Question 1

One common goal of sociology and social psychology is to understand

Accepted Answer

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. D

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 3

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.

Accepted Answer

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 B

Question 4

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?

Accepted Answer

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 5

Ross and colleagues (2004) found that people playing the "Wall Street Game" were ________ competitive than people playing the "Community Game," ________ of individual differences in competitiveness and cooperativeness.

Accepted Answer

A)   more; because
B)   more; regardless
C)   less; because
D)   less; regardless

Question 6

Which of the following statements most reflects a social psychological point of view?

Accepted Answer

A)   I'll hire Justin to house-sit because he seems like a trustworthy type.
B)   Sara won the competition because she is a hard-working person.
C)   Fred offered to help because there was a certain someone watching whom he wanted to impress.
D)   Janet's love for Jessica is an unconscious reflection of her childhood idealization of her mother.

Question 7

When Suzie whines in a supermarket, her father gives her candy to keep her quiet.After a while, Suzie whines more often in the market because her father has "rewarded" her whining with candy.This explanation is more compatible with a ________ approach.

Accepted Answer

A)   cognitive
B)   Gestalt
C)   construal-based
D)   behaviorist

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 9

Josh and his friends have just started up a new fraternity on campus, and want to recruit men who will be loyal and love it.Based on the self-esteem approach, which initiation strategy would you recommend to Josh?

Accepted Answer

A)   Make it easy: let any pledge in who can pay for good parties throughout the year.
B)   Make it very easy: let in the most desperate pledges.
C)   Make them suffer a little: ride backwards in elevators all week.
D)   Make it fun: let in the pledges who like to hang out and party.

Question 10

When Mark goes to give Sven a congratulatory pat on the back after a job well done, he jumps and turns away.Mark has just read Chapter 1, and fancies himself something of a Gestalt psychologist.What is he likely to think about Sven's behavior?

Accepted Answer

A)   "Sven must have been abused as a child."
B)   "What's his problem? A pat on the back is a reinforcer."
C)   "Sven must have interpreted my gesture differently than I intended."
D)   "Sven must have low self-esteem."

Question 11

A "construal" is most like which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)   a pair of glasses
B)   a cup of water
C)   a car
D)   a seatbelt

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 13

If the self-fulfilling prophecy operates appropriately, what could be the outcome of treating your new roommate as if he/she is polite, neat, and respectful?

Accepted Answer

A)   The roommate will do what he/she wants to do anyway.
B)   The roommate will meet your expectations and behave politely and respectfully and keep his/her part of the room clean.
C)   The roommate will do exactly the opposite and be rude and messy.
D)   Your behavior will have no effect on your roommate's behavior.

Question 14

Garry is a physician and is convinced that his patient, Mr.Mraz, has cancer.However, after several diagnostic tests and a biopsy that came back negative, Garry rethinks his original diagnosis.He admits that he was wrong and does more research to find the correct diagnosis.In this case, which basic motive did Garry give in to?

Accepted Answer

A)   the need for accuracy
B)   the need to feel good about oneself
C)   the need for meaning
D)   the need for control

Question 15

In their approach to understanding social behavior, social psychologists are most similar to

Accepted Answer

A)   behaviorists.
B)   Gestalt psychologists.
C)   sociologists.
D)   personality psychologists.

Question 16

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(n)

Accepted Answer

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

Question 17

Leslie cannot say "no" to anyone.Consequently she takes on too much, and doesn't fulfill her commitments as promptly as she might.Assume that when asked to explain these behaviors, Leslie is motivated to be accurate in her self-perceptions.What would she be most likely to say?

Accepted Answer

A)   "I would have gotten everything done if my sister hadn't come to visit."
B)   "You know me.I'm a go-getter who can't stand being bored."
C)   "I guess I'm a bit of a pushover, and take on more than I can responsibly handle."
D)   "I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks."

Question 18

Rashim is viewed by most people he knows as rude, brusque, and completely unconcerned with other people's feelings.He, in contrast, describes himself as efficient and task-oriented.Rahim's self-description best reflects the motive to

Accepted Answer

A)   justify our failed efforts.
B)   justify our past behavior.
C)   perceive the world accurately.
D)   succeed at any cost.

Question 19

Consider the following situation: Madeline does very poorly on a term paper she has written.If Madeline is motivated by the need to feel good about herself (the self-esteem approach), what kinds of construals might she make about this?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Consider the following situation: Madeline does very...

Question 20

Which of the following is true about social psychologists' interest in social problems?

Accepted Answer

A)   Contemporary social psychologists are not interested in social problems.
B)   Interest in social problems has arisen only in the last decade.
C)   Social problems have been a concern since the beginning of social psychology.
D)   Social problems are too complex to be addressed by social psychologists.

Exam 1: Introducing Social Psychology