Deck 13: Applying Social Psychology to the Environment

Question 1

Which is true?

A) In an influential 1968 article in Science, Hardin affirmed that commons dilemmas would in the short-to-moderate term be harmful to the planet, but in the long term, the human capacity to adapt would prevail.
B) Lloyd (1937/1968) identified a serious flaw in Smith's (1776/1976) economics theory-the flaw being that Smith assumed that natural resources are virtually unlimited.
C) When the supply of a resource seems small or limited, individuals seem to feel free to exploit the resource as much as possible.
D) Lloyd recognized that many resources are, in fact, infinite and unlimited.

Answer 1

Lloyd (1937/1968) identified a serious flaw in Smith's (1776/1976) economics theory-the flaw being that Smith assumed that natural resources are virtually unlimited.

Question 2

The author of Chapter 13 ("Environment")suggests that Middle Eastern countries may have avoided armed conflicts over water because

A) they import much of their food
B) of the adoption of social scientifically based measures for averting commons dilemmas crises
C) of United Nations peacekeeping efforts
D) of the implementation of treaties governing the international rationing of water

Answer 2

they import much of their food

Question 3

Which of the following is true?

A) In a social dilemma, rewards for the individual for cooperation are greater than rewards for noncooperation.
B) The crucial aspect of resource management is that the consequences of choices made by you, me, the next guy, and so on are summative.
C) Social dilemmas involve dilemmas about whether to contribute (e.g., time, effort, and money) to a project that would benefit everyone when such a contribution is voluntary.
D) Resource dilemmas involve dilemmas about whether to contribute (e.g., time, effort, and money) to a project that would benefit everyone when such a contribution is voluntary.

Answer 3

The crucial aspect of resource management is that the consequences of choices made by you, me, the next guy, and so on are summative.

Question 4

Which of the following best exemplifies a potential tragedy of the commons?

A) Everyone shows up at the party wearing the same pink shirt.
B) Nobody cleans the lake after pollutants are accidentally spilled in it.
C) Multiple shepherds allow their sheep to graze on a plot of land.
D) A rainforest is cut down to build housing.

Question 5

Schultz (1998)conducted a cost-benefit analysis of his successful recycling intervention strategies and determined that if those interventions were carried out on a city-wide basis over the span of a year the financial gains would

A) pay for about 60% of the implementation costs
B) pay for about 85% of the implementation costs
C) pay for the implementation costs, give or take a few percentage points
D) exceed the implementation costs

Question 6

"Harvesters must choose between rapid,resource-destructive,short-term,self-interested harvesting ...and restrained,long-term,community- and resource-oriented harvesting" (from Chapter 13 on the environment).The first of the above two choices would be most strongly endorsed by ______.

A) Robert Gifford
B) Adam Smith
C) Garrett Hardin
D) William Lloyd

Question 7

The members of your school's student union want to hold a dance.You are in favor of the dance but are reluctant to help plan it because you don't think enough students will get involved and believe the event will be a failure.What type of social dilemma do you face?

A) public goods problem
B) resource contingency trap
C) social trap
D) resource dilemma

Question 8

Even though you know that pesticides are bad for the environment in the long run,you continue to use them because you know that they will make your lawn look attractive this summer.Which type of social dilemma does this represent?

A) public goods problem
B) resource contingency trap
C) social trap
D) resource dilemma

Question 9

According to the text,resource dilemmas

A) are rarely fatal because of the tendency for resources to replenish themselves
B) are almost always fatal because humans are greedy creatures
C) may not be fatal because of the cognitive capacity of humans to solve problems
D) have always been fatal in the past

Question 10

As for other psychologists,the work of environmental psychologists can be grouped into which two branches?

A) pure and applied
B) basic and advanced
C) pure and advanced
D) experimental and applied

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a form of social dilemma?

A) resource dilemmas
B) social traps
C) public goods problems
D) resource contingency traps

Question 12

FISH 5 is an example of which type of dilemma?

A) resource dilemma
B) resource contingency trap
C) social trap
D) public goods problem

Question 13

In the "Focus on Research" in Chapter 13 ("Environment"),the author reports the results of a research project by Hine and Gifford (1997)that examined the factors people consider when deciding how to use a limited resource (i.e.,fish).The researchers identified three action strategies that fell into the category of

A) the nature and characteristics of the resource
B) concurrent influences of other environmental variables
C) social conditions or rules surrounding the harvesting
D) characteristics of the people doing the harvesting

Question 14

Qualitative research has demonstrated that some of the reasons people may be ambivalent about recycling and rarely recycle are that

A) they know that the norm is that most people don't recycle
B) they find recycling disgusting and inconvenient
C) they believe that recycling is a passing fad
D) they are psychologically unresponsive to social traps

Question 15

A microworld is a

A) geographically delimited community in which it is feasible to conduct controlled social experiments
B) lab-based cultural simulation in which very simple social and psychological processes can be studied
C) circumscribed geographical region that has been environmentally damaged and serves as a source of research data
D) computer-based simulation that mimics real-world conditions

Question 16

Which of the following contributes to the development of social traps?

A) overconfidence in positive outcomes
B) discounting positive outcomes
C) belief that their contribution is large and matters in the long run
D) certainty

Question 17

In Schultz's 1998 intervention research on getting people to recycle,a main part of the procedure involved communicating with residents of homes using green door hangers.Participants in which experimental condition showed an increase in recycling relative to the baseline?

A) information
B) group feedback
C) plea
D) observers

Question 18

Which is NOT one of the main categories of factors that have been found to influence cooperation in commons dilemmas?

A) nature and characteristics of the resource
B) concurrent influence of other environmental variables
C) social conditions or rules surrounding harvesting
D) characteristics of the people doing the harvesting

Question 19

Which of the following is likely to occur in research using grounded theory analysis?

A) Participants speak about the reasons for their decisions as they engage in a task.
B) The researcher examines a new theory by centering (i.e., grounding) it in established theories.
C) The research focuses on the discourses drawn on by the participants.
D) Participants challenge the researcher on questions asked.

Question 20

Table 13.1 in Chapter 13 shows the amount of water used in the production of various food products.Strictly on the basis of the goal of conserving water,an individual should eat less ______ and more ______.

A) processed cheese; potatoes
B) processed cheese; cherries
C) beef; potatoes
D) beef; cherries

Question 21

Beta matching is synonymous with ______ and refers to how well the setting fits an individual from ______.

A) habitability; an objective perspective
B) habitability; the perspective of the users
C) congruence; an objective perspective
D) congruence; the perspective of the users

Question 22

Mary manages a department in which employees need to be creative and come up with innovative ideas.This requires them to interact so that they can "bounce ideas off each other." The problem is Mary's subordinates don't speak with each other very much.To improve this situation,social design would suggest arranging the furniture in a ______ pattern.

A) sociocentric
B) sociofugal
C) sociometric
D) sociopetal

Question 23

According to the text,what is probably the most important goal of social design?

A) satisfy building users
B) change the behavior of building users
C) create settings that match occupants' needs and activities
D) enhance the building users' personal control

Question 24

In environmental psychology,personal space refers to

A) an area (e.g., a room) that an individual has control over
B) an area (e.g., a room) that one decorates and arranges according to one's preferences
C) the distance that individuals prefer to be from each other
D) an area that one defends from others

Question 25

In Chapter 13 ("Environment"),an intervention by Schultz (1998)was described in which he highlighted norms as means of increasing recycling.Which of the following proved to be most effective in encouraging greater recycling?

A) providing feedback on recycling
B) providing a plea to recycle
C) providing role models who demonstrated active recycling
D) providing information about the process of recycling

Question 26

Graham,Koo,and Wilson (2011)conducted online research aimed at getting people to drive less in which participants in the experimental conditions periodically visited a web page to report the number of miles they had avoided driving.On a follow-up survey,participants in which condition indicated they had used their car less than no-web control participants during the two weeks following the intervention?

A) psychological gains
B) no feedback
C) interpersonal gains
D) pollution not avoided

Question 27

Gonzales et al. (1988)improved the increase in household cooperation with environmental audit programs from the U.S.national average of approximately 15% to approximately 60%.This was done by training auditors to employ several established social psychological strategies,including

A) stating vivid examples
B) focusing on gain rather than loss
C) changing household members' patterns of attribution by involving them in the audit process
D) all of these

Question 28

In Schultz et al.'s (2007)research,the introduction of a ______ norm successfully helped to increase levels of household electricity usage and was manipulated by means of ______ feedback.

A) descriptive; verbal
B) descriptive; nonverbal
C) injunctive; verbal
D) injunctive; nonverbal

Question 29

The theory that proposes that certain design features can increase residents' sense of security and decrease crime is known as ______ theory.

A) density bonusing
B) purposeful mobility
C) sociopetal induction
D) defensible space

Question 30

An exclusive,expensive building that was constructed with much attention to style,ornamentation,and a large-scale,corporate philosophy was probably built using which of the following design approaches?

A) social design
B) formal design
C) classic design
D) modern design

Question 31

Alpha matching is to ______ as beta matching is to ______.

A) congruence; habitability
B) social design; congruence
C) habitability; social design
D) congruence; social design

Question 32

Which is true?

A) The principal players in building design are the client, designer (e.g., architect), and engineer (for large projects).
B) Formal design and social design are essentially antithetical.
C) A building that is imageable is one whose design is consistent with how a potential user would likely envision it sight unseen.
D) Social design is not always needed in the design process.

Question 33

Tom is an architect who pays much attention to how people will actually use the spaces he creates and incorporates this information into his designs.Unlike some architects,Tom clearly engages in ______.

A) socio-integrative design
B) supportive design
C) habitability scaping
D) placemaking

Question 34

Chapter 13 ("Environment")reports a study involving renovation efforts in a psychiatric hospital (Wagner et al.,1989)and one involving renovation efforts in a college classroom (Sommer & Olsen,1980).These studies are cited as providing examples of design changes that achieve what goal of social design?

A) increased user satisfaction
B) improvements in user behavior
C) increased feelings of personal control
D) increases in social support opportunities

Question 35

In his 1968 article in Science,Hardin was pessimistic about humans being able to avoid the tragedy of the commons,the complete collapse of the planet's resource system.Robert Gifford,the author of Chapter 13 ("Environment")concludes that the evidence from existing intervention research ______ Hardin's bleak outlook.

A) is, for the most part, consistent with
B) is currently inconclusive regarding
C) shows promise with respect to helping to counter
D) clearly disputes the tenability of

Question 36

Which of the following best illustrates preindustrial vernacular?

A) Native Americans speak about their traditional places of residence.
B) Architects use older but proven methods to build modern buildings.
C) Members of an Amish community help each other build a barn.
D) A group of environmentally conscious people discuss living more simply.

Question 37

Which of the following is NOT a major goal of social design?

A) education and providing information
B) changing behavior
C) increasing personal control
D) encouraging social support

Question 38

A convenience store is more likely to become the target of robbery if it lacks ______.

A) a small parking lot
B) gas pumps
C) garbage bins
D) neighboring stores

Question 39

Research reveals that ______ do(es)not affect the likelihood of burglary,but ______ do(es)reduce its occurrence.

A) fences and locks; surveillability
B) guard dogs; fences and locks
C) surveillability; fences and locks
D) guard dogs; surveillability

Question 40

Social design refers to

A) the process of constructing buildings in collaboration with those who will use them to ensure the structures are compatible with the users' needs and desires
B) designing buildings to facilitate prosocial and cooperative interactions among the occupants
C) leaving the design of buildings largely to the people who will be occupying them
D) leaving the design of buildings largely to the people who will be viewing them

Question 41

Describe the defensible space theory.

Question 42

Explain what is meant by matching,and differentiate between alpha matching and beta matching.

Question 43

Explain the term social dilemma,and list the three main types.

Question 44

Describe,in detail,the following two social dilemmas: public goods problems and social traps.

Question 45

Two ways in which environmental psychologists work to improve the physical environment are physical design and community space.

Question 46

Differentiate between sociopetal arrangements and sociofugal arrangements,and explain how these two types of social design can influence social support.

Question 47

Social design favors an approach that may be described as large scale,corporate,high cost,exclusive,authoritarian,tending to high-tech solutions,and concerned with style,ornament,the paying client,and a national or international focus.

Question 48

Social design places an emphasis on the needs and requirements of people,as opposed to more technical and stylistic considerations.

Question 49

Identify two ways in which environmental psychologists work to improve the physical environment,and describe how they are helpful.

Question 50

Social design has six goals,three of which are (1)enhancing control,(2)facilitating social support,and (3)employing imageability.

Question 51

Personal space is the geographic component of interpersonal relations-that is,the distance and angle of orientation (e.g.,side by side or face to face)between individuals as they interact.

Question 52

Explain the premise of the equity theory.

Question 53

Explain what is meant by tragedy of the commons,and describe the classic example of a commons dilemma.

Question 54

Steg and Vlek (2009)delineate four steps to take in the process of promoting pro-environment behavior change and inducing pro-environment behavior.Describe these steps.

Question 55

Defensible space theory posits that certain physical design features influence the likely occurrence of crime and feelings of security.

Question 56

Alpha press refers to people's interpretation of external reality.

Question 57

Common psychological problems,such as depression and anxiety,have been shown to increase when social support is absent or inadequate.

Question 58

Research shows that asking people to recycle and then providing them with feedback on their level of recycling can increase recycling behavior.

Question 59

Distinguish between technical design and social design.

Question 60

The social dilemma is sometimes called the commons dilemma.