Deck 5: The Self: Understanding Ourselves in a Social Context

Question 1

Which of the following would be most likely to reach to touch a spot of red dye on his head when seeing his or her reflection in a mirror?

A) a one-year-old human infant
B) an adult chimpanzee
C) an adult sloth
D) an infant rhinoceros

Answer 1

an adult chimpanzee

Question 2

Singelis (1994) administered his independence and interdependence questionnaire to students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.He found that Asian-American students agreed more with such statements as "It is important to me to respect decisions made by the group" and "My happiness depends on the happiness of those around me" than did Caucasian-American students.These findings suggest that

A) the self-concept is more complex in Western cultures.
B) there is a genetic component to the self-concept.
C) one's culture influences one's self-concept.
D) Hawaii can be thought of as one of the few cultures that shapes the self-concept of its inhabitants.

Answer 2

one's culture influences one's self-concept.

Question 3

Assume that when exposed to a mirror, chimpanzees will use the mirror to aid in grooming (e.g., to pick food from their teeth) and to entertain themselves by making faces.The chimps' behavior in front of the mirror would suggest that

A) mammals have a sense of self.
B) many animals are curious and social.
C) like humans, mammals are self-aware.
D) these great apes have a sense of "self."

Answer 3

these great apes have a sense of "self."

Question 4

Researchers briefly anesthetized chimpanzees and painted an odorless red dye on their heads.When they awoke and looked in the mirror, the chimps immediately reached to touch their brows and ears where the dye was.These findings suggest that chimps

A) develop a sense of self-recognition comparable to that of two-year-old humans.
B) have a complex, multifaceted sense of self.
C) are capable of developing a sense of self-esteem.
D) possess a self-concept much like a human's.

Question 5

The development of our sense of self is partly influenced by the culture in which we grow up.For example, in Western cultures, people tend to have an ________ view of the self, whereas in non-Western cultures, people tend to have an ________ view of the self.

A) independent; interdependent
B) interdependent; independent
C) intrinsic; extrinsic
D) extrinsic; intrinsic

Question 6

Whereas Americans have a proverb, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease," Japanese have a proverb that states "The nail that stands out gets pounded down." These two different proverbs mirror social-psychological research that has demonstrated that people in Asian cultures

A) are more authoritarian than Americans.
B) are more likely to defer to authority than are Americans.
C) have a more interdependent concept of self than do Americans.
D) do not hold differentiated self-concepts.

Question 7

Molly is eighteen years old, and has an eight-year-old brother, Joe.If they are both asked to answer the question, "Who am I?" Molly is likely to answer the question in ________ terms than Joe.

A)more concrete
B)less concrete
C)more physical
D)less abstract

Question 8

The authors of your text explain four components of the self.Which of the following is NOT one of these four functions?

A) self-control
B) impression management
C) self-esteem
D) self-justification

Question 9

Consider the following self-description: "It's important to me to make others happy.I work hard to cooperate with others, and seldom get into arguments.My friends are more important to me than my professional success." A(n) ________ is most likely to have provided such a self-description.

A) teacher living in Berlin, Germany
B) professor living in Minneapolis, Minnesota
C) executive living in Tokyo, Japan
D) writer living in Paris, France

Question 10

When people in Western cultures learn about the interdependent view of the self and people in Asian cultures learn of the independent view of the self, what is the typical reaction?

A)"Of course, they are so similar, it's easy to understand."
B)Many decide to change their view of self and "convert" to the view held by the other culture.
C)Many wish to promote a vision of a unified intradependent view of the self.
D)Many have difficulty understanding how the others could view the world in such a way.

Question 11

States that were settled ______ by European Americans tend to have a more independent view of the self.

A)more recently
B)a long time ago
C)predominantly
D)only

Question 12

________ refers to the process of looking inward and examining our thoughts, feelings, and motives.

A) Self-actualization
B) Introspection
C) Implicit personality
D) Self-examination

Question 13

Imagine you haven't seen a high school friend until your 25ᵗʰ reunion.Based on results from a recent study, which of the following changes would make you think the friend has become a "different person"?

A)the friend has changed an aspect of his morality, such as becoming racist
B)the friend has straightened his teeth and changed his hair color
C)the friend has gotten into physical shape and now is a triathlete
D)the friend has trouble remembering other classmates' names

Question 14

Consider the following self-description: "I have blue eyes and brown hair.I have two sisters.I hate vegetables, but I love ice cream." Such a self-description was most likely provided by the typical

A) two-year-old child.
B) eight-year-old child.
C) adult.
D) high school student.

Question 15

Psychologists who have studied the development of self-concept over the lifespan have found that the self-concept starts out ________ and gradually becomes ________ with increasing age.

A) extremely positive; more realistic
B) concrete; more abstract and complex
C) extremely negative; more positive
D) individually focused; socially focused

Question 16

"My happiness depends on the happiness of those around me" and "I enjoy being unique and different from others in many respects" are two items from Singelis's (1994) scale, which was designed to measure individual differences in

A) self-esteem.
B) cooperation and competition.
C) private and public self-consciousness.
D) independence and interdependence.

Question 17

When asked to finish a sentence beginning "I am...," respondents from Asian countries are more likely to mention ________, because they grew up in a(n) ________ culture.

A) group membership; interdependent
B) extraverted; independent
C) actual self; authoritarian
D) introverted; less oppressive

Question 18

According to the textbook, research on the development of the self-concept using the "red dye" test (placing a red dot on the forehead of the child and then showing the child his or her reflection in the mirror and seeing whether the child touches the red dot on the "baby in the mirror" or his or her own head) indicates that the self-concept in human infants develops at, on average, age

A) 6-8 months.
B) 12-14 months.
C) 18-24 months.
D) 2-3 years.

Question 19

Unique baby names are a sign of a(n) _______ self-construal.

A)interdependent
B)independent
C)complex
D)nonexistent

Question 20

The authors of your text describe Masako Owada's decision to give up her career and marry the crown prince of Japan.Many Americans viewed her decision as to the result of coercion and sexism.How do many Japanese view her decision?

A)the same ways Americans view the decision
B)as a show of support to the feminist movement
C)as a natural consequence of being connected and obligated to others
D)as part of her greater goal to promote her own career by obtaining the power of being royalty

Question 21

Researchers asked participants to keep journals of their daily moods and of other variables, such as the weather and how much sleep they got the night before.When asked, many participants reported the amount of sleep the night before was correlated with their moods.When information recorded in the journals was subjected to more systematic statistical analysis, it was found that amount of sleep was not related to participants' self-reported moods.This is most likely because participants

A) relied on causal theories about the relation between mood and sleep.
B) underreported the amount of sleep they actually got.
C) were distracted when they wrote in their journals.
D) were in a bad mood from having to keep the journal.

Question 22

According to the idea of "telling more than we can know," one reason that introspection is sometimes not an accurate way to learn about oneself is that

A)people have to be extremely self-aware to learn anything about themselves.
B)people must rely on controlled processes to effectively introspective.
C)mental processes are not observable, and therefore do not actually exist.
D)many of our mental processes occur outside our awareness.

Question 23

According to the authors of your text, introspection may not be an especially useful source of information about the self because people

A) may not be consciously aware of the reasons for our behavior.
B) cannot be at once the observer and the object observed.
C) are driven by unconscious self-enhancing motives.
D) know that introspection uses up valuable cognitive resources.

Question 24

Which of the following is an example of a causal theory for behavior/feelings?

A) "Haste makes waste."
B) "Two wrongs don't make a right."
C) "The squeaky wheel gets the grease."
D) "Mondays are bad days."

Question 25

It's Halloween, but you don't want to be running back and forth to answer the door.To avoid any "tricks," you decide to leave a large container of candy on the porch.You've just read about self-awareness theory, and you have a hunch about how to keep greedy trick-or-treaters from taking more than their fair share of the candy.You decide to

A) install a one-way mirror to catch and punish offenders, and to make an example of them.
B) place a large mirror behind the candy, so that children can see themselves as they approach.
C) set up a tape-recorder that plays songs about cooperation and giving.
D) place a picture of the Wicked Witch of the West behind the candy to warn them of what will happen if they take too much.

Question 26

Where do many causal theories such as "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" come from?

A)introspection
B)self-perception
C)culture
D)evolution

Question 27

According to the authors of your text, feelings like love or sadness are often difficult to explain because

A) humans are incredibly self-serving.
B) we are unaware of many of our basic mental processes.
C) environmental stimuli override internal signals.
D) they are frequently the result of social interactions.

Question 28

When we are in a state of ________, we evaluate or compare our current behavior against our internal standards and values.

A) self-awareness
B) self-centeredness
C) self-perception
D) distraction

Question 29

According to studies discussed in the text, one consequence of analyzing or generating reasons for their attitudes is that people will

A) change their attitudes to bring them in line with the reasons.
B) change their list of reasons to bring them in line with their attitudes.
C) become self-aware and hold less positive attitudes.
D) alter their behaviors to correspond to their original attitudes.

Question 30

From the perspective of self-awareness theory, alcohol abuse, binge eating, and suicide are alike in that they

A) enable people who feel guilty to punish themselves.
B) are more likely to be done by people with interdependent self-concepts.
C) are coping mechanisms used by people with low self-esteem.
D) provide temporary or permanent relief from unpleasant self-awareness.

Question 31

Who most likely believes a causal theory?

A) Isabella, who thinks that rainy days make her sad
B) Ava, who thinks she needs to work harder
C) Daniela, who is calling her grandmother on her birthday
D) Sophia, who is taking her turn to take out the trash

Question 32

Women are most often awarded custody of their children because of the belief that they are the best custodians of children, even though we know that women commit infanticide and abuse.Our belief represents

A) an extrinsic motivation.
B) a causal theory.
C) an external attribution.
D) terror management theory.

Question 33

One evening after work, Barbara arrives home in a very bad mood.Noticing this, her husband James asks her why she seems so angry and upset.Barbara hadn't thought about her mood before James mentioned it, and now she thinks hard about what has caused her to be so sullen.She decides that it was because she was hungry and tired, and she tells James so.Barbara is ________ her behavior.

A) constructing a causal theory about
B) making an excuse for
C) attempting to discount
D) overjustifying

Question 34

Earl wants to understand his self-concept better, so he sits quietly by himself and thinks about who he is and what his values and attitudes are.What is Earl engaging in?

A)self-awareness
B)self-conceptualization
C)introspection
D)meditation

Question 35

To summarize the information about "telling more than we can know," often factors that seem like they should affect us ________ and factors that seem like they should have no impact ________.

A) do not; do not
B) do not; do
C) do; do not
D) have great impact; have mild impact

Question 36

According to self-awareness theory, under which of the following circumstances would an individual be most highly motivated to avoid self-awareness?

A) after giving a successful presentation
B) while reading an engaging novel
C) directly after receiving a low grade on an important test
D) while helping a friend with her homework

Question 37

Jake and Martin are standing at the counter of the convenience store, and Jake-who has just failed his psychology exam-is animatedly telling Martin that the exam was unfair and that his professor is unreasonable.As he takes his change, Jake sees his image on the security camera.This causes him to wonder whether he actually studied enough for the exam.Jake's self-scrutiny in this situation would be predicted by ________ theory.

A) self-awareness
B) self-perception
C) self-esteem
D) self-verification

Question 38

All of the following EXCEPT ________ are likely to be used as escapes from aversive self-awareness.

A) getting drunk
B) binge-eating
C) watching television
D) doing one's makeup

Question 39

Researchers asked high school juniors what they were thinking at several points throughout the day.They found that the more students were thinking of themselves

A) the more they were using their smartphones.
B) the more likely they were in a bad mood.
C) the less exercise they were getting.
D) the less time they spent sleeping.

Question 40

All of the following statements about self-awareness are true EXCEPT that

A) self-awareness can foster adherence to moral standards.
B) people always find self-focus aversive.
C) self-focus leads people to attend to discrepancies between their behavior and their standards.
D) people attempt to escape aversive self-awareness through activities such as drinking and watching television.

Question 41

Why, when we introspect about the reasons underlying our attitudes or feelings, do we believe the explanations we arrive at seem reasonable?

A) The reasons behind them were previously suppressed, but now brought to light.
B) The reasons behind them are generally correct and seem objective.
C) The reasons behind them were easy to verbalize.
D) The reasons behind them are self-serving, and that enhances self-esteem.

Question 42

________ occur(s) when people assume that their "true" attitudes match the underlying reasons that seem plausible or that are easy to verbalize in the moment.

A) Escape from self-awareness
B) Dissonance reduction
C) Overjustification effects
D) Reasons-generated attitude change

Question 43

Robert sits down and writes out a list of all of the reasons he is in love with Eunice.As he is trying to make his list, he finds himself writing criticisms of their relationship as well, such as "We have very little in common." His list indicates that perhaps he should break up with Eunice, yet his heart tells him they share a special connection.According to information from the text about reasons-generated attitude change, what should Robert do?

A) Listen to his heart and initial attitude-stay with Eunice.
B) Base his decision on both sets of information.
C) Use the list of logical reasons-dump Eunice.
D) Ask some friends what they would do.

Question 44

Considering the research on reasons-generated attitude change, in which case would you expect the greatest consistency between the person's attitude and their future behavior?

A) Rhonda, who makes a list of pros and cons before changing jobs
B) Cecilia, who goes to therapy to explore the basis of her feelings before getting engaged
C) Alicia, who sits and daydreams about the love she feels for T.J.
D) Becca, who writes a food column explaining why she likes a particular restaurant

Question 45

According to the authors, programs which provide children large monetary rewards for reading,

A) encourage students to value reading.
B) are prohibitively expensive to implement.
C) may actually reduce their enjoyment of reading.
D) are effective only with younger students.

Question 46

According to the text, self-perception theory is most closely related to which other theory in social psychology?

A) cognitive dissonance theory
B) self-awareness theory
C) self-esteem maintenance theory
D) attribution theory

Question 47

Self-perception theory argues that when our attitudes or feelings aren't clear, we often infer them by observing

A) how other people are behaving.
B) our emotional reactions.
C) our own behavior.
D) others' reactions to us.

Question 48

Analyzing the reasons for why we feel what we do is not always the best strategy for making sense of our feelings.This is because

A) reasons that are easy to verbalize are not always the most influential reasons.
B) self-enhancement motives are more powerful than accuracy motives.
C) we are likely to fall prey to the fundamental attribution error.
D) such introspections can feel paralyzing, and thus negatively affect our mood.

Question 49

Pablo had always gotten much satisfaction out of caring for his brothers and sisters when they were sick.A few months ago, Pablo's father convinced him to take a job at a hospital as a nurse's aide so that he could earn money doing what he enjoyed.Now that Pablo has been working at the hospital for a while, he no longer enjoys caring for sick people as much as he did before he took the job.One reason for Pablo's attitude change may be that the job has undermined his ________ for helping others.

A) intrinsic motivation
B) extrinsic motivation
C) external justification
D) internal justification

Question 50

Lisa is most likely to conclude that she likes classical music when

A) she has preset her car radio to a classical music station.
B) she cannot pick up other stations on her car radio.
C) her husband chooses the stations on the car radio.
D) the car radio is broken-stuck on the classical music station-and she cannot change stations.

Question 51

A basic tenet of self-perception theory is that we infer our feelings from our behavior when

A) the reasons for our attitudes or feelings are ambiguous.
B) the reasons for our attitudes or feelings are clear.
C) we can easily identify external reasons for our feelings.
D) we think about how others perceive us.

Question 52

Tim has asked Robin to marry him.Robin isn't sure whether she loves him enough or whether she loves him in the right way.She talks with her sister about all the reasons why it would be wise to marry Tim, and all the reasons why it wouldn't be such a great idea.According to Wilson's theory of reasons-generated attitude change, Robin might regret it were she to base her decision on the reasons she mentioned.Why is that?

A) Her sister will unconsciously reinforce some reasons and punish others.
B) Reasons Robin generates during the conversation won't predict her long-term attitudes and feelings very well.
C) Such objective, dispassionate verbal reports will counteract the passionate feelings she has for Tim.
D) People often fall prey to post-decision regret, due to their need to justify their decisions.

Question 53

________ refers to the desire to engage in an activity because we enjoy it, not because we expect external rewards.

A) Intrinsic motivation
B) Extrinsic motivation
C) Hedonic motivation
D) The overjustification effect

Question 54

According to the tenets of self-perception theory, which of the following audience members would report that he or she really loved the taping of The Late Show with David Letterman?

A) Tim, who sat right in front of the flashing "applause" sign
B) Julie, who could see that Dave was looking at her
C) André, whose hands stung from clapping so much
D) Debra, whose friends nudged her to get her to applaud

Question 55

Jenny is trying to decide how she feels about Garth, so she sits down and lists the reasons why she feels the way she does.By doing this, Jenny runs the risk of incurring a

A) feelings-generated attitude change.
B) reasons-generated attitude change.
C) misattribution of arousal.
D) broken heart.

Question 56

While completing a personality test, Craig comes to an item that asks him if he sees himself as shy and introverted.Craig reflects on some of his recent behavior.He reasons that since he generally does not talk much in class discussions and tends to avoid large parties, he must be shy and introverted.Which of the following strategies for self-knowledge is Craig using?

A) self-presentation
B) self-perception
C) self-esteem
D) self-enhancement

Question 57

________ theory posits that when our attitudes or feelings are ambiguous, we infer our internal states by observing our own behaviors and the situation in which they occur.

A) Impression management
B) Introspection
C) Self-perception
D) Self-enhancement

Question 58

Simone runs simply because it gives her pleasure to exercise outside and to leave her daily worries behind as she works up a sweat.In this instance, Simone is ________ to run.

A) extrinsically motivated
B) intrinsically motivated
C) justifying her desire
D) generating a reason

Question 59

According to self-perception theory, we infer the kind of person we are and what our attitudes are by

A) engaging in introspection about the reasons for our behaviors.
B) comparing our behaviors to our internal values and standards.
C) looking to others to see how they respond to us.
D) observing our own behaviors, just as we would observe others' behavior.

Question 60

When asked to explain our own behaviors, self-perception processes are more likely to operate when our feelings are ________ and when we ________.

A) weak or unclear; list the reasons for those feelings
B) clear; engage in introspection
C) weak or unclear; think about the situation and our behavior
D) clear; think about the situation and our behavior

Question 61

You assume that Franklin is intrinsically motivated to write a course paper because

A) it will increase his chances of making the Dean's List.
B) it is a requirement to pass the course.
C) he wants his professor to write him a letter of recommendation.
D) Franklin seems to savor immersing himself in writing.

Question 62

Based on the information in your text about intrinsic motivation, who would be most likely to lose their enthusiasm for reading if a "Read for Cash" program were implemented in their school?

A) someone who does not like to read very much on his or her own
B) boys would be more likely than girls to lose their motivation
C) good students
D) children who enjoy reading to begin with

Question 63

According to the authors of your text, ________ explains why providing young children large rewards for reading (e.g., money, prizes) might actually backfire and convince them that they don't really like reading as much as they thought at first.

A) the overjustification effect
B) self-perception processes
C) reasons-generated attitude change
D) intrinsic motivation theory

Question 64

According to the authors of your text, the overjustification effect is the tendency for people to view their behavior as caused by something

A) extrinsic, thus undermining their intrinsic motivation.
B) intrinsic, thus overshadowing their extrinsic motivation.
C) overjustified by intrinsic motivation.
D) rewardable, but not punishable.

Question 65

Walt's older brother Seymour decided to give him some incentive to continue doing well in school.Seymour told Walt that for every "A" he received on his report card, he would reward him with a comic book.Seymour is offering Walt a(n) ________ reward.

A) task-contingent
B) performance-contingent
C) item-contingent
D) time-contingent

Question 66

According to the authors of your text, extrinsic rewards are most likely to diminish intrinsic motivation when

A) intrinsic motivation was initially high.
B) extrinsic motivation was initially high.
C) rewards are performance contingent.
D) rewards are given at random.

Question 67

Which of the following is most likely to increase intrinsic motivation?

A) large incentives
B) internal attributions
C) external attributions
D) self-perception processes

Question 68

Stella is very serious about dancing and starts college as a dance major.The more serious she gets about dancing, the more she worries about the pressure to succeed and the rewards associated with succeeding.She finds that dancing feels like a chore and something she has to do rather than wants to do.Her change in her views about dance is due to what social psychologists call

A) cognitive appraisal.
B) attribution of arousal.
C) insufficient justification.
D) overjustification.

Question 69

According to research mentioned in this chapter, when children initially enjoyed a game, then were rewarded for it, how did they later behave after the reward was removed?

A) They persisted at the game at baseline levels.
B) They persisted at the game as though there was a reward.
C) They completely ceased playing the game.
D) They gradually played the game less.

Question 70

In evaluating programs in which children are offered rewards (e.g., money, pizza) for reading books, a social psychologist might remind us that

A) rewards do not have an effect if children don't like reading in the first place.
B) punishers are more effective than rewards where humans are concerned.
C) rewards might convince children that they are reading simply to secure pizza or money.
D) excessive rewards will undermine the children's self-esteem.

Question 71

If you were to design a program using rewards to increase motivation, what type of rewards would it be the best to use, according to the authors of your text?

A) task-contingent
B) performance-contingent
C) aptitude-contingent
D) monetary

Question 72

There are national programs that encourage children to read by offering them rewards (e.g., pizza, money) for reading.Advocates of this program argue that rewarding children for reading will encourage them to read, rather than watch television or play video games.These advocates are most like ________ psychologists in their approach to encouraging children to read.

A) behavioral
B) Gestalt
C) social
D) educational

Question 73

Complete the analogy: task-contingent rewards: ________ :: performance-contingent rewards: ________.

A) intrinsic motivation; extrinsic motivation
B) completed task; did well
C) assignment; exam
D) motivation; completion

Question 74

________ refers to the desire to undertake an activity because of external rewards, not because we find it interesting or enjoyable.

A) Intrinsic motivation
B) Compliance
C) Extrinsic motivation
D) Social comparison

Question 75

According to research mentioned in this chapter, after observing the amount of time elementary students spent playing new math games, researchers provided rewards to children for playing with the games.After the rewards were removed,

A) children's intrinsic interest in the math games increased.
B) the time children spent playing the game remained the same.
C) although children reported less liking for the math games, they continued to play with them.
D) children's intrinsic interest in the math games decreased.

Question 76

The principal of a local elementary school plans to implement a "Reading for Cash" program, whereby children would be given cash rewards for reading.Before investing in this plan, the principal asks for your assessment.Because ________ tend to ________, you would probably tell her that the program would not be an effective way to increase interest in reading.

A) external rewards; reduce any inherent intrinsic interest
B) external rewards; increase any inherent intrinsic interest
C) any forms of encouragement; reduce intrinsic motivation
D) intrinsic interests; weaken over time regardless of incentives

Question 77

Based on the idea of overjustification, if you have a group of children who already enjoy reading, which of the following would be most likely to decrease their intrinsic motivation?

A) allowing them to read as much as they choose
B) timing them for how long they read each day
C) giving them achievement tests on reading
D) rewarding them for each book they read

Question 78

Intrinsic motivation is to ________ as extrinsic motivation is to ________.

A) overjustification; underjustification
B) internal attribution; external attribution
C) self-perception; overjustification effect
D) introspection; self-perception

Question 79

According to research on the overjustification effect, why would high course grades be very unlikely to undermine intrinsic motivation to learn? Grades

A) aren't important to some students.
B) are based on course performance.
C) are based on both skill and motivation.
D) cause students to become anxious.

Question 80

According to research mentioned in this chapter, when researchers discontinued rewards and prizes, why did elementary school children spend less time playing math games? The children probably reasoned,

A) "If I no longer win prizes, why should I play with these games?"
B) "My teacher must not like the games, or she would offer prizes."
C) "The games must be good, or why would my teacher give me prizes?"
D) "If I work hard on my spelling, maybe I can win prizes."