Deck 1: Introducing Social Psychology

Question 1

In the introduction to Chapter 1,you read about a number of social phenomena: cries for help were ignored by neighbors; a father and son disagreed on the attractiveness of the same fraternity; and more than 800 people committed mass suicide in Jonestown,Guyana.What do these examples have in common? They

A)defy explanation.
B)describe socially deviant behavior.
C)reveal the power of social influence.
D)reflect the operation of deliberate persuasion attempts.

Answer 1

reveal the power of social influence.

Question 2

Although fields such as anthropology,sociology,and social psychology are related,what distinguishes social psychology from the others?

A)It uses rigorous scientific methods; the others do not.
B)It examines how construal of social situations impact people's lives..
C)It examines the human condition,whereas the others examine societal issues.
D)It examines social situations.

Answer 2

It examines how construal of social situations impact people's lives..

Question 3

Last weekend,Paula smiled politely while Lance talked to her for several hours.Wow,thinks Lance to himself,she was so nice; Paula must really like me-she was so friendly! Lance's interpretation of Paula's behavior is an example of

A)a direct persuasion attempt.
B)an indirect persuasion attempt.
C)explicit values.
D)construals.

Answer 3

construals.

Question 4

From across the room,J.T.sees his mother sigh,and he approaches to give her a hug in the hopes of cheering her up.In this case,J.T.'s behavior is an example of ____ social influence attempt.

A)a direct
B)an ineffective
C)an indirect
D)an unintended

Question 5

Not all social influence is direct or deliberate.Which of the following is the best example of more indirect or subtle social influence?

A)An advertising campaign is launched to promote a new soft drink.
B)A senatorial candidate delivers a speech to convince voters that she is not really liberal.
C)A parent disciplines his child by taking away her favorite toy.
D)A child sees other kids wearing their sweatshirts inside out and starts wearing his the same way.

Question 6

Ted likes Jim and smiles at him every chance he gets.Jim wonders why Ted is always smirking at him sarcastically and studiously avoids him.Ted thinks he's being friendly and cannot understand Jim's standoffishness; Jim thinks Ted is a jerk for continuing to smirk at him without explanation.This difference illustrates the role of ____ in explaining social behavior.

A)power
B)construals
C)the need for affiliation
D)persuasion

Question 7

Jada gives William her dessert at lunch in the hopes that he will like her.Jada's behavior is an example of

A)social cognition.
B)direct social influence attempt.
C)a construal.
D)fundamental attribution error.

Question 8

Julie is eight months old,and her mother pretends her baby food is a train in order to convince her to eat it.Julie's mother is using a rather creative form of ____.

A)social influence
B)explicit values
C)social cognition
D)implicit values

Question 9

Jeremy is in love with Carol and views her temper as an endearing example of her "feistiness." Her coworkers,however,interpret Carol's temper as rude and insensitive.The difference between Jeremy and the coworkers illustrates the power of love to influence our

A)construals.
B)behaviors.
C)influence attempts.
D)relationships.

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of a direct persuasion attempt?

A)A bully threatens Billy and steals his lunch money.
B)Ramona works hard in school to make her mother proud.
C)Marianne thinks of her ex-boyfriend and becomes sad.
D)Jason moves from New York to Atlanta and picks up a Southern accent.

Question 11

Lisa and Melissa were comparing grades on their chemistry exam.Lisa was disappointed when she first saw that she had received a grade of 76 percent,but when she saw that Melissa (the class valedictorian in high school)had earned a grade of 78 percent,she felt much better about her grade.What is most likely to be a reason that Lisa changed her perspective?

A)She had a different construal of her grade.
B)She was directly persuaded.
C)She used an explicit value.
D)She exerted social influence on Melissa.

Question 12

According to the definition of social psychology presented in your text,social psychology is the study of how ____ affect the thoughts,feelings,and behaviors of humans.

A)live social interactions with other humans
B)the presence of real or imagined others
C)other living things
D)perceptions of the social world

Question 13

Which of the following is the best example of a construal?

A)Sam,who attends a showing of The Jerry Springer Show
B)Sarah,who registers to vote at age eighteen
C)John,who believes people born under the sign of Taurus are stubborn
D)Kerry,who decides to marry Ryan

Question 14

The scientific study of the way in which people's thoughts,feelings,and behaviors are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people is the definition of

A)psychology.
B)personality psychology.
C)social psychology.
D)sociology.

Question 15

Karen returns home from her first year of college,and is very proud of her first-year GPA.She earned a 3.0 ("B")average.She's unhappily surprised to discover that her parents are disappointed that she didn't perform better.This difference in interpretation illustrates the power of ____ in explaining social behavior.

A)interpersonal conflict
B)construals
C)achievement motivation
D)socialization

Question 16

Dan likes his new roommate Tim.He invites Tim to go everywhere with him-parties,lunch,even to the grocery store.Dan feels he's being warm and welcoming to his new friend.Tim,however,doesn't understand why it seems that Dan can't do anything on his own,and seems to need his companionship constantly.The difference in how Dan and Tim perceive Dan's actions is an illustration of ____ in explaining social behavior.

A)explicit values
B)naïve realism
C)the need to belong
D)construals

Question 17

All of the following are examples of social influence except

A)a bully intimidates another child on the school yard.
B)a child refrains from stealing ten dollars from his mother's purse when he imagines her anger at him.
C)you cover your nose when you sneeze because you don't want to spread germs.
D)you perceive the bathwater as hot when you first get in,but don't notice the heat ten minutes later.

Question 18

The word "construal" refers to

A)objective reality.
B)information provided by other people.
C)imagined events.
D)personal interpretations.

Question 19

Social psychologists use the term ____ to describe the way in which people perceive,comprehend,and interpret their social worlds.

A)perspective
B)social psychology
C)construal
D)assumption

Question 20

Which of the following is an example of social influence?

A)You feel guilty because you lied to your trusting professor about your assignment.
B)When you get hungry,you have trouble concentrating.
C)You didn't do well on the test because you stayed up all night cramming.
D)You almost fall asleep at the wheel,so you pull off the road to take a short nap.

Question 21

Jill is eating dinner at her fiancé Rob's parents' house,and barely touches her food.Jill is aware that his parents could make different construals of this behavior,such as

A)Jill is a polite person.
B)Rob and Jill make a cute couple.
C)Jill must not like the food served at dinner.
D)Rob treats Jill very well.

Question 22

Lee Ross describes the idea of "naïve realism" as

A)The conviction that all of us have that we perceive things "as they really are."
B)The scientific study of the way in which people's thoughts,feelings,and behaviors are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people.
C)The way in which people perceive,comprehend,and interpret the social world.
D)The aspects of people's personalities that make them different from other people.

Question 23

What does philosophy have in common with folk wisdom? Both often

A)contain contradictions,and it's difficult to know which explanation is right.
B)examine the world on a case by case basis.
C)become outdated with rapid societal changes.
D)are incorrect in their assumptions about social behavior.

Question 24

Social psychology is set apart from other ways of interpreting social behavior such as folk wisdom or literature because it is ____.

A)based on observations of human nature
B)an experimental science
C)a theoretical approach
D)reliant on objective measurement

Question 25

After reading about several suicide bombings in the Middle East,Harry comments that these bombers must be religious fanatics who are mentally deranged.Harry is most likely using ____ to make this judgment.

A)philosophy
B)experimental methods
C)common sense
D)social psychology

Question 26

Which of the following is not a problem with using common sense or folk wisdom explanations for social behavior?

A)These explanations often are contradictory.
B)They fail to capture the complexities of the full situation.
C)We may learn very little from previous incidents.
D)Most people do not have common sense anymore.

Question 27

At a dinner party,Marcia spilled wine on her boss's Persian rug.If Marcia is like most social psychologists who study construals,what will she ask herself in predicting how her boss will respond?

A)How much does the rug cost?
B)Did anyone witness the spill?
C)Will my boss think I am drunk?
D)Is my boss a gracious hostess?

Question 28

Jamal was confused by his sister's relationship with her boyfriend.They just didn't seem to have anything in common."Oh well," Jamal figured,"I guess opposites really do attract." Jamal's explanation is an example of

A)folk wisdom.
B)philosophy.
C)sociology.
D)social psychology.

Question 29

What is the role of folk wisdom in social psychology?

A)It is unrelated.
B)It provides many ideas or hypotheses for scientific investigation.
C)It has been completely disproven by scientific research.
D)It tends to be more accurate and useful than social psychological research.

Question 30

Social psychologists differ from philosophers in that philosophers

A)rely on intuition,and social psychologists rely on logic.
B)ask different questions than do social psychologists.
C)assume the worst about human nature,and social psychologists assume the best.
D)rely on logical arguments,and social psychologists rely on research.

Question 31

One application of Ross's idea of naïve realism is to assist the negotiations between long-time adversaries: Palestinians and Israelis.How would understanding naïve realism potentially help these parties negotiate more successfully?

A)They would understand their religious differences and be able to communicate effectively.
B)Both sides would understand that their perceptions are biased,and try to be more objective.
C)The Palestinians would come to understand the historical occupation of Israel,and leave the West Bank.
D)Both sides would understand the role of culture in forming construals,and use conflict resolution skills appropriately.

Question 32

According to the authors of your text,when faced with a puzzling social question,it may be tempting to ask people why they behaved as they did.Why is this not always the best way to understand social behavior?

A)People almost always lie when they are interviewed.
B)People would feel defensive,even when asked benign questions.
C)People would not necessarily know why they behaved as they did.
D)People would simply answer randomly.

Question 33

How do social psychologists differ from philosophers,novelists,and political pundits in answering questions about human nature? Social psychologists

A)seldom disagree with one another.
B)ignore the notion of human consciousness.
C)use science to test hypotheses about the social world.
D)rely primarily on insight.

Question 34

After the mass suicides related to the cults at Jonestown,Waco,and Heaven's Gate,people tended to blame the victims and accuse them of being psychologically unstable,or deranged.Social psychologists are more likely to explain these mass suicides as being due to

A)individual differences,such as anti-social personality.
B)mental illness in most of the cult members.
C)the social influence of cult leaders.
D)the imagined presence of an all-powerful deity.

Question 35

According to the authors of your text,one hazard of relying too heavily on folk wisdom is that

A)it is impossible to agree on what is "common sense."
B)"common sense" is frequently wrong or oversimplified.
C)"common sense" is useless to most social psychologists.
D)journalists and other communicators of "common sense" information are hopelessly biased.

Question 36

Justin isn't sure if he wants to date Mary,with whom he shares many similarities,or Emma,who is very different from him.His friend says,"Opposites attract," and advises him to date Emma.But his brother says,"Birds of a feather flock together," and suggests that he pursue Mary.This best exemplifies that

A)common sense is often full of contradictions.
B)folk wisdom is usually wrong.
C)folk wisdom oversimplifies complex situations.
D)common sense is an individual difference.

Question 37

Why is a scientific approach preferable to reliance on folk wisdom and common sense?

A)Common sense approaches focus on the situation and not on personality.
B)Nothing useful can be learned from journalists,philosophers,or social critics.
C)Science has tested and debunked most folk wisdom.
D)Folk wisdom and common sense are filled with contradictions.

Question 38

When Prya and Mohammed returned home after a night on the town,they found their baby crying because her diaper needed to be changed.The babysitter was sitting in front of the television,ignoring the baby's crying.Mohammed and Prya decided that the babysitter was callous and uncaring,and they swore that they would never hire him again.Mohammed and Prya's interpretation of the babysitter's actions was based on

A)philosophy.
B)scientific methodology.
C)common sense.
D)prejudice.

Question 39

Consider the following pieces of folk wisdom: "Out of sight,out of mind" versus "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." These statements represent which of the following shortcomings of relying on common sense? The common sense of folk wisdom is often

A)irrational.
B)full of contradictory assumptions.
C)concerned with assigning blame.
D)based on personal experience.

Question 40

Research by Lee Ross suggests that even when people recognize that others perceive information differently,they persist in thinking that others are biased while they themselves are objective.This illustrates the idea of

A)social psychology.
B)naïve realism.
C)individual differences.
D)implicit values.

Question 41

Rahid's server in the restaurant just can't seem to get his order right.If Rahid has just read Chapter 1 on social influence and is thinking more like a social psychologist than before,what would he be most likely to think?

A)"This person is a chronic dolt."
B)"Our educational system is failing us."
C)"This person must have had a bad morning."
D)"Human beings are inherently lazy."

Question 42

Juan thinks that the idea "birds of a feather flock together" has more merit than "opposites attract." So he designs an experiment to test his hypothesis.Juan is most likely a

A)philosopher.
B)social psychologist.
C)sociologist.
D)journalist.

Question 43

Why is it unwise to rely solely on philosophy in explaining human social behavior?

A)When philosophers disagree about human nature,it's difficult to determine who is right.
B)Philosophers' observations and conclusions are seldom insightful.
C)The ideas of philosophers are not relevant to contemporary society.
D)Philosophers rely too much on empirical data.

Question 44

Compared to social psychologists,personality psychologists are more likely to focus their attention on

A)subjective construals.
B)positive behaviors.
C)individual differences.
D)ideas from philosophy.

Question 45

Social and personality psychologists share which common goal?

A)understanding individual differences
B)understanding how the presence of others influences people
C)understanding people who are mentally ill
D)understanding causes of human behavior

Question 46

According to the authors of your text,why is it that there may be conflicting philosophical positions about human nature?

A)Philosophers make their living through debate.
B)Philosophy relies purely on layperson observation.
C)It is likely that philosophers build incorrect arguments about human nature.
D)The world is a complex place,and situational differences impact behavior.

Question 47

Like social psychologists,personality psychologists focus on

A)individuals rather than collectives or institutions.
B)the cultural context.
C)individual differences.
D)the power of construals to shape human behavior.

Question 48

Spinoza proposes the idea that when you love someone whom you used to hate,you cannot love him or her as strongly as you do someone you have always loved.Spinoza's idea is creative,and involves analytical thinking.How is this proposition best classified?

A)It is common sense.
B)It is philosophy.
C)It is personality psychology.
D)It is a construal.

Question 49

A personality psychologist and social psychologist were having a discussion.The personality psychologist is more likely to be talking about

A)aspects of people that make them different from each other.
B)the influence of the situation on a person's behavior.
C)how different perspectives can change behavior.
D)the roles of perception and interpretation in behavior.

Question 50

How would a personality psychologist most likely explain the mass suicide in Jonestown?

A)An increasingly complex and mobile society creates confusion and the need to belong to a group at any cost.
B)People who have traits of being unstable are more likely to join cults.
C)She wouldn't try to explain it; personality psychologists are not interested in suicide.
D)The leader's control over his followers increased slowly over time.

Question 51

Professor Takahami is a personality psychologist interested in divorce.Which question is she most likely to investigate?

A)Have the changing roles of women contributed to divorce?
B)How does relationship satisfaction relate to divorce?
C)Are some types of people more likely to divorce than others?
D)Do children reduce the odds of divorce?

Question 52

When confronted with two contradictory beliefs about social behavior,such as "absence makes the heart grow fonder" and "out of sight,out of mind," a social psychologist is likely to

A)decide that neither belief could be correct.
B)conduct an experiment to determine the conditions under which each belief holds true.
C)conduct a survey to find out which belief is endorsed by more people.
D)develop a logical argument to explain how both beliefs could be true.

Question 53

According to your textbook,the major reason we have conflicting philosophical positions and conflicting folk wisdom is

A)there is no truly objective way to test reality.
B)there are no universal laws governing human behavior.
C)false beliefs are as likely to be promoted by their adherents as are true beliefs.
D)the world is a complicated place,and different truths hold under different conditions.

Question 54

Dr.Levowitz researches the question,"Are some people more aggressive than others?" This type of question is most closely in the realm of

A)social psychology.
B)social influence.
C)personality psychology.
D)philosophy.

Question 55

"Are some people just better leaders than others?" Such a question about human nature is most likely to be asked by a

A)personality psychologist.
B)social psychologist.
C)philosopher.
D)sociologist.

Question 56

A social psychologist is perplexed.Is it true that birds of a feather flock together,or do opposites attract? Confronted with these two contradictory pieces of folk wisdom,what is this social psychologist most likely to do?

A)Administer a questionnaire to see if some types of people fit into one category,while other types fit into the other category.
B)Choose a new topic for study.
C)Choose the explanation that makes more sense.
D)Investigate the different situations in which each bit of common sense holds true.

Question 57

What do philosophers and social psychologists share in common? Both

A)use logical arguments.
B)employ empirical studies,including experiments.
C)rely on folk wisdom and common sense.
D)address many of the same questions.

Question 58

Which of the following questions is most likely to be asked by a social psychologist?

A)Are some kinds of people more susceptible to recruitment into cults?
B)Do some types of people make better leaders than others?
C)Are some characteristics genetically determined?
D)What situations cause people to behave rudely?

Question 59

When a psychologist discusses individual differences,she is discussing

A)genetic variation.
B)differences in how people respond in different situations.
C)aspects of personality that make people differ from one another.
D)differences within a person in how to behave publicly versus privately.

Question 60

Sometimes when we encounter behavior that is unpleasant or unexpected,we assume that something about the person-and not the situation-caused the behavior.In this sense,lay people are most like

A)sociologists.
B)personality psychologists.
C)social psychologists.
D)philosophers.

Question 61

Consider the following research question: "Have no-fault divorce laws increased the rate of divorce in the United States?" This question is most likely to be asked by

A)a personality psychologist.
B)a sociologist.
C)a social psychologist.
D)a philosopher.

Question 62

A personality psychologist would probably explain the suicides at Jonestown by focusing on the

A)conformist personality of the cult members.
B)power of the leader's charismatic techniques.
C)impact of living in a strange culture.
D)situational pressures to conform in the compound.

Question 63

Shanika is an executive,and asked her assistant repeatedly to make some copies for her.The assistant repeatedly failed to successfully complete the assignment.If Shanika is thinking like a social psychologist about this situation,what is she most likely to think about her assistant?

A)"My assistant is incompetent and I should fire him immediately."
B)"All of my subordinates are incompetent."
C)"I am the only intelligent person in this office."
D)"Perhaps my assistant is under stress from something else."

Question 64

Thomas is scrupulously honest when it comes to not cheating on his tests and papers,but when a cashier accidentally gives him back too much change,he is likely to keep the extra money.A social psychologist would most likely say that Thomas's behavior ____.

A)reflects an immaturity because of its inconsistency
B)must be responding to factors in the situation that affect his honesty
C)is chaotic and unpredictable
D)reflects his true immoral nature

Question 65

Dr.Diehl and Dr.Jzreck both study aggression.However,Dr.Diehl studies the topic from the standpoint of society at large; Dr.Jrzeck studies it from the standpoint of the individual.Who is most likely to be the social psychologist?

A)Dr.Diehl,because she studies a societal problem.
B)Dr.Jzreck,because he studies individuals as his focus.
C)They could both be social psychologists,since they both study aggression.
D)Neither one is a social psychologist.

Question 66

One common goal of sociology and social psychology is to understand

A)how individuals function in modern society.
B)the processes of society at large.
C)how individuals are influenced by other people.
D)the influence of social factors on human behavior.

Question 67

The tendency most people have to discount situational explanations of behavior in favor of personality characteristics or traits is called the

A)character bias.
B)discounting effect.
C)fundamental attribution error.
D)blame assignment bias.

Question 68

Which question about romantic relationships is a sociologist most likely to ask?

A)Why does absence make the heart grow fonder?
B)Do outgoing people make better romantic partners?
C)Is the capacity to love one of humanity's greatest achievements?
D)Why are marriage rates decreasing in the lower classes?

Question 69

Sheila shows up for a blind date with her hair disheveled and her clothes a mess.Her date,Jamal,thinks,"She must be a total slob!" Jamal's thought about Sheila is an example of

A)individual differences.
B)the fundamental attribution error.
C)a strong social situation.
D)gender differences in perception.

Question 70

Social psychologists are interested in cross-cultural research because

A)it helps to understand the differences between societies.
B)it demonstrates which aspects of human behavior are universal.
C)it provides information about individual differences.
D)it ultimately will lead to a better understanding of the causes of mental illness.

Question 71

Both social psychologists and sociologists are interested in aggression.Compared to sociologists,which of the following questions is a social psychologist most likely to ask?

A)What is the effect of handgun laws on homicide rates in different states?
B)When does anger lead to aggression?
C)Are homicide rates higher among members of the lower class?
D)Do prisons deter homicide?

Question 72

Which of the following is most likely to be studied by a social psychologist?

A)differences in nonverbal behavior between members of different cultures
B)the effects of social class on religious beliefs
C)the effects of occupational segregation on income
D)sex differences in self-concepts

Question 73

The major difference between sociology and social psychology is

A)the kinds of topics studied.
B)the level of analysis used.
C)the methods of research used.
D)the ability to apply knowledge to address social problems.

Question 74

Professor Hume has spent the last ten years studying the effects of people's levels of self-esteem on their tendency to discriminate against others.She is most likely to be

A)a social psychologist.
B)a sociologist.
C)an anthropologist.
D)a political scientist.

Question 75

Which of the following is the best definition of the fundamental attribution error?

A)people's strong need to see themselves as reasonably good,competent,and decent
B)the subjective way in which an object appears in people's minds
C)the influence of the real or imagined presence of others
D)the tendency to underestimate the power of social influence

Question 76

Consider the following research question: "How has new computer technology changed the U.S.educational system?" This question is most likely to be asked by

A)a social psychologist.
B)a personality psychologist.
C)a sociologist.
D)an anthropologist.

Question 77

Social psychologists differ from anthropologists and sociologists in that social psychologists

A)are interested in how people are influenced by their social environments.
B)are concerned with people's construals of their social environments.
C)advocate the use of common sense.
D)are reliant on the insights of philosophers.

Question 78

Social psychologists tend to be more focused on ____,and personality psychologists tend to focus more on ____.

A)global issues; mental health
B)societal problems; therapies for psychological disorders
C)how people are unique; how people are similar
D)the influence of the situation; individual differences

Question 79

Which of the following is false with regard to cross-cultural research in social psychology? Social psychologists

A)find cross-cultural studies of social behavior valuable because these provide a test of the universality of laws of human behavior.
B)have only recently expanded their research beyond the United States.
C)find cross-cultural studies of social behavior valuable because these allow the use of research methods deemed unethical in the United States.
D)find cross-cultural studies of social behavior valuable because these allow the discovery of additional variables that enable more accurate prediction.

Question 80

Which of the following social phenomena would be of interest to both social psychologists and sociologists?

A)the variation of homicide rates in China versus the U.S.
B)the role of competition between groups in increasing aggression
C)the relation between murder and social class
D)teaching frustrated people alternatives to aggression