Deck 1: Introducing Social Psychology

Question 1

A prediction about causes or about relationships between variables is a(n):

A) assumption.
B) empirical speculation.
C) observation.
D) scientific hypothesis.

Answer 1

scientific hypothesis.

Question 2

Social psychologists are scientifically innovative when they:

A) construct a theory based on background knowledge, experience or observation.
B) force data to 'fit' a theory to prove or disprove the study's hypothesis and examine facts.
C) carefully plan a crucial experiment so no harm comes to the participants and the study remains ethical.
D) achieve a blinding breakthrough following a long period of frustration and create new theories.

Answer 2

construct a theory based on background knowledge, experience or observation.

Question 3

The choice of an appropriate investigative method is NOT determined by:

A) the nature of the hypothesis under investigation.
B) the gender of the participants.
C) the resources available for doing the research (e.g., time, money, research participants).
D) the ethics of the method.

Answer 3

the gender of the participants.

Question 4

A main difference between 'general' and 'social' psychology is:

A) general psychology investigates group behaviour only, and social psychology is only interested in how individuals interact in different societies and cultures.
B) social psychology is largely concerned with face-to-face interaction between individuals or groups, whereas general psychology focuses on people's reactions to stimuli that do not have to be social.
C) general psychology is largely concerned with face-to-face interaction between individuals or groups, whereas social psychology focuses on people's reactions to stimuli that do not have to be social.
D) social psychology investigative methods include testing hypotheses and make conclusions about theories, whereas general psychology investigative methods include experimental designs to find a significant difference.

Question 5

The main difference between social psychology and other scientific disciplines, such as physics, chemistry and biology, is:

A) the former studies human social behaviour while the others study non-organic phenomena and chemical and biological processes.
B) physics, chemistry and biology use the scientific method to study phenomena whereas social psychology does not.
C) physics, chemistry and biology discover facts about phenomena, whereas social psychology only proves or disproves hypotheses.
D) physics, chemistry and biology make future predictions, whereas social psychology makes historical rationalisations.

Question 6

Replication is an important feature of the scientific method because:

A) it becomes the authority for conducting experiments on the topic in future studies.
B) it allows the researcher to study the effects of time on a particular topic under study.
C) it guards against the possibility that a finding is tied to the particular testing circumstances.
D) it allows the scientific community to produce repeated evidence that something is proven.

Question 7

Carl Popper defined a scientific hypothesis as one that can:

A) be disproved but not proved.
B) never be stated confidently.
C) neither be proved nor disproved.
D) be proved but not disproved.

Question 8

Social psychologists study behaviour because:

A) it is more interesting than studying people's thoughts and feelings.
B) they want to be more integrated with behavioural psychology.
C) behaviour can be observed and measured.
D) you can tell everything about a person based on their behaviour.

Question 9

Social psychology is distinct from other social science disciplines because of:

A) what it studies, how it studies it, and what level of explanation is sought.
B) the concepts it studies, such as culture, emotion and attraction.
C) the topics it studies, such as conformity, persuasion, and power.
D) the methods of studies, such as ethnography or phenomenology.

Question 10

In social psychology, a scientific hypothesis refers to:

A) the tendency to seek data to verify the assumption.
B) a statement that can be empirically tested.
C) the intervention used to manipulate variables.
D) locating facts to support the assumption in a study.

Question 11

After the 1970s social psychology was significantly influenced by:

A) the study of genetics.
B) cognitive psychology.
C) social anthropology.
D) developmental psychology.

Question 12

Cognitive psychology's influence on social psychology is evident in the area of:

A) animal behaviour.
B) sociolinguistics.
C) social cognition.
D) cognitive dissonance.

Question 13

As a discipline, social psychology is:

A) a concept.
B) a theory.
C) a norm.
D) a science.

Question 14

The use of the scientific method in social psychology implies that:

A) an experiment is conducted in a laboratory setting.
B) researchers blind themselves to intuitive approaches.
C) qualitative methods are rigorously avoided and downgraded.
D) research predictions are derived from theory.

Question 15

Social psychology is social because it:

A) incorporates evolutionary social psychology.
B) deals with how people are affected by other people.
C) is a branch of general psychology.
D) is based on group dynamics.

Question 16

What distinguishes sociology from social psychology is:

A) social psychology's emphasis on external validity, while sociology emphasis on internal validity.
B) sociology's neglect of theory, while social psychology is highly theoretical.
C) sociology's emphasis on the group as a whole, rather than the individual.
D) sociology's level of objectivity is much lower than social psychology's level of objectivity.

Question 17

One problem with defining social psychology solely in terms of the topics it studies is that:

A) this does not properly differentiate it from other disciplines.
B) it's too closely related to sociology.
C) it covers the study of too large a range of topics.
D) there is no problem in defining social psychology by topics.

Question 18

Social psychologists also focus on:

A) people's feelings and thoughts.
B) animal behaviour.
C) the origins of people.
D) law and ethics.

Question 19

A crucial aspect of the scientific method is that it:

A) produces data that are logically derived.
B) tests a theory by how it corresponds with fact.
C) is based on a history of continuous development.
D) leads to results that are published in a reputable source.

Question 20

Social psychology deals with how people are affected:

A) by mental pressure.
B) by other animals.
C) by external pressure.
D) by other people.

Question 21

Wanda tries to outsmart the testing instrument during a social psychology experiment. To her surprise, her 'lie' is detected. The experiment is probably:

A) equipped with a lie detector.
B) based on a demand characteristic.
C) high on internal validity.
D) low on experimental realism.

Question 22

t tests have been commonly employed in psychological research to:

A) estimate the size of a difference between the means of two groups of scores.
B) determine the correlation coefficient for the scores in each group.
C) determine the significance of a difference between the means of group scores.
D) prove a hypothesis using a specific mathematical formulas to find a significance level.

Question 23

Laboratory experiments should always be high on:

A) external validity.
B) internal validity.
C) experimenter effects.
D) demand characteristics.

Question 24

Evaluation apprehension, demand characteristics and social desirability refer to:

A) responses by a participant that can bias an experimental result.
B) modern fields of experimental research.
C) responses that are triggered by the way a confederate behaves.
D) variables that intervene between stimulus and response.

Question 25

Justin is a trained social psychologist, whereas Bill majored in graphic arts. In their respective career paths, we would expect it is more likely that:

A) Bill studies people in groups.
B) Bill is interested in numerical trends.
C) Justin uses the scientific method.
D) Justin is interested in monkeys.

Question 26

A one-factor experimental research design can be based on:

A) two levels of one independent variable.
B) two levels of one dependent variable.
C) only independent variables.
D) only dependent variables.

Question 27

Random allocation of participants to conditions is one way to reduce:

A) confounding variables.
B) experimenter bias.
C) socially desirable responding.
D) stigmatisation.

Question 28

An experimental manipulation is:

A) sure to enrage radical activists.
B) a form of unethical deception.
C) necessary to determine a relationship between variables.
D) what an experimenter does when a result is rigged.

Question 29

Laboratory experiments are designed so as to:

A) control for confounding variables.
B) establish external validity.
C) be as close as possible to a real-life experience.
D) establish effective measurements for multiple variables.

Question 30

Most mainstream social psychological knowledge is derived from:

A) the statistical analysis of quantitative data.
B) common sense.
C) research carried out prior to 1950.
D) cognitive psychology.

Question 31

To test a scientific hypothesis, researchers:

A) test it empirically.
B) propose an imaginary outcome.
C) wait until it has stood the test of time.
D) construct a different hypothesis.

Question 32

In social psychology, a dependent variable in an experiment:

A) changes as a consequence of changes in the independent variable.
B) is a method in non-experimental research used to limit participant experiences.
C) the setup of a wide variety of behaviours used within the experiment to test theories.
D) the strategy for participant selection based on randomness or voluntary actions.

Question 33

Non-experimental methods include:

A) archival research, surveys and case studies.
B) the repeated measures method and field experiments.
C) the two-factor analysis of variance.
D) manipulating an independent variable.

Question 34

Because she is intrigued by carrying out ________, Rebecca positioned herself at some traffic lights. She then either stared or did not stare into the eyes of drivers who were waiting for a green light. She then measured whether her staring affected the speed at which they took off.

A) surveys
B) archival research
C) case studies
D) field experiments

Question 35

A confounding variable in a research design is:

A) an unintended independent variable that covaries with an intended independent variable.
B) dependent on using a lie detector in order to eliminate possible false descriptions.
C) a procedure used to sort out information and create results that are high in validity.
D) a bonus researchers are happy to see because it is often an unexpected benefit of conducting research.

Question 36

The double-blind procedure is used in experiments to:

A) reduce the experimenter's bias.
B) make the results externally valid.
C) reduce social desirability.
D) confound everyone except the experimenter.

Question 37

The independent variable in an experiment refers to the variable that is:

A) held constant.
B) a feature of a situation that changes of their own accord or can be manipulated.
C) out of control.
D) the same for all participants.

Question 38

At a broad level, research in social psychology can be said to use two types of methods:

A) correlational and multivariate.
B) discursive and narrative.
C) quantitative and statistical.
D) experimental and non-experimental.

Question 39

One way to avoid confounding results in an experiment is to:

A) ensure the hypotheses are phrased as testable predictions.
B) test all participants in rooms with blue walls, regardless of their condition.
C) ensure all conditions are identical except for the independent variable of interest.
D) only ever test a maximum of six participants at a time, to allow ease of recording data.

Question 40

You are interested in the effects of visual feedback on how people respond when they meet a stranger. Half of your participants see a videotape of their own facial reactions when they meet a stranger; the other half does not see a videotape. You then ask all participants how positively they felt about their encounter with the stranger. The independent variable in your investigation is:

A) the stranger.
B) visual feedback.
C) you as the researcher.
D) the predictive statistic.

Question 41

Discourse analysis:

A) is a form of qualitative analysis on textual information.
B) is a form of qualitative analysis on numerical information.
C) is a method used to answer a question that starts with 'How many…?'.
D) is a method used to discover a causal relationship between variables.

Question 42

A nineteenth-century experiment undertaken by Triplett was the forerunner to later work dealing with:

A) social facilitation.
B) social identity theory.
C) the group mind.
D) gender stereotyping.

Question 43

Which set of theories proposes that people behave based on socially constructed group norms that influence us in specific contexts?

A) Personality theories
B) Collectivist theories
C) Behaviourist theories
D) Evolutionary social psychological theories

Question 44

Jane, who has just started studying the sciences, is absolutely convinced that the scientific method is the one way to achieve true knowledge. Jane's position is typically:

A) anarchist.
B) reductionist.
C) post-modernist.
D) positivist.

Question 45

The requirement for theoretical terms to be defined so that they can be measured is termed:

A) reductionism.
B) positivism.
C) operational definition.
D) level of explanation.

Question 46

Milgram's experiment asked students to deliver a shock to another student when they had an incorrect response. The person delivering the shock did not know there was no real shock. What aspect of research ethics is highlighted in the Milgram experiment?

A) Milgram did not need to worry about research ethics as there is no violation.
B) Milgram only needs to obtain consent for participants involved in the study.
C) Milgram should obtain informed consent and debrief participants after the study.
D) This study should have never been allowed due to several unethical practices.

Question 47

More than a century ago, LeBon thought that crowds would sometimes behave badly because people were being controlled by:

A) a ruthless leader.
B) the proletariat.
C) a group mind.
D) proto-fascists.

Question 48

Informed consent:

A) means that deception in research is no longer possible.
B) only applies to studies in a laboratory.
C) ensures that people are not manipulated or coerced to participate in a study.
D) is not an important issue addressed in human research ethics.

Question 49

The general idea that we are biological entities and that psychology happens in the brain has given rise to:

A) evolutionary social psychology.
B) social neuroscience.
C) collectivist theories.
D) behaviourism.

Question 50

For his Master's research, John is collecting evidence that emotional experiences can be explained purely by physiological factors. His approach is:

A) reductionist.
B) post-modern.
C) evolutionary.
D) positivistic.

Question 51

The term 'debriefing' refers to:

A) participants being given a full explanation of what the experiment was about.
B) participants being told why they cannot talk to others after the research.
C) the harmful effects of the research being dissipated by offering a reward.
D) the remuneration that the assistant gets paid for helping the experimenter.

Question 52

The right to privacy, informed consent and the use of deception:

A) are principles that distinguish social psychology from other social sciences.
B) are principles that have recently been relaxed in conducting human research.
C) have been in operation since the early beginnings of social psychology.
D) are three of several ethical principles that guide psychological research.

Question 53

The most important ethical principles guiding human research, in descending order of importance, are:

A) 1. informed consent; 2. respect for privacy; 3. use of deception.
B) 1. use of deception; 2. informed consent; 3. respect for privacy.
C) there is no agreed basis for ranking ethical principles.
D) 1. respect for privacy; 2. informed consent; 3. debriefing.

Question 54

An interpersonal level of explanation examines:

A) the interaction between individuals within a given environment.
B) the influence of positional factors on social interactions.
C) the psychological processes involved in an individual experience of the environment.
D) the influence of social beliefs and group relations.

Question 55

Inspired by the early behaviourist John Watson, Floyd Allport argued that social psychology would only flourish if:

A) the discipline became less reductionist.
B) individual level analyses were emphasised.
C) the discipline became an experimental science.
D) new methods were adopted by social psychologists.

Question 56

Behaviourism has been the basis for the formulation of:

A) social evolution theory and memory, perception, social modelling and language studies.
B) social modelling, the reinforcement-affect model and social thinking theory.
C) social identity theory, observational learning and cause-and-effect relations.
D) social exchange theory, social modelling, reinforcement-affect model and drive theory.

Question 57

Which of the following describes Triplett's dynamogenic theory explaining the superior performance of cyclists in the presence of others?

A) Other cyclists help with energy conservation
B) Brain worry inhibits motor performance
C) Repetitive tasks allow for controlled bursts
D) Competitive instinct releases nervous energy

Question 58

Furnishing a general perspective on social psychology, evolutionary theory and general relativity theory can be best described as:

A) general theories.
B) meta-theories.
C) short-range mini-theories.
D) grand theories.

Question 59

The influence of early twentieth century German Gestalt psychology on social psychology is evident in:

A) cognitive theories.
B) the various forms of attribution theory.
C) social exchange theory.
D) theories of attraction.

Question 60

The idea of a social group having a mind:

A) originated in Murphy and Murphy's work summarising 1000 studies.
B) originated when Lewin founded a research centre in 1945.
C) was derived from Allport's published works in social psychology.
D) was derived from the nineteenth century work of the folk psychologists.

Question 61

Which of the following was NOT the basis of an early and famous experiment in social psychology?

A) Cognitive dissonance (by Festinger and Carlsmith)
B) Social identity (by Tajfel)
C) Group pressure (by Asch)
D) Norm formation (by Sherif)

Question 62

Kurt Lewin, often considered the 'father' of experimental social psychology, ________.

A) observed that cyclists who were paced or in a race rode faster than when they rode alone
B) discovered the Id
C) founded a research centre for group dynamics
D) formulated the influential theory of cognitive dissonance

Question 63

Which of the following trends has become important in the field of social psychology within Australia and New Zealand?

A) An increase in the study of indigenous populations
B) The introduction of social psychology as a new discipline
C) The representation of social psychologists on boards and journals
D) The founding of an Australian Association of Social Psychology

Question 64

Cognition is emphasised in modern social psychology in:

A) discourse analysis.
B) psychoanalysis theory.
C) attribution theory.
D) obedience theory.

Question 65

Because Australia and New Zealand are recent immigrant countries that strive to practise multiculturalism, what issues might be important areas of research that may be somewhat different to other countries? Issues to do with:

A) personality, leadership and motivation.
B) learning, culture and motivation.
C) group mind, ethnicity and leadership.
D) ethnicity, culture and intergroup relations.