Deck 4: Social Perception

Question 1

The process of forming impressions of and making inferences about other people is

A) social perception.
B) social cognition.
C) social-cultural theory.
D) cognitive perception.

Answer 1

social perception.

Question 2

Which of the following is not a major theory that describes how we think about the reasons people engage in particular behaviours?

A) attribution theory
B) dissonance theory
C) correspondent inference theory
D) covariation model

Answer 2

dissonance theory

Question 3

According to Heider (1958), people use cause and effect theories to understand their world and other peoples' behaviour. In this way, Heider suggests, we are all

A) somewhat deluded.
B) very intelligent.
C) "causal psychologists".
D) "naïve psychologists".

Answer 3

"naïve psychologists".

Question 4

Which of the following is not a principle in Heider's (1958) theory of "naïve psychology"?

A) We look for explanations of other peoples' behaviours in order to understand their motivation.
B) We look at the distinctiveness of other peoples' behaviours.
C) We would like to predict the behaviours of other people.
D) We distinguish between internal and external causes of behaviour.

Question 5

If your explanation for a person's behaviour is situational, then you can say it is a(n)

A) internal attribution.
B) external attribution.
C) dispositional attribution.
D) covariation attribution.

Question 6

If your explanation for a person's behaviour is dispositional, then you can say it is a(n)

A) internal attribution.
B) external attribution.
C) personality attribution.
D) covariation attribution.

Question 7

If Roz is making an external attribution about Frasier's short-temper she might say

A) Frasier is very aggressive.
B) Frasier is always very short with people.
C) There are too many demands on his time.
D) Frasier is rude.

Question 8

If you explain a fast driver by saying, "That person is so aggressive" then you are making a(n)

A) positive attribution.
B) negative attribution.
C) internal attribution.
D) external attribution.

Question 9

If you explain a fast driver by saying, "That driver must be late for an important appointment" then you are making a(n)

A) positive attribution.
B) negative attribution.
C) internal attribution.
D) external attribution.

Question 10

Eugenia bought a Fudgesicle at the snack bar. If you learn that this was the only flavour left, you would probably attribute her choice to the _______. If you know there was a selection of flavours, you would probably attribute her choice to _______.

A) situation; situation
B) situation; disposition
C) disposition; disposition
D) disposition; situation

Question 11

The correspondent inference theory states that we make a dispositional attribution when all of the following are present, except

A) the behaviour was freely chosen.
B) the behaviour would be expected within the context.
C) the behaviour would have negative consequences.
D) the consequence of the behaviour is clear.

Question 12

Using the correspondent inference theory, the flavour selected at an ice cream store with 99 flavours would be attributed to

A) external factors.
B) situation.
C) disposition.
D) no decision could be made based on the information provided.

Question 13

You know that Jennie has been a life long supporter of the Conservative party, so you were a bit surprised that she supported the NDP tax plan. Based on the correspondent inference theory, Jennie's behaviour would be attributed to

A) external factors.
B) disposition.
C) situation.
D) no decision could be made based on the information provided.

Question 14

What theory focuses on the factors present when the behaviour occurs and the factors absent when the behaviour does not occur?

A) attribution theory
B) dissonance theory
C) correspondent inference theory
D) covariation model

Question 15

Micah is afraid of dogs, so when he visits Amanda's house for the first time, he avoids going to the door because they have a dog. According to the correspondent inference theory, you would attribute Micah's behaviour at Amanda's house to

A) external factors.
B) disposition.
C) situation.
D) no decision could be made based on the information provided.

Question 16

Which of the following is not a main component to be considered in the covariation theory?

A) consistency
B) consensus
C) diversity
D) distinctiveness

Question 17

One component to consider in the covariation model is information about whether a person's behaviour toward a given stimulus is the same across time; a factor referred to as

A) consistency.
B) consensus.
C) diversity.
D) distinctiveness.

Question 18

Information about whether a person's behaviour is generally the same toward different stimuli, considered in the covariation model is referred to as

A) consistency.
B) consensus.
C) diversity.
D) distinctiveness.

Question 19

When making an attribution based on the covariation model, one factor that is considered is whether other people generally behave in the same way toward the stimulus as the target person; a factor referred to as

A) consistency.
B) consensus.
C) diversity.
D) distinctiveness.

Question 20

Jenna was not surprised that Ebony found the slapstick routine funny since all of their friends find it funny as well. Jenna would make a situational attribution based on which component of the covariation theory?

A) consistency
B) consensus
C) diversity
D) distinctiveness

Question 21

Most of the students are usually late to psychology class, but not for their other classes. According to the covariation theory, the psychology professor would attribute the students' tardiness to

A) situation.
B) disposition.
C) internal.
D) uncertain.

Question 22

Most students struggle with quizzes. However, Azhar usually does well on his quizzes, including the ones in his psychology courses. According to the covariation theory, the professor would attribute Azhar's performance to

A) situation.
B) disposition.
C) external factors.
D) uncertain.

Question 23

Salisha had always been kind and friendly when meeting new people so her rude behaviour at the party causes me to attribute her behaviour to something in the situation. Which factor from the covariation theory is used to explain Salisha's rude behaviour?

A) consistency
B) consensus
C) diversity
D) distinctiveness

Question 24

Asad decided that the traffic must be very bad since Kai was not at the library and he had never been late before. Asad's explanation, according to the covariation theory, was based on

A) consistency.
B) consensus.
C) diversity.
D) distinctiveness.

Question 25

According to the covariation theory, the decision to close the class room door during an exam would be attributed to the situation based on all of the following, except

A) the professor usually leaves the door to the classroom open on non-exam days.
B) all of the other professors close the door when they are administering exams.
C) the professor closes the class room door whenever administering exams.
D) the college requires closed classroom doors.

Question 26

Sunita usually doesn't like violent movies but went with her friends to a movie with very violent scenes. Much to her surprise, Sunita really enjoyed the movie. Her friends enjoyed it too. In this example, distinctiveness is ________________ and consensus is ________________.

A) low; high
B) low; high.
C) low; low
D) high;.high

Question 27

When distinctiveness is ________________ , consensus is ________________, and consistency is high, we are likely to make a situational attribution.

A) high;.high
B) low; low
C) high;.low
D) low;.high

Question 28

When distinctiveness is ________________ , consensus is ________________, and consistency is high, we are likely to make a dispositional attribution.

A) high;.high
B) low;.low
C) high;.low
D) low;.high

Question 29

Regardless of the theory used, there are specific attribution patterns for men versus women. Those patterns include all of the following, except

A) Successes tend to be attributed to men's ability.
B) Failures tend to be attributed to women's lack of ability.
C) Women's failures tend to be attributed to bad luck.
D) Men's failures tend to be attributed to bad luck.

Question 30

Your sister screams at you because you burnt some toast. You figure she is yelling because she has too many work deadlines lately. You are making a(n) ____________ attribution.

A) external
B) internal
C) perceptual
D) dispositional

Question 31

In Jones et al.'s (1961) research on attributions, when were the interviewers most likely to rate a job applicant as highly extraverted?

A) When the job applicant described himself as introverted when applying for a job that required a lot of contact with others.
B) When the job applicant described himself as extraverted when applying for a job that required a lot of contact with others.
C) When the job applicant described himself as introverted when applying for a job that required a lot of time alone.
D) When the job applicant described himself as extraverted when applying for a job that required a lot of time alone.

Question 32

Which of the following is not one of the factors in the correspondent interference model?

A) Does the person enjoy the behaviour?
B) What are the intended effects or consequences of their behaviour?
C) Does the person have the choice to engage in the action?
D) Is the behaviour expected based upon the social role or circumstance?

Question 33

Who developed covariation theory?

A) Schacter
B) Gilbert
C) Kelley
D) Freud

Question 34

_____________ refers to whether people generally agree or disagree with a person's behaviour in a given situation.

A) Distinctiveness
B) Consensus
C) Consistency
D) Judgment

Question 35

Which of the following is not an element of covariation theory?

A) Distinctiveness
B) Consistency
C) Cooperation
D) Consensus

Question 36

If consensus is low, distinctiveness is low, and consistency is high, what type of attribution are we likely to make?

A) Dispositional
B) Rational
C) Situational
D) Theoretical

Question 37

Lia tells you that you have to visit this new Thai restaurant she went to. She said it is remarkable. Lia tends to praise all restaurants she goes to. Lia's comment about the Thai restaurant is low in

A) consensus.
B) coordination.
C) consistency.
D) distinctiveness.

Question 38

Research on gender differences in attribution found that when failure has occurred, participants tend to

A) see men's performance as caused by lack of ability.
B) see women's performance as caused by bad luck.
C) see women's performance as caused by lack of ability.
D) None of these.

Question 39

You mention a book that you are anxious to read and your friend tells you that they read the book but really disliked it. How that information affects your decision to read the book or not is known as

A) social-cultural theory.
B) cognitive perception.
C) social perception.
D) social cognition.

Question 40

When you mention a new movie that you'd like to see, your friend wrinkles his nose, shrugs his shoulders and says nothing. From this nonverbal behaviour, you infer that he isn't interested in this movie; that inference is part of a process known as

A) cognitive perception.
B) social-cultural theory.
C) social cognition.
D) social perception.

Question 41

The first time you meet Ann at a party; she is very quiet and doesn't really interact with anyone. In the coming days when you think about Ann you think about a person who is very shy. Explaining Ann's behaviour at the party this way is an example of

A) positive attribution.
B) situational attribution.
C) internal attribution.
D) external attribution.

Question 42

Fritz Heider's theory (1958) that explains peoples' behaviours as caused by either external or internal factors is known as the

A) theory of naïve psychology.
B) dissonance theory.
C) correspondent inference theory.
D) covariation model.

Question 43

The theory that people infer whether a person's behaviour is caused by internal dispositions of the person by looking at various factors related to that act is known as the

A) attribution theory.
B) dissonance theory.
C) correspondent inference theory.
D) covariation model.

Question 44

Nestor was shocked to learn that Ricardo was taking the Research Methods class even though it wasn't required for his major. According to the correspondent inference theory, Nestor is likely to attribute Ricardo's behaviour to

A) negative factors.
B) positive factors.
C) dispositional factors.
D) situational factors.

Question 45

Davis plans to move to a remote area which is far from his friends and family to attend a top rated graduate program. According to the correspondent inference theory, you are likely to believe that Davis is moving to this remote area because

A) he is forced to engage in the behaviour.
B) there appears to be only one specific factor for the move.
C) the move is expected due to his social role.
D) there are multiple factors for the move.

Question 46

Weiner's attribution theory suggests that people attribute their achievements in terms of three dimensions:

A) success, ability, effort.
B) stability, disposition, focus.
C) controllability, stability, locus.
D) difficulty, controllability, effort.

Question 47

One dimension of Weiner's attribution theory is ____________, which is whether the cause of a particular behaviour is internal or external to the person performing the behaviour.

A) focus
B) situation
C) controllability
D) locus

Question 48

Jacinta failed her statistics midterm and blamed it on the professor for giving an unfair exam. Her friend, Lauren, failed her biology midterm this week too. From your knowledge of Weiner's attribution theory, what attribution is Jacinta likely to make about Lauren's failure?

A) Lauren is not very smart.
B) Lauren's professor gave an unfair exam.
C) Lauren was tired from studying.
D) Jacinta wouldn't make any attributions.

Question 49

In research conducted by Marjanovic et al. (2009), what factor was associated with low rates of helping victims of natural disasters?

A) Participants' lack of money
B) Participants assumed that insurance would cover damages
C) Participants attributed responsibility to the victims
D) Participants had low self-esteem

Question 50

________________ refers to attributing desirable characteristics to one's own group and undesirable characteristics to members of outgroups.

A) Extrocultural
B) Ethnocentrism
C) Xenophobia
D) Discrimination

Question 51

Niko sees himself as fun-loving and hospitable because he has Greek heritage. This is an example of a(n)

A) Self-serving bias
B) External attribution
C) Ideal Self
D) Intergroup attribution

Question 52

____________________ theory is based on the observation that people believe other peoples' dispositions match their behaviours.

Question 53

How people form impressions of and make inferences about other people is known as _________ _________.

Question 54

Explanations of a person's behaviour as caused by their personality or traits factors are known as _______ _______.

Question 55

Explanations of a person's behaviour as caused by situational factors are known as ______ _______.

Question 56

_______ _______ theory states that people infer whether a person's behaviour is caused by the person's disposition by looking at factors related to the person's behaviour.

Question 57

_______ _______ explains behaviour based on factors present or absent when the behaviour occurs.

Question 58

According to Weiner's attribution theory, people tend to attribute their own successes to _______ _______ factors and other people's successes to ___________ factors.

Question 59

According to Weiner's attribution theory, people tend to attribute their own failures to _______ _______ factors and other people's failures to ___________ factors.

Question 60

________________ refers to attributing desirable characteristics to one's own group and undesirable characteristics to members of outgroups.

Question 61

In the fundamental attribution error, there is a tendency to _______ the role of personal causes in explaining the behaviour of others, and _______ the role of situational causes in explaining the behaviour of others.

A) overestimate; underestimate
B) overestimate; overestimate
C) underestimate; underestimate
D) underestimate; overestimate

Question 62

In an experiment (Jones & Harris, 1967) students were asked to read essays either supporting or opposing Fidel Castro, at that time, the communist leader of Cuba. Regardless of whether participants were told the topic was chosen by the author or assigned, attributions were more often

A) dispositional.
B) situational.
C) external.
D) distinctive.

Question 63

Tyra and Nigel had lunch at a new coffee shop and they were shocked by the harsh service given by their waitress and concluded that she is a rude person. In fact, the waitress is normally very friendly, but she was having a very difficult day. Tyra and Nigel have made

A) a dispositional attribution.
B) a situational attribution.
C) the fundamental attribution error.
D) an attribution coefficient.

Question 64

Akiko believed the teenagers who smoke are stupid when in fact many of the teenagers smoke due to peer pressure. Akiko's mistake in attribution is an example of

A) a dispositional attribution.
B) the fundamental attribution error.
C) an attribution coefficient.
D) a situational attribution.

Question 65

The tendency to see other people's behaviour as caused by dispositional factors, but our own behaviour as caused by the situation is a mistake in attribution known as

A) fundamental attribution error.
B) actor-observer effect.
C) correspondence bias.
D) covariation theory.

Question 66

Keith attributed his 'A' in chemistry to his science ability, while he attributed Dan's 'A' in psychology to an easy professor. This is an example of

A) correspondence bias.
B) covariation theory.
C) fundamental attribution error.
D) actor-observer effect.

Question 67

You didn't do well on your presentation in class but you attribute that to the number of projects due the same week and the problems that you had with your computer. On the same day, another student didn't do well on their presentation but you attributed that to a lack of knowledge on the subject. This bias in attribution is the result of

A) fundamental attribution error.
B) correspondence bias.
C) actor-observer effect.
D) covariation theory.

Question 68

Which of the following is not a reason why the actor-observer effect may occur?

A) We know our internal thoughts and feelings.
B) We are motivated to maintain a positive self-image.
C) We tend to downplay the personality of others.
D) We can only observe the behaviours of others.

Question 69

Part of the rationale for the actor-observer effect is that people believe that bad things happen to bad people and good things to good people; a phenomenon known as

A) golden rule.
B) folk psychology.
C) belief in a just world.
D) positive attribution.

Question 70

Many people believe that homeless people are lazy, while wealthy people attained their wealth through dedication and hard work. This is an example of

A) positive attribution.
B) folk psychology.
C) golden rule.
D) belief in a just world.

Question 71

According to the fundamental attribution error, we tend to focus on the role of ____________ causes in predicting behaviour.

A) situational
B) distinctiveness
C) dispositional
D) external

Question 72

Recall the study conducted by Jones & Harris (1967) in which participants read anti-Castro and pro-Castro essays. What were the findings of this study?

A) The participants made situational attributions whether or not they thought the essay writer had a choice in the topic.
B) The participants made dispositional attributions whether or not they thought the essay writer had a choice in the topic.
C) The participants made dispositional attributions when they were told that the essay writer chose the topic, but not when they were told that the essay writer had no choice.
D) The participants made situational attributions when they were told that the essay writer chose the topic, but not when they were told that the essay writer had no choice.

Question 73

People who are obese tend to experience all of the following consequences except:

A) being less likely to be married.
B) earning less income.
C) spending fewer evenings alone.
D) completing fewer years of education.

Question 74

In comparison to likeability ratings of a normal-weight girl, how do participants typically rate an obese girl who they are told has a thyroid condition?

A) As less likeable
B) As just as likeable
C) As more likeable
D) The data had no clear pattern

Question 75

The _________________ says that we tend to see our own behaviour as caused by situational factors and others' behaviour as caused by dispositional factors.

A) fundamental attribution error
B) covariation theory
C) actor-observer effect
D) consensus theory

Question 76

According to research, teenage drivers tend to attribute their own risky driving to

A) consistency factors.
B) attributional factors.
C) dispositional factors.
D) situational factors.

Question 77

Which of the following is not a valid partial explanation for why the actor-observer effect occurs?

A) When we observe someone else's behaviour, we do not have access to their thoughts and feelings.
B) When we consider our own behaviour, we are motivated to maintain a positive self-image.
C) When we consider our own behaviour, we do not have access to our thoughts and feelings.
D) We do not know how strangers behave in particular situations.

Question 78

Research on the role of disserving attributions finds that stock prices rose for companies in which of the following situations?

A) Companies that gave external attributions for positive events.
B) Companies that gave internal attributions for negative events.
C) Companies that gave external attributions for negative events.
D) Stock prices fell in all of these cases.

Question 79

In a study to explore the negative social attitudes toward obesity (DeJong, 1980), research participants were shown a picture and read a short statement about either a normal-weight girl or an overweight girl. The study results indicated that

A) When presented with a situational attribution for weight, participants rated both the normal-weight and overweight girl similarly.
B) Regardless of the attribution for weight, participants rated the overweight girl as less positive.
C) When presented with a dispositional attribution for weight, participants rated both the normal-weight and overweight girl similarly.
D) Regardless of the attribution for weight, participants rated the normal-weight girl as less positive.

Question 80

Research indicates that obese people suffer negative consequences in our society. One reason for this may be

A) There are more normal-weight people than obese people.
B) Obesity is viewed as something within a person's control.
C) Obesity is viewed as something that is situational.
D) Normal-weight people complete more years of education.