Question 1

Jacob recently was late to a meeting because of a traffic jam.Later that day, when his wife is late arriving home, Jacob is probably going to be ________, based on the idea of the hypocrisy induction.

Accepted Answer

A)  angrier 
B)  harsher 
C)  more easily frustrated 
D)  forgiving

Question 2

Research in which participants' brains were scanned with MRIs while doing a dissonance-producing task showed that when people encounter dissonance, the ________ areas of the brain decrease in activity, and when dissonance is resolved, the ________ areas of the brain "light up."

Accepted Answer

A)  emotion; reasoning 
B)  reasoning; memory 
C)  memory; emotion 
D)  reasoning; emotion

Question 3

Why would people be less likely to engage in dissonance-reducing behaviors in a collectivist culture?

Accepted Answer

A) because they would be focused on group harmony rather than self-justification 
B) because they would not experience dissonance 
C) because they would focus only on self-justification 
D) because they would not be able to change their behavior or add cognitions

Question 4

Who would be LEAST likely to remember sound and well-founded arguments against smoking?

Accepted Answer

A)  a person who has finally quit smoking after repeated attempts 
B)  a person who keeps trying to quit smoking without success 
C)  a person who has no desire to quit smoking 
D)  a person who has never smoked

Question 5

Derek likes to bully his little brother Matt.Their mother begins to give Derek the mild punishment of a stern look every time Derek hits Matt.This is sufficient to stop Derek's bullying, and in time, Derek stops bullying Matt even when his mother is not around.According to theories of insufficient punishment, why might this happen?

Accepted Answer

A)  Because there was sufficient external justification for resisting, Derek began to devalue the forbidden activity. 
B)  Because there was sufficient external justification for resisting, Derek began to place greater value on his relationship with his brother. 
C)  Because there was insufficient external justification for resisting, Derek began to devalue the forbidden activity. 
D)  Because there was insufficient external justification for resisting, Derek began to place greater value on his relationship with his brother.

Question 6

Compare and contrast how cognitive dissonance theory and self-perception theory (Chapter 5) would explain the Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) $1/$20 experiment.Given that both theories can explain these results, in which situations is dissonance theory more likely to apply and in what conditions is self-perception theory probably operating?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast how cognitive dissonance theory...

Question 7

People tend to fall subject to the impact bias (and not understand that they will usually successfully reduce cognitive dissonance) because reducing cognitive dissonance is

Accepted Answer

A) a painful process. 
B) controlled and conscious. 
C) largely unconscious. 
D) quick and effortful.

Question 8

Why does self-persuasion work better than being lectured by other people to behave in a certain way?

Accepted Answer

A) Self-persuasion is based on implicit attitudes. 
B) Self-persuasion takes place internally and involves convincing yourself of something. 
C) Self-persuasion is automatic. 
D) Self-persuasion is usually an effortful and conscious process that takes time.

Question 9

As you and your friends returned and met up for the first time since high school, you find that you've all taken different paths in life.Based on cognitive dissonance and the principle of justification of effort, who would be the LEAST satisfied with what he or she is currently doing?

Accepted Answer

A) Jill, who just finished a grueling four-month training period with the Marines 
B) Matt, who is in the Peace Corps, living in third-world countries with no modern conveniences 
C) Fiona, who is going to a local college with a loose admissions policy, and whose parents are paying her way 
D) Ann, who went through a five-step process to be accepted at her college and now is taking rigorous courses

Question 10

Describe cultural differences in the extent to which individuals experience dissonance.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe cultural differences in the extent to...

Question 11

Carl and Roger both had similar attitudes about cheating on a partner.However, both were faced with similar situations where they could have cheated on their partners.Now, Carl thinks that cheating is the worst offense one can make in a relationship, whereas Roger thinks that most people would cheat if they were faced with the situation.Explain what could have occurred, both socially and psychologically, that could produce such diverse positions from individuals who shared a similar stance.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Carl and Roger both had similar attitudes...

Question 12

According to the authors of your text, after carefully making a decision, what is likely to happen?

Accepted Answer

A) You will focus on the negative aspects of the choice you made. 
B) You will experience dissonance for several days. 
C) You will start to think more and more about the good qualities of your decision. 
D) You will begin to regret all the time you put into making your decision.

Question 13

In experiments on counterattitudinal advocacy, people change their attitudes more the lower the external incentives.This finding is inconsistent with the ________ approach to psychology.

Accepted Answer

A)  Gestalt 
B)  behaviorist 
C)  psychodynamic 
D)  experimental

Question 14

In a classic experiment, researchers (Aronson & Mettee, 1968) gave positive false feedback to some students, negative false feedback to some students, and no feedback to others.They were interested in seeing whether a boost to self-esteem would affect the likelihood of cheating.In this experiment, what is the independent variable?

Accepted Answer

A)  type of feedback 
B)  cheating 
C)  self-esteem 
D)  the students

Question 15

The Ben Franklin effect would predict that you would most like someone ________, whereas behaviorist theories would predict that you would most like someone ________.

Accepted Answer

A) who treated you rudely; who treated you kindly 
B) you did a favor for; who did a favor for you 
C) who rewarded you strongly; whom you rewarded strongly 
D) who challenged your attitude; affirmed your attitude

Question 16

When someone dehumanizes a victim and successfully reduces dissonance in this way, this is likely to lead to

Accepted Answer

A) a continuation or escalation of cruelty. 
B) a reduction of cruelty. 
C) a total cessation of cruelty. 
D) effort justification in the form of hate groups.

Question 17

Jennifer's dad wants to convince her to do her homework as soon as she gets home from school.To ensure that Jennifer actually does her homework immediately-whether or not he is there to keep an eye on her-Jennifer's dad should provide

Accepted Answer

A)  large monetary rewards when she begins her homework right away. 
B)  mild threats of punishment if she doesn't begin her homework right away. 
C)  promises of large rewards when she begins her homework right away. 
D)  severe punishment when she doesn't begin her homework right away.

Question 18

When people act contrary to their self-perceptions as reasonable and sensible people, they experience a feeling known as ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  defensive attribution 
B)  low self-esteem 
C)  affective ambivalence 
D)  cognitive dissonance

Question 19

When a neighbor asks if he can borrow your chemistry textbook and you do him this favor, dissonance theory would predict that you will like him more due to the Ben Franklin effect, which works because you

Accepted Answer

A) only do favors for people you initially like. 
B) share an interest in and love for chemistry. 
C) have to internally justify doing this favor. 
D) find external justification for doing a favor.

Question 20

Someone reminds you to be appropriately grateful for the gifts you receive.Were a dissonance theorist to remind you to be thankful, he or she would be giving you advice on how to

Accepted Answer

A)  avoid cognitive dissonance. 
B)  avoid things that might be costly. 
C)  prevent consonance in your cognitions. 
D)  prevent insufficient justification.

Exam 6: The Need to Justify Our Actions: the Costs and Benefits of Dissonance Reduction