Question 1

Social psychologist Kurt Lewin aptly commented, "There is nothing so practical as a good _____."

Accepted Answer

A)   experiment
B)   theory
C)   laboratory
D)   guess B

Question 2

Describe the naturalistic fallacy and how the personal values of social psychologists may influence their work.

Accepted Answer

The naturalistic fallacy is the idea that what is natural is inherently good or right. This fallacy occurs when people assume that because something is natural, it is therefore morally or ethically justified. In the context of social psychology, the naturalistic fallacy can influence research and conclusions drawn about human behavior. For example, if a social psychologist believes that certain behaviors are natural or innate, they may be more likely to justify or excuse those behaviors, even if they are harmful or unethical.

The personal values of social psychologists can also influence their work in various ways. For example, if a social psychologist holds strong personal beliefs about certain social issues, such as gender equality or racial justice, they may be more inclined to interpret their research findings in a way that aligns with those beliefs. This can lead to biased or skewed interpretations of data, and can potentially impact the validity of their research.

Additionally, personal values can also influence the topics that social psychologists choose to study. For example, a social psychologist who is passionate about environmental conservation may be more likely to focus their research on the psychological factors that influence pro-environmental behaviors. On the other hand, a social psychologist who values individualism and personal freedom may be more inclined to study topics related to personal autonomy and decision-making.

Overall, the naturalistic fallacy and personal values can both play a significant role in shaping the work of social psychologists, and it is important for researchers to be aware of these influences and strive to maintain objectivity and ethical standards in their work.

Question 3

Hypothesis is to theory, as __________ is to ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)   exam; knowledge
B)   car; driver
C)   control; variable
D)   science; research A

Question 4

Cause-effect relationships are studied using

Accepted Answer

A)   experimental research methods.
B)   correlational research methods.
C)   field research methods.
D)   survey research methods.

Question 5

Which of the following labels implies a judgment based on subjective values?

Accepted Answer

A)   freedom fighter
B)   terrorist
C)   patriot
D)   all of these choices

Question 6

The hindsight bias affects the way we view decision makers, making us more likely to

Accepted Answer

A)   see their decisions as surprisingly insightful and correct.
B)   blame them for making obviously bad choices.
C)   forgive them for making understandable mistakes in crises.
D)   admire them for handling well those choices we ourselves cannot make.

Question 7

Provide an example of an experimental research study on studying and grades. Be sure to indicate what the independent and dependent variables are.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Provide an example of an experimental research...

Question 8

Researchers are investigating the effects of music on compliance, 50% of the participants listen to happy music and 50% listen to sad music. What technique should the investigators use to ensure that any post-test differences in the group's compliance result from the differences in music listening?

Accepted Answer

A)   random sampling
B)   random assignment
C)   replication
D)   correlational measurement

Question 9

The answers respondents give to surveys may be influenced by biases from which of the following sources?

Accepted Answer

A)   the order in which questions are asked
B)   the wording of the questions themselves
C)   the response options
D)   all of these choices.

Question 10

In studying racial attitudes, a social psychologist would be most interested in understanding

Accepted Answer

A)   how individuals develop racial attitudes.
B)   how the attitudes of one class are different from those of another.
C)   age difference in racial prejudice.
D)   the history of racial prejudice.

Question 11

Which of the following illustrates how hidden values might influence social psychology?

Accepted Answer

A)   Choosing to study aggression in adolescents.
B)   Choosing to study aggression in a laboratory.
C)   Choosing to use university students as research subjects.
D)   All of these choices.

Question 12

An experimenter studying competition wants to compare the behaviour of students performing a difficult task with that of students doing an easy task. She designates participants for each task, making sure that each student has an equal chance of being in either the hard or the easy condition. This procedure is known as

Accepted Answer

A)   random sampling.
B)   random assignment.
C)   conditional selection.
D)   selective designation.

Question 13

A research psychologist manipulates the caffeine intake (2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg) in human participants in the laboratory and then examines what effect the different levels of caffeine have on the participants' mood scores. In this study, mood scores are the __________ variable.

Accepted Answer

A)   dependent
B)   correlational
C)   independent
D)   experimental

Question 14

The first social psychology text was published

Accepted Answer

A)   in the early 1930s, when researchers examined the effects of deprivation on aggression and altruism.
B)   in World War I, when psychologists conducted studies of social conflict and cooperation.
C)   in World War II, when researchers performed studies of persuasion and soldier morale.
D)   in the early 1900s, shortly after social psychology experiments began to be conducted.

Question 15

Random assignment is to __________ as random sampling is to __________.

Accepted Answer

A)   correlation; causation
B)   causation; control
C)   cause and effect; generalizing to the population
D)   generalizing to the population; cause and effect.

Question 16

The hindsight bias contributes to the idea that

Accepted Answer

A)   psychological experiments lack mundane realism.
B)   social psychology is potentially dangerous.
C)   the results of psychological experiments are mere common sense.
D)   psychological experiments lack experimental realism.

Question 17

Which of the following techniques would be the most effective way of investigating the relationship between the social status and the level of education of Canadian citizens?

Accepted Answer

A)   an experiment
B)   a case study
C)   a correlational study
D)   participant observation

Question 18

A cross-cultural researcher finds that across the world most legislators are male. He concludes that political office in his own country should be closed to women. The researcher is most clearly guilty of

Accepted Answer

A)   the naturalistic fallacy.
B)   the hindsight bias.
C)   illusory correlation.
D)   false consensus effect.

Question 19

"One problem with common sense . . . is that we invoke it after we know the facts." This quote from your textbook describes

Accepted Answer

A)   the naturalistic fallacy.
B)   the hindsight bias.
C)   illusory correlation.
D)   the social representations bias.

Question 20

The text suggests that we need to exert caution when generalizing from laboratory to life because

Accepted Answer

A)   the population we study and the population at large are two separate things.
B)   laboratory testing is a simplified, controlled reality.
C)   laboratory testing always shows effects that are greater than those found in the population.
D)   we need to perform two studies before we generalize any findings to the population.

Exam 1: Introducing Social Psychology