Deck 12: Social Psychology

Question 1

A ______ is a mental image or representation that a person uses to understand her/his social environment.

A)situational attribution
B)fundamental attribution error
C)dispositional attribution
D)social schema
E)self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 1

social schema

Question 2

Which subfield of psychology is concerned with how a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by interactions with others?

A)health psychology
B)clinical psychology
C)developmental psychology
D)positive psychology
E)social psychology

Answer 2

social psychology

Question 3

Compared to people from the West, people in East Asian societies are predicted to do which of the following?

A)disclose less about themselves
B)disclose more about themselves
C)have high regard for people who disclose personal information
D)ask very personal questions when first meeting someone
E)hold negative impressions of people who do not disclose personal information

Answer 3

disclose less about themselves

Question 4

A group of students discusses their grades on their first psychology exam. Which student is making a dispositional attribution?

A)Arne says, "I'll never pass this course. I'm just stupid."
B)Beck says, "I did well because the test was really easy."
C)Claire says, "The professor thinks I'm cute, so he graded my essays easy."
D)Donal says, "My lucky rabbit's foot worked!"
E)Earl says, "I flunked; that professor just doesn't like me."

Question 5

Randy believes that all people from Cropilia are basically aggressive. When he meets a Cropilian, he acts more aggressive himself. The Cropilian responds with aggressive behavior, which strengthens Randy's impression of their aggressiveness and makes it harder to budge. This process is best described by the concept of

A)cultural stereotyping.
B)self-serving attribution.
C)the fundamental attribution error.
D)cognitive dissonance.
E)a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 6

Regarding impression formation, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)People tend to form first impressions quickly.
B)Our impressions of others are influenced by the amount of information they choose to disclose.
C)First impressions are relatively easy to change once we get to know the person.
D)First impressions tend to be long-lasting.
E)Preconceived ideas influence the impressions we form of people before we even meet them.

Question 7

Regarding stereotypes, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)Stereotypes are relatively easy to change when new, valid information is presented.
B)Stereotyping is a normal cognitive tendency.
C)Although stereotypes can include positive or negative attributes, they are usually more negative.
D)Stereotypes influence first impressions.
E)Stereotypes help people more efficiently use their cognitive resources.

Question 8

All but which of the following are factors that influence the process of impression formation?

A)social identity
B)social schemas
C)stereotyping
D)personal disclosure
E)self-fulfilling prophecies

Question 9

When Anne first met Jules, he had been suffering from insomnia and was a little short-tempered. Subsequently, when she was around Jules, she interpreted a lot of what he did as reflecting his hostile personality. This reflects the power of

A)social schemas.
B)stereotyping.
C)discrimination.
D)cognitive dissonance.
E)self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 10

Angela believes that people from Stovenia are basically dishonest. Angela is demonstrating

A)self-fulfilling prophecy.
B)fundamental attribution error.
C)cognitive dissonance.
D)stereotyping.
E)a dispositional cause.

Question 11

______ is the process by which we come to form an understanding of our social environment.

A)Social psychology
B)Social perception
C)Self-fulfilling prophecy
D)Stereotyping
E)Impression formation

Question 12

Sven believes that his co-worker was promoted to manager because of her hard effort and winning personality. What type of attribution has Sven made?

A)external
B)situational
C)contextual
D)dispositional
E)environmental

Question 13

When social psychologists discuss impression formation, what are they talking about?

A)A person's efforts to make a good impression on someone else
B)The process by which people form opinions of others
C)The tendency to form impressions of other people's behavior after a period of time of getting to know them.
D)The tendency to ignore first impressions
E)The expectation that someone will behave the way you predict

Question 14

Dr. Longstocking is a research psychologist who studies attitudes, cognitive dissonance, and first impressions. Which type of psychologist is Dr. Longstocking?

A)social psychologist
B)health psychologist
C)counseling psychologist
D)educational psychologist
E)developmental psychologist

Question 15

First impressions tend to become lasting impressions in part because of the role of

A)social schemas.
B)actor-observer effects.
C)discrimination.
D)cognitive dissonance.
E)the fundamental attribution error.

Question 16

Explanations formed about causes of behavior or events are called

A)stereotypes.
B)attributions.
C)social schemas.
D)attitudes.
E)self-fulfilling prophecies.

Question 17

On their first date, Angelo told Robin detailed stories of his relationship with his last girlfriend. As a result, Robin

A)will probably feel very comfortable because of Angelo's honesty.
B)might be flattered that Angelo confided in her.
C)will want to know even more on the next date.
D)will likely feel that Angelo is mature and well adjusted.
E)will likely feel that Angelo is insecure and poorly adjusted.

Question 18

Paul believes his mother yelled at him because she had a headache. Paul's conclusion is an example of a(n)

A)attitude.
B)self-serving bias.
C)stereotype.
D)attribution.
E)schema.

Question 19

In attribution theory, dispositional attributions are ______ and situational attributions are _____.

A)accurate; inaccurate
B)efficient; inefficient
C)inefficient; efficient
D)external; internal
E)internal; external

Question 20

When John and Mary go on their first date, John reveals extensive personal information to Mary. What is the likely result of John's self-disclosure?

A)It will help their relationship become stronger.
B)It will lead Mary to form a negative first impression of John.
C)It will lead Mary to form a positive first impression.
D)It will help strengthen Mary's stereotype about men.
E)It will have no effect on Mary's opinion or their relationship.

Question 21

Jahrul's instructor was very rude the first day of class. Jahrul assumed the instructor was a rude woman. He did not know that she had woken up late, had a car accident on the way to work, and had been locked out of her office. Jahrul is demonstrating

A)the fundamental attribution error.
B)self-serving bias.
C)cognitive dissonance.
D)the actor-observer effect.
E)the elaboration likelihood model.

Question 22

When people make dispositional attributions for their successes and make situational attributions for their failures, they are demonstrating

A)the fundamental attribution error.
B)the actor-observer effect.
C)a self-serving bias.
D)a self-fulfilling prophecy.
E)the elaboration likelihood model.

Question 23

Mischa believes she did well on her English exam because she is very intelligent but that she failed her Chemistry exam because her instructor is not very good. We may explain her beliefs in terms of

A)the fundamental attribution error.
B)reciprocity.
C)self-fulfilling prophecy.
D)the actor-observer effect.
E)self-serving bias.

Question 24

The self-defense explanation of a crime essentially involves convincing the jury to make what sort of attribution about the defendant's actions?

A)situational
B)dispositional
C)personal
D)cognitive
E)internal

Question 25

Regarding cross-cultural differences in cognitive biases, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)People from individualistic cultures are more prone to make the fundamental attribution error and less prone to demonstrate a self-serving bias.
B)People from collectivist cultures are more prone to make the fundamental attribution error and less prone to demonstrate a self-serving bias.
C)People from individualistic cultures are less prone to make the fundamental attribution error and more prone to demonstrate a self-serving bias.
D)People from collectivist cultures are less prone to make the fundamental attribution error and more prone to demonstrate a self-serving bias.
E)People from individualistic cultures are more prone to self-serving bias and the fundamental attribution error than are people from collectivist cultures.

Question 26

Compared to people from collectivist cultures, people from individualistic cultures are

A)less likely to make the fundamental attribution error.
B)more likely to make situational attributions when explaining the behavior of others.
C)less likely to show a self-serving bias.
D)more likely to show a self-serving bias.
E)more likely to attribute success to luck.

Question 27

In attitudes, _______ are to cognitions as _______ are to emotions.

A)beliefs; actions
B)actions; feelings
C)feelings; beliefs
D)feelings; actions
E)beliefs; feelings

Question 28

When people explain their own behavior by making a situational attribution and the behavior of others by making a dispositional attribution it is called

A)stereotyping.
B)the fundamental attribution error.
C)self-serving bias.
D)self-fulfilling prophecy.
E)the actor-observer effect.

Question 29

The fundamental attribution error, which helps explain how cognitive biases affect attributions, involves

A)taking credit for your own good behavior.
B)taking the blame for your own bad behavior.
C)overemphasizing internal factors when explaining the behavior of others.
D)overemphasizing situational factors when explaining the behavior of others.
E)overemphasizing internal factors when explaining personal successes and situational factors when explaining personal failures.

Question 30

Attitudes may be described as comprising which components?

A)emotions, cognitions, and expectations
B)emotions, behaviors, and cognitions
C)cognitions, expectations, and bodily arousal
D)cognitions, emotions, and bodily arousal
E)behaviors, expectations, and cognitions

Question 31

Heika and Lucille were both passed over for a promotion at work. Heika is sure that the boss does not like him, but he believes that Lucille was passed over because she is really a poor worker. His attribution of the cause of the event can be explained in terms of

A)the fundamental attribution error.
B)the actor-observer effect.
C)a self-fulfilling prophecy.
D)cognitive dissonance.
E)stereotyping.

Question 32

A researcher compares cross-cultural differences in the fundamental attribution error by showing a film of someone stealing and then asking participants to explain why the person stole. Participants from East Asian cultures are most likely to make which attribution?

A)The thief is too lazy and not motivated to earn money to support his family.
B)The thief is not intelligent.
C)The thief was born evil.
D)The thief lacks morality.
E)The thief was raised in a family that condoned stealing when money was not available for basic needs.

Question 33

Recent research on the actor-observer effect suggests that

A)the tendency to make this error has a genetic component.
B)males are more likely than females to make this error.
C)with globalization, cross-cultural differences in the effect have disappeared.
D)it may be weaker than originally suspected and limited to certain situations.
E)it is difficult to demonstrate in an experimental setting.

Question 34

Which social psychologist proposed that people tend to focus more on the behavior of others than on the circumstances in which the behavior occurs?

A)Solomon Asch
B)Robert Sternberg
C)Fritz Heider
D)C. Daniel Batson
E)Stanley Milgram

Question 35

Which of the following individuals is making the fundamental attribution error?

A)Alex failed his psychology test and passed his biology test. He says his psychology professor made an unfair test, and that he studied hard for the biology test.
B)Bernard asks a girl in his class for a date, and she responds in a curt, rude manner. Bernard says that she's stuck-up, but doesn't realize the girl's mother just died.
C)Courtney and her friend just received grades from their first English composition, on which they both earned A's. Courtney says that she earned her grade after working really hard, while her friend earned her grade because she's lucky.
D)Dimitria works in sales. When she makes a sale, she boasts about her sales skills, but when she fails to make one, she has an excuse for why it did not work out.
E)Eduardo believes that all Italians are emotional and criminal-minded, so he avoids making friends with the Italian foreign exchange student in his dorm.

Question 36

A judgment of either liking or disliking something or someone is a(n)

A)attitude.
B)attribution.
C)stereotype.
D)prejudice.
E)bias.

Question 37

Joylin assumes her husband smacked the dog because the dog had just bitten him. Joylin is making what sort of attribution?

A)dispositional
B)personal
C)internal
D)situational
E)cognitive

Question 38

Compared to a person from a collectivist culture, a person from an individualistic culture

A)is less prone to make the fundamental attribution error.
B)has a greater tendency to make situational attributions for the behavior of others.
C)is more likely to commit the fundamental attribution error.
D)emphasizes external causes of behavior to explain the behavior of others.
E)relies little on dispositional causes in making attributions.

Question 39

Regarding attributions, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)The actor-observer effect is strong across a wide variety of situations.
B)The tendency to attribute others' behavior to internal causes, while attributing our own behavior to situational demands is explained by the actor-observer effect.
C)Attributions are influenced by cognitive biases like the fundamental attribution error, the actor-observer effect, and the self-serving bias.
D)The self-serving bias is widespread in Western cultures.
E)In the fundamental attribution error, people overemphasize internal causes when explaining others' behavior.

Question 40

Junie is from a culture that values self-criticism and humility. Other factors being equal, Junie is ______ than someone from a culture that values the protection of self-esteem.

A)less likely to show a self-serving bias
B)more likely to show the actor-observer effect
C)more likely to make the fundamental attribution error
D)more likely to make dispositional attributions when explaining the behavior of others
E)less likely to recognize the need to work harder in the future

Question 41

In which condition is a person most likely to carefully evaluate a persuasive message?

A)When the message is consistent with what they already believe
B)When the message is inconsistent with what they already believe
C)When the message is irrelevant to what they already believe
D)When they are distracted and the message is not particularly meaningful
E)When they are highly motivated and they have the skills to evaluate the message

Question 42

Erika is not registered to vote and lives with her parents. Her friend takes her to a debate between two people running for City Council regarding property taxes. She would probably use which form of processing?

A)dissonance
B)central
C)peripheral
D)attributional
E)reciprocal

Question 43

Regarding attitudes, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)Attitudes are acquired from a variety of sources in the social environment.
B)Genetic factors are less important determinants of attitudes than environmental factors.
C)Attitudes are more strongly linked to behaviors when the attitude can be readily recalled from memory.
D)Attitudes are not especially strong predictors of behavior.
E)Twin studies suggest that people inherit particular genes for particular attitudes.

Question 44

Of the following smokers, which one is choosing the route of rationalization to deal with the dissonance between their smoking behavior and their belief that smoking is unhealthy?

A)Alejandro, who says, "Cancer doesn't run in my family anyway."
B)Bhodip, who says, "I'll worry about quitting smoking when I'm older."
C)Corbin, who quits smoking "cold turkey."
D)Damita, who develops and implements a plan to gradually stop smoking.
E)Esperanza, who stops paying attention to messages that smoking is harmful.

Question 45

In persuasive messages, the careful evaluation of the content of a message is accomplished via which route of processing?

A)central
B)peripheral
C)attributional
D)dissonant
E)relational

Question 46

According to the elaboration likelihood model, when elaboration likelihood is low, people

A)use a peripheral route of processing information.
B)use a central route of processing information.
C)ignore persuasive messages.
D)focus on aspects of the persuasive message that are consistent with prior beliefs.
E)focus on the content of the message.

Question 47

People use a central route of processing information when

A)elaboration likelihood is high.
B)cognitive dissonance is high.
C)they are uninterested in the issue.
D)motivation is low.
E)they lack evaluation skills.

Question 48

Marcel protests in front of stores that sell animal furs. This reflects which component of his attitude toward animal furs?

A)attribution
B)expectation
C)emotion
D)cognition
E)behavior

Question 49

Which of the following best describes the role of heredity in attitudes?

A)Genes play almost no role in developing attitudes.
B)Genes are directly responsible for developing attitudes.
C)Genes account for similarities, but not differences, in attitudes.
D)Genes contribute to factors such as intelligence and personality traits that affect the development of attitudes.
E)Genes account for differences, but not similarities, in attitudes.

Question 50

The relationship between attitudes and behavior is best described as

A)nearly perfect.
B)almost zero.
C)modest.
D)unclear.
E)significant.

Question 51

What is the primary reason that people's behaviors do not always match their attitudes?

A)genetic influences
B)self-serving bias
C)the actor-observer effect
D)stereotyping
E)situational constraints

Question 52

Results of attitude research with twins has revealed

A)significant shared attitudes that cannot be explained by common environments.
B)almost no similarities in attitudes.
C)similarities in attitudes that reflect shared environments.
D)completely identical attitudes.
E)that people inherit genes for particular attitudes.

Question 53

Of the following people with attitudes toward hybrid vehicles, which one best describes the behavioral component of attitudes?

A)Tony says, "Hybrid vehicles cost more than gas vehicles, so they don't save you any money."
B)A.J. purchases a Honda hybrid car with his graduation money.
C)Jennifer gets angry every time she sees someone driving a big SUV.
D)Carmella says, "I think the government should give bigger tax credits to people who purchase hybrid vehicles."
E)After looking at a hybrid on a car lot, Paulie says, "It's nice, but I worry about its acceleration."

Question 54

In the elaboration likelihood model, peripheral is to ______ as central is to ______.

A)fatigued; alert
B)alert; fatigued
C)cognition; behavior
D)behavior; cognition
E)skilled; unskilled

Question 55

All of the following make attitudes more likely to influence behavior EXCEPT

A)stability.
B)situational attributions.
C)certainty.
D)specificity.
E)easy recall.

Question 56

Charlie is most likely to experience cognitive dissonance if he decides to buy the car that

A)is black inside and outside, which might mean less maintenance, a good thing since he hates fussing with cars.
B)is advertised as quick to accelerate up to 80 miles per hour, a feature that he looked for because he likes to pass slow drivers.
C)received a high rating in customer satisfaction, which is important to him because his last car was a lemon.
D)uses alternative fuel and is therefore environmentally friendly, something Charlie cares deeply about.
E)is sleek and so much sexier than all the other cars but is also a gas guzzler and costs much more than he wants to spend.

Question 57

Cognitive dissonance results when

A)a person makes the fundamental attribution error.
B)one's attitudes and behaviors are inconsistent.
C)stereotypes are confirmed through experience.
D)attraction is high between two people.
E)elaboration likelihood is high.

Question 58

Christine does not like country music. This reflects which component of her attitude toward country music?

A)attribution
B)cognition
C)emotion
D)behavior
E)expectation

Question 59

According to _______, people are more likely to carefully evaluate a persuasive message when their motivational state is high and when they have the ability or knowledge to evaluate the information.

A)the contact hypothesis
B)prosocial behavior theory
C)the elaboration likelihood model
D)the groupthink principle
E)the self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 60

According to the text, one of the most common ways to reduce cognitive dissonance is to

A)change beliefs.
B)change behaviors.
C)change beliefs and behaviors.
D)use rationalizations.
E)ignore the inconsistencies until they fade away.

Question 61

Research evidence on romantic attraction suggests that the major determinant of initial attraction is

A)perceived similarities.
B)novelty.
C)physical appearance.
D)internal characteristics.
E)proximity.

Question 62

Messages are more credible when they

A)reflect the interests of the communicator.
B)go against the interests of the communicator.
C)are irrelevant to the interests of the communicator.
D)are not accompanied by relevant counter-arguments.
E)are not often repeated.

Question 63

Regarding research on physical attractiveness, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)Faces having symmetrical features and a clear complexion tend to be perceived as more attractive.
B)There appears to be little variation across cultures in the ideal facial features of females.
C)Women and men tend to agree that the faces of men with more masculine features are more attractive than the faces of men with more feminine features.
D)Women and men tend to agree that the faces of women with more feminine features are more attractive than the faces of women with more masculine features.
E)Judgments of physical beauty for females typically include features such as high cheekbones, widely spaced eyes, fuller hairstyles, and a large smile.

Question 64

Research on attraction suggests that you will be most attracted to someone who is

A)similar to you.
B)different from you.
C)more attractive than you.
D)less attractive than you.
E)uninterested in you.

Question 65

Compared to people of higher intelligence, people of lower intelligence are generally

A)incapable of processing persuasive messages.
B)very difficult to persuade.
C)just as easy to persuade.
D)difficult to persuade if the message is complicated.
E)easier to persuade.

Question 66

Using models to sell automobiles most directly addresses which aspect of the source?

A)credibility
B)likeability
C)authenticity
D)similarity
E)trustworthiness

Question 67

The matching hypothesis predicts that Sandra will look for a partner who

A)lives near her apartment.
B)is similar to her in physical attractiveness.
C)regularly compliments her.
D)comes from the same town or city.
E)is interested in her.

Question 68

The triangular model of love is described by each of the following components the triangular theory of love EXCEPT

A)passion.
B)intimacy.
C)commitment.
D)trust.
E)decision.

Question 69

From the perspective of the field of psychology, love is

A)a motive, but not an emotion.
B)an emotion, but not a motive.
C)both an emotion and a motive.
D)impossible to study.
E)a topic not worthy of study.

Question 70

A popular diet company hires a physician to advertise their weight-loss program. Which source variable is the company trying to influence?

A)likeability
B)similarity
C)credibility
D)originality
E)attractiveness

Question 71

Features of a communicator attempting to deliver a persuasive message are called

A)source variables.
B)attribution variables.
C)message variables.
D)recipient variables.
E)elaboration likelihood variables.

Question 72

Similarity is important in a relationship because it

A)minimizes controversy.
B)gives people something to talk about.
C)provides for validation of each person's self-concept.
D)helps the people in the relationship meet other similar people.
E)reflects the inner qualities of each individual.

Question 73

In persuasion, presenting both sides of an argument is

A)ineffective because it tends to confuse people.
B)ineffective because it seems ambivalent.
C)always ineffective.
D)almost always effective.
E)effective when the counter-argument is refuted.

Question 74

Regarding persuasive appeals, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)Messages that run counter to the perceived interests of the communicator tend to be perceived as more credible.
B)Those of low intelligence or low self-confidence are generally harder to persuade.
C)People in a good mood tend to be more receptive to persuasive messages than those in a bad mood.
D)The more often people are exposed to a message, the more favorably they evaluate it, but only up to a point.
E)Communicators who are similar to the audience are perceived more favorably than those who are dissimilar.

Question 75

Making friends with neighbors supports which influence on attraction?

A)matching
B)reciprocity
C)attractiveness
D)similarity
E)proximity

Question 76

Regarding research on attraction, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)Men, but not women, tend to emphasize physical attractiveness when assessing partners for casual sexual relationships.
B)Compared to less attractive people, more attractive people are generally judged as more socially competent, intelligent, and psychologically adjusted; they are also judged as less modest and more vain.
C)On average, people are more likely to marry others whose first or last names resemble their own.
D)The saying "Birds of a feather flock together" is supported by research on interpersonal attraction.
E)In considering the personality traits of an ideal partner, people tend to be interested in partners who match up with their own personality traits.

Question 77

Carlotta has recently befriended Phyllis, who has been driving Carlotta's children to day care. The new friendship is most likely based on

A)matching.
B)proximity.
C)similarity.
D)prosocial behavior.
E)reciprocity.

Question 78

How does the recipient's mood affect persuasion?

A)A good mood makes people more critical and questioning of persuasive messages.
B)A good mood has no effect on persuasive messages.
C)A good mood makes people more receptive to persuasive messages.
D)A good mood makes it easier to ignore persuasive messages.
E)A good mood leads to low elaboration likelihood.

Question 79

A community organization sponsors a talk arguing against increased military spending. Who should they contract to give the talk?

A)an avowed pacifist
B)a civilian
C)a person who actively avoided military service
D)a military officer
E)a person with mixed views on the subject

Question 80

Which recipient variables have an influence on persuasion?

A)intelligence and confidence
B)confidence and mood
C)credibility, likeability, and similarity
D)intelligence, confidence, and mood
E)credibility and similarity