Deck 15: Social Psychology

Question 1

In general, which of the following images would receive the highest attractiveness rating?

A) Photos of individual women
B) A photo that combines the faces of two women
C) A photo that combines the faces of twenty women
D) A photo that combines the faces of twenty women and is altered to be slightly asymmetric

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The final candidates for a job are a man with a highly symmetrical face and a man with facial scars. Which belief is most likely to be held by the interviewers?

A) The man with facial scars is likely to be less healthy.
B) The man with facial scars will have better social skills.
C) The man with a symmetrical face is likely to be less professional.
D) The two applicants are equally healthy and skilled.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

You are a political party bigwig trying to decide whom to choose as a running mate. You decide the person most likely to be elected is

A) a baby-faced man, because he looks honest.
B) a man with unique features, because he stands out as different.
C) a young man, because he seems energetic.
D) an older man, because he looks competent.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Preferences for attractive faces

A) appear to be purely social constructions.
B) do not arise until middle childhood.
C) may have evolved because symmetrical faces suggest good health.
D) affect dating choices but not hiring decisions.

Question 5

An angry father insists his teenage son wrecked the car because he is always careless. This explanation is an example of

A) the actor-observer bias.
B) a dispositional attribution.
C) impression management.
D) individualism.

Question 6

A woman hardly speaks on a blind date because her date's frowns make her think he is unfriendly. He keeps frowning because her lack of conversation makes him think she is a snob. This is an example of

A) the fundamental attribution error.
B) deindividuation.
C) the actor-observer bias.
D) cognitive dissonance.

Question 7

Poverty is more likely to be viewed as a result of laziness by _______ and a result of situational influences by _______.

A) evolutionary psychologists; social psychologists
B) the actor-observer bias; the fundamental attribution error
C) collectivists; individualists
D) wealthy people; people living in poverty

Question 8

Which belief is most likely to be held by someone making the fundamental attribution error?

A) Unemployed people deserve government support.
B) The woman who saved a child from a burning building is a perfect, selfless hero.
C) Criminals come from abusive families.
D) My son did poorly on the test because calculus is incredibly difficult.

Question 9

Shona has started bullying her neighbor. Over time, this will lead Shona to

A) feel more strongly that her neighbor deserves mistreatment.
B) feel guilty and try to convince her neighbor that they should be friends.
C) experience diffusion of responsibility.
D) engage in effort justification.

Question 10

Which quote best reflects the actor-observer bias?

A) "I'm lazy and so are most people."
B) "I'm lazy, but you're a victim of circumstance."
C) "I don't work as hard as the A-students."
D) "I'm a victim of circumstance, but you're just lazy."

Question 11

Riding in a car with his good friend Jay, Dennis watches as Jay hits a squirrel that is trying to cross the road. What will Dennis most likely think about Jay?

A) "Jay is a nice guy, and I'm sure he would have avoided the squirrel if he could have."
B) "Jay is a nice guy but he obviously doesn't like squirrels."
C) "I thought Jay was a decent guy, but I was wrong. He doesn't care about animals."
D) "Jay lacks character, and I'm going to stay away from him from now on."

Question 12

Which statement accurately describes the relationship between genes and political views?

A) Political views are determined by family values and social norms, not genetic factors.
B) Identical and non-identical twins are equally likely to share political views.
C) Conservative political views are linked to the genetic tendency to distrust strong leaders.
D) Liberal political views are linked to the genetic tendency to tolerate personal differences.

Question 13

People from individualistic cultures are more likely than people from collectivistic cultures to

A) exhibit groupthink.
B) demonstrate altruism.
C) make dispositional attributions.
D) resist social loafing.

Question 14

Which statement about individual and collectivist cultures is accurate?

A) Collectivist cultures value individual freedom less than individualistic cultures.
B) The fundamental attribution error is less common in individualistic cultures.
C) Americans tend to be high in collectivism.
D) People in individualistic cultures neglect dispositional influences on behavior.

Question 15

The Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrated the power of

A) social roles.
B) groupthink.
C) the prisoner's dilemma.
D) deterrence.

Question 16

Guards in the Stanford Prison Experiment were prepared for the role by

A) receiving information about character flaws of the "prisoners."
B) getting uniforms and sunglasses.
C) observing prison guards in actual prisons.
D) reading about common strategies for punishing prisoner misbehavior.

Question 17

Using your knowledge about the power of social roles, which approach would you use to encourage medical students to behave more professionally during internships?

A) Lecture them about the importance of professional behavior.
B) Give them a brochure detailing expectations.
C) Provide them with scrubs and a lab coat. Refer to them as Mr. or Ms., and use their last names rather than their first names.
D) Make it clear that their grades depend on professionalism.

Question 18

The Stanford Prison Experiment ended because

A) it became clear that college students do not act like prisoners.
B) "guards" got bored and refused to continue.
C) several modifications failed to help "guards" see "prisoners" as anything other than classmates.
D) "guards" were mistreating "prisoners."

Question 19

A student supported capital punishment until she was asked to list problems with the death penalty in front of her class. Which theory best explains why she now opposes the death penalty?

A) Attribution theory
B) Actor-observer bias
C) Effort justification
D) Cognitive dissonance

Question 20

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that attitudes are changed when

A) persuasive arguments provide new information.
B) acting in a way that contradicts your beliefs creates discomfort.
C) recognizing the impact of situational factors provides new perspective.
D) disagreeing with the group becomes too uncomfortable to tolerate.

Question 21

Refer to the figure below.
Experimenters created three groups to test the impact of behavior on self-perception. Group A was asked to say hello to the next participant, Group B was paid $1 to criticize the next participant's outfit, and Group C was paid $20 to criticize the next participant's outfit. Afterward, participants answered questions about their personality traits. The table shows group scores for self-reported cruelty. Identify the group label that should replace each Roman numeral.

A) I. Group A; II. Group B; III. Group C
B) I. Group B; II. Group A; III. Group C
C) I. Group C; II. Group B; III. Group A
D) I. Group A; II. Group C; III. Group B

Question 22

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that the best way to shift someone's belief that climate change is no big deal would be

A) presenting them with evidence from experts.
B) paying them $500 to switch to energy-conserving light bulbs.
C) putting them in a group of people with even less concern about climate change.
D) having them read statements they disagree with in front of a classroom.

Question 23

An experimenter created two ways to join a focus group about snack foods. People in one group filled out a brief questionnaire about their food preferences. Those in another filled out a long questionnaire with many embarrassing personal questions. How would each set of people feel about the focus group?

A) People who got in easily would enjoy it more than people who completed the embarrassing questionnaire.
B) People who completed the embarrassing questionnaire would enjoy the group more than people who got in easily.
C) Both sets of people would say that the focus group was boring.
D) Conformity would lead to everyone enjoying the focus group.

Question 24

A new rock band had a show over the weekend, but the band didn't play well, as one of the guitarists was ill. There were also problems with the acoustics at the arena. Of those attending the concert, someone who _______ is likely to speak most highly of the band's performance.

A) won a free ticket in a fundraising raffle
B) got a ticket as a birthday gift
C) paid with a 50 percent-off coupon
D) waited hours in line for an opening-night ticket and paid full price

Question 25

A person who _______ is most likely to engage in effort justification.

A) studied all night and got an A on the final exam
B) paid $500 for a handbag that looks almost exactly like her friend's $40 bag
C) was paid $50 for an hour of truly boring work
D) spent hours shopping for a great deal on a new laptop

Question 26

A first-time marathoner who was worried that she wouldn't finish intentionally over-trains in the days before the race. On race day, her muscles are sore before she even starts. Social psychologists would suggest she did this

A) because she didn't understand it would make finishing harder.
B) to create diffusion of responsibility.
C) to protect her self-esteem by creating an excuse for dropping out.
D) to avoid being accused of social loafing.

Question 27

Which is true of social stereotypes?

A) Stereotypes are always negative.
B) Most stereotypes are rational.
C) We are consciously aware of all of our stereotypes.
D) Stereotypes increase prejudice.

Question 28

The purpose of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) is to

A) measure the strength of the actor-observer bias.
B) assess risk for diffusion of responsibility.
C) detect unconscious prejudices.
D) detect unconscious cognitive dissonance.

Question 29

Choose the pair that produces the fastest reaction time for white college students on the Implicit Association Test (IAT).

A) White person $\rightarrow$ cancer
B) Black person $\rightarrow$ joy
C) White person $\rightarrow$ evil
D) Black person $\rightarrow$ crime

Question 30

Mr. Burns has never promoted a minority employee to management because he believes they do not have a drive to succeed. Few African-American candidates apply for management positions. This illustrates

A) the factual basis of stereotypes.
B) social loafing.
C) a self-fulfilling prophecy.
D) groupthink.

Question 31

A high school teacher was shocked when a Korean-American student got a C on a math test. The reaction reflects

A) stereotyping.
B) discrimination.
C) prejudice.
D) stereotype threat.

Question 32

Research on discrimination suggests that

A) black men are more likely to receive the death penalty, but only because their crimes are more violent.
B) black men are punished more harshly for crimes if their victims are white.
C) there is no advantage to having a white-sounding name.
D) people with black-sounding names get apartments easily because landlords fear being accused of racism.

Question 33

Which of the following people would have the greatest likelihood of being sentenced to death?

A) A white man who killed a black man
B) A light-skinned black man who killed a black man
C) A dark-skinned black man who killed a white man
D) A dark-skinned black man regardless of whom he killed

Question 34

Just before a physics test, the professor remarks that in his experience girls have a tough time grasping advanced physics concepts. How would you expect this statement to impact the women's grades?

A) There will be no impact, because the women taking the test studied before hearing his comment.
B) There will be no impact, because physics problems have objectively right and wrong answers.
C) The women will get lower grades than they would have without the comment.
D) The women will try harder to prove him wrong, leading to better grades.

Question 35

A board member at a toy company disagrees with a plan to switch to lower-quality plastic that may contain toxins. She is most likely to vote in favor of the plan anyway if

A) the other board members are unanimously in favor.
B) voting is done by secret ballot.
C) she is from the United States but other board members are from Japan.
D) there has been angry debate during the meeting.

Question 36

Your blind date subtly mimics your posture and Southern accent. What effect is this likely to have on your opinion of your date, assuming that you are not consciously aware that you are being teased?

A) Your opinion will be unchanged.
B) You will like your date more than you would have otherwise.
C) You are more likely to dislike your date but will be unable to articulate why this is so.
D) You will become more self-conscious and feel anxious around your date.

Question 37

Refer to the figure below.
Using your understanding of social facilitation, choose the correct labels for each box in the table.

A) 1: Performance enhanced; 2: Performance normal; 3: Performance impaired; 4: Performance significantly impaired
B) 1: Performance impaired; 2: Performance enhanced; 3: Performance significantly impaired; 4: Performance impaired
C) 1: Performance normal; 2: Performance impaired; 3: Performance significantly impaired; 4: Performance enhanced
D) 1: Performance significantly enhanced; 2: Performance normal; 3: Performance enhanced; 4: Performance significantly impaired

Question 38

A piano student mastered a difficult piece of music after many hours of practice at home. At his next lesson, he played the piece for his piano teacher. He then performed it in front of an enthusiastic audience, and finally, in front of a critical panel of judges. According to the theory of social facilitation, which of these was likely to be his worst performance?

A) Playing at home after mastering the piece
B) Playing for his piano teacher
C) Performing for an enthusiastic audience
D) Performing for a panel of judges

Question 39

Homeowners were asked to display a small "Be a Safe Driver" sign in their windows. Later, they were asked to install a large, ugly "Drive Carefully" sign on their front lawns. How likely would they be to agree, compared to people who had never been asked to display the small sign?

A) No one would agree to put up an ugly sign.
B) People who put up a small sign would be more likely to put up the ugly sign than people who were not asked to display the small sign.
C) People who already displayed the small sign would feel they had done their part and would be less likely to agree.
D) Social norms would make it nearly impossible for anyone in either group to refuse.

Question 40

A salesperson at the mall gets you to try free samples of lotion and perfume. Though you were not shopping for either of those things, you leave the mall with a large bottle of lotion. The salesperson made good use of

A) the bystander effect.
B) altruistic norms.
C) the door-in-the-face technique.
D) the foot-in-the-door technique.

Question 41

The children you are baby-sitting for left toys all over the playroom, and you want their help cleaning up. Which approach is least likely to be effective?

A) Start cleaning, yourself, so the bystander effect will kick in.
B) Get each child to put away one toy, then ask for all of them to help with the entire room.
C) Insist they clean the whole house, then back down and suggest they just clean the playroom.
D) Have them agree to a three-minute clean up blast, then ask for more help when the timer goes off.

Question 42

A college professor wants to push students to do their best possible work on a paper. She should

A) assign people to work in large groups.
B) assign people to work in small groups.
C) have people work independently.
D) provide sample papers so the actor-observer effect will take place.

Question 43

Social loafing is least likely to occur when

A) people know their individual contributions will be evaluated.
B) groups have fewer than eight people.
C) group members are from an individualistic culture.
D) the final group product will be graded.

Question 44

In which of the following settings would a person having a heart attack be most likely to get help?

A) A crowded subway
B) A city street at lunchtime
C) An office with only a few employees
D) A well-attended library

Question 45

A charity needs volunteers to set up a fundraising event. They will get the most volunteers by

A) contacting individuals by phone to ask for their help.
B) making announcements to groups.
C) using effort justification techniques to encourage past volunteers to help again.
D) sending a mass email to everyone on the mailing list.

Question 46

An experiment revealed that most college students failed to help a person they heard having a seizure when they believed others also heard it. This is best explained by

A) the failure of people in individualistic cultures to express empathy.
B) the fact that reciprocal altruism does not apply with strangers.
C) diffusion of responsibility.
D) deindividuation.

Question 47

In an experiment, women randomly assigned to wear matching masks showed more hostility than women who were not wearing masks. This is best explained by

A) groupthink.
B) deindividuation.
C) neuroeconomics.
D) the actor-observer bias.

Question 48

Meredith tends to be shy and quiet. But when her college basketball team wins a big game, she finds herself screaming and dancing on the quad with hundreds of her classmates. This atypical behavior illustrates

A) groupthink.
B) diffusion of responsibility.
C) the chameleon effect.
D) deindividuation.

Question 49

Which of the following behaviors would increase groupthink?

A) Seeking the advice of outside experts
B) Emphasizing the importance of group loyalty
C) Having the group leader actively encourage dissent
D) Arranging for a subgroup to identify potential pitfalls of a plan

Question 50

Which of the following statements would most likely occur in a group exhibiting groupthink?

A) "I'll take responsibility for finding an expert consultant."
B) "Next, let's consider the potential risks of this investment."
C) "We all seem to be in agreement, so let's move on to the next topic."
D) "Before we vote, everyone needs to share their honest opinion."

Question 51

Refer to the figure below.
Two people are playing a game that involves a $100 cash jackpot. Each player can try to take all the money or agree to share the money. In the table above, which description accurately replaces the Roman numerals with outcomes that make this game resemble a prisoner's dilemma?

A) I: Each player gets $50; II: Each player gets $10
B) I: Each player gets $10; II: Each player gets $50
C) I: Jackpot doubles, each player gets $100; II: Each player gets $0
D) I: Player 1 gets $60, Player 2 gets $40; II: Player 1 gets $40, Player 2 gets $60

Question 52

Reproductively sterile worker bees devote their lives to caring for their mother, the queen bee, the only bee to lay eggs. This is an example of

A) deindividuation.
B) diffusion of responsibility.
C) altruism.
D) self-handicapping.

Question 53

A researcher gave giant chocolate bars to half of her research participants. Those with chocolate bars wrote down how much money it would take to convince them to sell the bar, and those without chocolate bars indicated how much they would pay to get a chocolate bar. According to research on how people respond to loss and gain, which outcome is most likely?

A) Sellers wanted an average of $5 and buyers were willing to pay an average of $7.
B) Sellers wanted an average of $7 and buyers were willing to pay an average of $5.
C) Sellers wanted an average of $5 and buyers were willing to pay an average of $5.
D) Sellers were willing to give half the bar to those without, since it was an unexpected gift.

Question 54

Craigslist is full of listings for used guitars. Sellers feel their guitars should be worth 75 percent of the new price, buyers are only willing to pay 40 percent. This reflects

A) the door-in-the-face sales technique.
B) our tendency to be loss-averse.
C) social exchange theory.
D) groupthink.

Question 55

Which statement most accurately describes the relationship between marriage and happiness?

A) Marrying will make you happier, no matter whom you choose as a spouse.
B) People who live together without marrying are as happy as married couples.
C) Getting married at a young age leads to greater happiness.
D) In general, married people are happier than unmarried people.

Question 56

Which statement best describes the relationship between marital age and marital happiness?

A) People who marry at 18 have happier marriages than those who marry at 25.
B) People who marry at 25 have happier marriages than those who marry at 18.
C) People married before the age of 35 are equally likely to be happy.
D) There is no relationship between marital age and marital happiness.

Question 57

Refer to the figure below.
Which list matches the numbers with the appropriate labels?

A) 1: Intimacy; 2: Passion; 3: Commitment
B) 1: Commitment; 2: Infatuation; 3: Intimacy
C) 1: Liking; 2: Passion; 3: Intimacy
D) 1: Liking; 2: Infatuation; 3: Commitment

Question 58

Refer to the figure below.
According to the triangular theory of love, companionate love involves

A) intimacy, commitment, and passion.
B) commitment alone.
C) passion plus intimacy.
D) intimacy plus commitment.

Question 59

Rick and Jana feel strongly attracted to each other, admire one another, and feel emotionally close, but both feel unprepared to settle down. Their relationship best fits the definition of _______ love.

A) romantic
B) companionate
C) empty
D) fatuous

Question 60

Jamie and Chris have been together for a decade and plan to move across the country together. Though they describe their initial infatuation as long gone, they spend a great deal of time together on shared interests, clearly admire each other, and are comfortable expressing their deepest feelings. This relationship fits the definition of _______ love.

A) romantic
B) fatuous
C) consummate
D) companionate

Question 61

A group of third-grade girls tries to make a classmate unpopular by spreading a rumor that she still sucks her thumb. This is an example of _______ aggression.

A) reactive
B) circumstantial
C) instrumental
D) impulsive

Question 62

You trip on the bus and spill hot coffee on several passengers. Which passenger is most likely to respond aggressively?

A) A man with a highly reactive sympathetic nervous system
B) A man with an underactive amygdala
C) A woman with strong frontal-lobe activity
D) A man with low levels of monoamine oxidase

Question 63

Research on the effects of video game violence suggests that

A) violent games make people less likely to empathize with victims.
B) violent games help people burn aggressive urges off harmlessly.
C) there is no relationship between violent games and aggression.
D) video violence makes people more repulsed by violence in real life.

Question 64

What evidence best supports a genetic basis, rather than a social basis, for aggression?

A) Men are more likely to be arrested than women are.
B) Americans have persistently high rates of gun violence.
C) In most species of mammals, males are more aggressive.
D) Strong frontal lobe activity predicts impulsive aggression.

Question 65

Which of the following statements about androgens is most accurate?

A) Androgens trigger muscle growth but do not affect the brain.
B) Androgen injections increase irritability.
C) Men with naturally higher levels of testosterone are consistently more aggressive.
D) Androgen levels are stable over time, making it easy to predict risk for aggressive behavior.

Question 66

Which of the following people is likely to have the highest testosterone level?

A) An accountant recently caught embezzling from his employer
B) A soccer fan upset that his team just lost a game
C) A conman who just successfully swindled a customer
D) A chess player who lost a big game the previous day

Question 67

Increased testosterone secretion is related to all of the following except

A) winning an athletic competition.
B) high levels of social dominance.
C) winning a chess match.
D) watching your team lose a game.

Question 68

Impulsive aggression is more likely for someone with

A) a strong fear response.
B) an underactive amygdala.
C) hyperactive frontal lobes.
D) a sluggish sympathetic nervous system.

Question 69

Aggressive behavior is linked to genes that favor

A) altruism.
B) impulsive behavior.
C) low production of MAO enzyme.
D) low androgen production.

Question 70

Although the American population is genetically similar to the Canadian population,

A) fewer Americans are in prison.
B) Canadians watch more violent television.
C) Americans are six times as likely to be killed by firearms.
D) Canadians have higher rates of instrumental aggression.

Question 71

If a teenage boy has just spent the afternoon playing violent video games, it is most likely that he would

A) be more likely than usual to yell at his sister for eating the last doughnut.
B) be more flexible and cooperative because he already released aggressive urges.
C) be more sympathetic to his little brother who got kicked at daycare.
D) get in a physical fight with his sister.

Question 72

What is the impact of pornography?

A) In the lab, viewing pornography increases positive attitudes toward women.
B) Sex crimes decrease as pornography becomes more available.
C) There is no known relationship between pornography and rates of sex crimes.
D) Pornography spurs men to act out violent fantasies.

Question 73

The main finding of Milgram's shock experiment is that

A) only uneducated people fail to question orders.
B) Americans are far less likely than Germans to obey authority.
C) today's youth are more disrespectful and disobedient.
D) many people obey unreasonable or unethical orders.

Question 74

The Milgram shock experiments surprised psychologists because

A) teachers clearly enjoyed delivering shocks.
B) learners accepted shocks so obediently.
C) the majority of teachers delivered harmful shocks.
D) the majority of teachers defied direct instructions.

Question 75

Atrocities were committed by German soldiers in concentration camps mostly because they

A) enjoyed hurting people.
B) were unaware of harm being done.
C) followed orders from officers they viewed as legitimate authority figures.
D) exceeded the authority given to them.

Question 76

When the Milgram obedience study was repeated in a rundown building

A) fewer people administered the most intense shocks.
B) there was no impact on compliance.
C) virtually no one administered the most intense shocks.
D) people directly questioned the validity of the research.

Question 77

Compliance with orders is more likely if

A) the person giving the orders is of equal status with the person receiving orders.
B) the person giving the orders is physically present.
C) someone else has already refused to follow the order.
D) the person receiving the orders is female.

Question 78

A soldier has been given an order likely to lead to many civilian casualties. He would most likely refuse it if the order was

A) to prepare a drone for launch.
B) given by a female commanding officer.
C) phoned in by an officer at Navy headquarters, 3000 miles away.
D) given by an officer in the room.

Question 79

In the Milgram shock experiments, participants would be most likely to obey orders if

A) the experimenter stressed their personal responsibility for their behavior.
B) the experimenter seemed to be an ordinary college student like them.
C) others in the room refused to cooperate.
D) the experiment was conducted at Harvard.

Question 80

How does compliance change when people don't feel directly responsibility for the outcome of their actions?

A) Emotional distance makes it easier for people to refuse unethical orders.
B) People are more likely to follow orders.
C) Men are less likely to follow orders but women's compliance is unchanged.
D) Indirect responsibility makes soldiers more likely to follow orders but civilians less likely to follow orders.