Deck 31: Social Psychology and the Sustainable Future

Question 1

According to the text,global warming effects do NOT include

A) increased hurricanes and heat waves.
B) less melting snow and glaciers for rivers during dry seasons.
C) polar icecaps thickening.
D) grazing lands turning into desert.

Answer 1

polar icecaps thickening.

Question 2

Which of the following is one way to reduce individual consumption?

A) increase income tax
B) regulate birth rates
C) provide incentives for conservation behaviors
D) create a one-world economy

Answer 2

provide incentives for conservation behaviors

Question 3

In 1960,the earth carried 3 billion people and 127 million motor vehicles.Today it has more than ___ billion people and ___ cars.

A) 4; 75 million
B) 5; 100 million
C) 5; 200 million
D) 7; 1 billion

Answer 3

7; 1 billion

Question 4

"new consciousness?"

A) Value the future and its inhabitants as well as our present
B) Value equity, justice, and human community
C) See nature as having intrinsic value
D) Value individualistic virtues

Question 5

Birth rates in developing nations have

A) dropped.
B) increased.
C) stabilized.
D) continued to double each year.

Question 6

Increased consumption,such as the burning of coal and oil to generate electricity,has contributed to

A) global warming.
B) the advance of polar icecaps.
C) earthquakes becoming more common.
D) increased birth rates in industrialized nations.

Question 7

A source of hope for a sustainable future is

A) increasing technological efficiency and agricultural productivity.
B) moderating consumption.
C) decreasing population.
D) All of the above.

Question 8

Policies that would curb individual consumption require

A) further research.
B) political acts supported by public attitudes.
C) a one-world economy.
D) dictatorial governance.

Question 9

Those who are optimistic about the future see all of the following as ways to sustain our lifestyle except

A) moderating consumption.
B) increasing technological efficiency.
C) decreasing healthcare costs.
D) increasing agricultural productivity.

Question 10

Technological advances will help sustain the planet because of

A) reduced cost.
B) increased consumption.
C) less polluting waste.
D) greater availability of goods.

Question 11

According to the text,fertility rates in more than 40 countries have dropped to replacement levels,or _______ children per woman.

A) 5.1
B) 3.0
C) 2.1
D) 1.3

Question 12

Among entering collegians,the proportion considering it "very important or essential" that they become "very well off financially" _______ between 1970 and 2012.

A) declined
B) rose slightly
C) remained stable
D) rose dramatically

Question 13

A source of hope for a sustainable future is

A) cloning.
B) reduced consumption.
C) moderating global temperatures.
D) high birth rates in technologically advanced countries.

Question 14

Rising air temperatures in the arctic is causing all of the following EXCEPT the

A) thawing of the permafrost.
B) number of animals that are dying.
C) retreating glaciers.
D) rising ocean temperatures.

Question 15

There is now strong evidence that significant global warming

A) is a marginal threat.
B) is not scientifically proven.
C) is occurring.
D) has not started yet.

Question 16

People with more money

A) perceive more control over their lives.
B) have a higher stress level.
C) are less happy in poor countries.
D) are more likely to reduce their consumption.

Question 17

According to the text,a global environmental disaster is being caused by

A) the spread of disease.
B) deforestation of the forests.
C) increasing consumption.
D) both increasing population and consumption.

Question 18

Myers noted that changing the consumption levels among rich nations requires

A) stronger and stricter laws.
B) a major catastrophe to occur first.
C) a world-wide natural disaster or plague.
D) a shift in public consciousness similar to the civil rights and women's movements.

Question 19

The tendency to believe in and justify the way things are in one's culture and not want to change the status quo is called

A) justification of effort.
B) the just world phenomenon.
C) system justification.
D) ethnocentrism.

Question 20

The earth is being assaulted by a "double whammy" that includes

A) high inflation and high taxes.
B) more people and colder climates.
C) more people and greater consumption.
D) fewer people and greater consumption.

Question 21

Tina,a single mom,just making ends meet,feels most dissatisfied with her current material circumstances after watching an episode of "The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." Her feelings are best understood in terms of

A) the adaptation-level phenomenon.
B) reactance theory.
C) relative deprivation.
D) downward social comparison.

Question 22

The fact that affluent people often feel as frustrated as those who have less can be understood in terms of

A) relative deprivation.
B) Parkinson's second law.
C) displacement.
D) the adaptation-level phenomenon.

Question 23

The tendency to adapt to a given level of stimulation,and notice and react to changes from that level defines

A) social comparison.
B) the adaptation-level phenomenon.
C) relative deprivation.
D) Parkinson's second law.

Question 24

Describe the effects of global warming.

Question 25

Csikszentmihalyi refers to the state wherein we are unselfconsciously absorbed in a mindful challenge as

A) positive psychology.
B) unconditional positive regard.
C) flow.
D) individual hypnosis.

Question 26

The top-rated objective among entering collegians today is

A) raising a family.
B) helping others in difficulty.
C) finding fulfilling work.
D) being very well off financially.

Question 27

A 65-degree day seems warm in February but cold in July.This is best explained in terms of

A) relative deprivation.
B) the adaptation-level phenomenon.
C) displacement.
D) Parkinson's second law.

Question 28

Which of the following does NOT characterize Americans over the last 40 years?

A) increased personal income
B) increased subjective well-being
C) increased rates of depression
D) increased consumption

Question 29

Research suggests that all of the following enhance life quality except

A) faith communities.
B) positive thinking habits.
C) experiencing nature.
D) having many friends, regardless of the depth of the relationship.

Question 30

For today's collegians,the goal of _______ has been at the top of their list in recent years.

A) developing a meaningful philosophy of life
B) becoming very well off financially
C) helping others in difficulty
D) becoming an authority in their own field

Question 31

Myers reported that lottery winners typically gain _______ from their winnings.

A) long-lasting happiness
B) a temporary jolt of joy
C) anxiety over their new freedom
D) a mixture of happiness and anxiety

Question 32

Relative deprivation is frequently the result of

A) upward social comparison.
B) downward social comparison.
C) Parkinson's second law.
D) the adaptation-level phenomenon.

Question 33

In the United States correlation between increased individual income and personal happiness is

A) surprisingly strong.
B) moderately strong.
C) about 0.30.
D) surprisingly weak.

Question 34

Rising affluence in the U.S.has not produced increased happiness because

A) we discount our belongings.
B) there's always someone richer.
C) growth is not good.
D) of greater health problems among baby boomers.

Question 35

According to the _______,feelings of success,failure,satisfaction,and dissatisfaction are relative to prior experiences.

A) relative attainment hypothesis
B) achievement motivation syndrome
C) social prestige principle
D) adaptation-level phenomenon

Question 36

Joseph has just received a 5% increase in his salary.However,after learning that his coworkers have all received 10% increases,Joseph becomes upset with his employer and dissatisfied with his raise.We can understand Joseph's feelings in terms of

A) relative deprivation.
B) the adaptation-level phenomenon.
C) Parkinson's second law.
D) the hydraulic model of aggression.

Question 37

Social comparison is

A) evaluating one's abilities and opinions by comparing oneself with others.
B) our tendency to compare a given level of stimulation with an earlier level.
C) a tendency to adapt to social events.
D) often used to recalibrate adaptation levels.

Question 38

Steve strives for intimacy,personal growth,and ways to contribute to his community,whereas Ben works at "getting ahead" financially.In all likelihood

A) they will be equally happy.
B) Steve will be happier.
C) Ben will be happier.
D) we cannot predict who will be happier.

Question 39

_______ agree that money buys happiness,whereas _______ agree that a little more money will make one a little happier.

A) Most; few
B) All; none
C) Few; many
D) None; all

Question 40

Donna has been short of money and worried about her job security.Yesterday she was surprised to find she was being promoted and given a 10% raise.The adaptation-level phenomenon suggests that she will

A) soon be worried again about her finances.
B) have much better self-esteem from now on.
C) behave much less aggressively from now on.
D) be a much more ambitious, achievement-oriented worker now that she sees that her past behavior has paid off.

Question 41

Why does materialism fail to satisfy?

Question 42

Summarize the research showing how increased materialism has taken place during the last 30 years.

Question 43

Define and provide an example of the upward social comparison.

Question 44

How have the values of U.S.college students changed since 1971?

Question 45

Define and provide an example of the adaptation-level phenomenon.

Question 46

Describe the pattern of changes that have occurred in personal income,happiness,and depression since 1957 in the United States.

Question 47

What does Myers say about whether or not rich people are happier?