatives to aggression.
E) The role of competition between groups in increasing aggression.

Question 29

According to the text,which of the following statements is true regarding the difference between the way social psychologists approach the study of human behaviour and the approach others take?

A) Unlike philosophers, social psychologists study only the observable behaviours of people-not their inner thoughts and feelings.
B) Unlike sociologists, social psychologists adopt a scientific approach to the study of people.
C) Unlike philosophers, sociologists, and personality psychologists, social psychologists seek to predict human behaviour.
D) Unlike personality psychologists, social psychologists are less concerned with individual differences than with the influence of the social situation on behaviour.
E) Unlike clinical psychologists, social psychologists focus on the pathological.

Question 30

Social psychologists differ from sociologists in that social psychologists

A) focuses on studying individuals and the psychological processes going on in their hearts and minds.
B) always use experiments.
C) advocate the use of common sense.
D) are reliant on the insights of philosophers.
E) are interested in how people are influenced by their social environments.

Question 31

Consider the following pieces of folk wisdom: "Out of sight,out of mind" versus "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." These statements are an example of the problem that folk wisdom is often

A) irrational.
B) context-dependent.
C) based on personal experience.
D) full of contradictory assumptions.
E) concerned with assigning blame.

Question 32

A social psychologist is perplexed.Is it true that birds of a feather flock together,or do opposites attract? Confronted with these two contradictory pieces of folk wisdom,what is this social psychologist most likely to do?

A) Do an experiment to investigate the different situations in which each bit of common sense holds true.
B) Choose the explanation that makes more sense.
C) Ask his colleagues for their opinions.
D) Administer a questionnaire to see if some types of people fit into one category, while other types fit into the other category.
E) Choose a new topic for study.

Question 33

When Prya and Mohammed returned home after a night on the town,they found their baby crying because her diaper needed to be changed.The babysitter was sitting in front of the television,ignoring the baby's crying.Mohammed and Prya decided that the babysitter was callous and uncaring,and they swore that they would never hire her again.Mohammed and Prya's interpretation of the babysitter's actions was based on

A) philosophy.
B) bias.
C) a deduction.
D) scientific methodology.
E) common sense.

Question 34

When social psychologists want to test their hunches about why people help others,they are most likely to

A) ask their grandmothers.
B) conduct an experiment.
C) read philosophy.
D) look at social factors.
E) look at what kindergarteners are taught about helping

Question 35

Consider the following research question: "Have no-fault divorce laws increased the rate of divorce in the United States?" This question would most likely be asked by

A) a sociologist.
B) a social psychologist.
C) a personality psychologist.
D) a lawyer.
E) a philosopher.

Question 36

One of the tasks of the social psychologist is to

A) ignore the notion of human consciousness.
B) make educated guesses about specific situations.
C) seek agreement with one another.
D) use folk wisdom to understand the social world.
E) integrate folk wisdom into modern psychology.

Question 37

Social psychologists differ from journalists in that social psychologists

A) assume the worst about human nature.
B) analyze quotes from famous people.
C) are not concerned with social phenomena.
D) are not bound by a code of ethics.
E) rely solely on empirical arguments.

Question 38

Social psychologists are most like ________ when they test their hunches about social behaviour.

A) physicists
B) journalists
C) pollsters
D) the general public
E) philosophers

Question 39

Consider the following research question: "How has new computer technology changed the Canadian educational system?" This question is most likely to be asked by

A) a sociologist.
B) an anthropologist.
C) a personality psychologist.
D) a philosopher.
E) a social psychologist.

Question 40

Jamal was confused by his sister's relationship with her boyfriend.They just didn't seem to have anything in common."Oh well," Jamal decided,"I guess opposites really do attract." Jamal's explanation is an example of

A) philosophy.
B) folk wisdom.
C) social psychology.
D) rationalization.
E) sociology.

Question 41

How might a personality psychologist explain the mass murder-suicide of the members of the Order of The Solar Temple?

A) The group members came from poor socio-economic backgrounds.
B) An increasingly complex and mobile society creates confusion and a need to belong to a group at any cost.
C) The leaders' control over their followers increased slowly over time.
D) She wouldn't try to explain it; personality psychologists are not interested in murder-suicide.
E) People who are characteristically unstable join cults.

Question 42

Suzanna and April were playing in the den when April's mother entered the room and scolded them for making a mess.Suzanna decided then and there that April's mother was a grouch.Suzanna's inference is an example of

A) social cognition.
B) self-justification.
C) blame assignment bias.
D) a self-fulfilling prophecy.
E) the fundamental attribution error.

Question 43

Compared to social psychologists,personality psychologists are more likely to focus their attention on

A) subjective construals.
B) positive behaviours.
C) social norms.
D) ideas from philosophy.
E) individual differences.

Question 44

Consider the following question about human nature: "Are authoritarian personalities more prejudiced than other people?" This question is most likely to be asked by

A) a philosopher.
B) a social psychologist.
C) an anthropologist.
D) a personality psychologist.
E) a sociologist.

Question 45

Which of the following people have fallen prey to the fundamental attribution error?

A) Tim, who points to a person who fell down and says, "What a clumsy oaf!"
B) Sophie, who explains her poor exam performance by pointing out how hard the questions were.
C) Don, who attributes his loss in a chess game to bad luck.
D) Alex, who explains his girlfriend's tears by saying, "She didn't get enough sleep last night."
E) Beatriz, who points to an erratic driver and says, "Look at that! The roads are slick tonight."

Question 46

Whereas social psychologists focus on ________,personality psychologists focus on ________.

A) groups; individuals
B) how people are alike; how people are unique
C) societal forces; the individual
D) the individual; mental disorders
E) how people are unique; how people are alike

Question 47

Sometimes when we encounter behaviour that is unpleasant or unexpected,we assume that something about the person-and not the situation-caused the behaviour.In this sense,we are most like

A) philosophers.
B) social psychologists.
C) anthropologists.
D) sociologists.
E) personality psychologists.

Question 48

Concepts like "institutions," "sociometric status," and "social class" are most closely associated with

A) psychology.
B) sociology.
C) social work.
D) economics.
E) political science.

Question 49

The tendency we all have to discount situational explanations of behaviour in favour of personality characteristics or traits is called

A) the character bias.
B) the discounting effect.
C) prejudice.
D) the blame assignment bias.
E) the fundamental attribution error.

Question 50

Given the nature of their training,________ would be least likely to commit the fundamental attribution error?

A) social psychologists
B) counseling psychologists
C) personality psychologists
D) sociologists
E) clinical psychologists

Question 51

Both social psychologists and sociologists are interested in aggression.Compared to sociologists,which of the following questions is a social psychologist most likely to ask?

A) What is the effect of hand gun laws on homicide rates in different regions?
B) Do prisons deter homicide?
C) Does increased policing lead to lower homicide rates?
D) Are homicide rates higher among members of the lower class?
E) When does frustration lead to aggression?

Question 52

Unlike social psychologists,personality psychologists are most concerned with

A) mental illness.
B) how people are like one another.
C) the individual as a unit of analysis.
D) how people differ from one another.
E) subjective experiences.

Question 53

Like social psychologists,personality psychologists focus on

A) the power of construals to shape human behaviour.
B) the cultural context.
C) social influence.
D) individual differences.
E) individuals rather than collectives or institutions.

Question 54

Professor Forster is a personality psychologist interested in divorce.Which question is she most likely to investigate?

A) Why are divorce rates higher among the better educated?
B) Are some types of people more likely to divorce than others?
C) Do children reduce the odds of divorce?
D) Does a national economic crisis influence divorce rates?
E) Have the changing roles of women contributed to divorce?

Question 55

Professor Gomez studies the relationship between introversion and school achievement.Professor Gomez is most likely to be

A) a sociologist.
B) an anthropologist.
C) a philosopher.
D) a social psychologist.
E) a personality psychologist.

Question 56

Matt's server in the restaurant just can't seem to get his order right.Matt has just read Chapter 1 and wants to avoid making a Fundamental Attribution Error about the server.As a result,Matt might consider that

A) This person is a chronic idiot.
B) This person may have had a bad morning.
C) The server has a problem hearing.
D) Our educational system is failing us.
E) Human beings are inherently lazy.

Question 57

When we commit the fundamental attribution error,we ________ the power of ________.

A) overestimate; personality traits
B) overestimate; the situation
C) ignore; luck
D) overestimate; social influence
E) underestimate; personality traits

Question 58

Which question about romantic relationships is a sociologist most likely to ask?

A) Do extraverts make better lovers?
B) Is the capacity to love one of humanity's greatest achievements?
C) Does absence make the heart grow fonder?
D) Does attractiveness influence marriage satisfaction?
E) Why are marriage rates decreasing in the lower classes?

Question 59

Which of the following is a shortcoming of a personality approach?

A) Research has not validated personality concepts like "extraversion" or "defense mechanisms."
B) Personality psychology ignores individual quirks.
C) Personality psychologists rely too much on philosophy.
D) Personality psychologists don't use the scientific method.
E) Personality psychologists underestimate the power of social influence.

Question 60

Which of the following is a consequence of underestimating the power of social influence?

A) We underestimate our intuition.
B) We tend to overcomplicate simple situations.
C) We become too confident.
D) We overestimate our vulnerability to social situations.
E) We develop a false sense of security.

Question 61

The whole is different from the sum of its parts.This statement reflects a tenet of ________ psychology.

A) behavioural
B) functional
C) physiological
D) Gestalt
E) cognitive

Question 62

Assume that Liberman,Samuels,and Ross (2004)randomly assigned participants previously identified as cooperative and participants identified as competitive to play a game that was labeled either the "Wall Street Game," or the "Community Game." Further assume that no matter what the game,participants who were identified as competitive behaved more competitively in both groups than did participants who were identified as cooperative.What would these findings suggest?

A) Cooperation and competition are based on personality characteristics that sometimes transcend social situations.
B) Cooperative participants in the Community Game caused their partners to respond in kind.
C) Competitive participants in the Wall Street Game caused their partners to respond in kind.
D) Social situations and personality characteristics are equally important.
E) Even minor aspects of a social situation can override personality differences.

Question 63

Liberman,Samuels,and Ross (2004)found that people playing the "Wall Street Game" were ________ competitive than people playing the "Community Game." Individual differences in competitiveness and cooperativeness ______________.

A) less; did not affect the results.
B) more; affected the results a lot.
C) less; affected the results a lot.
D) less; affected the results only a little.
E) more; did not affect the results.

Question 64

Your text describes an experiment in which students could choose to play competitively or cooperatively in a game either called the "Wall Street Game" or the "Community Game." Which of the following is a valid conclusion to reach based on the results of that experiment?

A) It takes major changes in the social environment to overcome the powerful influence of personality traits such as competitiveness.
B) Personality characteristics change from situation to situation.
C) Friends and acquaintances were better able to predict the behaviour of these students than were the psychologists.
D) Personality differences are not important when it comes to predicting behaviour.
E) Even seemingly trivial aspects of the social situation can greatly influence behaviour.

Question 65

Recall that Liberman,Samuels,and Ross (2004)randomly assigned participants previously identified as either competitive or cooperative to play the same game under one of two names: the "Wall Street Game," or the "Community Game." Also recall that fully twice as many players in the Wall Street Game behaved competitively compared to people who played the Community Game.What do these findings suggest?

A) True personality differences do not exist.
B) Even minor aspects of a social situation can override personality differences.
C) All the competitive people ended up in the Wall Street Game group by chance.
D) It is not important to study individual differences in personality.
E) Social factors are less important than fundamental personality differences.

Question 66

Marta left a party feeling very upset.Rather than trying to recall each conversation she had during the party,Marta tried to explain her feelings by reflecting on the party as a whole.The process Marta used resembles the approach used by ________ psychologists.

A) behavioural
B) health
C) social
D) personality
E) Gestalt

Question 67

In their approach to understanding social behaviour,social psychologists are most similar to

A) personality psychologists.
B) sociologists.
C) Gestalt psychologists.
D) philosophers.
E) psychoanalysts.

Question 68

According to the text,a problem with committing the fundamental attribution error is that

A) it ignores the fact that people may behave very differently in different situations (e.g., be shy in some situations and outgoing in others).
B) It leads people to ignore important things about the personalities of others.
C) It overcomplicates simple situations and thus decreases our understanding of the causes of behaviour.
D) it may lead you to underestimate your own vulnerability to social influence.
E) It makes us ignore the Gestalt of the situation

Question 69

How would a social psychologist explain why some parents might fail to protect their children from the harm caused by cult leaders?

A) Parents vulnerable to stress or mental illnesses (such as depression) succumb to the influence of cults more than parents without these risk factors.
B) The leaders utilize mind control techniques to influence cult members' behaviour.
C) Situational factors and social influence techniques overwhelm the parents' resistance and judgment.
D) The parents are unfit to care for their children.
E) The parents lack the intelligence or education to evaluate the effects of the cult on themselves and their families.

Question 70

When Tiffany plays volleyball with her friends,she is a team player.When she goes bowling with them,she does her best to beat them.These observations suggest that

A) Tiffany is ambivalent about how she feels about her friends.
B) Tiffany's personality is unstable.
C) Tiffany thinks her friends are bad bowlers.
D) Tiffany is blindly obedient to the rules of the game.
E) Tiffany is responding to norms as a source of social influence.

Question 71

What do social psychologists mean by the expression "subjective situations"?

A) The random way in which people impose meaning on stimuli.
B) The combination of elements that compose a situation.
C) People's tendency to distort their interpretations of social situations.
D) The way that situations control people's behaviour.
E) The way a situation is interpreted by people.

Question 72

When Mark goes to give Jean a congratulatory pat on the back after a job well done,she jumps and turns away.Mark has just read Chapter 1,and fancies himself something of a Gestalt psychologist.What is he likely to think about Jean's behaviour?

A) Jean must really dislike me.
B) Jean must have been abused as a child.
C) What's her problem? A pat on the back is a reinforcer.
D) Jean must have low self-esteem.
E) Jean must have interpreted my gesture differently than I intended.

Question 73

Social psychologists' emphasis on construals of social situations has its roots in ________ psychology.

A) Gestalt
B) personality
C) developmental
D) behavioural
E) cognitive

Question 74

In trying to make sense of the mass murder-suicide of the members of the Order of the Solar Temple,a Gestaltist would probably

A) examine the external rewards and punishments used by the leaders.
B) ask about the childhood of the Temple followers.
C) ponder the subjective meaning of the act to Temple followers.
D) ask about the traumatic events in the lives of Temple followers.
E) consult a social psychologist.

Question 75

While driving home from work,Linda sees another driver speeding.An example of a situational attribution would be

A) The driver might be rushing a sick pet to the vet.
B) The driver is unaware of the speed limit.
C) The driver is a selfish jerk.
D) The driver must have poor eyesight.
E) The driver has an authoritarian personality.

Question 76

According to the text,to conclude that cult members who commit mass suicide are "weak-minded" people who are particularly susceptible to influence is to

A) overestimate the strength of social forces which influence the behaviour of individuals.
B) commit the fundamental attribution error.
C) accurately identify the most important cause of their behaviour.
D) take a primarily sociological approach to understanding these events.
E) engage in counterfactual thinking.

Question 77

According to the text,blaming victims of violence for their plight is an example of

A) Confirmation bias.
B) The self-esteem approach.
C) The fundamental attribution error.
D) The general construal error
E) The fundamental construal error

Question 78

If Professor Sharma defined social situations in terms of their objective physical properties,rather than their subjective properties,he would probably focus on _______ as determining behaviour.

A) interpretation
B) reinforcement and punishment
C) personality characteristics
D) emotion
E) Gestalt principles

Question 79

Because their intellectual roots lie in Gestalt psychology,social psychologists tend to focus on ________.

A) rewards and punishments
B) unconscious processing
C) personality differences
D) people's subjective interpretations
E) the effects of social behaviour

Question 80

You have probably heard the expression,"A rose is a rose is a rose." Who would be most likely to disagree with that expression?

A) A Gestalt psychologist.
B) A personality psychologist.
C) A developmental psychologist.
D) A behavioural psychologist.
E) An agronomist.