Deck 1: The Mission and the Method

Question 1

Random assignment is one of the defining features of correlational research.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Social psychology primarily relies on the experimental method.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The term "experimental realism" refers to whether the physical setting of a research study resembles the "real world."

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Researchers usually test their hypotheses at the .05 level of significance.

Question 5

Based on early research by Norman Triplett with racing cyclists, we should expect that people who exercise on rowing machines at gyms are more likely to ____ than people who exercise on the same machines in the privacy of their homes.

A)burn more calories
B)burn less calories
C)feel a sense of accomplishment
D)feel a sense of failure

Question 6

Replication is essential to the self-correcting nature of science.

Question 7

Neuroscience integrates the fields of social psychology and biological psychology.

Question 8

In one of the first social psychological experiments ever conducted, researcher Norman Triplett examined the records of teams of cyclists. He found that cyclists who raced against each other ____ than those who raced alone (against the clock).

A)were more aggressive after the race
B)got into more accidents
C)cycled more quickly
D)enjoyed the race less

Question 9

The "ABC triad" in social psychology refers to social psychology's focus on attribution, behavior, and culture, respectively.

Question 10

Social psychology has been more influenced by the study of history than by any other social science.

Question 11

In one of the first social psychological experiments ever conducted, researcher Norman Triplett built a "competition machine," in which children wind up a fishing reel. He found that the children were able to wind more quickly when ____.

A)they worked as a group side by side than when they worked alone
B)they worked alone than when they worked as a group side by side
C)they were explicitly asked to work as fast as possible
D)they were explicitly asked to take their time to "get it right"

Question 12

The two defining features of an experiment are control and random assignment.

Question 13

Social psychology was in existence as a distinct field roughly 100 years before Freudian psychoanalysis.

Question 14

Social psychologists usually derive their hypotheses from existing theories.

Question 15

If the effects of two variables cannot be separated from each other, the variables are said to be confounded.

Question 16

In one of the first social psychological experiments ever conducted, researcher Max Ringelmann observed men as they pulled on a rope either alone, as part of a small group, or as part of a large group. He found that as the size of the group increased, ____.

A)individual effort increased
B)individual effort decreased
C)the task took longer to complete
D)the task took less time to complete

Question 17

According to the textbook, human intuition is typically an excellent guide to understanding human behavior.

Question 18

When people work on a task jointly with someone else (e.g., putting together a large bookcase), each person tends to put in less effort than he or she would if working alone.

Question 19

Based on early research by Norman Triplett, we should expect that children who work on math problems alone will ____ than children who work on math problems side by side with their classmates.

A)work more slowly
B)work more quickly
C)second-guess themselves less
D)second-guess themselves more

Question 20

Most contemporary research in social psychology is based on college student samples.

Question 21

In the history of psychology and social psychology, the late 1800s and early 1900s marked ____.

A)the very first social psychological experiments
B)social psychology's independence from behaviorism
C)the beginnings of research in social cognition
D)the beginnings of research in social neuroscience

Question 22

Today, both funded and unfunded studies conducted at universities must first obtain ____ approval.

A)ABPP
B)IRB
C)APA
D)ERB

Question 23

Which topic has been of the MOST interest to social psychologists during the last 30 years?

A)Social cognition-concerned with how people think about other people and how people think about the social world in general
B)Behaviorism-concerned with basic principles of learning such as reward and punishment
C)The idea that modern life makes people vulnerable to alienation and exploitation
D)The idea that people act less on the basis of firm moral principles than they do on the basis of conformity, or "following the crowd"

Question 24

How are social psychologists generally similar to behaviorists?

A)They both tend to favor experiments and the scientific method.
B)They are both interested in the mind, thoughts, and emotions.
C)They are both originally rooted in psychoanalytic theory.
D)They are both interested in the unconscious mind.

Question 25

In the 1950s and 1960s, mainstream psychology was divided between two main theoretical camps: ____.

A)trait theory and behaviorism
B)Freudian psychoanalysis and humanism
C)humanism and trait theory
D)behaviorism and Freudian psychoanalysis

Question 26

While social psychologists are interested in a wide variety of topics, three themes that have become increasingly important during the last 30 years are ____.

A)psychoanalysis, meditation, and hypnosis
B)economic behavior, political behavior, and criminal behavior
C)social cognition, biological influences on behavior, and the self
D)personality measurement, organizational behavior, and spirituality

Question 27

Suppose that you own a rowboat and enjoy going rowing on a nearby lake in the summer. In June, you are planning to go rowing with two of your friends (three people total in the boat), and in July, you are planning to go rowing with just one friend (two people total in the boat). Will you put in more effort (row harder)on the three-person trip or on the two-person trip?

A)You will put in more effort on the three-person trip.
B)You will put in more effort on the two-person trip.
C)You will put in the same amount of effort on both trips.
D)It is impossible to say-no research has examined this question.

Question 28

The first social psychological experiments and the publication of the first book to bear the title Social Psychology both occurred around ____.

A)400 A.D.
B)1750
C)1900
D)1965

Question 29

Social psychologists are generally similar to Freudian psychoanalysts in that they both ____.

A)are more interested in abnormal behavior than in normal behavior
B)tend to favor experiments and the scientific method
C)are primarily interested in external behaviors rather than the mind
D)have an interest in thoughts and feelings as well as behaviors

Question 30

When did social psychology begin to come into its own as a field?

A)The 1910s and 1920s
B)The 1930s and 1940s
C)The 1950s and 1960s
D)The 1970s and 1980s

Question 31

Given Max Ringelmann's early research looking at group size and individual effort, should we expect Student X to put in a different amount of effort depending on whether she worked on a history project in a five-person group rather than a two-person group?

A)Yes, we should expect her to work harder in the five-person group.
B)Yes, we should expect her to work harder in the two-person group.
C)No, we should expect her to work equally hard in both groups.
D)It is impossible to say; it appears group size effects depend on other variables.

Question 32

Milgram's famous studies of obedience to authority were motivated by which historical event?

A)The Holocaust
B)The fall of Communism
C)The return of soldiers from Desert Storm
D)The Great Depression

Question 33

During the first half of the 20th century, who argued that attitudes were the most important and useful concept in social psychology?

A)Kurt Lewin
B)Max Ringelmann
C)Norman Triplett
D)Gordon Allport

Question 34

The influence of Freudian psychoanalysis on psychology is most readily seen in ____.

A)the identification of neurological correlates
B)detailed studies of genotypes and phenotypes
C)elaborate interpretation of individual experiences
D)the systematic search for reinforcement contingencies

Question 35

Behaviorism seeks to explain human behavior in terms of ____.

A)basic biological drives such as hunger and thirst
B)broad environmental influences such as historical time period
C)the natural tensions between biological drives and society
D)learning principles such as rewards and punishments

Question 36

Which of the following elements is particularly critical to include in a deception study, but is not usually required in other types of studies?

A)IRB approval
B)demand characteristics
C)complete debriefing
D)informed consent

Question 37

You want to ask your friend Maya to help you with your sorority's float for the competition in the homecoming parade next week. Maya is extremely reliable and trustworthy, but she is totally swamped with her internship and upcoming midterm exams. You decide not to ask her since she might be too busy to follow through. According to Kurt Lewin's analysis of human behavior, knowing that Maya is reliable is an example of "____" information, and knowing she is busy is an example of "____" information.

A)person; situation
B)situation; person
C)social; nonsocial
D)nonsocial; social

Question 38

Dr. Puni does not want the participants in his study to be aware of his hypothesis. What will he strive to reduce in his study?

A)margin of error
B)divergent validity
C)measurement validity
D)demand characteristics

Question 39

Who proposed the idea that behavior is a function of both the person and the situation in the first half of the 20th century?

A)Max Ringelmann
B)Norman Triplett
C)Kurt Lewin
D)Gordon Allport

Question 40

Early research in social psychology conducted by Max Ringelmann revealed that people ____ when they work as part of a group (e.g., pushing a car off of the road with two other people)compared to when they work alone at the same task.

A)do not work as hard
B)work harder
C)feel like they are doing more work
D)feel like they are doing less work

Question 41

Most social psychologists perform research by ____.

A)engaging in historical analyses
B)conducting case studies (individual interviews)
C)conducting experiments
D)using nonexperimental observational methods

Question 42

Ed just stole $50 from his parents. In assessing Ed's motives, which of the following questions would a social psychologist be MOST likely to ask?

A)Is Ed unconsciously motivated to hurt his parents?
B)Is Ed a person with a weak moral character?
C)Does Ed have friends or other role models who are also stealing?
D)Is Ed mentally healthy enough to realize what he has done?

Question 43

Social psychology is best defined as the study of ____.

A)how we learn to behave in accordance with the rules of society
B)how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are affected by other people
C)how cultures are created in order to serve the interests of the powerful
D)how societies work to allocate resources and responsibilities

Question 44

Which of the following fields is best defined as "the study of human culture-the shared values, beliefs, and practices of a group of people"?

A)history
B)political science
C)social psychology
D)anthropology

Question 45

Roger holds a number of negative stereotypes about women; specifically, he thinks that most women are manipulative, vain, and lazy. In trying to understand why Roger holds these stereotypes, which of the following questions would a social psychologist be MOST likely to ask?

A)Does Roger feel so intimidated by women that he expresses these negative stereotypes in order to "cover up" his deep-seeded lack of self-esteem?
B)Did Roger have a difficult relationship with his mother as a young child that might have fostered negative attitudes toward all women?
C)Does Roger have a physical brain abnormality?
D)Has Roger been exposed to these stereotypes in the media, or has he perhaps had a few limited (but negative)interactions with women that might have helped to perpetuate these stereotypes?

Question 46

Which of the following fields is concerned with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services?

A)anthropology
B)history
C)economics
D)political science

Question 47

In social psychology, the "ABC triad" consists of ____.

A)attitudes, beliefs and commitments
B)ambiances, biology, and culture
C)affects, behaviors and cognitions
D)attributions, boundaries, and corrections

Question 48

Following the collapse of the Soviet empire in 1989, social psychology's focus on conflict ____.

A)remained unchanged
B)emphasized racial/ethnic conflict
C)lessened
D)increased

Question 49

Anthropologists would posit that social psychologists cannot understand human behavior fully unless they understand the ____.

A)genetic makeup of the populations under study
B)relationship between humans and animals
C)biological basis of the behavior
D)cultural context in which that behavior occurs

Question 50

Which of the following is an example of an "emotion"?

A)A stomach ache
B)A nervous twitch
C)Happiness
D)Political activism

Question 51

Which of the following fields is MOST concerned with understanding different human cultures?

A)economics
B)political science
C)social psychology
D)anthropology

Question 52

As a rule, social psychologists are MOST interested in ____.

A)normal adult human beings
B)severe mental illness
C)normal childhood development
D)diagnoses in abnormal behavior

Question 53

Martin believes that his blue coat is warmer than his red coat. Ted thinks that he might want to have kids sometime in the next few years. Yesi remembers playing baseball with her friends as a child. These are all examples of ____.

A)delusions
B)schemas
C)affects
D)cognitions

Question 54

When attempting to explain a person's behavior, what do social psychologists tend to assess first?

A)The person's unconscious motivations
B)The person's personality
C)The person's situation
D)The person's childhood

Question 55

Social psychology focuses especially on the power of ____.

A)genetics
B)reinforcement
C)situations
D)unconscious

Question 56

With which of the following social sciences has social psychology had the LEAST interaction until recently?

A)sociology
B)anthropology
C)economics
D)history

Question 57

The social psychological theory known as "social exchange theory" is based MOST obviously on which of the following other social sciences?

A)economics
B)history
C)political science
D)anthropology

Question 58

Which of the following is the best example of "cognition"?

A)Experiencing an auditory hallucination
B)Having a hunger pang
C)Thinking that you are a valuable employee
D)Exhibiting a nervous twitch

Question 59

In psychology, an "affect" is most similar to ____.

A)an emotion or mood
B)a belief or attitude
C)a behavior or reaction
D)a motivating force or drive

Question 60

When psychologists talk about "cognitions," they are typically referring to ____.

A)unconscious motivations
B)thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes
C)abnormal thoughts or experiences
D)emotions or feelings

Question 61

Which branch of psychology is primarily concerned with thought processes (e.g., how memory works and what people notice)?

A)developmental psychology
B)social psychology
C)cognitive psychology
D)biological psychology

Question 62

Although sociologists and social psychologists are both interested in group behavior, sociologists tend to focus on ____, whereas social psychologists tend to focus on ____.

A)individual members within the group; the group as a single unit
B)the group as a single unit; individual members within the group
C)how groups are unique; how various groups are similar to one another
D)how various groups are similar to one another; how groups are unique

Question 63

In recent years, what has emerged as an important subfield of social psychology that explores the ways in which people think about social situations?

A)cognitive sociology
B)social cognition
C)cognitive psychology
D)socioneurology

Question 64

Johnna is examining how attitudes predict voting behavior. Her research will MOST likely involve an intersection of social psychology and what other social science?

A)anthropology
B)sociology
C)political science
D)economics

Question 65

The study of how people change across their lives from conception to death is the purview of ____.

A)developmental psychology
B)cognitive psychology
C)clinical psychology
D)biological psychology

Question 66

Which of the following topics would a cognitive psychologist be MOST likely to study?

A)The heritability of depression
B)Male-female differences in sexual behavior
C)How people learn to memorize complex musical compositions
D)Altruistic behavior among chimpanzees

Question 67

Within psychology, ____ typically focus on "abnormal" behavior (e.g., mental disorders and behavioral disorders).

A)only clinical psychologists
B)both clinical psychologists and personality psychologists
C)only personality psychologists
D)psychologists from all branches of psychology

Question 68

Which of the following fields is LEAST focused on what happens in the brain, nervous system, and other bodily processes?

A)Biological psychology
B)Physiological psychology
C)Neuroscience
D)Social neuroscience

Question 69

Dr. Gem studies individual differences in introversion (a trait similar to shyness). Dr. Gem is MOST likely a _____ psychologist.

A)social
B)personality
C)clinical
D)developmental

Question 70

Until recently, what was the relationship between developmental and social psychology?

A)The two subfields mutually influenced each other.
B)Developmental psychology tended to draw more on social psychology.
C)Social psychology tended to draw more on developmental psychology.
D)The two fields had relatively little influence on each other.

Question 71

Dr. Otten studies the relationship between crime rates and childrearing practices. Dr. Otten is MOST likely a(n)____.

A)anthropologist
B)economist
C)sociologist
D)social psychologist

Question 72

Which field is BEST defined as "the study of human societies and the groups that form those societies"?

A)anthropology
B)political science
C)sociology
D)psychology

Question 73

Dr. Kay researches the effectiveness of different therapies for treating severe anxiety disorders. He is MOST likely a ____.

A)personality psychologist
B)clinical psychologist
C)cognitive psychologist
D)Freudian psychoanalyst

Question 74

What do we best call the field that combines the interests of social and biological psychology?

A)Neuroscience
B)Physiological psychology
C)Social neuroscience
D)Social cognition

Question 75

During the "Decade of the Brain" in the ____, social psychologists became particularly interested in the biological aspects of social behavior.

A)1960s
B)1970s
C)1980s
D)1990s

Question 76

Which of the following topics is a personality psychologist MOST likely to study?

A)The development of schizophrenia
B)Gender differences in the acquisition of language skills
C)Individual differences in leadership ability
D)Cross-cultural differences in mating and courtship behaviors

Question 77

How has the textbook described the historical relationship between clinical psychology and social psychology?

A)Clinical psychology grew out of social psychology.
B)Both clinical psychology and social psychology grew out of cognitive psychology.
C)The two fields have historically been at odds and argued with one another.
D)The two fields have historically exchanged ideas and viewpoints.

Question 78

Political science is BEST described as the study of ____.

A)organizations and institutions, especially governments
B)human societies and groups that form those societies
C)past events
D)human culture

Question 79

Laela is interested in studying how our thoughts and behaviors are influenced by the groups to which we belong. Laela's work will MOST closely intersect with which other social science?

A)economics
B)sociology
C)neuroscience
D)history

Question 80

According to the simile in your text, if psychology is like a tree, then social psychology is like ____.

A)the trunk
B)a branch
C)a leaf
D)a root