Deck 5: The Role of Perception in Human Relations

Question 1

Because we have to process information quickly, our brains use ____________ that help us draw quick conclusions in a variety of situations.

A) mental shortcuts
B) logistic regression
C) brain wave evaluation
D) systematic assessment

Answer 1

mental shortcuts

Question 2

In order to avoid the errors associated with mental shortcuts

A) we should avoid using them altogether.
B) we need to recognize how they influence our own judgments.
C) we should gain more experience using mental shortcuts to reduce errors.
D) we should have others monitor our use of mental shortcuts.

Answer 2

we need to recognize how they influence our own judgments.

Question 3

Paying more attention to initial information about a person or situation than to later information is also known as the __________ effect.

A) focus
B) recency
C) primacy
D) moderating

Answer 3

primacy

Question 4

Darren set his friend Mike up on a blind date. When Mike asked Darren to describe her, he said, "She's attractive, intelligent, industrious, impulsive, critical, and stubborn." Mike replied, "I like attractive and intelligent women." Mike's focus on the first words in the list is an example of the ________ effect.

A) focus
B) recency
C) primacy
D) moderating

Question 5

Solomon Asch (1946) gave participants in his study a list of characteristics about a person they never met. One group read a list indicating the person was intelligent, industrious, impulsive, critical, stubborn, and envious. The second group read the same list in reverse order (i.e., envious, stubborn, critical, etc.). What was the outcome of this study?

A) Both groups formed positive impressions of the person.
B) Both groups formed negative impressions of the person.
C) The group who read the list starting with positive characteristics (i.e., intelligent, industrious, etc.) rated their person more positively than the group who read the list starting with the negative characteristics.
D) The group who read the list starting with positive characteristics (i.e., intelligent, industrious, etc.) rated their person more negatively than the group who read the list starting with the negative characteristics.

Question 6

Why do we form impressions of people based on the first time we meet?

A) Because we usually meet people only one time.
B) As humans, we take multiple meetings to make impressions.
C) Because later impressions are more important we ignore early impressions
D) When we don't know someone, we are motivated to gather information about the person quickly.

Question 7

One way to diminish the influence of primacy effect is to

A) rely instead on the recency effect.
B) be mindful of its existence and its power over our judgment.
C) only be influenced by positive information.
D) let the target person know that his or her first impression will be most influential on you.

Question 8

Ross was excited about attending a protest march in Washington, D.C., supporting abortion rights for women. When he asked his girlfriend, Jane, to go, she remarked, "But, Ross, I am pro-life." Which cognitive bias contributed to Ross' perception that Jane believed the same way he did?

A) Primacy effect
B) False consensus bias
C) Confirmation bias
D) Fundamental attribution error

Question 9

Assuming that other people perceive and interpret things the same way we do is also known as

A) fundamental attribution error.
B) confirmation bias.
C) false consensus bias.
D) primacy effect.

Question 10

Russ, Greene, and House (1977) asked college students to wear a sandwich-board sign that said "Repent" and walk around campus for 30 minutes. Although only 50 percent of the total number of students volunteering for the study agreed to wear the sign, those who did wear the sign estimated 77 percent of the other participants would do it. Which cognitive bias explains this difference?

A) Confirmation bias
B) False consensus bias
C) Primacy effect
D) Fundamental attribution error

Question 11

When considering our talents, abilities, or positive qualities, we tend to see ourselves as more unique than we actually are. This is known as the

A) false consensus bias.
B) false individual effect.
C) false uniqueness bias.
D) self-perception effect.

Question 12

Although she has only been working out regularly for a month, Sandra underestimates the likelihood her colleagues work out. Focusing on her positive behavior while underestimating the likelihood others engage in the same activity is also known as

A) false consensus bias.
B) false uniqueness bias.
C) false individual effect.
D) self-perception effect.

Question 13

The ________________involves our tendency to seek out and pay attention to information that supports our preexisting notions, and also to ignore contradictory information.

A) primacy effect
B) false consensus bias
C) false uniqueness bias
D) confirmation bias

Question 14

After meeting Jeff, Karyn thought she had found the man of her dreams. Although he began to treat her badly, she ignored his negative behavior and interpreted his positive behaviors in a way that was consistent with her preexisting notions. Karyn's inability to see Jeff for who he was is related to

A) the primacy effect.
B) false consensus bias.
C) false uniqueness bias.
D) confirmation bias.

Question 15

The confirmation bias has two key components: The first is to look for evidence to confirm our existing beliefs, and the second is to

A) interpret ambiguous information in a manner consistent with our own beliefs.
B) pay greater attention to the first information we get about a person or situation.
C) assume other people's behavior is a result of their personality.
D) make sure you aren't substituting your interpretation for the facts.

Question 16

Often we assume other people's behavior is due to their personality, and we underestimate the influence of the situation. This cognitive bias is also known as

A) confirmation bias.
B) false consensus bias.
C) false uniqueness bias.
D) fundamental attribution error.

Question 17

Dr. Beasley noticed one of her students kept falling asleep during class. "He must be lazy and unmotivated," she thought. What she didn't know was that her student, Pat, was working the night shift before class. Dr. Beasley's assumption that Pat's sleeping was due to laziness rather than his working situation is also known as

A) confirmation bias.
B) false consensus bias.
C) false uniqueness bias.
D) fundamental attribution error.

Question 18

Attributing a person's behavior to something about the person, his character, or personality is called a(n) _______________ attribution.

A) situational
B) external
C) internal
D) motivational

Question 19

Dee attributes Stan's negative behavior to his general moodiness. She is making a(n) ____________ attribution.

A) internal
B) external
C) situational
D) motivational

Question 20

___________ attributions are to the person whereas _____________ attributions are to the situation.

A) External; internal
B) Situational; personal
C) Internal; external
D) Personal; situational

Question 21

Cody is surprised when his wife, Jessica, snaps at him for no reason. Then he remembers that she had a big presentation at work and was up the night before. If he assumes her behavior is related to lack of sleep and stress at work, he is making a(n) _____________ attribution.

A) internal
B) external
C) personal
D) motivational

Question 22

In considering why someone behaves the way he or she does, we can examine whether the particular behavior typically occurs in that situation. This is also called ____________ in Kelley's (1967) model.

A) consistency
B) consensus
C) distinctiveness
D) commitment

Question 23

Marco is angry that his friend Anthony is late. Their movie starts in 15 minutes. One of the pieces of information Marco uses to evaluate why his friend is late is whether Anthony has been late other times they have plans. Which factor of Kelley's (1967) model is Marco considering?

A) Consistency
B) Consensus
C) Distinctiveness
D) Commitment

Question 24

According to Kelley (1967), one way we can determine why a person behaves the way he or she does is to examine whether the behavior of interest also occurs in other situations. This component of the model is called

A) consistency.
B) consensus.
C) distinctiveness.
D) commitment.

Question 25

Derek realized his girlfriend, Sherry, seemed particularly stressed out when it was exam time, but not during other times. According to Kelley's attributional model, Sherry's stressed-out behavior is

A) consistent.
B) distinctive.
C) similar to other's.
D) committed.

Question 26

Kelley's (1967) attributional model suggests that determining whether other people typically exhibit the same behavior in the same situation shows the presence or absence of

A) consistency.
B) consensus.
C) distinctiveness.
D) commitment.

Question 27

After having lunch with her friend, Jean became very ill. She called her friend to determine whether she was sick as well. According to Kelley (1967), Jean is looking for __________ to determine whether she has food poisoning.

A) consistency
B) consensus
C) distinctiveness
D) commitment

Question 28

____________ factors can influence our perception of a situation because individuals with different levels of vision and hearing do not perceive the environment similarly to those with normal vision and hearing.

A) Physiological
B) Cultural
C) Memory
D) Situational

Question 29

Being tired, overwhelmed by stress, or busy at work can all influence our perceptions of others. These three factors are examples of

A) physical senses.
B) physical states.
C) physical attributes.
D) cultural differences.

Question 30

Research on beauty suggests people respond more favorably to others they find

A) unattractive.
B) physically attractive.
C) less attractive than them.
D) friendly.

Question 31

Sophia, an attractive Italian model, has been diagnosed with depression as many times as Eva, a less attractive college student majoring in accounting. Which of the following statements best explains this?

A) Neither Sophia nor Eva earn very much money, and money is related to happiness.
B) Although Sophia is attractive, she may not think she's attractive. This is the reason there is no relation between attractiveness and happiness.
C) Both have been misdiagnosed.
D) Both are assumed by others to be attractive.

Question 32

Jade has been somewhat down lately, and her friends are getting concerned. They suggest a night on the town scoping out good-looking guys. According to Kenrick, Montello, Gutierres, and Trost (1993), why might this work?

A) Drinking is a positive way to elevate her mood.
B) When we see attractive people of the opposite sex, our mood is more positive.
C) When we see attractive people of the same sex, our mood is elevated.
D) Being exposed to beauty rarely influences our mood.

Question 33

One concern about the pursuit of thinness in Western culture is that

A) teenage girls are gaining too much weight.
B) 56% of teenage girls tried to lose weight because they perceived themselves as too heavy.
C) as females pursue realistic weight goals, males are becoming more overweight.
D) most girls pursuing weight loss were truly overweight.

Question 34

___________ is the comfortable amount of distance between people in conversation.

A) Personal zone
B) Conversational zone
C) Conversational bubble
D) Personal space

Question 35

At a recent party, Claire suddenly became uncomfortable when a person she didn't know well began talking with her only inches from her face. This stranger violated the rules of which zone of Claire's personal space?

A) Intimate
B) Personal
C) Social
D) Business

Question 36

The intimate zone of personal space spans

A) 0-18 inches.
B) 18 inches to 4 feet.
C) 4-12 feet.
D) 12-20 feet.

Question 37

The "intimate zone" of personal space applies to the distance we feel comfortable interacting with

A) friends, acquaintances, and familiar coworkers.
B) closest friends and loved ones.
C) professional people we don't know well.
D) individuals we don't know at all.

Question 38

The "personal zone" is the amount of space where we feel comfortable interacting with

A) friends, acquaintances, and familiar coworkers.
B) closest friends and loved ones.
C) professional people we don't know well.
D) strangers.

Question 39

Jason thought it was odd that his close friend Zach kept a greater distance from him than he expected. Instead of 0-18 inches, Zach had suddenly kept his distance at least 4 or more feet from Jason when they talked. This greater distance in personal space is usually referred to as the

A) intimate zone.
B) personal zone.
C) social zone.
D) adversarial zone.

Question 40

According to research on personal space, our urge to back up when another comes too close allows us to

A) establish power during an interaction.
B) reestablish a comfortable distance.
C) reduce warmth between those talking.
D) diminish personal space boundaries between acquaintances.

Question 41

In white American culture, when we're talking with someone, and he or she looks away, we assume the person is

A) hiding something or not interested.
B) behaving respectively.
C) showing interest by thinking more deeply about the conversation.
D) confident in his or her position.

Question 42

Linda became angry when she found out her son had skipped school. When she confronted him, he looked away. In white American culture, Linda probably interpreted her son's behavior as a sign of

A) honesty.
B) interest.
C) sincerity.
D) deception.

Question 43

In Asian cultures, it is _________ to look a potential employer in the eye.

A) common
B) disrespectful
C) respectful
D) necessary

Question 44

Eye contact norms

A) rarely vary across cultures.
B) may vary in formal and informal social interactions.
C) are consistent within cultures in the same country.
D) of one culture are easily translated into the eye contact norms of another culture.

Question 45

Different cultures have different rules or guidelines governing conversation. These rules are called

A) rules of contact.
B) speaking rules.
C) interaction guidelines.
D) talking rules.

Question 46

Because talking is a dominant means of contact in the United States, we tend to avoid conversations with

A) too many words.
B) periods of silence.
C) many interruptions.
D) other people.

Question 47

In the United States, to keep conversation flowing, individuals often rely on _________ such as "um," "you know," and "like" when looking for the right word or phrase.

A) conjunctions
B) filler words
C) connectors
D) spacing words

Question 48

When it comes to conversation, Asian cultures, as well as Native American cultures, place great value on

A) talking.
B) silence.
C) filler words.
D) chatter.

Question 49

Junichiro is from Japan and often feels overwhelmed when having a conversation with her new friend, Angela, who is from the United States. Junichiro probably feels overwhelmed because in her culture, great value is placed on

A) talking.
B) silence.
C) filler words.
D) chatter.

Question 50

Another example of talking rules involves engaging in general conversation with others in order to develop rapport before discussing the relevant issue. This general conversation is also referred to as

A) warm-up.
B) efficient lingo.
C) pre-conversation.
D) small talk.

Question 51

When it comes to the use of small talk,

A) Americans value its use, whereas Asian, Southern European, and Middle Eastern cultures value efficiency in conversation.
B) American, Asian, Southern European, and Middle Eastern cultures equally value the use of small talk in conversation.
C) Americans value efficiency in conversation, especially when it comes to business, whereas individuals from Asian, Southern European, and Middle Eastern cultures value the use of small talk before conducting business.
D) Asian, Southern European, and Middle Eastern cultures do not value small talk before business with acquaintances, but they are more likely to use it with strangers.

Question 52

Which of the following is an example of an individual difference capable of influencing the perceptions of others?

A) Eye contact
B) Personal space
C) Physical state
D) Talking rules

Question 53

Which of the following is an example of a group difference or cultural factor capable of influencing our perceptions of others?

A) Physical senses
B) Physical state
C) Physical appearance
D) Eye contact

Question 54

If you are unsure of another person's behavior, one way to avoid misjudgments is to use

A) common sense.
B) your own cultural norms.
C) perception checking.
D) nonverbal behaviors.

Question 55

Darren was a few minutes late coming home and noticed a mean look on his wife's face when he came in. If he was unsure of why she looked cross and relied on perception checking, the first step he should take is

A) describe what he noticed to her (in this case, her cross face).
B) say, "I didn't know if you were angry at me for being a little late or if you had a bad day with kids or at work."
C) ask her which interpretation is correct.
D) offer to take her to dinner.

Question 56

The technique of perception checking works best in cultures which rely on ___________ communication.

A) direct
B) indirect
C) subliminal
D) nonverbal

Question 57

Which of the following strategies is the best for learning a new communication technique?

A) Practice when in a heated argument.
B) Practice only with those for whom you will use this strategy.
C) Practice in hypothetical situations.
D) No practice is necessary.

Question 58

When using perception checking to evaluate ambiguous behavior, the benefit to offering a couple of different ways you could interpret behavior is it

A) increases your partner's defensiveness.
B) decreases the likelihood of reaching the truth.
C) conveys concern to your partner as well as acknowledging there could be a simple, innocent explanation for the behavior.
D) increases the likelihood of confrontation.

Question 59

Dr. Graham thought he noticed one of his students copying answers from another's exam. He comments, "I noticed your eyes were wandering. Were you reading another student's response or thinking of your own?" This question refers to which part of the perception checking model?

A) Describe a person's behavior.
B) Offer a couple of different ways you could interpret behavior.
C) Ask other person which interpretation is correct.
D) Substitute your interpretations for facts.

Question 60

According to your text, memory is subject to errors when we try to retrieve information and when we try to ________ information.

A) apply
B) encode
C) remember
D) recall

Question 61

Meredith is studying for an exam, but doesn't understand the material she is reading. If she is confused about the information, she will have trouble ________, which will lead to difficulty remembering.

A) encoding
B) recalling
C) recognizing
D) relearning

Question 62

The memory process has three stages: encoding, ________, and retrieval.

A) storage
B) assessment
C) evaluation
D) articulation

Question 63

________ is a timeframe of about 30 seconds during which we either use and dispose of information or work to retain it.

A) Encoding
B) Sensory memory
C) Working memory
D) Long-term memory

Question 64

The ________ model of memory suggests that we learn information through a process involving sensory memory, working memory, and long-term memory.

A) universal
B) three-box
C) process
D) situational

Question 65

Carson smelled the best banana bread at her friend Allison's house. Encoding information from her immediate experiences is known as __________ memory.

A) sensory
B) working
C) long-term
D) three-box

Question 66

According to the three-box model of memory, _________ memory is 1 to 2 seconds, whereas _________ memory is about 30 seconds.

A) working; long-term
B) long-term; sensory
C) working; short-term
D) sensory; working

Question 67

According to Hamilton, a set of beliefs and expectations we have about certain concepts, events, and situations is also known as a

A) prediction.
B) schema.
C) scaffold.
D) concept.

Question 68

Which of the following describes how schemas can influence encoding?

A) By modifying the way we interpret or perceive a situation
B) By interfering with how we recall information
C) By interfering with our organization of the information
D) By overriding the sensory input in a situation

Question 69

Schemas can influence retrieval of information from memory by

A) influencing how we encode information.
B) interfering with storage of information.
C) decreasing the number of familiar items remembered.
D) filling in gaps of what we recall from memory.

Question 70

Loftus' (1974) study found that witnesses increased the estimated speed of a car in a crash by 20 percent when

A) they were told the car was a sports car.
B) they were asked whether the cars smashed or hit one another.
C) they watched the videos of the crash multiple times.
D) they watched the video with the sound muted.

Question 71

Scott and Janice took a trip to Hawaii for their anniversary. When Janice's mom called to see how their vacation was going, Janice told her that it was nice, but she was annoyed with all the other tourists and wished they had picked a different time of year for their trip. A couple months after they returned home, Janice was telling all her friends and relatives what a wonderful time they'd had on their vacation. Janice's behavior is an example of

A) a schema.
B) rosy retrospection.
C) positive reconstruction.
D) negative reconstruction.

Question 72

The tendency to forget minor annoyances and remember pleasures of a positive experience more vividly over time is referred to as

A) positive reconstruction.
B) negative reconstruction.
C) a schema.
D) rosy retrospection.

Question 73

Holmberg & Holmes (1994) surveyed married couples just after marriage and then again after two years. What was the outcome of this study?

A) Couples whose marriages were going well remembered having problems as newlyweds, while couples who were experiencing marital difficulties remembered being happy as newlyweds.
B) Couples whose marriages were going well remembered being very happy as newlyweds, while couples who were experiencing marital difficulties remembered having problems even as newlyweds.
C) It didn't matter whether the marriage was going well, as all participants remembered being happy as newlyweds.
D) It didn't matter whether the marriage was going well, as all participants remembered having problems as newlyweds.

Question 74

Jeff and Susan have just celebrated their five-year anniversary. Susan's friend Sarah comments to Susan at the reception that she has noticed that Susan and Jeff act the same now as they did when they first got married. She goes on to ask Susan if their whole marriage has been this way or if they ever experienced difficulty in their relationship. What answer would you expect from Susan based on the study by Holmberg & Holmes (1994)?

A) As newlyweds, they did experience some problems in their marriage.
B) They have experienced marital problems which have weakened their marriage, but they continue to work through their problems.
C) She remembers the happy times when they were first married even though money was tight.
D) She finds it difficult to remember happy or sad times from her early marriage.

Question 75

We tend to modify our recollections of people as our experiences with them

A) change.
B) remain the same.
C) become more frequent.
D) decrease.

Question 76

According to Holbert's study (2007) of viewers of CNN Headline News and The Daily Show, those who saw a satirical, skeptical presentation of news first were _______________ likely to buy into the skeptical viewpoint, compared to those who watched the serious presentation first.

A) less
B) more
C) just as
D) not at all

Question 77

Joseph grew up thinking of Bruce Jenner as a heroic athletic and a very masculine man. When he found out that Jenner has transitioned to being a woman, Joseph had a hard time accepting it. On the other hand, his daughter only knows Jenner from the Kardashian reality shows, so she was not as surprised. What is driving Joseph's perceptions of Caitlyn Jenner?

A) False consensus bias
B) Recency effect
C) Confirmation bias
D) Primacy effect

Question 78

Carina went through a sexual assault, so when she heard all of the women tell their stories about being allegedly raped by Bill Cosby, she completely believed them-especially in light of her research on sexual assault statistics in the United States. On the other hand, Morgan grew up loving The Cosby Show and viewed Bill Cosby as a lovable, trustworthy father figure, so she refused to believe the allegations. Which of the following is behind Carina's difference in opinion?

A) Confirmation bias
B) Primacy effect
C) Recency effect
D) Attribution error

Question 79

According to Prentice and Miller (1993), college students will increase the amount of alcohol they drink when they believe other students drink that much. This is an example of which of the following?

A) Primacy effect
B) Fundamental attribution error
C) Confirmation bias
D) False consensus bias

Question 80

Stephen is a neo-Nazi who spends all of his free time reading websites and message boards that are dedicated to his views. As a result, when he meets new people, he assumes that they have the same opinions that he does. This is an example of which of the following?

A) Recency effect
B) Primacy effect
C) False consensus bias
D) Fundamental attribution error