Deck 16: A: Social Behaviour

Question 1

When Dr. Sterling tried to demonstrate to the MP how he can avoid bad outcomes by increasing funding to researchers, which factor in the process of persuasion was Dr. Sterling manipulating?

A)source
B)channel
C)receiver
D)message

Answer 1

message

Question 2

Which of the following pairs are topics covered in social psychology?

A)interpersonal attraction and the role of pheromones
B)interpersonal attraction and social phobias
C)person perception and interpersonal attraction
D)person perception and visual perception

Answer 2

person perception and interpersonal attraction

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons that social psychologists will study the behaviour of solitary individuals?

A)The behaviour of individuals who are alone is unaffected by social influences, so it can be seen as a "pure" behaviour.
B)The contrast between the behaviour of isolated individuals and individuals in groups is important to consider.
C)The behaviour of an individual, when alone, is still influenced by socialization and social learning.
D)An individual's behaviour can be affected by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.

Answer 3

The behaviour of individuals who are alone is unaffected by social influences, so it can be seen as a "pure" behaviour.

Question 4

When the MP assumes that the people in the experiment are "idiots," what does that illustrate?

A)self-serving bias
B)fundamental attribution error
C)external causal attribution
D)discrimination

Question 5

Deanna wore blue jeans and brought some potato salad to the company picnic. She was surprised to see that all the men were wearing suits and ties, and all the women were wearing summer dresses. The meal was served on china with crystal drinking glasses. Why was Deanna so surprised?

A)The event activated the fundamental attribution error.
B)The event triggered a confirmation bias.
C)The event was outside her latitude of acceptance.
D)The event didn't match her social schema for picnics.

Question 6

Which famous study is most similar to the one being conducted in Dr. Sterling's lab?

A)Asch's conformity study
B)Festinger's cognitive dissonance study
C)Zimbardo's prison study
D)Milgram's obedience study

Question 7

Which of the following is often sufficient to accurately determine someone's sexual orientation?

A)a ten second video clip
B)a photograph
C)a handshake
D)a personality test

Question 8

What is the primary focus of social psychology?

A)the way individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are influenced by others
B)mental disorders associated with social problems, like pathological shyness
C)the impact of self-esteem on social interaction and success
D)the way that society is structured and organized, including the study of institutions

Question 9

What is the term for the organized clusters of ideas about categories of social events and people?

A)co-variation inferences
B)attributions
C)illusory correlations
D)social schemas

Question 10

What types of attributions do people tend to make about other people, based on attractiveness?

A)We tend to be less trusting of attractive individuals.
B)We equate attractiveness with positive traits.
C)We tend to perceive attractive people as nicer, but less competent.
D)We often impose a behavioural penalty on attractive individuals.

Question 11

When we evaluate the correlations between attractiveness and actual traits, which of the following is found?

A)There is no predictive relationship between attractiveness and personality traits.
B)Attractive people really do have more favourable traits, on average, than unattractive people.
C)The relationship between income and appearance is likely related to the tendency for attractive individuals to be somewhat more intelligent.
D)Attractive individuals are more friendly and well-adjusted than unattractive people, but there are no other significant correlations.

Question 12

Joel and Kirk both work with a stock brokerage firm. Joel is considered to be extremely attractive, and Kirk is considered to be average in appearance. Based on research that has investigated the effects of physical appearance in person perception, which of the following should you predict?

A)Joel will tend to receive better performance evaluations than Kirk, for equivalent work.
B)Kirk will tend to receive better performance evaluations than Joel, for equivalent work.
C)Joel will be perceived as having greater integrity and being more honest.
D)Kirk will be perceived as being more submissive and naïve.

Question 13

Why was the politician surprised at Dr. Sterling's appearance?

A)He is vulnerable to the "what is beautiful is good" effect.
B)He has a stereotype for women, and she does not fit the stereotype.
C)He is sexist.
D)Her appearance violated his social schema for a psychology professor.

Question 14

Which persuasion technique is Dr. Sterling using when she gets the MP to agree to the tour, in hopes of him agreeing to a larger request later?

A)reciprocity norm
B)lowball technique
C)foot-in-the-door technique
D)door-in-the-face technique

Question 15

What is the term for your unique ideas about how a university class should be run, what a typical straight "A" student is like, and how a typical professor will act?

A)attitudes
B)social schemas
C)prejudices
D)attributions

Question 16

What process is called "person perception"?

A)predicting the behaviour of others
B)monitoring the impressions you make on other people
C)developing an implicit personality theory
D)forming impressions of others

Question 17

Which of the following people are most likely to be viewed as honest and trustworthy?

A)people who are physically attractive
B)baby-faced people
C)older people
D)people who mimic our own mannerisms

Question 18

What attributions do children tend to make when they are shown photos of other children?

A)They attribute positive traits based on gender rather than attractiveness.
B)They attribute positive traits based on familiarity rather than attractiveness.
C)They attribute positive traits based on attractiveness rather than other factors.
D)They attribute positive traits based on age rather than other factors.

Question 19

What is the term for widely held beliefs about groups of people based on their group membership?

A)stereotypes
B)schematizing
C)cognitive structuring
D)cultural direction

Question 20

How do we tend to perceive people with baby-faced features (e.g., large eyes, smooth skin)?

A)competent and hardworking
B)intelligent and nonconforming
C)honest and trustworthy
D)dominant and perceptive

Question 21

Which statement best reflects an evolutionary explanation of why we tend to be influenced by physical attractiveness in our perception of others?

A)We have a tendency to identify with those we perceive as attractive.
B)Physical attractiveness is associated with reproductive potential, so evaluation of appearance has adaptive value.
C)Being around attractive people tends to make us view ourselves more favourably.
D)Physically attractive individuals are also likely to be intelligent and hard working.

Question 22

What do we use attributions for?

A)to understand and predict how we will respond in novel situations
B)to avoid making errors about the causes of others' behaviour
C)to make discriminatory judgments about others
D)to explain our experiences and influence our social relations

Question 23

John observed Gracie, an executive for a large accounting firm, behave in an aggressive and pushy manner with her subordinates. John now believes that most female executives are basically aggressive and pushy with their subordinates. What is John's overestimation of the relationship between female executives and the social traits of "pushy" and "aggressive" referred to as?

A)a heuristic overbias
B)a contravened stereotype
C)a self-serving attribution
D)an illusory correlation

Question 24

According to evolutionary psychologists, how do we tend to view members of outgroups?

A)as role models
B)as potential mates
C)with deference
D)with negative stereotypes

Question 25

Eric has joined a new fraternity. Based on the research conducted by Krebs and Denton, if the other fraternity members now consider Eric as part of their ingroup, what are they more likely to do?

A)pay less attention to his actions and ideas
B)remember things that he does with greater accuracy
C)view him in somewhat negative terms
D)view him in a generally positive light

Question 26

A father suggests that his son's low marks in school are due to the child's laziness. What type of attribution has the father made?

A)situational attribution
B)internal attribution
C)distinctive attribution
D)external attribution

Question 27

Daniel started watching a movie that was half over. He thought the male lead in the movie was a private detective; however, the lead character was actually a medical doctor. Later, when Daniel is discussing the movie with his friends, he remembers the character's beat-up old car and the fact he ate a lot of fast food. His friends focus more on the character's logical assessment of the facts involved in the case. What might these differences in memory result from?

A)an actor-observer bias
B)the fundamental attribution error
C)the matching hypothesis
D)confirmation biases

Question 28

According to evolutionary psychologists, what has shaped the cognitive mechanisms that lead to bias in person perception?

A)childhood experiences
B)natural selection
C)parental attitudes
D)relationships with others

Question 29

Sharon has met three musicians who have had full beards, and she has also met three musicians who were clean-shaven. Still, she believes that most musicians have beards. What does Sharon's belief reflect?

A)an illusory correlation
B)the fundamental attribution error
C)an egocentric slant
D)a confirmation bias

Question 30

Marsha believes that all news reporters are cynical, doubting individuals who would sell their souls for an exclusive story. In this case, what do Marsha's beliefs reflect?

A)the fundamental attribution error
B)a confirmation bias
C)a stereotype
D)the matching hypothesis

Question 31

Parvati is a member of a jury, and she has voted "guilty." All the other jury members have voted "not guilty." At this point in time, how would the other jury members classify Parvati?

A)using a confirmation bias
B)as a member of their outgroup
C)as a member of their ingroup
D)as outside their latitude of acceptance

Question 32

You and your friend Nick are having lunch at a café. As you start describing your last date, Nick starts making a nasty face. You assume that Nick must have tasted something terrible, so you ask if there is something wrong with the soup. Why did you ask about the soup?

A)You're in denial about the effect of your conversation on Nick's behaviour.
B)You've established a schema that relates to Nick's food preferences and behaviour.
C)You've made an error in judgement about the cause of Nick's grimace.
D)You've made an attribution that Nick's grimace was caused by the food and not your description of your date.

Question 33

Harper is 35 years old, and he has just enrolled in his first university course. On the first day of class he looks over the individuals in the room, and sits next to another male student who appears to be in his early 30s. In this case, how did Harper classify the other student?

A)as someone who has more university experience than Harper
B)using a self-serving bias
C)as a member of his ingroup
D)as the teaching assistant for the class

Question 34

You just sat down in class next to a girl who you know is in the drama club. You believe that people who excel in drama are also very likely to drink a lot of wine, so, to start conversation, you ask this girl about her favourite wine. She tells you about a chardonnay that she particularly likes, but she doesn't mention that she rarely drinks wine (she's more of a "beer person"). Once the conversation is over, you have no idea what she prefers and you're even more convinced that actors are big wine drinkers. Based on the research of Zanna and Cooper, what has happened here?

A)You've acted in a way that is discriminatory.
B)Your stereotypes led to a self-fulfilling prophesy.
C)You've succumbed to the social schema effect.
D)You've committed the fundamental attribution error.

Question 35

Tally just heard that her neighbour, Rupert, was involved in an automobile accident. If Tally concludes that Rupert's reckless driving habits caused the accident, what has she done?

A)been influenced by an illusory correlation
B)made a self-serving attribution
C)made an internal attribution
D)made an external attribution

Question 36

Which of the following reflects the illusory correlation effect?

A)We see correlations between social traits that really aren't there, because our expectations distort our memories.
B)We fail to see true correlations between social traits, because our expectations distort our memories.
C)We are motivated to accurately estimate the frequency with which some pattern of social traits occurs.
D)We incorrectly assume that one social trait is the cause of another, simply because we have observed that they are correlated.

Question 37

What is the main reason we tend to make attributions about the causes of events, others' behaviour, and our own behaviour?

A)We have a strong need to understand our experiences.
B)Attribution making was selected for at some point in our ancestral past.
C)We have an unconscious urge to psychoanalyze the behaviour of others.
D)Having access to information about others tends to fulfill our need for power.

Question 38

Newton believes that all airline pilots are calm, cool individuals who never get excited or show any strong emotional responses. What do Newton's beliefs reflect?

A)a confirmation bias
B)a stereotype
C)the fundamental attribution error
D)the matching hypothesis

Question 39

You believe that short men have a tendency to be insecure. According to the concept of illusory correlation, which of the following are you likely to do?

A)underestimate the frequency of insecure short men
B)falsely assume that tall men are naturally secure
C)accurately estimate the frequency of insecure short men
D)overestimate the frequency of insecure short men

Question 40

What is the term for a group that one belongs to and identifies with?

A)ingroup
B)clan
C)clique
D)family

Question 41

Skye scored 100 percent on her statistics midterm. According to Weiner's attributional model, if Skye makes an internal-stable attribution for her success, what is she most likely to say?

A)"The professor makes the whole course so easy to understand that it is virtually impossible to do poorly in the class."
B)"I was calm and relaxed the day of the exam because I was able to get a good night's sleep the night before the exam."
C)"It was just good luck that most of the exam was on the material I had time to study."
D)"I have always been good at statistics; I guess I just have a natural ability in that area."

Question 42

Imagine that you recently obtained a job that you applied for. According to Weiner's attributional model, if you state, "I knew I would get the job because I just seemed to do everything right on the day of the interview," what type of attribution have you made?

A)internal-unstable attribution
B)external-stable attribution
C)internal-stable attribution
D)external-unstable attribution

Question 43

Warren tells Corr that he can't believe it, but he scored 98% on his linear algebra midterm. Corr decides that Warren must be very bright if he earns such high grades in math courses. What is illustrated by this example?

A)self-serving bias
B)defensive attribution
C)illusory correlation
D)fundamental attribution error

Question 44

When you fail a test, which of the following attributions is more likely to be made by your roommate about your grade?

A)The test was unfair.
B)Most of the class also failed the test.
C)The teacher is ineffective.
D)You didn't study enough.

Question 45

When you get an A on a test, which of the following attributions is more likely to be made by you than by your roommate?

A)You studied very hard.
B)The teacher gave a lot of hints.
C)You're very smart.
D)You have a natural ability in that area.

Question 46

What type of attribution is blaming your friend's car accident on the weather conditions an example of?

A)a dispositional attribution
B)a defensive attribution
C)an external attribution
D)a self-serving attribution

Question 47

If you tend to overemphasize internal characteristics in explaining the behaviour of others, which of the following describes your explanations?

A)fundamental attribution error
B)false consensus effect
C)situational attributional tendency
D)self-serving bias

Question 48

Martha wins three games of backgammon in a row, even though she has never played before. If Martha assumes she has "beginner's luck," what type of attribution has she made about her success?

A)internal-unstable
B)external-unstable
C)external-stable
D)internal-stable

Question 49

When Darren's classmate earns a "D" on an essay for her history class, Darren figures the classmate is unmotivated, and should have spent more time working on the paper and less time socializing. The classmate is disappointed with her grade, but she knows she didn't have much time to work on the essay because she had to work double shifts the entire week before the paper was due. What does this example illustrate?

A)self-serving bias
B)cognitive dissonance
C)defensive attributions
D)actor-observer bias

Question 50

Which tendency is explained by the fundamental attribution error?

A)Actors favour internal attributions in explaining the behaviour of others.
B)Observers favour external attributions in explaining the behaviour of others.
C)Actors favour external attributions in explaining the behaviour of others.
D)Observers favour internal attributions in explaining the behaviour of others.

Question 51

As you're shopping you see a woman yelling at the manager of a clothing store. Given the actor-observer bias, how is your interpretation of the event most likely to differ from the interpretation of the yelling woman?

A)The yelling woman is more likely to perceive the situation as being the cause of her aggressive behaviour.
B)The yelling woman is more likely to be accurate about the cause of her behaviour.
C)You are more likely to be accurate about the cause of the yelling woman's behaviour.
D)You are more likely to make an external attribution about the cause of the yelling woman's behaviour.

Question 52

Paulo was laid off from his job over six months ago and, even though he has applied for more than 40 positions since then, he is still out of work. His landlord believes that Paulo must be lazy because, if he were truly motivated, he would have found a job by now. Which of the following is illustrated by the landlord's explanation?

A)defensive attribution
B)self-serving bias
C)cognitive dissonance
D)confirmation bias

Question 53

Alphonse failed his geology midterm. According to Weiner's attributional model, if Alphonse makes an external-unstable attribution for his failure, what is he most likely to say?

A)"I just can't seem to catch on in my geology classes, and I don't think I'll ever learn all those terms."
B)"That professor has impossible exams; if I retake the class with a different professor I'll probably do much better."
C)"It was just bad luck that most of the exam was on the one chapter I didn't study."
D)"I was really tired during the exam because I had to work the late shift the night before the exam."

Question 54

Tina recently lost over half the money she had put away for her retirement. If Webster concludes that Tina lost the money because the stock market took a significant downturn, what has he done?

A)made an external attribution
B)made the fundamental attribution error
C)been influenced by an illusory correlation
D)made an internal attribution

Question 55

Celine just heard that her neighbour, Rodney, was involved in an automobile accident. If Celine concludes that Rodney's children distracted him for a few seconds, and that was the reason for the accident, what has she done?

A)made the fundamental attribution error
B)made an external attribution
C)been influenced by an illusory correlation
D)made an internal attribution

Question 56

Dallas watches as Rhoda missteps in the cafeteria and spills coffee on herself and two other students. If Dallas concludes that Rhoda is an uncoordinated "klutz" who wasn't paying attention to what she was doing, what has he done?

A)made an internal attribution
B)made an external attribution
C)made a self-serving attribution
D)been influenced by an illusory correlation

Question 57

You've just been awarded a full scholarship for next year, which you perceive as confirmation of your superior intellectual ability. According to Weiner's model, what type of attribution have you made about your success?

A)external-stable
B)internal-stable
C)external-unstable
D)internal-unstable

Question 58

According to the notion of defensive attribution, what do we use to explain the setbacks that befall other people?

A)stable causes
B)external causes
C)defensive causes
D)internal causes

Question 59

Why do actors and observers tend to give different explanations for the same instance of behaviour by an actor?

A)Only outside observers can accurately explain actors' behaviour.
B)Situational pressures may not be readily apparent to an observer.
C)Observers tend to possess more knowledge than the actors.
D)Only actors themselves can accurately explain their own behaviour.

Question 60

Ralph watches as a customer with at least 40 items lines up at his express checkout line. He decides the customer must be a real "idiot" to miss the sign that indicates Ralph's checkout line is an express line with a limit of 10 items. What is illustrated by this example?

A)self-serving bias
B)illusory correlation
C)defensive attribution
D)fundamental attribution error

Question 61

Nicole is a 30-year-old lawyer who holds very conservative views. She always votes Conservative in every election. At a New Year's Eve party she meets Frank who is also a 30-year-old lawyer, but who holds very liberal views. He tells Nicole that he would never think of voting for a Conservative candidate. Based on the research by Rosenbaum, which of the following should you predict?

A)Nicole will be attracted to Frank because they are both lawyers.
B)Nicole will dislike Frank because he holds opposite political views, and dissimilarity causes disdain.
C)Nicole will not be attracted to Frank because he isn't older than she is.
D)Nicole will be attracted to Frank because he holds opposite political views, and opposites attract.

Question 62

Based on data from a longitudinal study of best friends, which of the following predicts closeness after two decades of friendship?

A)similarity
B)gender
C)attractiveness
D)talkativeness

Question 63

What is the term for putting personal goals ahead of group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes?

A)individualism
B)egocentrism
C)hedonism
D)dispositional attributional bias

Question 64

Phyllis is playing in a basketball game, and when she makes a three-point basket she is ecstatic. She proudly tells her coach that it shows how all her extra practice has paid off. However, later in the game Phyllis misses an almost identical shot. This time she explains to her coach that she was distracted by one of the opposing players. What do Phyllis's attributions illustrate?

A)actor-observer bias
B)self-serving bias
C)matching hypothesis
D)fundamental attribution error

Question 65

According to Sternberg, which component of love peaks early in a relationship?

A)intimacy
B)passion
C)commitment
D)possessiveness

Question 66

Attributing one's success on an exam to one's intelligence and one's failure to the unfairness of the exam is an example of which of the following?

A)actor-observer bias
B)fundamental attributional error
C)self-serving bias
D)defensive attribution

Question 67

Which of the following are individuals from Western societies less likely to use in their causal attributions, relative to individuals from non-Western societies?

A)actor-observer bias
B)self-effacing bias
C)self-serving bias
D)fundamental attribution error

Question 68

What is the self-serving bias?

A)attributing our successes to external causes and our failures to internal causes
B)attributing our successes to consensus and our failures to uniqueness
C)attributing our successes to dispositional causes and our failures to situational causes
D)attributing our successes to ego strength and our failures to ego weakness

Question 69

Which of the following adages seems to be supported by research on factors contributing to building relationships?

A)"Similarity breeds liking."
B)"Similarity builds uncertainty."
C)"Similarity breeds contempt."
D)"Similarity builds discrimination."

Question 70

Which of the following statements is most accurate concerning attitudes?

A)People are equally likely to be attracted to people with similar and dissimilar attitudes.
B)People are more likely to be attracted to someone with similar attitudes.
C)People are more likely to be attracted to someone with dissimilar attitudes.
D)People are not attracted to others based on their attitudes because attitudes and attraction are independent.

Question 71

What is the term for putting group goals ahead of personal goals and defining one's identity in terms of the groups one belongs to?

A)attributionism
B)collectivism
C)functionalism
D)individualism

Question 72

Which of the following is true of initial attraction to a person?

A)It is greatly influenced by that person's physical attractiveness.
B)It is greatly influenced by perceived intellectual similarity.
C)It is more influenced by personality similarity than by physical attractiveness.
D)It is minimally influenced by that person's physical attractiveness.

Question 73

Julian is playing a computer trivia game against some friends. When he wins the first game he attributes his win to his quick reaction time. However, when Julian loses the second game he attributes his loss to the fact that his signalling button stopped working correctly. What do Julian's attributions illustrate?

A)matching hypothesis
B)fundamental attribution error
C)self-serving bias
D)actor-observer bias

Question 74

Carisa was born and raised in a traditional Latin American culture; Olga was born and raised in an industrialized western city. Based on evidence from cross-cultural studies comparing individualistic and collectivist cultures, which of the following is likely true of Carisa in comparison to Olga?

A)Carisa is less likely to experience cognitive dissonance.
B)Carisa is more prone to the fundamental attribution error.
C)Carisa is less prone to the fundamental attribution error.
D)Carisa is more likely to experience cognitive dissonance.

Question 75

Which of the following are Japanese subjects more likely to engage in than American subjects?

A)self-effacing bias
B)self-serving bias
C)fundamental attribution error
D)individualism

Question 76

Pierre is a moderately attractive 16-year-old. The high school that he attends is holding a "Sadie Hawkins" dance where the girls ask the boys to the dance. He is hoping to be asked to the dance by either Whitney or Tammy. Whitney is moderately attractive; Tammy is extremely attractive. Which of the following is likely based on the evidence from studies that have investigated physical attractiveness and dating?

A)Both girls will ask Pierre to the dance, because women are less likely to consider attractiveness in selecting partners.
B)Tammy will ask Pierre to the dance, because people tend to select partners who are slightly less attractive.
C)Neither girl will ask Pierre to the dance, because people tend to select partners who are more attractive.
D)Whitney will ask Pierre to the dance, because people tend to select partners who match their own level of attractiveness.

Question 77

According to Sternberg, which component of love shows the most gradual increase over time?

A)passion
B)intimacy
C)commitment
D)infatuation

Question 78

Toshi was born and raised in Japan; Otis was born and raised in the United States. Based on cross-cultural studies comparing individualistic and collectivist cultures, which of the following is expected of Toshi compared to Otis?

A)Toshi is less likely to exhibit a self-serving bias in explaining success.
B)Toshi is more likely to exhibit a self-serving bias in explaining success.
C)Toshi is less likely to experience cognitive dissonance.
D)Toshi is more likely to experience cognitive dissonance.

Question 79

What is the name for the idea that males and females of approximately equal physical attractiveness are likely to select each other as partners?

A)matching hypothesis
B)attitude-behaviour consistency principle
C)attributional outcome principle
D)propinquity hypothesis

Question 80

What is the term for attributing one's successes to dispositional factors and one's failures to situational factors?

A)self-serving bias
B)actor-observer bias
C)fundamental attribution error
D)self-enhancing strategy