Deck 7: Social Thinking and Social Influence

Question 1

You make a new acquaintance at a football game, and you ask him only questions about sports and athletics. This is an example of probable

A) external attribution.
B) confirmation bias.
C) self-serving bias.
D) fundamental bias.

Answer 1

confirmation bias.

Question 2

Interpersonal factors are seen as the causes for behavior when people make an internal attribution.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Research suggests that people are likely to make systematic judgments about most people they meet.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Lou blames his professor for not teaching well enough, and he attributes this as the sole factor responsible for his failing Statistics. Lou is making a(n)_____ attribution.

A) internal
B) external
C) rational
D) fundamental

Question 5

Confirmation bias occurs in

A) casual social interactions.
B) job interviews.
C) courtrooms.
D) all of these.

Question 6

An assessment of a potential_____ is most likely to be made using a systematic judgment.

A) classmate
B) employee
C) employer
D) love interest

Question 7

Perceiver expectations include

A) Pygmalion effect.
B) internal attributions.
C) Michelangelo effect.
D) self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 8

The processes of__________involve impression formation.

A) person perception
B) social cognition
C) social networking
D) personal schema

Question 9

External attributions ascribe causes of behavior to 

A) extraneous factors.
B) dispositional factors.
C) situational factors.
D) personal factors.

Question 10

In forming impressions of those who can affect our welfare and happiness, we tend to make_____ judgments.

A) snap
B) primacy
C) systematic
D) attributional

Question 11

A person's appearance is a key component in the process of person perception.

Question 12

_____  are assessments of others that are made quickly and on the basis of only a few bits of information.

A) Attributions
B) Snap judgments
C) Systematic judgments
D) Recency judgments

Question 13

Attributions are the tendency to seek information that supports one's beliefs.

Question 14

The process whereby expectations about a person cause the person to behave in ways that confirm the expectations is called

A) the self-fulfilling prophecy.
B) the fundamental attribution error.
C) self-regulatory attribution.
D) confirmation bias.

Question 15

An external attribution takes place when someone attributes another's behavior to the situational components, rather than one's disposition.

Question 16

When are we NOT likely to make attributions about someone?

A) When events are personally relevant.
B) Whenever we meet someone.
C) When others behave in unexpected ways.
D) When others' motives arouse suspicion.

Question 17

Which of the following statements is NOT true about self-fulfilling prophecies?

A) The self-fulfilling prophecy operates with adults as well as with children.
B) The effect of self-fulfilling prophecies is limited to educational settings.
C) Research indicates that teacher expectations can significantly influence student performance.
D) The broad impact of self-fulfilling prophecy effects in the classroom remains unclear.

Question 18

Imagine that you receive a slew of texts from a harried classmate, Karl, who knows you read this chapter and know the research on first impressions. He is at a bar nearing "last call" and only has time to approach one of the four people below. In particular, he wants to know which of the following people is MOST likely to lead to a positive outcome. Based on the research on first impressions presented in the chapter, whom SHOULD he approach before "last call"?

A) Anise, whom Karl offended the first time they met.
B) Brianna, whom Karl offended the first time they met, but recently impressed.
C) Carly, who is close friends with Anise, and has a bad impression of Karl.
D) Diane, who has no prior knowledge of Karl.

Question 19

An attribution is

A) a defense mechanism used in social situations.
B) an inference about the causes of behavior and events.
C) always negative in tone.
D) all of these.

Question 20

Which of the following individuals coined the term "self-fulfilling prophecy"?

A) Sigmund Freud.
B) Robert Merton.
C) Stanley Milgram.
D) Robert Cialdini.

Question 21

When someone tries to explain another's attribution based on situational factors,

A) the inferences are more likely to be accurate.
B) it is stereotyping.
C) it may be termed correspondence bias.
D) it is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 22

refers to the tendency to explain other people's behavior as the result of personal, rather than situational, factors.

A) The fundamental attribution error
B) Correspondence bias
C) Stereotyping 
D) Bigotry

Question 23

Which of the following reactions to a news account of a rape illustrates a defensive attribution on the part of a female?

A) Most men are animals.
B) Policemen don't consider rape to be serious.
C) The victim probably asked for it.
D) Women need training in self-defense.

Question 24

When Laura goes on and on about how her fellow Psychology brothers and sisters are unique and talented, she is demonstrating the outgroup homogeneity effect.

Question 25

Explaining the behavior of out-group members on the basis of the characteristic that sets them apart is known as the

A) fundamental attribution error.
B) self-fulfilling prophecy.
C) out-group homogeneity effect.
D) out-group heterogeneity effect.

Question 26

Which of the following was NOT given as a reason why stereotypes persist?

A) Cognitive functionality.
B) Confirmation bias.
C) Self-fulfilling prophecy.
D) Systematic judgments.

Question 27

According to the research on expectations and self-fulfilling prophecy,

A) perceivers behave toward targets according to expectations.
B) targets adjust behaviors to fit perceiver expectations.
C) expectations of authority figures, such as teachers, influence subordinates' performance.
D) all of these.

Question 28

Research indicates that East Asians are less prone to the fundamental attribution error than Americans. 

Question 29

Compared to those who are less attractive, physically attractive people are actually likely to 

A) be more competent.
B) be more assertive.
C) have better social skills.
D) have better mental health.

Question 30

Categorizing others by ethnicity, gender, age, or religion is used to 

A) make it easier to know who is in the in-group and out-group.
B) avoid expending cognitive effort to form a more accurate impression.
C) provide accurate labels for people.
D) point out the differences within groups.

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT consistent with the "what-is-beautiful-is-good" stereotype?

A) Attractive people have an advantage in the social arena.
B) Attractive individuals are judged as less assertive than unattractive individuals.
C) Attractive individuals are perceived in a more favorable light than is actually the case.
D) The tendency to associate attractiveness with positive qualities occurs outside the United States.

Question 32

Which of the following statements most accurately conveys person perception?

A) People are cognitive misers and do not exert any more effort than necessary.
B) People are less stereotypical as they age due to life experience.
C) People are likely to remember distinctive details about other people.
D) People know that their initial perceptions are often misguided.

Question 33

is a tendency to blame victims for their misfortune, so that one feels less likely to be victimized in a similar way.

A) Defensive attribution
B) Fundamental attribution
C) Person perception
D) Environmental attribution

Question 34

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to explain other people's behavior in terms of_____, rather than_____factors.

A) external; fundamental
B) fundamental; personal
C) personal; situational
D) situational; external

Question 35

The tendency for people to see what they expect to see helps to perpetuate 

A) individualism.
B) outgroup heterogeneity effects.
C) external attributions.
D) stereotypes.

Question 36

In explaining the causes of behavior, the fundamental attribution error refers to the overestimation of the role of_____ factors.

A) personal and situational
B) situational
C) personal
D) correlational

Question 37

Which of the following remarks does NOT demonstrate the fundamental attribution error?

A) "They are poor because they are lazy."
B) "They are poor because they are stupid."
C) "They are poor because they have not been given opportunities."
D) "They are poor because they were born that way."

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT among the most prevalent stereotypes in America?

A) Ethnicity.
B) Race.
C) Religious affiliation.
D) Intelligence.

Question 39

Play the role of a research assistant who is creating stimuli for an attraction experiment. Which of the following romantic pairings is LEAST likely, according to Berscheid et al.'s classic research?

A) A female "9" and a female "8"
B) A male "2" and a female "4"
C) A male "7" and a male "5"
D) A female "8" and a male "3"

Question 40

are widely held beliefs that people have certain characteristics because of their membership in a particular group.

A) Attributions
B) Stereotypes
C) Person perceptions
D) Self-fulfilling prophecies

Question 41

Which of the following is generally NOT considered as a contributor to racial prejudice?

A) Egocentrism.
B) Stereotyping.
C) Defensive attribution.
D) The fundamental attribution error.

Question 42

A negative attitude held toward a particular group of people is referred to as discrimination.

Question 43

Threats to personal and social identity motivate individuals to restore

A) social order.
B) self-esteem.
C) "old-fashioned" discrimination.
D) cooperation.

Question 44

Sal_______________ , and__________ . This reflects a situation in which prejudice is present but discrimination is not.

A) harbors negative feelings toward his African American customers; does not sell them pizza
B) harbors negative feelings toward his African American customers; lets them buy pizza from him.
C) holds positive feelings toward his African American customers; lets them buy pizza from him.
D) holds positive feelings toward his African American customers; does not sell them pizza.

Question 45

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Derogatory stereotypes no longer exist in modern society.
B) People tend to selectively recall instances that counteract their stereotypes.
C) People tend to see what they expect to see when they encounter minorities they view with prejudice.
D) Although prejudice toward minorities still exists in America, discrimination has all but disappeared.

Question 46

Which of the following statements is NOT true about prejudice and discrimination?

A) Prejudice can occur without discrimination.
B) Discrimination can occur without prejudice.
C) Over the past 50 years, prejudice and discrimination against minority groups have diminished.
D) Most white people have no problem with the possibility that they might hold racist views.

Question 47

Social dominance orientation exerts the greatest influence upon prejudicial thinking.

Question 48

Perceived threats often cause more hostility among groups relative to actual threats.

Question 49

When people say it is more important to encourage boys than girls in athletics, they are engaging in 

A) "old-fashioned" discrimination.
B) modern discrimination.
C) defensive discrimination.
D) perceptual discrimination.

Question 50

Which of the following researchers conducted the classic study of group competition at Robbers' Cave State Park in Oklahoma?

A) Albert Bandura.
B) Muzafer Sherif.
C) Robert Cialdini.
D) Mark Snyder.

Question 51

Which of the following is NOT one of the recurrent themes in the process of person perception?

A) Consistency.
B) Efficiency.
C) Ambiguity.
D) Selectivity.

Question 52

In the United States over the past 50 years, prejudice and discrimination against minority groups have

A) diminished.
B) increased.
C) stayed about the same.
D) become more blatant.

Question 53

Prejudice is defined as

A) an effort to subjugate a racial group.
B) a negative attitude toward some group.
C) behaving differently toward someone because of their race.
D) all of these.

Question 54

When people discount situational factors and instead attack people's character by calling them "lazy" or "freeloaders," remarks like these illustrate__________.

A) the ultimate attribution error.
B) the mob mentality.
C) the insidiousness of racism.
D) the pervasiveness of external attributions.

Question 55

Melissa grew up in the South and is prejudiced against New Yorkers. She sees a TV program about a kind-hearted but clumsy New Yorker and afterward she talks about how the program made the New Yorker appear to be bumbling, stupid, and ignorant. Melissa's behavior best illustrates which of the following?

A) Self-serving bias.
B) The selectivity of person perception.
C) Defensive attribution.
D) None of these.

Question 56

The Spotlight on Research study by Correll and colleagues demonstrated that stereotypes do not affect response tendencies during a shooting task.

Question 57

Jane thinks that women don't need sexual harassment laws anymore because men get away with much worse anyway. Jane's attitudes are examples of

A) "old-fashioned" discrimination.
B) modern discrimination.
C) situational prejudice.
D) nondiscrimination.

Question 58

The personality type that is prejudiced toward any group different from oneself is

A) authoritarian personality.
B) social dominance orientation.
C) left-wing authoritarian.
D) conventionalism.

Question 59

It is possible for prejudice to occur without discrimination, but it is NOT possible for discrimination to occur without prejudice.

Question 60

Prejudice is common in society, but discrimination is not.

Question 61

Attitudes formed via the central route are longer lasting, but those formed via the peripheral route are more resistant to change.

Question 62

Practically everyone learns stereotypes about various groups.

Question 63

Fear arousal is likely to be an effective persuasive tactic

A) as long as the level of fear is sufficiently high with no likely solution.
B) with an audience that is relatively ignorant of the issues.
C) when it is presented as a one-sided argument.
D) if a workable solution to the problem is provided.

Question 64

Relying upon automatic processing can reduce the incidence of stereotyping and prejudice. 

Question 65

Which of the following is NOT considered an essential element of reducing intergroup hostility through cooperative interdependence?

A) Working together for a common goal.
B) Successful outcomes to cooperative efforts.
C) Ensuring that everyone has equal status.
D) Assigning specific titles or names to each group.

Question 66

Conformity occurs when people change their behavior 

A) as a result of punishment.
B) as a result of positive reinforcement.
C) in response to real or imagined social pressure.
D) after observing a model being reinforced for a particular response.

Question 67

Group size was found to be the key determinant of conformity in Asch's studies of line length.

Question 68

Art is on the debate team and is interested in philosophy. He enjoys seeking out effortful thought. He is most likely to be persuaded by

A) an attractive celebrity.
B) a one-sided argument.
C) a high-quality argument.
D) all of these.

Question 69

Suppose a political candidate makes a change to his hairstyle in order to make himself look younger and more physically attractive. Because the candidate is trying to look more handsome, he is MOST likely using which of the following persuasion tactics?

A) Increasing his credibility.
B) Increasing his likeability.
C) Conveying his expertise.
D) Increasing his similarity.

Question 70

How did Asch induce conformity in his studies involving judgments of line length?

A) An authority figure urged participants to select a certain line.
B) Participants discussed the problem and came to a group consensus.
C) An attractive confederate of the opposite sex persuaded the participants.
D) Several accomplices gave incorrect answers before the true participant answered.

Question 71

In order to reduce prejudice within yourself, you need to 

A) pay careful attention to what you think.
B) shift from mindlessness to mindfulness.
C) shift from automatic to controlled processing.
D) do all of these.

Question 72

You are dealing with an audience that is uneducated on the issue on which you are speaking. Your best strategy is to present a message that

A) is one-sided.
B) is two-sided.
C) avoids fear.
D) avoids positive feelings.

Question 73

Suppose a political candidate makes a change to his message in order to include more recent scientific data. Which of the following persuasion tactics is he MOST likely using?

A) Taking the central route to persuasion.
B) Increasing his likeability.
C) Taking the peripheral route to persuasion.
D) Increasing his similarity.

Question 74

The elaboration likelihood model provides evidence for the superiority of peripheral route persuasion.

Question 75

Which of the following characteristics is NOT an effective source of a persuasive message?

A) Likable.
B) Credible.
C) Trustworthy.
D) Controversial.

Question 76

Persuasion involves the communication of arguments and information intended to change another person's

A) attitudes.
B) personality.
C) perceptions.
D) attributions.

Question 77

The perception of threats is more likely to cause hostility between groups than are actual threats to an ingroup.

Question 78

The persuasion process contains four basic elements.

Question 79

In Asch's studies of conformity, participants

A) were ordered to deliver painful electric shocks to a stranger.
B) were the recipients of painful electric shocks delivered by an accomplice.
C) indicated which of three lines matched a standard line in length.
D) were ordered to give consistently wrong answers to simple questions.

Question 80

Vicki is a persuasive, successful salesperson. It is most likely that she appears to possess which of the following sets of characteristics?

A) A stake in the issue at hand.
B) Less attractive in appearance.
C) Dissimilarity with her customers.
D) Credibility and likability.