Deck 8: Behaviour in Social and Cultural Context

Question 1

What is one of the most common but least effective techniques for trying to change someone's attitude?

A) repetition of an argument
B) using scare tactics
C) using famous people to present an argument
D) playing devil's advocate

Answer 1

using scare tactics

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a hallmark of having an ethnic identity?

A) pride in being a member
B) emotional attachment to the group
C) cognitive-behavioural identification
D) conforming behaviour

Answer 2

cognitive-behavioural identification

Question 3

What are the two types of causal attributions that people make?

A) dispositional and situational
B) environmental and situational
C) personality traits and dispositional
D) nature and nurture

Answer 3

dispositional and situational

Question 4

Who conducted an experiment on the effects of punishment on learning that was, in reality, an experiment on obedience?

A) Solomon Asch
B) Stanley Milgram
C) Philip Zimbardo
D) Muzafer Sherif

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a result of diffusion of responsibility?

A) bystander apathy
B) mob violence
C) deindividuation
D) fundamental attribution error

Question 6

In the Stanford prison study, what was it that caused the guards to treat the prisoners harshly?

A) the instructions given to the guards
B) the actions of the prisoners
C) the social context
D) peer pressure from the other guards

Question 7

What is it called when a person experiences conflict between two attitudes or between an attitude and a behaviour?

A) cognitive consistency
B) behavioural adjustment
C) cognitive dissonance
D) implicit assumption

Question 8

What is the most common explanation of bystander apathy?

A) diffusion of responsibility
B) blaming the victim
C) entrapment
D) acculturation

Question 9

The tendency to explain favourably the behaviours of members of groups to which we belong is known as:

A) self-serving bias.
B) ethnocentrism.
C) group-serving bias.
D) just-world hypothesis.

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a reason people obey an authority figure?

A) becoming entrapped
B) allocating responsibility to the authority
C) accepting moral responsibility
D) wanting to be polite

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a reason that people conform to social pressure?

A) identification with the group
B) wanting to be liked
C) self-interest
D) belief in critical thinking

Question 12

Which two effects are common reasons for a change of attitudes?

A) familiarity and validity
B) consistency and validity
C) familiarity and reputation
D) reliability and validity

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a technique used in coercive persuasion?

A) use of cognitive dissonance
B) promise of salvation
C) isolation
D) use of entrapment

Question 14

Who conducted an experiment on conformity in which people were asked to judge the length of lines?

A) Solomon Asch
B) Philip Zimbardo
C) Stanley Milgram
D) Muzafer Sherif

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a way in which stereotypes distort reality?

A) exaggeration of differences between groups
B) producing selective perception
C) exaggeration of differences within other groups
D) underestimation of differences within other groups

Question 16

How many of the subjects in the obedience study gave the highest level of shock?

A) about one-third
B) about half
C) about two-thirds
D) about three-fourths

Question 17

What is the most effective strategy to reduce prejudice and us-them thinking?

A) encouraging social contact between groups
B) having groups work together on a task requiring cooperation to reach a common goal
C) establishing legal equality of all groups
D) education about social issues and diversity

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a type of error that is commonly made in explaining the causes of our own or others' behaviour?

A) self-serving bias
B) fundamental attribution error
C) blaming the victim
D) diffusion of responsibility

Question 19

Which of the following is a way of measuring implicit prejudice?

A) anonymous surveys of attitudes
B) face-to-face interviews with individuals
C) survey of discriminatory behaviours
D) measurement of unconscious associations

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a type of function served by prejudice?

A) psychological
B) social and cultural
C) cognitive
D) economic

Question 21

The rules that regulate social life are referred to as social:

A) laws.
B) rules.
C) etiquette.
D) norms.

Question 22

Social conventions, explicit laws, and implicit cultural standards are examples of:

A) routines.
B) roles.
C) stereotypes.
D) norms.

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT an example of a norm violation?

A) a woman who hums loudly while waiting in line to buy movie tickets
B) students who sit next to strangers in the school cafeteria when other seats are available
C) a man in Canada standing so close to an acquaintance that she can feel his breath
D) individuals in Milgram's study who obeyed the authority and delivered shocks

Question 24

Milgram concluded that obedience in his study was a function of the:

A) responses made by the learner.
B) situation of the experiment.
C) religious beliefs of the participant.
D) personality of the participant.

Question 25

Results of Stanley Milgram's study on obedience showed that:

A) about two-thirds of the subjects stopped delivering shocks when the learner first demanded to be free.
B) about two-thirds of the subjects, from all ages and from all walks of life, obeyed to the fullest extent.
C) about 90% of the older adults and about 60% of the students stopped administering shocks even though the experimenter said, "The experiment requires that you continue."
D) almost 90% of the women and about 60% of the men stopped administering shocks even though the experimenter said, "The experiment requires that you continue."

Question 26

Culture is defined as a program of shared ________ that govern the behaviour of people in a society as well as a set of shared values and beliefs.

A) social roles
B) rules or norms
C) cognitions
D) expectations

Question 27

An implicit cultural standard has been violated when:

A) a parent allows a 13-year-old to get behind the wheel for a short drive home.
B) the school library is almost completely empty but a student sits right next to a stranger.
C) taxes are due on April 30 but a person doesn't file a return.
D) a driver accelerates during a yellow light in order to cross the intersection.

Question 28

Doni enters an elevator and she continues facing the back instead of turning around to face the elevator door. In this example,

A) Doni has violated a role.
B) Doni has violated a stereotype.
C) Doni has violated a norm.
D) Doni has violated her gender role.

Question 29

________ generally have the greatest conversational distance compared to other cultures; that is, they stand further apart when they converse.

A) Latin Americans
B) English and Swedes
C) Arabs
D) Southern Europeans

Question 30

Research on social roles suggests that:

A) family roles setting tasks for husbands and wives are similar across cultures.
B) certain aspects of every role must be carried out or there will be penalties.
C) people usually follow social roles with conscious deliberation.
D) male gender roles in Western cultures have been resistant to any changes.

Question 31

________ are defined as rules that regulate human life.

A) Norms
B) Routines
C) Stereotypes
D) Roles

Question 32

Which of the following is a violation of an implicit cultural standard?

A) a bartender offers a glass of champagne to an underage 18-year-old bride
B) a driver notices that no other cars are around and drives through a red light
C) a woman on a public bus sings "Summer Loving" from the musical Grease
D) a woman in California tans on the beach without a bathing suit top

Question 33

Which of the following is the definition of norm?

A) a program of shared rules that govern the behaviour of members of a society
B) a gradual process in which people escalate their commitment to a course of action
C) rules that regulate human life
D) a given social position that is governed by rules for proper behaviour

Question 34

Before Stanley Milgram conducted his study on obedience, he asked a number of psychiatrists, students, and middle-class adults how many people would go all the way to the highest voltage under the instructions of the authority. Milgram found that:

A) psychiatrists accurately predicted that about 45% of the participants would inflict what they thought were dangerous amounts of shock.
B) psychiatrists predicted that 1 person in 1000 would administer the highest voltage and the nonprofessionals agreed with this statement.
C) students and middle-class adults accurately predicted that about 25% of the participants would inflict what they thought were dangerous amounts of shock.
D) psychiatrists, students, and middle-class adults accurately predicted that about 15% of the participants would inflict what they thought were dangerous amounts of shock.

Question 35

About ________ of all participants in Milgram's study administered the highest level of shock to the learner.

A) one-third
B) half
C) one-fourth
D) two-thirds

Question 36

Which of the following is the text's definition of culture?

A) the social roles that people follow with conscious deliberation
B) rules that regulate human life, including implicit standards for community living
C) the social conventions and explicit laws followed by members of a community
D) a program of shared rules that govern the behaviour of members of a society

Question 37

Each person has ________ social role(s).

A) one
B) many
C) three
D) two

Question 38

Tahir, an Arab, and Jan, a Swede, meet at a dinner for international students. Since the cultures of the two men differ in regard to ________, both may feel uncomfortable during their conversation.

A) explicit laws
B) attitudes toward higher education
C) knowledge of North American etiquette
D) conversational distance

Question 39

In the Milgram study, ________ predicted that most people would refuse to go beyond 150 volts when administering shock to other people.

A) no one
B) nonprofessionals
C) professionals
D) both professionals and nonprofessionals

Question 40

In Stanley Milgram's study of obedience:

A) participants were shocked when they made errors in reciting word pairs.
B) participants in the study were randomly assigned to be teachers or learners.
C) an ominous-looking shock machine had voltage markings from 0 to 450 volts.
D) a learner and the teacher sat side by side across from the shock machine.

Question 41

One of the factors that causes people to obey when they would rather not is that:

A) they need time to decide whether this situation is one that meets the criteria they have been taught to justify disobedience toward an authority they respect.
B) good manners protect people's feelings and the desire to be polite ensnares people into further obedience.
C) after careful evaluation of the situation, the inner voice of conscience dictates obedience because civilization without obedience becomes chaos.
D) they focus on the greater good and know that they are morally obligated to follow institutionalized rules.

Question 42

The Stanford prison study demonstrates how a person's ________ affect(s) behaviour.

A) past experience
B) values
C) role
D) beliefs

Question 43

Which of the following is an example of entrapment?

A) A friend convinces you that it would be fun to stand backwards in the checkout line of the grocery store, and before you know it, other customers are gawking at you.
B) A friend suggests that in auditioning for the part of James Bond in a local production, you should emphasize his fears as well as his strengths, and before you know it, you are laughed off stage.
C) A friend states that just because you are the bride there is no reason that you, rather than the groom, should write the thank-you cards, and before you know it, you are getting the blame.
D) A friend who is moving asks you to bring over a few empty boxes; when you arrive he asks you to fill the boxes with dishes, and before you know it, you've packed his kitchen.

Question 44

Sebastian is a "learner" in Milgram's study. What can he do to reduce the likelihood of being shocked by the "teacher"?

A) complain of having a heart ailment
B) scream in pain
C) protest noisily
D) Nothing Sebastian does will make a difference.

Question 45

Replications of Milgram's study of obedience showed:

A) gender differences in a willingness to obey, because 75% of men but only 30% of women inflicted what they thought were dangerous levels of shocks to the "learner."
B) that when the victim said that he had a heart ailment or screamed in agony, 10% of the "teachers" inflicted what they thought were dangerous levels of shocks to the "learner."
C) that more than 90% of the subjects in Spain and in the Netherlands inflicted what they thought were dangerous levels of shocks to the "learner."
D) occupational differences, because 90% of lower-SES individuals and 55% of upper-SES individuals inflicted what they thought were dangerous levels of shocks to the "learner."

Question 46

In the prison study, male college students agreed to participate in a two-week experiment to discover what would happen when they took on the roles of prisoners and guards. The researchers found that:

A) within a short time the prisoners became distressed and panicky, developing emotional symptoms and physical ailments.
B) the subjects, prisoners and guards, were relieved when the experimenters decided that the study should be ended early.
C) the guards that tried to be "tough but fair" urged the tyrannical guards to lighten up on the prisoners because it was only an experiment.
D) about 10% of the guards became tyrannical, choosing harsh and abusive methods to maintain order.

Question 47

The primary reason why people obey is that they:

A) are deeply convinced of the authority's legitimacy.
B) are worried about the consequences of disobedience.
C) don't give thought to the other perspective.
D) hope to gain a tangible benefit through their obedience.

Question 48

________ is defined as a gradual process in which individuals escalate their commitment to a course of action to justify their investment of time, money, or effort.

A) Commitment
B) Obedience
C) Entrapment
D) Conformity

Question 49

Despite the criticism over the famous Prison Study, the researchers involved, Haney and Zimbardo, continued to increase public awareness about the:

A) traumatic effects prison life can have on prisoners.
B) need for prison guards to learn harsher methods for maintaining control over prisoners.
C) power of the situation and how it can outweigh personality in influencing behaviour.
D) primary importance of personality traits in determining behaviour.

Question 50

When Milgram and his team set up several variations of his original study, they found that people were more likely to disobey under all of the following circumstances EXCEPT when:

A) the subject worked with peers who refused to go further in the procedure.
B) the victim was in an adjoining room so the "teacher" heard every sound the victim made.
C) the person ordering them to continue was an ordinary man, apparently another volunteer.
D) two experimenters had conflicting demands about the continuation of the experiment.

Question 51

Critics of the prison study argue that:

A) a make-shift prison in the basement of a university building is not an effective setting to investigate the factors involved.
B) the participants had watched television shows and movies that provided script information about how guards and prisoners are supposed to behave.
C) by stopping the study after six days instead of letting it continue for the two-week experimental period, the researchers had not allowed enough time for dramatic change to occur.
D) the methodology was flawed because participants were not randomly assigned to either the prisoner condition or the guard condition.

Question 52

Participants in Milgram's obedience study thought they were participating in a study about the effects of punishment on learning. Of the factors associated with people's willingness to obey, this aspect of Milgram's study could be related to:

A) wanting to be polite.
B) routinizing the task.
C) becoming entrapped.
D) the allocation of responsibility to an authority.

Question 53

Which of the following is NOT an example of entrapment?

A) A friend who is moving asks you to bring over a few empty boxes; when you arrive he asks you to fill the boxes with dishes, and before you know it, you've packed his kitchen.
B) You get involved part-time with a charity and within months you are chair of the fundraising committee.
C) A friend invites you over for a visit and when you get there asks if you wouldn't mind watching the kids while she pops out to the grocery store, and before you know it, you are babysitting all afternoon.
D) Your mom asks you to come over and take a look at a few things she is throwing away. and before you know it. you are helping her clean out her attic.

Question 54

Which of the following actions by the "learner" reduced the likelihood of being shocked by the "teacher" in Milgram's study?

A) complaining of having a heart ailment
B) screaming in pain
C) Nothing the learner did made a difference.
D) protesting noisily

Question 55

A gradual process in which individuals escalate their commitment to a course of action to justify their investment of time, money, or effort is called:

A) diffusion of responsibility.
B) fundamental attribution error.
C) acculturation.
D) entrapment.

Question 56

C. P. Snow said that "more hideous crimes have been committed in the name of ________ than in the name of rebellion."

A) religion
B) the law
C) obedience
D) conformity

Question 57

In the Stanford prison study, male college students agreed to participate in a two-week experiment to discover what would happen when they took on the roles of prisoners and guards. The researchers found that:

A) since the study was conducted in an unused wing of a real prison, the realistic atmosphere enhanced the role behaviour of prisoners and guards.
B) within a short time the prisoners became distressed and panicky, developing emotional symptoms and physical ailments.
C) about 5% of the guards became tyrannical, giving the prisoners electric shocks when they were slow in obeying.
D) 90% of the guards tried to be "tough but fair" and demanded that the tyrannical guards lighten up on the prisoners because it was only an experiment.

Question 58

Which of the following was NOT a criticism of Milgram's study?

A) It was not a realistic situation and could not be compared to real-world obedience.
B) It was unethical because subjects were deceived.
C) It was unethical because the personality traits of the subject were not taken into account.
D) It was unethical because subjects experienced emotional pain.

Question 59

In the Stanford prison study, it was found that

A) since the study was conducted in an unused wing of a real prison, the realistic atmosphere enhanced the role behaviour of prisoners and guards.
B) about 5% of the guards became tyrannical, giving the prisoners electric shocks when they were slow in obeying.
C) about one-third of the guards became tyrannical and almost always chose to be harsh and abusive.
D) 90% of the guards tried to be "tough but fair" and demanded that the tyrannical guards lighten up on the prisoners because it was only an experiment.

Question 60

The primary reason why people obey is that they:

A) are deeply convinced of the authority's legitimacy.
B) are impulsive and don't think through their actions.
C) were taught that disobedience is sinful.
D) don't realize that someone might suffer through their actions.

Question 61

According to the fundamental attribution error, Bob will explain why Joe lost his job last week by suggesting that:

A) Joe was a troublemaker.
B) the demographics of the company were changing.
C) Joe was unable to create enough revenue.
D) the company needed to save money.

Question 62

Which of the following suggests that the speaker is making the fundamental attribution error?

A) "People don't conserve energy in this country because it is still relatively inexpensive."
B) "Politics and religion cause more problems than they solve."
C) "The guy at the next table didn't leave a tip for the waitress because he is cheap."
D) "If I hadn't gotten married and had children, I could have had an exciting career."

Question 63

The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency of people to overestimate the role of:

A) dispositional factors in the behaviour of others.
B) situational factors in the behaviour of others.
C) situational factors in their own behaviour.
D) dispositional factors in their own behaviour.

Question 64

When we make situational attributions, we are identifying the cause of an action as something:

A) with an unconscious motivation.
B) that is a biological trait.
C) in the person's disposition.
D) in the environment.

Question 65

Jade has a tendency to take credit for her good actions and to rationalize her mistakes. This is called:

A) narcissism.
B) self-serving bias.
C) the fundamental attribution error.
D) the validity effect.

Question 66

Blaming the victim often results when a person strongly believes in the:

A) attribution of responsibility.
B) social identity theory.
C) just-world hypothesis.
D) diffusion of responsibility.

Question 67

Garret has a tendency to take credit for his good actions, but he attributes his mistakes to "an off day." This would be an example of:

A) the just-world hypothesis.
B) the validity effect.
C) the fundamental attribution error.
D) the self-serving bias.

Question 68

An international student reads in her psychology textbook that the fundamental attribution error is especially prevalent in her home country. She is most likely from:

A) Kenya.
B) India.
C) Japan.
D) Britain.

Question 69

Social ________ refers to the effect of social influence on thought, memory, perception, and beliefs.

A) entrapment
B) attribution
C) attitudes
D) cognition

Question 70

Janis, an administrative assistant at a London firm, is trying to find reasons for her supervisor's behaviour. She is likely to:

A) overestimate her supervisor's personality traits and underestimate the influence of the situation.
B) leap to the attribution that her supervisor's behaviour corresponds to work demands.
C) explore the personality traits and the environmental constraints to derive an explanation.
D) ignore dispositional attributions in favour of situational attributions.

Question 71

When people in Western nations are trying to find reasons for someone else's behaviour, they tend to:

A) explore the personality traits and the environmental constraints to derive an explanation.
B) ignore dispositional attributions in favour of situational attributions.
C) overestimate personality traits and underestimate the influence of the situation.
D) leap to the attribution that people's behaviours correspond to the context.

Question 72

Attribution theory examines:

A) predictions about behaviour of people in particular situations.
B) judgments about the personal attributes of others.
C) the explanations a person makes about the causes of behaviour.
D) the psychological traits, or "attributes," that a person possesses.

Question 73

According to the just-world hypothesis:

A) people's occupations are just if they involve enjoyment of the task.
B) international cooperation leads to justice.
C) if people work hard for something then they like it more.
D) bad people are punished and good people are rewarded.

Question 74

The fundamental attribution error is especially prevalent in:

A) Kenya.
B) India.
C) Britain.
D) Japan.

Question 75

The tendency, in explaining one's own behaviour, to take credit for one's good actions and rationalize one's mistakes is called:

A) validity effect.
B) fundamental attribution error.
C) self-serving bias.
D) attitude.

Question 76

________ occurs when a person chooses attributions for his or her own behaviour that are favourable.

A) The just-world error
B) Self-serving bias
C) Fundamental attribution error
D) Entrapment

Question 77

In Milgram's study, participants were supposed to begin the "punishment" with very small shocks and gradually increase the voltage. This would be a good example of what is meant by:

A) becoming entrapped.
B) handing responsibility over to the authority.
C) routinization.
D) wanting to be polite.

Question 78

Social cognition is defined as:

A) an area in social psychology concerned with social influences on thought, memory, perception, and other cognitive processes.
B) the processes by which children learn the behaviours, attitudes, and expectations required of them by their society or culture.
C) the part of a person's self-concept that is based on identification with a nation, culture, or group in society.
D) a psychological approach that emphasizes social and cultural influences on human relationships and behaviours.

Question 79

A fan at a baseball game watches the left fielder drop a ball next to the stands. If the fan responds by making the fundamental attribution error, he is most likely to remark that the player:

A) is not a good fielder.
B) was affected by the lights.
C) does not receive enough money.
D) is just having a bad game today.

Question 80

A panhandler approaches you and your friend for some money. When your friend refuses to give him any money, you attribute your friend's behaviour to her inherently greedy nature. A social psychologist is likely to say that you have just made a/an:

A) false attribution.
B) external attribution.
C) dispositional attribution.
D) situational attribution.