Deck 11: Social Psychology

Question 1

Jack and John were recently dumped by their girlfriends.Jack believes that his girlfriend broke up with him because she is selfish and unhappy, whereas John believes that his girlfriend broke up with him because she had to attend to a family emergency and could not make a commitment right now.Jack is making a(n) _____ about his girlfriend's behavior, whereas John is making a(n) _____.

A)internal attribution/external attribution
B)external attribution/internal attribution
C)downward social comparison/upward social comparison
D)upward social comparison/downward social comparison

Answer 1

internal attribution/external attribution

Question 2

_____ is the scientific study of how people think about, influence, and relate to other people.

A)Social Darwinism
B)Social analytics
C)Socialism
D)Social psychology

Answer 2

Social psychology

Question 3

The area of social psychology that explores how people select, interpret, remember, and use social information is called

A)parapsychology.
B)clinical psychology.
C)social relativity.
D)social cognition.

Answer 3

social cognition.

Question 4

A _____ is a generalization about a group's characteristics that does not consider any variations from one individual to another.

A)stereotype
B)hypothesis
C)proposition
D)classification

Question 5

_____ refers to the processes by which we use social stimuli to form impressions of others.

A)Form perception
B)Person perception
C)Visual perception
D)Amodal perception

Question 6

The bystander effect is most likely to occur

A)when someone is witnessing an emergency and there are several other people present.
B)when someone is witnessing an emergency and no one else is present.
C)in emergencies where people's actions are being videotaped.
D)in memory studies in which bystanders did not remember as much about an emergency as the individual who was the victim.

Question 7

Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobsen conducted a study in 1968.The researchers told grade-school teachers that five students were likely to be "late bloomers"-that these students had high levels of ability that would likely emerge over time.In reality, the students had been randomly selected by the researchers.Nonetheless, a year later, the researchers found that teachers' expectations for the "late bloomers" were reflected in student performance-the academic performance of the "late bloomers" was beyond that of other students.The results from this study demonstrate which of the following concepts?

A)cognitive dissonance theory
B)the butterfly effect
C)self-fulfilling prophecy
D)self-serving bias

Question 8

You are watching golf and see Tiger Woods scowl.You would be making the fundamental attribution error if you assumed that

A)he has an angry and volatile personality.
B)he just missed a putt.
C)he was thrown off by the flash of a camera.
D)he was in a tough situation.

Question 9

_____ is an individual's fast-acting, self-fulfilling fear of being judged based on a negative idea about his or her group.

A)Stereotype threat
B)Self-serving bias
C)False uniqueness effect
D)Stereotype consensus effect

Question 10

Attributions that include causes inside and specific to a person, such as his or her traits and abilities, are called

A)internal attributions.
B)external attributions.
C)stable attributions.
D)unstable attributions.

Question 11

According to attribution theory, attributions vary along which of the following dimensions?

A)internal/external causes
B)known/unknown causes
C)regular/irregular causes
D)consistent/inconsistent causes

Question 12

Self-fulfilling prophecy

A)effects show the potential power of stereotypes and other sources of expectations on human behavior.
B)shows that aspects of the environment prime us to behave aggressively.
C)examines the characteristics of cultures that are associated with the emergence of altruism and with the belief that everyone deserves fair treatment.
D)is the solidification and further strengthening of an individual's position as a consequence of a group discussion or interaction.

Question 13

Which of the following statements about research on the "beautiful is good" stereotype is FALSE?

A)Infants as young as three to six months of age prefer attractive faces over unattractive faces.
B)Attractive people are assumed to have a variety of positive characteristics, including being better adjusted, socially skilled, friendly, likeable, extraverted, and apt to achieve superior job performance.
C)There is little truth to the "beautiful is good" stereotype.Attractive people do not really possess the positive characteristics of the stereotype.
D)The "beautiful is good" stereotype can influence how we treat others, as in the concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 14

Attribution theory

A)is an explanation of how behaviors influence attitudes.
B)views people as motivated to discover the underlying causes of their behavior as part of their effort to make sense of the behavior.
C)suggests that we feel uneasy when we notice an inconsistency between what we believe and what we do.
D)is a theory of social comparison which posits that when individuals lack objective means to evaluate their opinions and abilities, they compare themselves with others.

Question 15

In the context of social behavior, which of the following best explains why the bystander effect occurs?

A)People tend to look to the behavior of others for cues about what to do.
B)People do not wait for others to offer help during emergencies.
C)When witnesses are present, individuals feel a sense of personal responsibility.
D)When others are watching, individuals tend to behave more altruistically.

Question 16

In the context of research in the area of physical attractiveness, which of the following faces will most likely be rated as most attractive?

A)a face in which the distinctive features have been digitally enhanced
B)a face with an unusually small forehead and unusually large lips
C)a round face with unusually large eyes
D)a composite of multiple faces that have been digitally blended to produce an "average" face

Question 17

Parents warn a new babysitter that their son, Dennis, is very aggressive and mischievous.As a result of this initial expectation, the babysitter starts calling Dennis "Dennis the Menace," and he behaves in ways that elicit aggressive and mischievous behaviors from Dennis.This example best demonstrates the phenomenon called

A)self-fulfilling prophecy.
B)self-serving bias.
C)fundamental attribution error.
D)social conditioning.

Question 18

The process by which we come to understand the causes of others' behavior is known as

A)deindividuation.
B)validation.
C)perception.
D)attribution.

Question 19

Which of the following statements is true of stereotype threat?

A)A person facing stereotype threat usually performs well in any test to prove he or she is better than what is indicated by the stereotype.
B)A person who experiences stereotype threat is well aware of stereotypical expectations for him or her as a member of a group.
C)Stereotype threat affects performance on math tests by men compared to women.
D)In stereotype-relevant situations, a person has the tendency to overperform.

Question 20

Based on Claude Steele and Eliot Aronson's research on stereotype threat, we should be especially concerned about instructions for standardized tests if they

A)ask for race/ethnic information before the test starts.
B)ask for names before the test starts.
C)are administered by men and women from different racial/ethnic backgrounds.
D)are culturally/racially sensitive.

Question 21

_____ are favorable views of the self that are not necessarily rooted in reality.

A)Fundamental attribution errors
B)Self-serving biases
C)Self-deceptions
D)Positive illusions

Question 22

Individuals who have positive illusions about the self

A)are judged less positively by others.
B)are psychologically less healthy.
C)tend to show high levels of psychological well-being.
D)display self-views that are rooted in reality.

Question 23

You watch as Emma stumbles and drops her books in the hall.If you commit the fundamental attribution error when assessing Emma, how would you explain her behavior?

A)She must have tripped over something.
B)She is a clumsy person.
C)She couldn't help it; there were too many books to carry.
D)She was trying to get out of someone else's way.

Question 24

_____ refers to the tendency to take credit for one's own successes and to deny responsibility for one's own failures.

A)Positive illusion
B)Learned helplessness
C)Self-serving bias
D)Stereotyping

Question 25

Although Jeff frequently exceeds the speed limit by at least 10 mph, he justifies his behavior by erroneously thinking that most other drivers do the same.This belief best illustrates

A)the false consensus effect.
B)the self-serving bias.
C)deindividuation.
D)social loafing.

Question 26

Which of the following statements is true of social comparison?

A)When engaging in social comparison, people try to act like others and lose their true identity.
B)Social comparison helps identify distinctive characteristics of a person and helps in building an identity.
C)Social comparison eliminates the ill effects of stereotype threat.
D)Social comparison is an individual's fast-acting, self-fulfilling fear of being judged based on a negative stereotype about his or her group.

Question 27

The _____ is the overestimation of the degree to which everybody else thinks or acts the way we do.

A)fundamental attribution error
B)self-serving bias
C)stereotype threat
D)false consensus effect

Question 28

Lily does not approve of abortion.She is shocked when she finds out how many people in her state hold pro-choice attitudes.This is an example of

A)the self-fulfilling prophecy.
B)cognitive dissonance.
C)the false consensus effect.
D)groupthink.

Question 29

_____ are people's opinions and beliefs about other people, objects, and ideas, and how they feel about the world.

A)Attributions
B)Traits
C)Attitudes
D)Skills

Question 30

"Am I as popular as Cathy?" This question is an example of gaining self-knowledge through the process of

A)peer review.
B)peripheral evaluation.
C)peer recognition.
D)social comparison.

Question 31

Whenever Claudia gets an A on her psychology exam, she believes it was due to the fact that she is an intelligent, hard-working student.However, when she receives a C on an exam, she blames the instructor's ineffective teaching style and poor choice of test questions.Claudia's behavior is an example of

A)learned helplessness.
B)the self-serving bias.
C)the false uniqueness effect.
D)the false consensus effect.

Question 32

When people try to confront Alfred about drinking too much alcohol, he replies, "Drinking may be harmful to my health, but I'll die having a good time." This statement made by Alan illustrates his attempt to reduce

A)stereotype threat.
B)cognitive dissonance.
C)the self-serving bias.
D)the fundamental attribution error.

Question 33

Festinger's social comparison theory

A)provides an important rationale for how individuals come to know themselves.
B)identifies two ways to persuade: a central route and a peripheral route.
C)examines potentially altruistic behavior.
D)suggests that aspects of the environment may prime us to behave aggressively.

Question 34

Cindy recently played in a softball game in which she misplayed a ground ball for an error.Later, in the same game, she made a great catch on a very difficult play.According to the self-serving bias, she would attribute her error to _____ and her good catch to her _____.

A)bad fielding skills/luck
B)bad fielding skills/good fielding skills
C)a bad bounce/luck
D)a bad bounce/good fielding skills

Question 35

You come to a conclusion that Carla is a naturally anxious woman.You ignore the fact that Carla is currently taking finals and working 40 hours per week.You are demonstrating the

A)fundamental attribution error.
B)universality mistake.
C)self-serving bias.
D)availability heuristic.

Question 36

The tendency for observers to underestimate the impact of the external situation and overestimate the impact of inner traits when they seek explanations of another person's behavior is called

A)the self-serving bias.
B)the fundamental attribution error.
C)the false consensus bias.
D)cognitive dissonance.

Question 37

The process by which individuals evaluate their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and abilities in relation to others is known as

A)peer review.
B)peripheral attribution.
C)social comparison.
D)peer recognition.

Question 38

Despite evidence to the contrary, Denise thinks she is smarter than most of the people in her class.Denise's unfounded attitude about herself is an example of a(n)

A)positive illusion.
B)hallucination.
C)reactive illusion.
D)ideal self.

Question 39

_____ is the psychological discomfort caused by two inconsistent thoughts.

A)Consensual validation
B)Cognitive dissonance
C)Risky shift
D)Deindividuation

Question 40

In attribution theory, the person who offers a causal explanation of the actor's behavior is called the

A)attributor.
B)observer.
C)influencer.
D)mediator.

Question 41

Which of the following is true of agreeableness in the context of prosocial behavior?

A)It has no association with brain structures.
B)It is the personality trait that is least associated with prosocial behavior.
C)It is related to greater volume in the posterior cingulate cortex.
D)It is most strongly associated with neuroticism.

Question 42

Juanita returned home after being away for several years.When she saw her father, whom she thought she disliked, she hugged him and cried.Based on her crying when she saw him, she determined that she must like him more than she thought.This is most consistent with the of attitudes

A)evolutionary theory.
B)social learning theory.
C)self-perception theory.
D)social identity theory.

Question 43

Hugh bought a new calculator at Staples for $125.One week later, he saw an ad from Walmart showing the same calculator on sale for $65.Hugh said to himself, "I'm glad I got my calculator at Staples; the ones at Walmart are probably defective.I don't mind having paid more for mine." Hugh's statement reflects

A)cognitive dissonance reduction.
B)self-perception bias.
C)informational influence.
D)peripheral-route processing.

Question 44

Allison is at a workshop where a presenter is attempting to persuade people to make a rather risky but potentially profitable financial investment.The arguments for investing appeal to logic and reason.After slowly and carefully considering the presenter's arguments, Alison finds that this person's idea sounds compelling and decides to invest.This example best demonstrates the

A)peripheral route to persuasion.
B)norm of reciprocity.
C)central route to persuasion.
D)foot-in-the-door technique.

Question 45

The elaboration likelihood model

A)views people as motivated to discover the underlying causes of behavior as part of their effort to make sense of the behavior.
B)explains the effects of deindividuation.
C)refers to the processes by which we use social stimuli to form impressions of others.
D)identifies two ways to persuade: a central route and a peripheral route.

Question 46

In the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion, the central route

A)is effective when people lack the time or energy to think about the message.
B)is more persuasive when people have the ability and the motivation to pay attention.
C)involves factors such as the source's attractiveness or the emotional power of an appeal.
D)is usually used by television advertisers to persuade the viewers into buying their products.

Question 47

According to the self-perception theory,

A)social comparisons aid in identity building.
B)inconsistent thoughts cause psychological discomfort.
C)attitudes influence behavior.
D)behaviors can cause attitudes.

Question 48

Central route persuasion

A)involves the use of non-message factors, such as the source's credibility and attractiveness.
B)involves engaging someone thoughtfully with a sound, logical argument.
C)involves emotional appeals.
D)involves altruism.

Question 49

_____ theory is Daryl Bem's take on how behaviors influence attitudes.

A)Self-perception
B)Social identity
C)Self-serving
D)Social comparison

Question 50

John is selling magazine subscriptions and chocolates.He asks you whether you are interested in buying some chocolates for $1 and you say yes.When you go to get the money to pay for the chocolates and return to the door, John asks you if you would also like to buy a $25 subscription to a variety of magazines.Even though you don't read magazines, you agree to buy a magazine subscription.This is an example of

A)social loafing.
B)the door-in-the-face technique.
C)the foot-in-the-door technique.
D)the bystander effect.

Question 51

In the context of persuasion strategies, the door-in-the-face technique involves

A)making a smaller request at the beginning.
B)relying on the notion that the persuader has formed a relationship with the persuadee.
C)making the biggest pitch first.
D)ensuring that the persuadee does not experience cognitive dissonance.

Question 52

The advertising committee for a politician is going door to door and asking people to put a big, ugly election sign on their lawn.If the people refuse, they ask them if they would consider putting a smaller sign on the lawn.The staff is using

A)the foot-in-the-door technique.
B)the door-in-the-face technique.
C)the elaboration likelihood model.
D)a negative appeal.

Question 53

Cognitive dissonance theory states that in order to reduce dissonance, individuals

A)change attitudes in order to be more popular.
B)change behavior in order to be more popular.
C)do not perceive a discrepancy between attitudes and behavior.
D)try to align their attitudes and behavior.

Question 54

According to _____, people who have first agreed to a small request tend to comply later with a larger request.

A)the foot-in-the-door technique
B)the door-in-the-face-technique
C)the bystander effect
D)the social facilitation effect

Question 55

According to the self-perception theory of attitudes, what do individuals do to make inferences about their attitudes?

A)They compare themselves to others.
B)They assess their emotions.
C)They ask a friend.
D)They perceive their behavior.

Question 56

A person on campus walks up to you and asks if you would be willing to wear a ribbon to show support for her cause.Though the ribbon is a bit unattractive, it is small so you agree to wear it.After agreeing to this request, the solicitor then asks you if you would be willing to make a donation of $15.This example best demonstrates the

A)foot-in-the-door technique.
B)door-in-the-face technique.
C)norm of reciprocity.
D)central route to persuasion.

Question 57

Which of the following is a similarity between the cognitive dissonance theory and self-perception theory?

A)Both theories suggest that behavior can change attitudes.
B)Both theories suggest that when attitude changes, behavior changes too.
C)Both theories suggest that attitude remains constant while behavior changes.
D)Both theories suggest that individuals should change their behavior to fit their attitude.

Question 58

_____ means helping another person for personal gain, such as to feel good, or avoid guilt.

A)Egoism
B)Altruism
C)Ethnocentrism
D)Utilitarianism

Question 59

According to the cognitive dissonance theory, when attitudes and behavior conflict, individuals tend to reduce cognitive dissonance by

A)changing their attitudes to fit the behavior.
B)moving on to a different task.
C)ignoring the conflict.
D)consulting others.

Question 60

_____ refers to rationalizing the amount of work we put into getting something by increasing its value.

A)Conceptual validation
B)Effort justification
C)Informational social influence
D)Self-perception

Question 61

When individuals desire to have another person near and have a deep, caring affection for the person, they are displaying

A)romantic love.
B)affectionate love.
C)the mere exposure effect.
D)passionate love.

Question 62

Behavior that is meant to harm the social standing of another person through activities such as gossiping and spreading rumors is known as

A)relational aggression.
B)institutional aggression.
C)overt aggression.
D)physical aggression.

Question 63

Which theory of attraction suggests that long-term relationships are likely to continue when both partners are committed and put a lot into the relationship and when there are few attractive tempting alternatives around?

A)the investment model
B)evolutionary theory
C)the mere exposure effect
D)social exchange theory

Question 64

According to _____, the most important predictor of relationship success is having both partners feel that each is doing his or her "fair share."

A)social identity theory
B)social exchange theory
C)the investment model
D)the evolutionary approach

Question 65

According to research on aggressive behavior, which of the following personality factors is mostly associated with aggression?

A)low levels of hostility
B)low levels of irritability
C)low levels of neuroticism
D)low levels of conscientiousness

Question 66

A man who slaps his wife during an argument is most likely exhibiting

A)relational aggression.
B)subtle aggression.
C)overt aggression.
D)covert aggression.

Question 67

Susan drives by an unusually colorful apartment building each day on her way to and from work.Initially, she does not think much of the structure and has a mild dislike for it.However, after several months of commuting, she starts to like the apartment building and is even considering renting an apartment there.This change in Susan's feelings about the building best demonstrates

A)the comparison effect.
B)normative social influence.
C)the mere exposure effect.
D)informational social influence.

Question 68

Tom has left home and is attending college in a city far away from home where he doesn't know anybody.According to the principle of proximity, Tom will be most likely to make friends with

A)Bill, his roommate.
B)John, who lives across campus.
C)Michael, who lives in the same dorm but two floors below Tom.
D)Stuart, who lives in the adjacent room.

Question 69

Robert, a nine-year-old boy, loves watching wrestling on TV.Last night, he used several of the aggressive wrestling moves on his little brother.Which of the following theories best explains William's behavior?

A)observational learning
B)frustration-aggression theory
C)identity crisis
D)cognitive dissonance

Question 70

Equity is a strong predictor of relationship satisfaction

A)among men, but not among women.
B)among women, but not among men.
C)during both the early and later stages of a relationship.
D)during the early but not later stages of a relationship.

Question 71

According to _____, social relationships involve an exchange of goods, the objective of which is to minimize costs and maximize benefits.

A)psychological exchange theory
B)social exchange theory
C)the concept of social contagion
D)the elaboration likelihood model

Question 72

_____ involves strong components of sexuality and infatuation, and is often predominant in the early part of a love relationship.

A)Romantic love
B)Affectionate love
C)The mere exposure effect
D)Companionate love

Question 73

According to social exchange theory, the most important predictor of relationship success is

A)equity.
B)physical attractiveness.
C)the availability of attractive alternative partners.
D)passionate love.

Question 74

Social psychologists believe that _____ is particularly strong during the early stages of a relationship, and that _____ increases as the relationship grows and matures.

A)affectionate love/romantic love
B)romantic love/affectionate love
C)consensual validation/romantic love
D)consensual validation/passionate love

Question 75

From the perspective of the investment model of close relationships, long-term relationships are most likely to continue when

A)one person is more committed to the relationship than the other person.
B)both persons have invested less in the relationship.
C)there are few tempting alternatives for the partners.
D)one person has invested more in the relationship than the other person.

Question 76

Deficits in the functioning of the _____ are associated with aggression.

A)hippocampus
B)hypothalamus
C)parietal lobes
D)frontal lobes

Question 77

Which of the following statements is true of the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

A)It states that besides frustration, no other experiences can cause aggression.
B)It states that frustration always leads to aggression.
C)It states that aggression usually leads to obedience.
D)It states that aggression stems from an attitude of altruism.

Question 78

The hormone that is typically implicated in aggressive behavior is

A)estrogen.
B)testosterone.
C)epinephrine.
D)norepinephrine.

Question 79

Melissa and John have been happily married for 30 years because they have ensured that they have no opportunities to fight.Both of them have jobs so they contribute proportionately to the household income, and they equally share all other responsibilities.Melissa and John's happy marriage can best be explained by the

A)social exchange theory.
B)social contagion theory.
C)social identity theory.
D)elaboration likelihood model.

Question 80

The mere exposure effect provides one possible explanation for why _____ increases attraction.

A)proximity
B)similarity
C)physical attractiveness
D)reciprocity