Deck 14: Social Behavior

Question 1

Away from the office, Jan has become friends with Fran, a woman she supervises at work. Jan must do an evaluation of Fran, who hasn't been very efficient lately. It is most likely that Jan will experience

A) groupthink
B) role conflict
C) group sanctions
D) overdisclosure

Answer 1

Groupthink is a pshychological phenomenon in which members of a group arrive at an irrational decision. The members try to minimize conflict, and compromise on the dissenting viewpoints. They come to a decision without critically thinking on available alternatives.
Group sanctions are rewards or punishments entitled to a person in a group. A person in rewarded for adherence to the norms of the group conduct; the person is rejected or punished for nonconformity to the group conduct.
Overdisclosure is sharing private thoughts and feelings more than what is appropriate for a situation or a relationship. Overdisclosure makes a person suspicious, and it reduces the charm.
Hence, the options (a), (c), and (d) are not correct.
Role conflict is a situation in which an individual playing two different roles needs to make a decision on conflicting demands. People generally play multiple roles in the society. Often, two different conflicting situations may be met by an individual who need to make justified decisions. The individual may need to compromise on one of the demands, which is called role conflict.
Hence, the correct answer is (b) role conflict.

Question 2

A common error we all make is to attribute the actions of others to internal causes. This is known as the fundamental

A) reciprocity norm
B) role conflict
C) social comparison
D) attribution error

Answer 2

Reciprocity norm is a factor that influences interpersonal attraction. It is the expectation of exchange of benefits or favors between people. It may even be negative, that is, unfavorable treatments also may be reciprocated. The reciprocity norm functions to maintain a balance in social systems.
Role conflict is a situation in which an individual playing two different roles needs to make a decision on conflicting demands. People generally play multiple roles in the society. Often, two different conflicting situations may be met by an individual who need to make justified decisions.
Social comparison is comparing oneself to those of others. Individuals often compare their own actions, opinions, or abilities to those of others, to know their position in the society.
Hence, the options (a), (b), and (c) are not correct answers.
Attribution error is blaming circumstances for mistakes or errors a person makes. Often, people ascribe success to their skills, but blames circumstances and bad luck for losses. Such a behavior is called attribution error.
Hence, the correct answer is (d) attribution error.

Question 3

The three parts of an attitude are

A) internal, external, group
B) conviction, attribution, absorption
C) status, norm, cohesion
D) belief, emotion, action

Answer 3

Internal process, external process, and group process are concerned with how a person evaluates his own actions.
Convection, attribution, and absorption are concerned with how a person views and accepts a behavior of the other person. Conviction is having strong feeling, attribution is how a person accepts the results of his actions; and absorption is how a person accepts another person.
Status is the position of a person in the society, norm is a socially accepted behavior, and cohesion is the closeness between persons working in a group. These three factors influence a group structure.
Hence, the options (a), (b), and (c) are not the correct answers.
The three parts through which attitudes are expressed are beliefs, emotions, and actions. Belief is what a person thinks about a particular object, emotions are feeling towards that object; and actions refer to how a person acts towards that object.
Hence, the correct answer is (d) belief, emotion, action.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT one of the factors that typically determines whether our attitudes are expressed as actions?

A) empathic arousal
B) existing habits
C) immediate consequences
D) anticipated evaluations by others

Question 5

If you are trying to persuade a poorly informed audience, it is usually best to present

A) one side of the argument
B) both sides of the argument
C) the unfreezing, change
D) negative sanctions refreezing cycle

Question 6

The amount of cognitive dissonance a person feels is related to how much ____________ exists for his or her actions.

A) reciprocity
B) justification
C) chance conditioning
D) reference

Question 7

In Solomon Asch's conformity experiment, participants yielded to group pressure on about _______ of the critical trials.

A) 1 percent
B) 10 percent
C) one third
D) two thirds

Question 8

Groupthink is an example of the danger that lies in powerful pressures for group

A) affiliation
B) conformity
C) attribution
D) reciprocity

Question 9

Which compliance technique involves getting a person committed to act and then making the terms of acting less desirable?

A) foot-in-the-door
B) low-ball
C) door-in-the-face
D) groupthink

Question 10

In Milgram's experiments, the lowest level of obedience occurred when participants

A) saw another person
B) were in the same room refuse to obey with the "learner"
C) were face-to-face with
D) received orders over the phone the "learner"

Question 11

"Achieving one's goals without taking into account the rights of others." This statement describes

A) self-assertion
B) overdisclosure
C) cognitive dissonance
D) aggression

Question 12

The pattern known as homogamy shows the powerful effect that ____________ has on interpersonal attraction.

A) physical beauty
B) similarity
C) competence
D) physical proximity

Question 13

The fact that men tend to prefer younger, more physically attractive partners is predicted by

A) evolutionary psychology
B) the overdisclosure hypothesis
C) social comparison theory
D) studies of mutual absorption

Question 14

People are more likely to help another who is in trouble if

A) many other helpers
B) a diffusion of responsibility are present occurs
C) they experience
D) desensitization has taken place empathic arousal

Question 15

The weapons effect refers to the impact that ____________ have on behavior.

A) just-world beliefs
B) aggression cues
C) self-fulfilling prophecies
D) televised models

Question 16

The point of view most at odds with the idea that humans are instinctively aggressive is

A) social learning theory
B) the frustration-aggression hypothesis
C) biology
D) the aversive stimuli effect

Question 17

Some expressions of prejudice can be thought of as scapegoating or

A) displaced aggression
B) empathic arousal
C) reference group reversal
D) external attribution

Question 18

One of the reasons that superordinate goals tend to reduce prejudice is that they require cooperation and

A) social stereotyping
B) ethnocentrism
C) unfreezing
D) equal-status contact

Question 19

Jigsaw classrooms use _________________ to create mutual interdependence.

A) social competition
B) just-world beliefs
C) self-fulfilling prophecies
D) superordinate goals

Question 20

One of the best antidotes for stereotypes is

A) accepting just-world beliefs
B) individuating information
C) accepting self-fulfilling
D) honest social competition prophecies