Deck 16: Social Psychology

Question 1

In terms of willingness to help a stranger,many studies have confirmed that:

A) the smaller the group of bystanders,the less likely any individual is to offer help.
B) when individuals are alone,they are least likely to offer help.
C) the larger the group of bystanders,the less likely any individual is to offer help.
D) the number of bystanders has little to do with an individual's willingness to help.

Answer 1

the larger the group of bystanders,the less likely any individual is to offer help.

Question 2

Though you never share stories about your sexual activities with anyone else,you are in the audience of a talk show where the topic is "My spouse's sexual inadequacies." Suddenly,you find yourself joining in and sharing concerns on national TV that should only be shared with your spouse.What most likely happened?

A) group polarization
B) the fundamental attribution error
C) social impairment
D) deindividuation

Answer 2

deindividuation

Question 3

In the study by Darley and Latané (1968)in which college students overheard a staged epileptic seizure through an intercom,______ percent of the students who thought that others were listening tried to find help,and ______ percent of the students who thought that they alone had heard it tried to find help.

A) 95;85
B) 85;30
C) 30;85
D) 15;30

Answer 3

30;85

Question 4

Which of the following questions would MOST interest a social psychologist?

A) How do age and maturity affect verbal learning?
B) How do children learn to speak the language of their culture?
C) How does feeling respected influence people's interactions?
D) How can we prevent serious errors in judgment during a crisis situation?

Question 5

When a person tends to act out because they feel "hidden" amongst a crowd of others who are acting out,it is called:

A) social loafing.
B) social facilitation.
C) deindividuation.
D) normative influence.

Question 6

Social psychology is concerned with the impact of:

A) specific situations on individual behavior.
B) educational curriculum on academic achievement.
C) other people's attitudes on individual beliefs.
D) stress on emotional adjustment.

Question 7

If a person hesitates to help someone who is choking,social psychologists would say that it is MOST likely because they are:

A) afraid of the legal ramifications.
B) apathetic about other people's troubles.
C) waiting for someone else to act.
D) busy eating their meal.

Question 8

Los Angeles is aflame,and everyone around you is rioting and looting.You get caught up in the excitement,break a shop window,and carry away a radio.You are experiencing a phenomenon called:

A) deindividuation.
B) peer pressure.
C) social impairment.
D) social facilitation.

Question 9

Social psychologists are interested in investigating the impact of:

A) emotions on health and development.
B) personal beliefs on performance and mastery.
C) other people on an individual's behaviors and attitudes.
D) temperament on child-rearing practices.

Question 10

Deindividuation makes a person more likely to:

A) conform to peer pressure.
B) make faulty attributions.
C) violate social rules and norms.
D) seek companionship.

Question 11

In which situation are you MOST likely to receive help from a passerby?

A) when the person determines that your situation is not an emergency
B) when the person who sees that you need help is alone
C) when there are many people who see that you need help
D) it depends solely on the passerby's individual characteristics

Question 12

Research on social facilitation suggests that performance will improve in the presence of others under certain circumstances.Which of the following circumstances would increase the likelihood that social facilitation would occur?

A) You are performing an unpleasant task.
B) You are performing a fairly simple task.
C) You are performing a fairly difficult task.
D) You are performing a pleasant task.

Question 13

Which of the following questions would MOST interest a social psychologist?

A) How does my opinion of you affect your test scores?
B) How would punishments or rewards affect future learning?
C) What is the most efficient design for a machine that many people use?
D) What is the relationship between beliefs and emotions?

Question 14

Social psychology is primarily concerned with:

A) individuals as they interact with other people.
B) personality development.
C) learning through the influence of models and reinforcements.
D) community health and health practices.

Question 15

Deindividuation refers to:

A) a sense of anonymity when part of a group that makes us feel like we can get away with anything.
B) a sense of alienation that makes us feel worthless and alone.
C) the gradual development of a sense of self as separate and unique from others.
D) the process of adopting group values out of social pressures to conform.

Question 16

Which of the following questions would MOST interest a social psychologist?

A) How does prior experience with punishment affect one's ability to concentrate on a task?
B) What is the most effective way to eliminate a phobia?
C) Is there a correlation between job success and reported life satisfaction?
D) On what basis do people judge each other's personalities?

Question 17

Social facilitation refers to:

A) the improved performance of individuals in a group.
B) helping others when called on to do so.
C) impaired performance in a group.
D) the tendency to diffuse responsibility among group members.

Question 18

You see a student drop his books and papers all over the staircase while other students are heading to class.People are watching and walking right past him,so you decide not to help.Your decision not to help is predicted by the:

A) social loafing theory.
B) concept of diffusion of responsibility.
C) fundamental attribution error.
D) social facilitation effect.

Question 19

Latané and Darley propose that when a person needs help,being in the presence of other people influences which of the following?

A) distractibility
B) perception of the need for help
C) concern with own ability to help
D) none of these

Question 20

The other kids on the playground are calling a classmate "Fatso!" and poking her with sticks.Though you are usually a kind and well-behaved child,you find yourself yelling,"Fatso! Fatso!" You feel unconcerned about your own behavior as a result of:

A) social facilitation.
B) groupthink.
C) social loafing.
D) deindividuation.

Question 21

Researchers found that individuals in a tug-of-war put in more effort when they were alone than when they believed other people were pulling with them.This effect is known as:

A) social facilitation.
B) deindividuation.
C) social loafing.
D) social impairment.

Question 22

Mindless acceptance of poor decisions tends to occur in groups that are tightly knit because the expression of alternative views is discouraged.This phenomenon is called:

A) social facilitation.
B) deindividuation.
C) groupthink.
D) polarization.

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT a factor involved in groupthink?

A) cohesiveness of the group
B) arousal level of the task
C) size of the group
D) the process of polarization

Question 24

As defined by social psychologists,conformity means:

A) obeying the direct request of an authority figure.
B) selecting a social group whose values closely match your own.
C) yielding to group pressure even when not directly requested to do so.
D) enhancing performance in the presence of a crowd.

Question 25

The group that is MOST likely to mindlessly pursue a stupid plan is the group that has:

A) good cohesiveness.
B) a leader who suggests brainstorming.
C) several bitter factions that strongly disagree with each other.
D) past experiences with failure.

Question 26

The size of the group has an effect on groupthink because larger groups:

A) are more cohesive.
B) are more arousing.
C) promote the use of serial monologues rather than interactive dialogues.
D) encourage social loafing.

Question 27

The tendency to put in less effort when there are other people around to make up the difference is called:

A) social facilitation.
B) social loafing.
C) groupthink.
D) deindividuation.

Question 28

Research on social facilitation suggests that performance will improve in the presence of others under certain circumstances.Which of the following circumstances would increase the likelihood that social facilitation would occur?

A) You are giving a speech that you are not fully prepared to give.
B) You are asking a person you like out on a date.
C) You are executing a football play you practiced all summer.
D) You are giving your first piano recital.

Question 29

Your fearless leader proclaims,"I have a plan.Let's fire everyone and rehire them at a cheaper wage!" You raise your hand timidly and say,"But-" "SHHHH!" interrupts another board member."Can't you show a little respect for our leader?" This transaction exemplifies the concept of:

A) social loafing.
B) groupthink.
C) deindividuation.
D) social facilitation.

Question 30

The tendency for groups to make decisions that are more radical or risky than would be made by individuals alone is called:

A) groupthink.
B) conformity.
C) polarization.
D) obedience.

Question 31

A group of antipollution volunteers is recruited.After discussing the need for pollution controls for several meetings,the volunteers become convinced that they must shut down any factory producing emissions above the EPA limit with no questions asked and no option to fix the problem first.The group's decision illustrates the concept of:

A) polarization.
B) deindividuation.
C) social facilitation.
D) social impairment.

Question 32

If a cohesive group identifies one member to serve as "the devil's advocate," the group will:

A) make fewer faulty decisions or mistakes.
B) dissolve before any decisions can be made.
C) make hasty decisions to avoid further conflict.
D) remain deadlocked and unable to reach any consensus.

Question 33

The tendency to form even stronger opinions than you had before is reflected in:

A) cognitive dissonance.
B) social impairment.
C) polarization.
D) deindividuation.

Question 34

When people give in to group pressure,even when no one pushed them to do so,they are demonstrating:

A) groupthink.
B) diffusion of responsibility.
C) social loafing.
D) conformity.

Question 35

If you had been an only child,you would have visited your mother at the nursing home every week.Because you have four brothers and sisters who can also visit her,you only visit once a month.This may be an example of:

A) groupthink.
B) deindividuation.
C) social loafing.
D) social facilitation.

Question 36

A month ago,your history instructor assigned a group project that is due next week.As the deadline approaches,you find that group meetings are tense and nonproductive.Most of the time,members accuse one another of not getting their portion of the work completed,or members simply have nothing to show between one meeting and the next.What is the MOST likely explanation for what is happening in your group?

A) groupthink
B) deindividuation
C) social loafing
D) social facilitation

Question 37

The likelihood of social loafing occurring in a group is associated with all of the following EXCEPT the:

A) cohesiveness of the group.
B) arousal level of the task.
C) size of the group.
D) difficulty of the task.

Question 38

Irving Janis referred to the faulty decision-making processes that sometimes occur in groups as:

A) polarization.
B) conformity.
C) groupthink.
D) social loafing.

Question 39

The likelihood of social facilitation differs according to the:

A) individual's social status.
B) arousal level of the task.
C) age of the individual.
D) unpleasantness of the task.

Question 40

You are on a committee trying to decide whether to combine the psychology department with the sociology department.Although you have some concerns about combining the two departments,an outspoken member of the group takes the extreme opposite position.The phenomenon of polarization suggests that,after hearing this member's extreme position,you will:

A) feel confused and undecided.
B) feel positive that combining departments is a good idea.
C) feel even more strongly that combining departments is a bad idea.
D) go along with whatever the majority thinks.

Question 41

Of the following,which conclusion is BEST supported by the Zimbardo prison study?

A) Social roles can have a greater impact on behavior than personal values.
B) People will believe what others believe despite strong contradictory evidence.
C) Media violence can be translated into actual behavior if relevant social cues are available.
D) Minority groups can resist assimilation into larger groups if they maintain close contact with other minority members.

Question 42

A private in the army refuses to fire on the enemy because he recognizes that the soldier in his scope is probably no more than 12 years old.The commander orders the other soldiers to execute him for treason,which they immediately do.Their willingness to shoot a fellow soldier when ordered to do so is BEST predicted by:

A) Asch's length perception study.
B) Milgram's shock study.
C) Latané and Darley's diffusion of responsibility.
D) Zimbardo's prison study.

Question 43

A researcher assigns two children to be the "parents" and two to be the "children" in a weeklong role-playing study.By the end of the week,the "parents" get truly angry whenever their "children" misbehave.This type of study would be MOST similar to the concepts illustrated in:

A) Asch's length-perception study.
B) Milgram's shock study.
C) Sherif's autokinetic effect study.
D) Zimbardo's prison study.

Question 44

A researcher asks subjects if they can hear a radio station over some background static when actually there is no radio station playing.Subjects are likely to "hear" a radio station when other subjects say they hear a radio station.This research is most similar to:

A) Milgram's shock study.
B) Zimbardo's prison study.
C) Sherif's autokinetic effect study.
D) Latané and Darley's decision tree.

Question 45

Based on the conclusions from Milgram's obedience studies,which of the following could be predicted?

A) A majority of people would go along with the Nazis in the extermination of the Jews.
B) Zimbardo's prison study would have turned out differently if there had been a "captain of the guards."
C) The space shuttle Challenger would not have been launched if leaders had allowed open discussion.
D) The credibility of research is undermined when research lacks an ethical basis.

Question 46

In Asch's line judgment study,participants conformed to the members of the group:

A) in order to gain their approval.
B) because the group changed their opinion.
C) in order to avoid expending their own effort.
D) because their arousal levels were exceedingly high.

Question 47

In Asch's line judgment study,what percentage of participants conformed to the group at least part of the time?

A) 14%
B) 24%
C) 54%
D) 74%

Question 48

Social norms and social roles:

A) keep people narrowly defined.
B) generally facilitate our ability to work together for the common good.
C) produce anxiety because they make life unpredictable.
D) consistently prevent people from being seen as individuals.

Question 49

Of the following,which conclusion is BEST supported by the Zimbardo prison study?

A) Crowding tends to inhibit positive social behavior and escalate violent behavior.
B) People often act as they are expected to act rather than acting on their own personal beliefs.
C) People will follow authority figures even if they are asked to do unspeakable things.
D) Social pressure from small groups has a more pervasive impact than does social pressure from larger groups.

Question 50

When Milgram asked subjects to shock another human being,what percentage of participants subjects followed through and administered the strongest possible shock?

A) 25%
B) 37%
C) 65%
D) 93%

Question 51

When Milgram reduced the prestige of the experimenter,how did it affect the results of his experiment?

A) It decreased the number of persons administering the maximum shock from 75% to 35%.
B) It increased the number of persons administering the shock from 50% to 70%.
C) It decreased the number of person administering the shock from 65% to 50%.
D) It increased the number of persons administering the maximum shock from 65% to 90%.

Question 52

In terms of conformity,which of the following statements is accurate?

A) Generally,as the size of the group decreases,conformity increases.
B) If the size of the group becomes very large,conformity levels off.
C) In a group,males are more likely to bond together and conform than females are.
D) Culture has little influence,if any,on conformity.

Question 53

According to your text,what was the MAIN shortcoming of Milgram's obedience studies?

A) He failed to sample a wide range of subjects.
B) There was no control group.
C) Experimental conditions were not adequately controlled.
D) The experiments would be considered unethical by today's standards.

Question 54

In Milgram's obedience study,MOST subjects:

A) were willing to administer the maximum shock when the experimenter suggested that they continue.
B) quit administering shocks when they heard confederates cry in pain.
C) originally thought they would be able to administer all of the shocks but couldn't bring themselves to give the highest shocks.
D) immediately refused to participate in the experiment after they felt a 45-volt shock themselves.

Question 55

Social psychologists define attitudes as being composed of:

A) beliefs,personality,and knowledge.
B) feelings,moods,and disturbances.
C) beliefs,feelings,and dispositions to behave.
D) personality,moods,and thoughts.

Question 56

In Zimbardo's prison experiment,the prisoners:

A) rebelled and tried to storm the guards.
B) did not take the role play seriously and remained unfazed by the experiment.
C) begged to be paroled.
D) tried to increase cooperation to gain the guard's compassion.

Question 57

What was the result of Zimbardo's prison study?

A) Prisoners attacked the guards and took them hostage.
B) The guards attempted to reform the prisoners but failed.
C) The guards began to feel like they were prisoners.
D) The situation became so bad that Zimbardo canceled the study after 6 days.

Question 58

In the study of the autokinetic effect,subjects tended to report the same movements as the "confederate" reported.How did researchers explain this observation?

A) Subjects believed that the confederate was a valuable source of information when the situation was unclear.
B) Subjects felt pressure to say things they didn't really believe.
C) Subjects looked in the same direction as the confederate did.
D) Both subjects and confederates witnessed the same movements.

Question 59

According to Zimbardo,why were there problems in his prison study?

A) The guards were instructed to be exceptionally harsh to the prisoners.
B) There was no control group,and sampling was unavoidably nonrandom.
C) Prisons create social roles that lead to the mistreatment of prisoners.
D) Correlation cannot prove causation.

Question 60

In Milgram's shock experiments,which factor caused the GREATEST drop in a participant's willingness to administer shocks?

A) when the experimenter was perceived as an expert
B) when two confederates refused to administer the shocks in the presence of the research participant
C) when the instructions were given by phone instead of in person
D) when the prestige of the experimenter was reduced

Question 61

If you really want to convince your audience that you are right,when does it pay to argue both sides of an issue?

A) when the audience is intelligent
B) when the audience is favorable toward your position
C) when the audience fears the message
D) when the audience is skeptical

Question 62

Of the following characteristics,which will make the listener MORE likely to believe a persuasive speech?

A) The listener is female.
B) The listener is favoring the speaker's views,and the speaker presents a two-sided argument.
C) The listener has moderate self-esteem.
D) The listener is completely terrified by the message.

Question 63

Which of the following is a true statement about persuasion?

A) A good logical argument will win every time.
B) The more credible a source the speaker is about the specific argument being presented,the more likely you will be persuaded.
C) Attractiveness has little to do with persuasion as long as the speaker is credible.
D) Messages without fear-provoking images are more persuasive than messages with scare tactics.

Question 64

Persuasion generally attempts to change others':

A) personalities.
B) attitudes.
C) characteristics.
D) perceptions.

Question 65

If a social psychologist tells you,"You have an attitude about school," he would mean that you:

A) are always negative about schoolwork.
B) have a tendency to do poorly in school.
C) have thoughts about school that are different from those of other students.
D) have beliefs about school that predispose you to act and feel in certain ways.

Question 66

When Wanetta was very small,a large dog bit her and she was required to receive rabies shots.Today,whenever her daughter asks for a puppy,she says,"No! Dogs are bad and you never know when they will turn on you." Wanetta's attitude about dogs results from:

A) classical conditioning.
B) modeling.
C) early temperament.
D) reinforcement.

Question 67

The process of changing another person's attitudes through arguments is referred to as:

A) teaching.
B) obedience.
C) conformity.
D) persuasion.

Question 68

Attitudes can be created through:

A) classically conditioned experiences.
B) modeling.
C) reinforcement.
D) all of these.

Question 69

Why do messages sometimes have sleeper effects?

A) It takes people time to process complex arguments.
B) People tend to forget that a low-credibility source presented the message.
C) People tend to forget the specifics of an illogical argument.
D) People become more fearful over time.

Question 70

According to research,which of the following factors is MOST likely to increase the persuasiveness of an argument?

A) The message is simple,and the speaker is brilliant.
B) The speaker will not personally benefit from your acceptance of the argument.
C) The message is complex,and you are simple-minded.
D) The speaker is handicapped.

Question 71

Listeners will be more likely to be persuaded by a message that arouses fear under which of the following circumstances?

A) when the message is explicitly horrifying and gruesome
B) when the message only hints at danger
C) when an easy way to avoid the dreaded outcome is presented along with the message
D) when the feared outcome is strange and unlike anything the listener has ever imagined

Question 72

Jose has a negative attitude toward white children because his father always behaves negatively toward white people and often tells Jose the story of how a white man once beat and robbed him in broad daylight and was never prosecuted for the crime.Of the following,which BEST explains Jose's attitude about white children?

A) personal experience
B) modeling
C) positive reinforcement
D) classical conditioning

Question 73

Which of the following is a true statement about persuasion?

A) A good logical argument will win every time.
B) As long as speakers have enough credentials,it doesn't matter if they are experts in the topic at hand.
C) Logic may be one of the least important factors in swaying listeners.
D) The more passionate the speaker is about changing your mind,the more likely you will change your mind.

Question 74

A politician has a complex tax issue she is trying to sell to voters.Research suggests she will have more success convincing voters her proposal is sound if the voters are:

A) intelligent.
B) poor.
C) undereducated.
D) wealthy.

Question 75

Which of the following BEST explains the effect of framing on the persuasiveness of an argument?

A) People respond to fear.
B) It is not only what you say,but how you say it.
C) It is not only what is said,but who says it.
D) Some people will believe anything.

Question 76

According to research,which of the following factors is MOST likely to increase the persuasiveness of an argument?

A) The speaker is very attractive.
B) The message is peaceful.
C) You feel little need for social approval.
D) The message is given one on one.

Question 77

According to the study by Meyerowitz and Chaiken (1987),how should messages about the importance of breast self-examination be framed in order to be most persuasive?

A) emphasizing the gains associated with doing breast self-examinations
B) emphasizing the losses associated with NOT doing breast self-examinations
C) being completely neutral in describing the method of breast self-examinations
D) in any way,as the framing of a message has little relation to its persuasiveness

Question 78

A person's beliefs,feelings,and dispositions to behave make up his or her:

A) attitudes.
B) social expectations.
C) social roles.
D) personality.

Question 79

According to research,which of the following factors is MOST likely to increase the persuasiveness of an argument?

A) The speaker seems to be a credible source of information.
B) The argument is flawless.
C) The argument is framed in a positive context.
D) You have low self-esteem.

Question 80

Which of the following is NOT one of the components of an attitude as defined by social psychologists?

A) behavioral tendencies
B) genetic factors
C) beliefs
D) emotional responses