Deck 9: Attraction and Close Relationships

Question 1

Individuals who suffer from social anxiety are likely to

A) have an unusually high need for affiliation.
B) experience feelings of discomfort in the presence of others.
C) be very concerned with the overall balance of their relationships.
D) be very popular with other people and yet not realize that they are popular.

Answer 1

experience feelings of discomfort in the presence of others.

Question 2

Derek is informed that as part of his fraternity initiation he must sing the school fight song as loudly as he can while standing on the roof of the fraternity house in his underwear.He is then given the choice to await his turn alone or with the girls from the neighboring sorority.Which of the following is most likely?

A) Derek will choose to wait alone in order to achieve cognitive clarity.
B) Derek will choose to wait alone as waiting with the sorority members will likely increase his stress.
C) Derek will choose to wait with the sorority members in order to reduce his level of stress.
D) Derek will choose to wait with the sorority members because they will be able to offer him a different perspective.

Answer 2

Derek will choose to wait alone as waiting with the sorority members will likely increase his stress.

Question 3

When Kulik and others (1994)gave people who were about to soak their hand in ice water a choice about who to wait with prior to the painful task, they found that the participants preferred to wait

A) with someone who had already done the task.
B) with someone who was about to complete the task.
C) with someone who did not have to do the task.
D) alone.

Answer 3

with someone who had already done the task.

Question 4

Which of the following is most accurate regarding the human need for affiliation?

A) People tend to prefer as much social contact with others as possible.
B) There is little variation between individuals when it comes to desired level of social contact.
C) People are motivated to maintain an optimum balance of time alone and social contact.
D) On average, men in individualistic cultures desire more social contact than do women, but in collectivist cultures, women prefer more than men.

Question 5

Rofe (1984)argued that stress increases the desire to affiliate only when

A) being with others has the potential to reduce the negative impact of the situation.
B) the stress is embarrassing in nature.
C) in collectivist cultures.
D) with people who are experiencing the same type of stressful situation, but not with people who have successfully overcome the same stressful situation.

Question 6

Ollie is about to undergo a painful and risky surgical procedure.Research suggests that Ollie could most effectively cope with this threat if he did which of the following?

A) Prior to his surgery, speak with someone who has gone through the same procedure to gain insight about the experience.
B) Prior to his surgery, spend some time by himself in order to clear his mind.
C) Prior to his surgery, speak with someone who is about to have the same procedure so that they can share their concerns with one another.
D) After his surgery, speak with someone who has had the same procedure so that they can share their experiences.

Question 7

Though they had all been together on the transcontinental flight for three hours, the passengers didn't start to talk to one another until the plane ran into some serious turbulence.This behavior is best explained by the

A) tendency for external threat to increase affiliation.
B) matching hypothesis.
C) proximity effect.
D) evolutionary perspective on the sociostat.

Question 8

Kulik and Mahler (1989)found that patients waiting for heart surgery preferred to have roommates who were post-operative rather than pre-operative.This finding supports the hypothesis that

A) people have great difficulty regulating their need for affiliation.
B) external threat reduces affiliation tendencies in order to reduce embarrassment.
C) having a close network of social support increases physical health.
D) affiliation in response to threat can provide cognitive clarity.

Question 9

Participants in a study by O'Connor and Rosenblood (1996)indicated about every hour whether they were alone or with others and whether they wanted to be alone or with others.The results of this study revealed that

A) most of the time, participants wanted to be with others, but were alone.
B) most of the time, participants wanted to be alone, but were with others.
C) regardless of whether they wanted to be alone or with others, most of the time, participants were not in their desired social state.
D) regardless of whether they wanted to be alone or with others, most of the time, participants were in their desired social state.

Question 10

Support for the idea of the "sociostat" (social thermostat)is provided by the finding that rats

A) tend to prefer to remain on their own once a period of isolation ends.
B) are less likely to approach other rats after a period of prolonged contact.
C) aggress against other rats when a shared resource is scarce.
D) always prefer the company of other rats to being alone.

Question 11

Using fMRI techniques, researchers have observed that shy people exhibit

A) less activity in the amygdala than those who are bold.
B) greater activity in the hippocampus than those who are bold.
C) greater activity in the amygdala than those who are bold.
D) less activity in the hippocampus than those who are bold.

Question 12

An evolutionary perspective on attraction suggests that people prefer mates who will

A) provide a boost to their social reputation and status.
B) favor the conception and birth of their offspring.
C) make them laugh.
D) are close in proximity to them.

Question 13

Lionel is in his first semester of college and is feeling quite lonely.If he is like most other college students, which strategy is he likely to use to cope with his loneliness?

A) Invest effort in trying to do well in his courses
B) Distract himself by reading and watching television
C) Improve his physical appearance
D) All of these

Question 14

A feeling of deprivation about existing social relations is called

A) loneliness.
B) rejection.
C) jealously.
D) empty love.

Question 15

Baumeister and Leary (1996)suggest that humans have a fundamental drive to have positive and meaningful interpersonal relationships with others.They refer to this as the

A) need to belong.
B) need for affiliation.
C) "sociostat."
D) need to love.

Question 16

Which of the following is most consistent with the idea that we are attracted to others with whom a relationship is rewarding?

A) Tina likes Tony because he is playing hard to get.
B) Tina likes Tony because they are about equally attractive.
C) Tina likes Tony because they live in the same apartment building.
D) Tina likes Tony because he smiles at her and compliments her.

Question 17

According to the relevant research, who of the following is likely to be the loneliest?

A) José, who is an adolescent
B) Hector, who is 40 years old and has never been married
C) Selena, who is 60 years old and is married
D) Marble, who is 60 years old and has never been married

Question 18

Someone who argues that attraction is simply a function of wanting to have healthy offspring probably endorses

A) the belief that situational variables influence attraction.
B) social exchange theory.
C) the matching hypothesis of attraction.
D) the approach of evolutionary psychology.

Question 19

Terrence has a network of close social ties.In comparison to individuals lacking such a network, research suggests that he will

A) be more likely to suffer from social anxiety.
B) be less likely to die a premature death.
C) have worse physical health.
D) have lower self-esteem.

Question 20

Rita has a strong desire to establish and maintain social contact with others.Rita has

A) a low need to belong.
B) severe social anxiety.
C) a high need for affiliation.
D) a broken social thermostat.

Question 21

According to your textbook, the single best predictor of whether two people will get together is

A) complementarity.
B) matching levels of physical attractiveness.
C) physical proximity.
D) similarity.

Question 22

Among heterosexual couples who met between 2007 and 2009, what percent of them met online?

A) 8%
B) 22%
C) 47%
D) 61%

Question 23

Research on students' teaching ratings on the website HYPERLINK "http://www.ᵣₐtₑmᵧpᵣₒfₑssₒᵣ.cₒm" www.ratemyprofessor.com indicate that

A) female professors who are rated as strong teachers tended to be seen as less attractive.
B) both male and female professors who are rated as "hot" are also given high teaching ratings.
C) teachers' non-physical qualities have nothing to do with their likeability.
D) for male teachers, perceptions of attraction and teaching skill were unrelated.

Question 24

Aimee attends a large lecture section of Introductory Psychology every Tuesday and Thursday throughout her first semester at college.According to the mere exposure effect, Aimee should

A) come to intensely dislike psychology.
B) come to intensely like psychology.
C) more positively evaluate the face of the guy who sat in front of her in class all semester than the face of a stranger.
D) more positively evaluate the face of a stranger than the guy who sat in front of her in class all semester.

Question 25

All of the following have been demonstrated in research on physical attractiveness except

A) attractive students were able to solicit more signatures on a petition than unattractive students.
B) unattractive defendants received larger court fines than attractive defendants.
C) teachers expect attractive children to be smarter and achieve more than unattractive children.
D) attractive employees earn approximately the same salaries as unattractive employees.

Question 26

An evolutionary explanation for the relationship between a face's symmetry and its perceived attractiveness is that

A) asymmetrical faces are less familiar and therefore more distinctive in memory.
B) facial symmetry is associated with physical health and fitness.
C) biological factors have very little to do with facial symmetry.
D) parents devote more resources to caring for offspring with symmetrical faces.

Question 27

Which of the following is consistent with the mere exposure effect?

A) The more new dating partners talk to each other, the more they realize how different they are.
B) Someone just grows on you after a while.
C) A couple falls in love at first sight.
D) The old saying, "Birds of a feather flock together."

Question 28

The finding that infants spend more time looking at attractive, as compared to unattractive, faces supports the hypothesis that

A) beauty is objective.
B) beauty is subjective.
C) familiarity increases physical attractiveness.
D) physical attractiveness increases familiarity.

Question 29

According to research by Moreland and Beach (1992), who will you be most attracted to?

A) The mysterious stranger who comes to your social psychology class one time and never again
B) A person who you have never seen before, but who physically resembles you
C) A person who came to your social psychology class 5 times throughout the semester
D) A person who came to your social psychology class 15 times throughout the semester

Question 30

Mita et al.(1977)found that female college students preferred their own mirror image to their actual appearance.This finding is consistent with

A) the matching hypothesis.
B) mere exposure effects.
C) social exchange theory.
D) excitation transfer.

Question 31

Which of the following is not a reason why we seem to be attracted to averaged faces?

A) They are prototypically face-like.
B) They are symmetrical.
C) They look unusual.
D) They seem more familiar to us.

Question 32

Juanita wants her date to perceive her as very sexually attractive.What color dress should she wear to her sorority formal to promote this perception?

A) White
B) Red
C) Black
D) Gold

Question 33

According to Reis and colleagues (2011), familiarity breeds

A) attraction.
B) contempt.
C) dislike.
D) boredom.

Question 34

Festinger's (1950)research of college student housing found that

A) students were more likely to become friends with people who lived nearby than those who lived farther away.
B) married college students were not as affected by proximity effects in forming friendships as were single college students.
C) mere exposure had a greater effect on platonic friendships versus romantic relationships.
D) All of these

Question 35

Anderson et al.(1992)found that heavy women are perceived as more attractive than slender women in countries where food is often in short supply.This finding is consistent with the idea that

A) certain body types are inherently more attractive than others.
B) beauty is subjective.
C) symmetry is an important component of attractiveness.
D) beauty is objective.

Question 36

The idea that some faces are inherently more attractive than others is supported by research demonstrating that

A) people prefer averaged composite faces to individual faces.
B) standards of beauty change over time.
C) people from different cultures enhance their appearance in different ways.
D) people we like seem more attractive to us.

Question 37

The belief that physically attractive individuals also possess desirable personality characteristics is called the

A) matching phenomenon.
B) what-is-beautiful-is-good stereotype.
C) aesthetic appeal of beauty.
D) reinforcement-affect principle.

Question 38

The idea that physical attractiveness is inherently subjective is supported by research demonstrating that

A) specific facial features tend to be associated with physical attractiveness.
B) there is a high degree of cross-cultural consistency in ratings of attractiveness.
C) liking someone increases that person's perceived physical attractiveness.
D) averaged faces are judged more attractive than individual faces.

Question 39

Lee (2008)and colleagues ran a study in which they examined people's ratings of photos on the website HOTorNOT.com.They found that participants' own level of attractiveness

A) were positive predictors of how attractive they rated the photos.
B) were negative predictors of how attractive they rated the photos.
C) did not predict their ratings of the photos.
D) predicted their ratings of male but not female photos.

Question 40

Proximity refers to

A) physical nearness.
B) physical similarity.
C) attitudinal similarity.
D) physical attractiveness.

Question 41

According to the two-stage model of attraction proposed by Byrne et al.(1986), people

A) seek partners who are similar with respect to physical attractiveness, but dissimilar with respect to attitudes.
B) seek partners who are similar with respect to attitudes, but dissimilar with respect to personality.
C) first approach similar others and then weed out those who are least similar.
D) first avoid dissimilar others and then approach those remaining who are most similar.

Question 42

Snyder and colleagues (1977)ran a study in which mixed-gender pairs had a phone conversation.Male participants were given either an attractive or unattractive photo of their conversation partner.Which of the following statements about the study findings is false?

A) Men were friendlier toward the partners who they believed to be attractive.
B) The outcome of the conversation was more influenced by the women's actual level of attractiveness than by how attractive the men believed the women to be.
C) Men formed more positive impressions of the personality of women who they believed to be attractive.
D) Women talking with men who believed they were attractive were actually warmer and more confident during the conversation.

Question 43

Matthew is considering going on a blind date.According to the evolutionary perspective, he will be most concerned with

A) the social status of his date.
B) the physical attractiveness of his date.
C) whether he and his date have similar attitudes.
D) whether he and his date are equally intelligent.

Question 44

Walster et al.(1966)randomly matched students for a dance.At the end of the evening, students indicated how satisfied they were with their dates.The strongest predictor of satisfaction was

A) physical attractiveness.
B) attitudinal similarity.
C) proximity of dorm rooms.
D) complementary personalities.

Question 45

Wegner and colleagues (1994)conducted a study in which mixed-gender foursomes played a card game.Some couples were instructed to play "footsie" secretly under the table, some were instructed to do so out in the open, and others were not told to do anything at all.Findings indicated that participants reported being most attracted to their partner when

A) they had not been asked to play "footsie."
B) they played "footsie" in secret.
C) they played "footsie" so that the other pair knew they were doing it.
D) they played either type of "footsie."

Question 46

Popular wisdom is often contradictory, as with the following two sayings: 1)"opposites attract" and 2)"birds of a feather flock together." Research on the relationship between similarity and liking suggests that

A) #1 is more accurate; people tend to be more attracted to those who are dissimilar from themselves.
B) #2 is more accurate; people tend to be more attracted to those who are similar to themselves.
C) both are right for different people; heterosexual men tend to be attracted to similar others whereas gay men tend to be attracted to dissimilar others.
D) both are right in different conditions; people are attracted to similar others when they are interested in long-term relationships, but they prefer dissimilar others for less serious relationships without commitment.

Question 47

Pinel and colleagues (2006)refer to "I-sharing" as an important form of similarity whereby individuals share

A) a subjective experience.
B) a level of physical attractiveness.
C) political ideologies.
D) technological expertise.

Question 48

Traci is used to people telling her how attractive she is.Research suggests that if she receives positive feedback on a paper she writes for class, she will be most likely to believe that the feedback is genuine and feel good about it if

A) the person who graded the paper has never seen her before.
B) she has considered herself to be fairly unattractive when she was much younger.
C) it is given to her in person.
D) her friends do not get good grades on the same assignment.

Question 49

Which person is most likely to suffer from an eating disorder?

A) Saul, who is a 15-year-old male
B) Shanti, who is an 18-year-old female
C) Liesel, who is a 30-year-old female
D) Vanna, who is a 40-year-old female

Question 50

Newcomb's (1961)classic study on attraction in which he set up an experimental college dormitory revealed that

A) students' friendships with members of the opposite sex tended to turn into romantic relationships.
B) students who had similar backgrounds tended to like each other.
C) students who held dissimilar attitudes were more likely to form romantic relationships.
D) friendships were more likely than romantic relationships to be based on proximity.

Question 51

Using fMRI, Tsukiura and Capeza (2011)found biological evidence for the

A) mere exposure effect.
B) what-is-beautiful-is-good stereotype.
C) social exchange theory.
D) matching hypothesis.

Question 52

Which of the following is not one of the four types of similarity most relevant to predicting interpersonal attraction?

A) Similarity in subjective experience
B) Similarity in attitudes
C) Demographic similarity
D) Similarity in eye and hair color

Question 53

The hard-to-get effect can be hard to get because

A) we are turned off by those who reject us because they are committed to someone else.
B) we prefer individuals who are moderately selective over those who are nonselective.
C) we like dates who selectively desire us more than they desire others.
D) All of these

Question 54

Brandon likes Brianna, but Brandon doesn't like Autumn.The relationship among these three individuals would be balanced if

A) Brianna likes Autumn.
B) Brianna doesn't like Autumn.
C) Autumn likes Brandon.
D) Autumn likes Brianna.

Question 55

Mario believes that people desire and form relationships with others who are similar in terms of physical attractiveness.Mario subscribes to

A) equity theory.
B) the matching hypothesis.
C) social penetration theory.
D) social exchange theory.

Question 56

Rosenbaum (1986)argues that social psychologists overestimate the role of attitudinal similarity in attraction, and suggests that it is not that similarity creates attraction but that

A) dissimilarity produces interpersonal repulsion.
B) opposites attract.
C) similarity in physical appearance is the only form of similarity that affects attraction.
D) the evidence for the role of complementarity processes is much stronger.

Question 57

Lindsay is a freshman at college, and has her first serious boyfriend there.Her parents can't stand him.According to Brehm's theory of psychological reactance, what should her parents do to discourage the relationship?

A) Explain to Lindsay in calm, rational terms why this man is a poor fit for her
B) Subtly put him down in conversations to Lindsay to avoid direct confrontation
C) Never invite him to their home for a visit
D) Say very little about him one way or the other to Lindsay

Question 58

Which of the following best reflects the benefits and cost of being attractive?

A) While attractiveness often brings a social advantage to attractive individuals, it can cause them to doubt the sincerity of others' praise for their work.
B) While attractiveness often brings heightened self-esteem to attractive individuals, it can lead them to doubt others' praise of their attractiveness.
C) While attractiveness often brings greater popularity to attractive individuals, it can increase mental health difficulties.
D) While attractiveness often brings lifetime happiness to attractive individuals, it can put pressure on them to maintain their appearance.

Question 59

Which of the following statements regarding physically attractive people is false?

A) Attractive people tend to have more sexual experience than unattractive people.
B) Attractive people tend to be more popular than unattractive people.
C) Attractive people tend to have higher self-esteem than unattractive people.
D) Attractive people, when told that a judge who has just given them praise has seen what they look like, often come to have doubts about the true quality of their work.

Question 60

According to research by Aronson and Linder (1965), which of the following patterns of comments about us would lead us to like the speaker the most?

A) Critical comments followed by flattering comments
B) Critical comments followed by more critical comments
C) Flattering comments followed by more flattering comments
D) Flattering comments followed by critical comments

Question 61

Although she cheats on him, Abdul stays with his girlfriend because he doesn't think he would be able to find anyone better.Abdul has a(n)

A) low comparison level for alternatives.
B) high comparison level for alternatives.
C) secure attachment style.
D) avoidant attachment style.

Question 62

According to social exchange theory, an individual's primary motive in establishing and maintaining relationships is

A) maximizing rewards and minimizing costs.
B) achieving an equitable balance of inputs and outputs.
C) maintaining reciprocal levels of self-disclosure.
D) the reproductive fitness of a potential partner.

Question 63

Joshua is attracted to Daniel because of his warm eyes and great smile.Daniel is attracted to Joshua because of his muscular body.Joshua and Daniel are in Murstein's

A) stimulus stage.
B) value stage.
C) role stage.
D) norm stage.

Question 64

When a man spends money on expensive cars, fancy restaurant dinners, and stylish clothes, it may be an evolved sexually selected mating signal known as

A) conspicuous consumption.
B) excitation transfer.
C) complementarity hypothesis.
D) reciprocity.

Question 65

Zachary is unhappy in his relationship and is trying to decide whether to break up with his girlfriend.Which of the following factors might encourage him to stay?

A) If his comparison level for alternatives is high
B) If his comparison level is high
C) If his investment is high
D) If his costs for staying are high

Question 66

According to social exchange theory, an outcome from a relationship will produce satisfaction if it falls above a person's

A) self-disclosure level.
B) level of similarity to the partner.
C) intimacy level.
D) comparison level.

Question 67

Jon feels like he isn't a good enough husband to his wife, Kate.According to the trust-insurance system, he is likely to

A) go out of his way to benefit her through restorative actions.
B) withdraw emotionally from the relationship, thereby contributing to a downward cycle.
C) become more jealous of her than he was previously.
D) feel underbenefited in the relationship.

Question 68

Eastwick and Finkel (2008)examined men's and women's preferences during a speed dating event.They found significant gender differences in what men and women reported as important mate characteristics before the event began-differences that _________ once they actually started interacting with the potential mates at the event.

A) increased
B) stayed constant
C) disappeared
D) became more subtle

Question 69

Equity theory predicts that people are most satisfied in their relationships when the

A) perceived rewards of the relationship are equal to the perceived costs of the relationship.
B) perceived rewards of the relationship outweigh the perceived costs of the relationship.
C) rewards and costs one partner experiences are roughly equal to those of the other partner.
D) actual rewards and costs of the relationship exceed the expected rewards and costs of the relationship.

Question 70

The average, general outcome that an individual expects in a relationship is called the

A) intimacy level.
B) investment level.
C) comparison level.
D) self-disclosure level.

Question 71

According to the evolutionary perspective, women prefer

A) wealthy men because wealth is the criterion they use to estimate their best chances for reproductive success.
B) physically attractive men because of the social benefits that come from being associated with such men.
C) wealthy men because wealth gives them the freedom to pursue the lifestyle they have been socialized to desire.
D) men who play hard to get because such men bring about psychological reactance, which can lead to the misattribution of arousal.

Question 72

Jen is worried that Chris may be having an affair.What is she likely to do, according to evolutionary theory?

A) Dump him and find a faithful partner
B) Take action against her rival
C) Threaten Chris
D) Have a makeover to improve her looks

Question 73

According to research by Ackerman and others (2011), the person most likely to say "I love you" in a heterosexual relationship is

A) the man.
B) the woman.
C) unpredictable; about half the time it is the man and the other half the woman.
D) the older person.

Question 74

Who is more likely to value physical attractiveness in a potential male partner?

A) A woman who is in poverty
B) A woman who makes a moderate income
C) A woman who is fantastically wealthy
D) All of these will value physical attractiveness similarly in a potential mate

Question 75

Consider Buss's study in which he examined what people from 37 different cultures around the world prefer in a romantic partner.Which of the following statements about the results of this study is accurate?

A) In most countries, men rated physical attractiveness to be more important than women did, while women rated good financial prospects as more important than men did.
B) Before the age of 30, men tended to report having more sexual partners than did women, but that difference disappeared among older participants.
C) Women rated kindness, dependability, and sense of humor as more important than men did.
D) All of these

Question 76

Jack and Diane have been dating and living together for two years.Jack always puts Diane's needs before his own, is very supportive of Diane, and devotes a great deal of time and energy to the relationship.Diane, on the other hand, focuses on her own needs and problems and does not exert a great deal of effort when it comes to the relationship.According to equity theorists,

A) Jack should feel underbenefited and upset about the nature of the relationship, whereas Diane will be content because her needs are being met at minimal cost to her.
B) Jack and Diane should be content with the relationship because people in an equity relationship do not keep track of costs and benefits.
C) Jack should feel underbenefited and upset about the nature of the relationship, and Diane should feel overbenefited and guilty.
D) None of these

Question 77

Bruce and Pam have just started dating.According to social exchange theory, their relationship is likely to last longer and be more satisfying if they each feel that

A) the rewards gained from the relationship are shared equally between them.
B) the costs of maintaining the relationship are shared equally between them.
C) the rewards gained from the relationship are equal to the costs of maintaining the relationship.
D) the rewards gained from the relationship are greater than the costs of maintaining the relationship.

Question 78

A "trust-insurance system" in a relationship is when

A) both partners lack trust toward the other.
B) one partner is overbenefited.
C) both partners keep an unconscious tally of the relationship's costs and benefits to maintain equity.
D) one partner has a low comparison level for alternatives.

Question 79

An argument against the evolutionary approach to mate selection from Buss's original cross-cultural study was that

A) men and women actually are quite similar in the characteristics they desire in a mate.
B) the study only examined Western cultures.
C) the study only examined Eastern cultures.
D) men's concern over sexual infidelity actually reflects fear of an emotional loss of intimacy.

Question 80

Roshumba is conducting a study of married couples.She interviews a number of couples about how their relationships developed.It is likely that she will find that

A) all relationships developed through a fixed sequence of stages.
B) there is considerable variability in how the couples' relationships developed.
C) the couples generally went through the value stage before the role stage.
D) relationship rewards were unrelated to couples' feelings of being in love.