Deck 5: Social Cognition

Question 1

Aimee drives her son to soccer practice three times a week. The route to the soccer pitch is so familiar that Aimee primarily relies on _______________ to get there.

A) automatic thinking
B) controlled thinking
C) selective thinking
D) blindsight

Answer 1

automatic thinking

Question 2

Ben had never been to the local diner for lunch but once inside the restaurant, he ordered a hamburger and fries. Ben made this decision based on

A) blindsight.
B) selective thinking.
C) algorithm.
D) schema.

Answer 2

schema.

Question 3

Professor Ray is hiring a student for a research position and has decided to select the person based on an interview rather than the candidates' university transcripts or their resumes. Professor Ray seems to be relying on

A) objective information.
B) intuition.
C) prominence.
D) controlled thinking.

Answer 3

intuition.

Question 4

After being asked to give three examples of assertive behaviour, students were then asked to describe their behaviour. Those who included assertiveness were using a(n)

A) algorithm.
B) blindsight.
C) availability heuristic.
D) prominence.

Question 5

Mental shortcuts used to make decisions and form judgments are known as

A) algorithms.
B) heuristics.
C) blindsight.
D) selective thinking.

Question 6

After a national story about a child abduction, Jada was reluctant to allow her children to play outside unsupervised. Jada's judgment was influenced by

A) availability heuristic.
B) representativeness.
C) intuition.
D) anchoring.

Question 7

Courtney was afraid to fly but had no hesitation about driving 450 miles to avoid flying. Courtney is probably being influenced by

A) anchoring.
B) representativeness heuristic.
C) availability heuristic.
D) intuition.

Question 8

When assigning camp roommates, Juan ignores the application information and relies on his personal meetings with the campers. Juan is using

A) intuition.
B) anchoring.
C) availability.
D) adjustment.

Question 9

People exposed to words related to high performance scored higher on a subsequent word puzzle than those exposed to neutral words. This demonstrates the concept of

A) blindsight.
B) priming.
C) intuition.
D) anchoring.

Question 10

Which of f the following factors does not influence the availability heuristic?

A) past experience
B) unconscious priming
C) anchoring points
D) available information

Question 11

Jayne has just seen a gory horror movie. Now she is afraid to walk past a dark alley on her way home. It seems that the movie activated a(n)

A) subliminal cue.
B) intuition.
C) cognition.
D) schema.

Question 12

Rafael believes that all artists are creative, messy and poor. This is an example of a(n)

A) person schema.
B) role schema.
C) event schema.
D) content-free schema.

Question 13

In the English language, we generally read from left to right. This rule about processing information is a(n)

A) person schema.
B) role schema.
C) event schema.
D) content-free schema.

Question 14

A(n) _____________ is a script for well-known situations.

A) person schema
B) role schema
C) event schema
D) content-free schema

Question 15

According to the textbook, a stereotype is an example of a(n)

A) heuristic.
B) base-rate.
C) counterfactual.
D) schema.

Question 16

Information can influence the availability heuristic in all of the following ways, except

A) ease of recall of information.
B) incomplete information.
C) amount of information.
D) objectivity of information.

Question 17

When an event is assumed as more likely to occur based on the extent that instances of the event are easily recalled is an example of

A) anchoring.
B) adjustment.
C) availability.
D) intuition.

Question 18

Most people think you are more likely to die from shark attack than from falling parts from an airplane, even though in the US, thirty (30) times more people die from being hit by a falling airplane piece than a shark attack. This error is explained through

A) intuition.
B) anchoring.
C) adjustment.
D) availability.

Question 19

When we judge something by comparing it to a prototype and deciding based on that comparison whether it fits that model or not, we are using

A) availability heuristic.
B) representative heuristic.
C) intuitive thinking.
D) counterfactual thinking.

Question 20

Because he was young, a non-smoker, and physically fit, the doctor diagnosed the man as suffering from stress and over exertion with chest pains rather than a heart attack. This error in judgment was most likely explained by

A) availability heuristic.
B) intuition.
C) anchoring.
D) representativeness heuristic.

Question 21

When we ignore the statistical frequency of an event, we tend to commit a

A) base-rate fallacy.
B) intuitive error.
C) an anchored error.
D) a misadjustment.

Question 22

On the first day of class, many students assumed the well-dressed man in the front of the classroom was the teacher. This error would be explained by

A) availability heuristic.
B) representativeness heuristic.
C) controlled thinking.
D) automatic thinking.

Question 23

Lynda excels in math, is on the Dean's list and is highly organized. When Michael first met Lynda, he assumed that she was an engineering student, even though there are few engineering students at the university. This is an example of

A) availability heuristic.
B) controlled thinking.
C) base-rate fallacy.
D) automatic thinking.

Question 24

Giorgio wears glasses and likes to dress in conservative business suits. When people first meet him, they are surprised to learn that he is an artist, not an accountant. They are using

A) an availability heuristic.
B) controlled thinking.
C) a base-rate fallacy.
D) the representativeness heuristic.

Question 25

The saying "If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck" is a good example of

A) an availability heuristic.
B) the representativeness heuristic.
C) controlled thinking.
D) counterfactual thinking.

Question 26

Even though Beth knew that only 2% of the students in class receive an A, she was confident that she would earn an A. This is an example of

A) intuition.
B) controlled thinking.
C) anchoring.
D) base-rate fallacy.

Question 27

When asked to make an estimate, one tends to choose a number similar to the reference point, an example of

A) representativeness.
B) availability.
C) anchoring.
D) intuition.

Question 28

When we rely on an initial reference point in determining our estimate we are utilizing

A) representativeness.
B) availability.
C) base-rate.
D) anchoring.

Question 29

Research shows that those who won the Olympic bronze medal were happier than those who won the silver medal. One explanation for this would be

A) counterfactual thinking.
B) misrepresentativeness.
C) msiattributional thinking.
D) consensual thinking.

Question 30

Ramone had six of the Lucky Seven Lotto numbers and talked about his misfortune for weeks. Ramone's tendency to think "if only" represents

A) consensual thinking.
B) cooperative thinking.
C) misrepresentativeness.
D) counterfactual thinking.

Question 31

Sometimes described as a "shoulda-woulda-coulda" moment, experiencing regret because you can imagine another scenario is an example of

A) cooperative thinking.
B) intuitive thinking.
C) counterfactual thinking.
D) consensual thinking.

Question 32

Corina missed her flight by minutes and was much more upset than Michala, who missed her flight by over an hour. Corina's distress can be explained by

A) controlled thinking.
B) abstract thinking.
C) counterfactual thinking.
D) transactional thinking.

Question 33

_______ thinking is the tendency to image alternative outcomes to various events.

A) Counterfactual
B) Controlled
C) Available
D) Transactional

Question 34

When told that the Mississippi River was 100 miles long, students' estimates of its true length were shorter than the students who told it was 1,000 miles long. This is an example of

A) availability.
B) base rate fallacy.
C) anchoring and adjustment.
D) assessment and availability.

Question 35

Using counter-factual thinking to reduce negative feelings after a negative event, one should

A) remember the circumstances that caused the negative event.
B) imagine how the event could have been different.
C) ruminate on the inevitable consequences.
D) remember the regretful feeling.

Question 36

______________ is/are mental shortcuts that are used to form judgments and make decisions.

A) Intuition
B) Heuristics
C) Effortful thinking
D) Schemas

Question 37

In which common shortcut do we rely on our instinct rather than objective information?

A) base-rate
B) representativeness
C) availability
D) intuition

Question 38

Recall the research where participants first drank lemonade sweetened with sugar (which increases blood sugar) or lemonade sweetened with sugar substitute, then had to make decisions. What did the researchers learn about blood sugar and use of heuristics?

A) We are more likely to use heuristics when our blood sugar is low.
B) We are less likely to use heuristics when our blood sugar is low.
C) Use of heuristics and blood sugar are unrelated.
D) If we think our blood sugar is raised (e.g., by drinking something sweet, whether or not there is sugar in it), we use heuristics less often.

Question 39

______________ refers to mental structures that organize our knowledge about the world.

A) Intuition
B) Priming
C) Schemas
D) None of these

Question 40

Lawrence's mother had a traumatic experience flying on Air Canada because of engine problems. Even though Lawrence knows that Air Canada has a strong safety record and no one else he knows has ever had problems with them, he refuses to fly with them. Why?

A) because of effortful thinking
B) because of the availability heuristic
C) because of the anchoring-and-adjustment heuristic
D) because of the representativeness heuristic

Question 41

Research on priming suggests that if you were a Little League soccer coach, before a big game, you should

A) promise the players a treat if they win the game.
B) tell the players how disappointed you will be if they lose the game.
C) have players read a list of "high-performance" words (win, succeed, compete, etc.).
D) engage in counterfactual thinking.

Question 42

Jon is a pharmaceutical representative on his first day on the job. He is looking for a Dr. Smith, who he has been told is taking a lunch break in a room down the hall. He enters the room and finds it filled with four people. Using the representativeness heuristic, which of the following people would Jon be most likely to think is the doctor?

A) A woman wearing a t-shirt and jeans
B) A man wearing a suit
C) A man wearing a white lab coat
D) A woman wearing a dress

Question 43

A(n) ____________ is the numerical frequency at which something occurs.

A) counterfact
B) base-rate
C) anchor
D) schema

Question 44

The _________________ heuristic starts with someone relying on an initial point to make an estimate, but then fail to move away from that point.

A) representativeness
B) availability
C) anchoring-and-adjustment
D) base-rate heuristic

Question 45

Malekai is asked to estimate whether he sleeps for more or less than 30 hours per week while Rhonda is asked whether she sleeps for more or less than 45 hours per week. What is likely to occur?

A) Rhonda is likely to provide a higher estimate than Malekai is.
B) Malekai is likely to provide a higher estimate than Rhonda is.
C) Malekai and Rhonda are equally likely to provide accurate estimates.
D) Malekai and Rhonda are equally likely to provide overestimates.

Question 46

Based on research on the anchoring and adjustment heuristic, for which of the following prices is a home seller likely to get an offer that is furthest away from their asking price?

A) $196,900
B) $206,500
C) $200,000
D) $153,600

Question 47

When you can easily imagine an alternative outcome to an event, you are engaging in

A) anchoring.
B) base-rate fallacy.
C) counterfactual thinking.
D) intuition.

Question 48

Why do you feel worse when you find out that the winning lottery ticket was sold at the same store where you usually buy your tickets than if you learn that the winning ticket was sold in another city?

A) You engage in counterfactual thinking.
B) You have made a base-rate fallacy.
C) You engage in controlled thinking.
D) You are using a heuristic.

Question 49

According to research by Medvec and Savitsky (1997), which of the following students is likely to be the least satisfied with their grade?

A) Timothy, who earned a 90 (A) in the class
B) Lauren, who earned a 89 (B+) in the class
C) Trevor, who earned a 87 (B+) in the class
D) Lauren and Trevor are likely to be equally dissatisfied

Question 50

According to the textbook, what is a real-world implication of counterfactual thinking?

A) The Israeli army did not use to allow soldiers to trade shifts but now they do.
B) The Israeli army began to give out medals to soldiers who felt guilt over death of a fellow soldier.
C) The Israeli army never allowed soldiers to trade shifts.
D) The Israeli army used to allow soldiers to trade shifts but now they do not.

Question 51

As an "early-bird special", the electronics store was selling a MP3 player (that is regularly $250) for $150, but only from 5am to 7am. After 7am, the price of the MP3 player was $200. Based on research on counterfactual thinking, who is likely to be LEAST satisfied with their purchase of that MP3 player?

A) Jennelle, who got there at 5:30am
B) Lonnie, who knew about the early-bird special but was unable to make it to the store until 8am
C) Joseph, who got there at 7:30am and never heard about the early-bird special
D) Lonnie and Joseph are equally likely to be dissatisfied

Question 52

Asking someone to imagine how a _________ event could turn out differently in the future reduces ___________ feelings.

A) negative; negative
B) negative; positive
C) positive; negative
D) None of these

Question 53

Decision making that occurs at an unconscious level and is entirely effortless and unintentional is also known as

A) automatic thinking.
B) a heuristic.
C) intuition.
D) controlled thinking.

Question 54

Gloria didn't know Mike's password to Facebook, but she tried his birthday, his apartment number and his cell phone number and finally got it right. To solve this problem, Gloria was using

A) automatic thinking.
B) a heuristic.
C) controlled thinking.
D) an algorithm.

Question 55

When you are talking about how people think about themselves and the social world, and in particular, how people select, interpret, and use information to make judgments about the world, you are referring to

A) social perception.
B) social cognition.
C) social control.
D) social influence.

Question 56

Recent events are particularly likely to increase availability.

Question 57

A type of decision-making process that occurs at an unconscious level and is entirely effortless and unintentional is known as _______.

Question 58

Mental shortcuts are known as _______.

Question 59

Thinking that is effortful, conscious, and intentional is known as _______ _______.

Question 60

A decision-making shortcut in which we rely on our instinct instead of relying on more objective information is known as _______.

Question 61

How we think about ourselves and the social world is known as _______ _______.

Question 62

_______ _______ is a mental shortcut in which we make a judgment based on the ease with which we can bring something to mind.

Question 63

______ are mental structures that organize our knowledge about the world and influence our interpretations about people and events.

Question 64

The process by which recent experiences increase the accessibility of a given trait or concept is known as _________.

Question 65

An error in availability and representativeness heuristics and in which one ignores the numerical frequency of events when estimating that likelihood is known as ______ _______.

Question 66

The tendency to classify someone or something based on its similarity to a typical case is known as ___________ heuristic.

Question 67

The tendency to imagine alternative outcomes to various events is known as _______ thinking.

Question 68

An influence on decision making in which your beliefs are influenced by what you have seen or heard is referred to as

A) presentation.
B) contrast effect.
C) counterfactual thinking.
D) attributional theory.

Question 69

On holiday in Florida in November, Oscar noticed several people swimming in the ocean. When he talked to them, he found out that many of the swimmers are from the North, where the ocean temperature is much colder. This can be explained by

A) contrast effect.
B) temperature thinking.
C) intuitive thinking.
D) presentation.

Question 70

The way an issue is presented may influence your decision, a heuristic known as

A) contrast effect.
B) intuition.
C) framing.
D) priming.

Question 71

Peter selected his section of math because he had heard that 75% of the students in that class passed the course. The fact that he bypassed another section with a 25% fail rate demonstrates which heuristic?

A) anchoring
B) availability
C) contrast effect
D) framing

Question 72

If you want to persuade people to engage in more health-promoting behaviours to detect a health problem, you should use

A) negatively framed messages.
B) positively framed messages.
C) numerous types of messages.
D) loyalty encouragement messages.

Question 73

The use of a different verb - hit, contact, or smash - when describing the same videotaped car accident is an example of _________ on reconstructive memory.

A) availability
B) contrast
C) encoding
D) framing

Question 74

In the _______________, people's beliefs about something are influenced by what they have just experienced.

A) base-rate fallacy
B) priming effect
C) contrast effect
D) effortful thinking effect

Question 75

Manuel is choosing between two medical procedures. Procedure A has a 97% success rate. Procedure B has a 3% failure rate. He chooses Procedure A. Why?

A) because of the representativeness heuristic
B) because of the framing heuristic
C) because of the schema heuristic
D) because of the availability heuristic

Question 76

According to the framing heuristic, which of the following foods is likely to be judged as the least healthy?

A) A food that is 95% fat free
B) A food that has 25% fat
C) A food that has 5% fat
D) A food that is 75% fat free

Question 77

Which of the following is a negatively framed message?

A) People who do not wear sunscreen are more likely to develop skin cancer.
B) People who wear condoms are more likely to avoid sexually transmitted diseases.
C) People who take multivitamins have an increased chance of staying healthy during flu season.
D) People who wear seatbelts have an increased chance of avoiding serious injury during a care accident.

Question 78

According to research by Loftus & Palmer (1974), which group of participants estimated the highest rate of speed of two cars that they observed?

A) All groups provided similar estimates of the speed.
B) Participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when they "smashed" one another.
C) Participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when they "contacted" one another.
D) Participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when they "hit" one another.

Question 79

According to research by Loftus & Palmer (1974), which group of participants reported seeing glass break when two cars had a collision?

A) All groups said that there was broken glass.
B) Participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when they "hit" one another.
C) Participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when they "smashed" one another.
D) Participants who were asked how fast the cars were going when they "contacted" one another.

Question 80

The tendency to perceive a stimulus in different ways depending on salient comparisons is referred to as

A) intuitive thinking.
B) presentation.
C) contrast effect.
D) temperament thinking.