Deck 16: Social Thinking and Social Influence

Question 1

Regarding our social worlds, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)The ongoing pattern of life that is passed from one generation to the next is referred to as group cohesiveness.
B)Our perceptions about the world are strongly influencing by our social worlds.
C)The scientific study of how individuals behave, think, and feel in the presence, actual or implied, of others is called social psychology.
D)We are born into organized societies with established values, expectations, and behavior patterns being present when we arrive.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Achieved role is to psychologist as ascribed role is to

A)church lay leader.
B)niece.
C)rock star.
D)spouse.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

When roles are NOT under the individual's control, such as being an only child, these roles are considered to be __________ roles.

A)achieved
B)ascribed
C)random
D)stereotyped

Answer 3

B

Question 4

We all belong to many overlapping social groups, and in each we occupy a position in the

A)cohesiveness of the group.
B)structure of the group.
C)context of the culture.
D)hierarchy of the group's needs.

Question 5

Roles attained voluntarily or by special effort, such as a police officer or an architect, are called __________ roles.

A)perceived
B)ascribed
C)affective
D)achieved

Question 6

Being born into an organized society means that which of the following are present when we arrive?

A)established values
B)established expectations
C)established behavior patterns
D)all of these

Question 7

According to the text, social psychology is the study of how people

A)form organized social groups.
B)behave in the presence of others.
C)resolve their psychosocial conflicts.
D)through an interaction with others develop a balance between their real and ideal selves.

Question 8

Language, marriage customs, sex roles, and concepts of ownership are all part of an ongoing pattern of life that is passed from one generation to the next and is referred to as

A)conformity.
B)group standardization.
C)group cohesion.
D)culture.

Question 9

Roles that people do not choose for themselves, such as female or son, are called __________ roles.

A)ascribed
B)achieved
C)affective
D)earned

Question 10

The scientific study of how individuals behave, think, and feel in the presence of others, whether actual or implied is called __________ psychology.

A)personality
B)social
C)behavioral
D)humanistic

Question 11

Teachers are expected to come to class prepared, on time, and to maintain order within the classroom, while imparting knowledge and facilitating learning. This describes a teacher's

A)ascribed role.
B)social role.
C)role conflict.
D)social stereotype.

Question 12

An ongoing pattern of life that is passed from one generation to the next is called

A)group conformity.
B)standard norms.
C)group cohesion.
D)culture.

Question 13

There are different sets of behaviors and expectations associated with a person being a mother, a boss, or a student. These are examples of which of the following within the person's life?

A)social roles
B)cultural identities
C)social stereotypes
D)status groups

Question 14

Vanessa is female, a daughter, and a young adult. The roles that shape her behavior are called __________ roles.

A)achieved
B)ascribed
C)ascertained
D)actualized

Question 15

Those roles which one attains voluntarily are called

A)ascribed roles.
B)achieved roles.
C)positions.
D)social selves.

Question 16

Dr. Salter is conducting a study on attitude change, while his colleagues Drs. Ashad and Morton are conducting research on conformity and obedience, respectively. These researchers are most likely

A)humanistic psychologists.
B)personality theorists.
C)social psychologists.
D)psychoanalytical psychologists.

Question 17

Being the member of a particular generation, such as the Baby Boomers, Generation X, or Generation Y, would be an example of a(n)__________ role.

A)achieved
B)ascribed
C)temporary
D)specified

Question 18

Expected behavior patterns associated with particular social positions are called

A)social roles.
B)cultures.
C)social stereotypes.
D)social status.

Question 19

Justin is the lead guitarist for the punk rock band Wretched Flamingo . Being the guitarist in a band would be considered a(n)

A)ascribed role.
B)achieved role.
C)role conflict.
D)social stereotype.

Question 20

Vincent's behavior is shaped by his roles as a married teacher and by his second job as the sports writer for the local paper. These roles would be considered __________ roles.

A)achieved
B)ascribed
C)ascertained
D)actualized

Question 21

In the Stanford Prison study, the participants

A)were randomly assigned to be "prisoners" or "guards."
B)were selected to be either "prisoners" or "guards" based on their personality profiles.
C)chose which role, "prisoner" or "guard," they would play.
D)changed their role after 2 weeks with the "prisoners" becoming "guards" and vice versa.

Question 22

If the various roles a person occupies require behaviors that are inconsistent with one another, there is

A)frustration and aggression.
B)role conflict.
C)a lack of cohesion.
D)a social exchange.

Question 23

Sara and Carmen work at the same company and have been friends for a number of years. Recently, Carmen was promoted, making her Sara's supervisor. This situation may create

A)role conflict.
B)role reversal.
C)role exchange.
D)role diffusion.

Question 24

Group cohesiveness is particularly strong for groups to which a person identifies and to which one attributes positive characteristics. These groups are called __________ groups.

A)ascribed
B)in-
C)status
D)achieved

Question 25

A police officer who has to arrest his nephew for drug possession or a teacher who must flunk a close friend's daughter will most likely experience

A)role conflict.
B)role reversal.
C)role exchange.
D)role diffusion.

Question 26

Roles contribute to the streamlining of everyday interactions because they

A)permit us to make fundamental attributions in social situations.
B)allow us to anticipate the actions of others.
C)frequently put us in positions of indecision about appropriate behavior.
D)can be learned with relatively little effort.

Question 27

Group structure refers to the

A)strength of the group members' desire to remain in the group.
B)accepted but unspoken standard of conduct for appropriate behavior.
C)network of roles, communication, and power in the group.
D)degree of attraction among group members.

Question 28

A large company sets up a friendly competition among all of its departments to increase worker safety. The members of the department with the best record in six months will be awarded four additional paid holidays. As the workers in each department work together to win the competition, the company is hoping to increase

A)groupthinking.
B)group structure.
C)group cohesiveness.
D)group compliance.

Question 29

In the Stanford Prison study, normal healthy male college students were paid to serve as "prisoners" and "guards" in a simulated prison. During this research,

A)three "prisoners" were so severely beaten they had to be hospitalized.
B)the "guards" did not take their roles seriously.
C)the "prisoners" quickly became passive and dehumanized.
D)the "prisoners" and the "guards" quickly became too friendly towards one another.

Question 30

The difference in behavior between the sadistic "guards" and the dehumanized "prisoners" in the Zimbardo prison study is best attributed to

A)pathological personalities.
B)the ascribed roles they were asked to play.
C)personal histories not revealed in prior screening.
D)biases created by the researchers

Question 31

Which of the following do therapy groups, businesses, and sports teams seek to increase because it helps people to work together better?

A)group structure
B)status comparisons
C)group cohesiveness
D)compliance

Question 32

Which of the following conducted a simulated prison experiment that showed dramatically how social settings influence our behavior, particularly the powerful effects of social roles?

A)Philip Zimbardo
B)Robert Cialdini
C)Harold Kelley
D)Duncan Watts

Question 33

A mother who has a demanding full-time job or a soccer coach whose daughter is on the team but isn't a very good athlete are both experiencing

A)role reversal.
B)role diffusion.
C)groupthink.
D)role conflict.

Question 34

For many students, the demands of college, work, and family create

A)status inequalities.
B)the actor-observer bias.
C)role conflicts.
D)social facilitation.

Question 35

While informal friendships may or may not have this, organized groups, such as the army or an athletic team, do have a high degree of

A)group structure.
B)groupthink.
C)ascribed roles.
D)social comparison.

Question 36

The network of roles, communication pathways, and power in a group is known as

A)groupthink.
B)group cohesiveness.
C)group structure.
D)status comparisons.

Question 37

The degree of attraction among group members or their commitment to remain in the group is called

A)group structure.
B)group cohesiveness.
C)groupthink.
D)compliance.

Question 38

Two important dimensions of any group are

A)ascribed and achieved roles.
B)structure and cohesiveness.
C)role diffusion and status.
D)groupthink and conformity.

Question 39

Zimbardo interpreted the results of his simulated prison study as an indication of the

A)powerful influence of social roles on people.
B)tendency to show compassion to people in need.
C)weakness of social pressure in some situations.
D)tendency to displace aggression.

Question 40

The basis for much of the power that groups exert over us involves

A)group structure.
B)group cohesiveness.
C)groupthink.
D)group compliance.

Question 41

A group to which you do not identify and to which you attribute negative characteristics is known as a(n)__________ group.

A)out-
B)ascribed
C)ethnocentric
D)negative reference

Question 42

Homeless people tend to be

A)high in both social status and social power.
B)low in both social status and social power.
C)high in social status, but low in social power.
D)low in social status, but high in social power.

Question 43

We tend to attribute positive characteristics to our __________ group.

A)in-
B)achieved
C)ascribed
D)out-

Question 44

In American society, special privileges are often bestowed upon persons who have more social power but also on people who

A)show more consistent social norms.
B)have greater group cohesiveness.
C)exhibit the actor-observer bias.
D)have higher social status.

Question 45

In an experiment, a man walked into several bakeries and asked for a pastry while claiming he did not have enough money to pay for it. Half the time he was well dressed and half the time he was poorly dressed. This experiment was studying the

A)difference between achieved roles and ascribed roles.
B)effects of social status in society.
C)impact of social roles on prosocial behavior.
D)dimensions of group structure.

Question 46

Dr. Sollie has members of her sociology class go into an elevator and stand facing the rest of the occupants on the elevator, or walk into the cafeteria and begin singing and dancing. Other students then note people's reactions to these behaviors. Dr. Sollie is having her students break

A)superordinate goals.
B)ascribed roles.
C)attributions.
D)norms.

Question 47

In most situations, people are more likely to comply with a request made by

A)a lower status person because of sympathy.
B)a higher status person only if he or she is polite.
C)a higher status person even if he or she is impolite.
D)someone of similar status to ourselves.

Question 48

Regarding in-groups and out-groups, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)In-group membership helps define who we are socially.
B)We tend to exaggerate differences between members of out-groups and our own group.
C)The existence of in-groups and out-groups sets the stage for conflict between groups and for racial and ethnic prejudice.
D)We tend to attribute negative characteristics to our in-group and positive characteristics to the out-group we are envious of.

Question 49

In an experiment, a man asked people in bakeries for a pastry while claiming they did not have enough money to pay for it. Half the time he was dressed poorly and the other half well-dressed. If the man was polite when he asked for the pastry, the research results showed that he was

A)three times more likely to be given the pastry if he was well-dressed and polite than when he was poorly dressed and polite.
B)three times more likely to be given the pastry if he was poorly dressed and polite than when he was well-dressed and polite.
C)equally likely to be given a free pastry with a polite request no matter how he was dressed.
D)rarely given a pastry no matter how he was dressed or whether he was polite or not.

Question 50

A popular police chief would most likely be

A)high in both social status and social power.
B)low in both social status and social power.
C)high in social status, but low in social power.
D)low in social status, but high in social power.

Question 51

The degree to which a group member can control, alter, or influence the behavior of another group member is called

A)social power.
B)social dimension.
C)social status.
D)social cognition.

Question 52

We tend to attribute negative characteristics to our __________ group.

A)achieved
B)out-
C)ascribed
D)in-

Question 53

In an experiment, a man asked people in bakeries for a pastry while claiming he did not have enough money to pay for it. Half the time he was dressed poorly and the other half well-dressed. If the man was impolite when he asked for the pastry, the research results showed that he was

A)significantly more likely to be given the free pastry if he was well-dressed when he was impolite than poorly dressed.
B)significantly more likely to be given the free pastry if he was poorly dressed when he was impolite than well-dressed.
C)equally likely to be given a free pastry when he was impolite no matter how he was dressed.
D)never given a free pastry with an impolite request no matter how he was dressed.

Question 54

The American society's preoccupation with expensive clothes and cars is shown by people's tendency to give more privileges and greater respect to individuals

A)we have sympathy for.
B)of higher social power or status.
C)of similar status to ourselves.
D)we mistrust and are jealous of.

Question 55

A person's in-group is often defined by

A)nationality and ethnicity.
B)age, gender, education, and income.
C)religion and political values.
D)a combination of all of these social dimensions.

Question 56

A widely accepted, but often unspoken standard for appropriate behavior is called a(n)

A)ascribed role.
B)achieved role.
C)norm.
D)group sanction.

Question 57

Regarding privilege, social status, and social power, which of the following statements is\are TRUE?

A)A person can be high in both social status and social power, or low in both, or high in one and not the other.
B)The higher the social power and social status the more privileges bestowed on a group member.
C)Men generally prefer social power over status, while women generally prefer social status over power.
D)All of these statements are true.

Question 58

Regarding privilege, social status, and social power, which of the following statements is\are TRUE?

A)If a person is high in social status, they will also have high social power.
B)The higher the social power and social status the more privileges bestowed on a group member.
C)Women generally prefer social power over status, while men generally prefer social status over power.
D)All of these statements are true.

Question 59

The degree of prestige, admiration, and respect accorded to a member of a group is referred to as

A)social power.
B)social dimension.
C)social status.
D)social cognition.

Question 60

A famous actor would most likely be

A)high in both social status and social power.
B)low in both social status and social power.
C)high in social status, but low in social power.
D)low in social status, but high in social power.

Question 61

Dr. Santos is studying the process of how people think about themselves and others in a social context. Dr. Santos is interested in

A)attribution.
B)proxemics.
C)social cognition.
D)social status referencing.

Question 62

When you and your friends are playing tennis, you consider yourself a very good tennis player. However, when you watch professional tennis players playing in a tournament, you consider yourself a poor to average tennis player. Thus, thinking of yourself as a good or poor tennis player depends entirely on

A)your relative ability to play tennis.
B)whether you are an optimist or pessimist.
C)whom you choose for comparison.
D)your mood on that particular day.

Question 63

Eddie goes to his 20th class reunion. He wonders as he is about to enter the ballroom how he will measure up to his classmates. Are they more successful than he is? Are a lot of them divorced like he is? Eddie is illustrating

A)social comparison.
B)role exchange.
C)role conflict.
D)social networking.

Question 64

Thinking of yourself as successful, talented, responsible, or fairly paid depends entirely on

A)your relative abilities.
B)your mood on that particular day.
C)whom you choose for comparison.
D)the circumstances in which you find yourself.

Question 65

Typically, we make social comparisons

A)randomly.
B)on an absolute scale from good to bad.
C)with people of professional status in their fields.
D)with people of similar backgrounds and abilities.

Question 66

Felisia finishes her psychology test and goes outside and joins a group of students who are discussing the test. Felisia asks the group, "Didn't you think those last four questions were hard? Did the teacher go over that material?" The other students agree with Felisia that the questions were extremely difficult thus giving Felisia an idea of how her opinion "stacks" up to the opinions of others. This illustrates Felisia's use of

A)social exchange.
B)group cohesiveness.
C)cognitive dissonance.
D)social comparison.

Question 67

When one person's behavior is changed by the actions of others, we say that which of the following has occurred?

A)proxemics
B)status referencing
C)social influence
D)perceptual constancy

Question 68

Ron feels that the new boss is being overly controlling and micromanaging the office projects. After work, he talks with a fellow employee about the new boss's management style. Ron has engaged in

A)social comparison.
B)role exchange.
C)role conflict.
D)social networking.

Question 69

The role of perception in the establishment of social norms offers a good example of the process of how we think about ourselves and others in a social context, which is called

A)group structure.
B)group cohesiveness.
C)social cognition.
D)social status referencing.

Question 70

Which psychologist theorized that group membership fills needs for social comparison?

A)Harold Kelley
B)Philip Zimbardo
C)Theodore Newcomb
D)Leon Festinger

Question 71

When there is no objective standard, we often turn to others in an effort to evaluate our actions, feelings, or abilities. This is known as

A)social exchange.
B)social comparison.
C)cognitive dissonance.
D)compliance.

Question 72

Comparing yourself with a person who ranks lower than you on some dimension is referred to as

A)discounting.
B)downward comparison.
C)reverse comparison.
D)unilateral comparison.

Question 73

Social cognition is defined as the

A)changes in a person's behavior induced by the presence or actions of others.
B)process of thinking about ourselves and others in a social context.
C)compulsion by members of decision-making groups to maintain agreement, even at the cost of critical thinking.
D)deliberate attempt to change attitudes or beliefs with information and arguments.

Question 74

To determine whether you are a good athlete, worker, parent, or friend or whether your views on politics, religion, or music are unusual or widely shared, you usually engage in the process of

A)attribution.
B)groupthink.
C)social comparison.
D)social facilitation.

Question 75

Social comparisons are particularly important when

A)we evaluate the actions or abilities of others.
B)there are no objective standards for self-evaluation.
C)we are making plans for the future.
D)we need support for a course of action we have already decided to pursue.

Question 76

According to Leon Festinger, group membership

A)reduces the actor-observer bias.
B)satisfies our need for social comparison.
C)encourages passive compliance in our interactions.
D)fulfills our desire to influence and control others.

Question 77

In public areas that are kept clean, people tend to

A)not litter because there is a norm or standard set for cleanliness in that area.
B)litter more than if the area was already littered.
C)show more kindness toward the people around them in the clean area.
D)decide whether to litter or not based on their early training in childhood.

Question 78

In an experiment, people were given a flyer as they entered a public parking garage. The more litter there was on the floor of the garage, the more likely people were to add to it by dropping their flyer. This experiment illustrates

A)role conflict experienced between littering or not littering.
B)differing norms for whether littering was acceptable in that situation.
C)superordinate goals in place for not littering.
D)how the number of people present affects littering behavior.

Question 79

The use of which of the following reflects one's desires for self-enhancement or self-protection when one feels threatened?

A)discounting
B)a downward comparison
C)a reverse comparison
D)unilateral compensation

Question 80

When a situation is unfamiliar, or when we are in doubt, we can look to other people to provide information to help us evaluate our reactions. This guide for our behavior is referred to as

A)attribution.
B)proxemics.
C)social comparison.
D)social status referencing.