Question 1

When half of his class earned D's and F's on the midterm exam,Professor Bush came back to the next class and delivered a stern lecture about their effort.He admonished the class for failing to meet their obligations,for being lazy,and for not taking their studies seriously.These attributions,which were all _____ attributions,did not really give any consideration to the fact that the students may have had other reasons for failing the exam that were beyond their immediate control.

A)cooperative
B)dispositional
C)accusatory
D)situational

dispositional

Accepted Answer

The attributions made by Professor Bush emphasize the personal traits and characteristics of the students, without taking into account external or situational factors that could have affected their performance on the exam. This type of attribution is dispositional, because it focuses on inherent features of the individuals rather than on external conditions or circumstances. Options A and C are not applicable, as there is no indication that the lecture was meant to foster cooperation or collaboration among the students, nor is there any mention of accusations. Option D, situational, would refer to external factors that affect behavior or performance, but this is not the case in the scenario described.

Question 2

_____ is the claim that our attributions and behaviors are shaped by a belief that the world is fair and people always get what they deserve.&#10;A)The just-world hypothesis&#10;B)The scapegoat hypothesis&#10;C)The bandwagon hypothesis&#10;D)The maladaptive gullibility hypothesis

Accepted Answer

The just-world hypothesis is the claim that our attributions and behaviors are shaped by a belief that the world is fair and people always get what they deserve. This belief can lead individuals to blame victims for their misfortunes and attribute their own success solely to their abilities and efforts, thereby neglecting external factors such as luck or social privilege.

Question 3

You get on an elevator.Everyone is facing to the right.You turn and also face to the right.This is an example of&#10;A)obedience.&#10;B)comparison.&#10;C)attribution.&#10;D)conformity.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of conformity as you are adjusting your behavior to match that of others in the elevator who are all facing the same direction.

Question 4

When Sam went looking for a new car,he met a beautiful saleswoman who described the beauty of the car and its flashiness,and how good Sam would look driving it.She did not mention the poor gas mileage,the exorbitant price,and poor road performance.Sam made a snap decision to buy the car from the persuasive saleswoman.Sam was using which alternative pathway in making a decision?

A)The central route
B)The peripheral route
C)The afferent route
D)The efferent route

Accepted Answer

The peripheral route of persuasion focuses on superficial, non-relevant aspects of the message or source, such as attractiveness or likability of the source, rather than the actual content of the message. In this scenario, the saleswoman's emphasis on the beauty and flashiness of the car and how good Sam would look driving it appeals to superficial aspects rather than functional aspects such as gas mileage and road performance, leading Sam to make a snap decision based on peripheral cues rather than weighing all aspects of the decision through central route processing.

Question 5

According to research,humans have a biological need for interpersonal interactions.This is called the&#10;A)need for friends theory.&#10;B)need for intimacy theory.&#10;C)need for interpersonal interactions theory.&#10;D)need to belong theory.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is option D, the need to belong theory. This theory suggests that humans have a fundamental drive to seek social connections and feel a sense of belonging. This drive is rooted in our biology and evolutionary history, as humans have always relied on social support to survive and thrive. The other options do not accurately reflect the established theory in question.

Question 6

You are walking downtown one day and find a man wearing street clothes who is slumped on the sidewalk.You look around and see others walking and not paying attention.Thus,you decide to do the same thing.You have demonstrated

A)monistic ignorance.
B)pluralistic ignorance.
C)singular ignorance.
D)triangular ignorance.

Accepted Answer

Pluralistic ignorance occurs when individuals look to the actions of others to determine how to behave in a certain situation. In this scenario, the individual is not helping the man on the sidewalk because he assumes others are not helping either. This is a form of pluralistic ignorance.

Question 7

Who is more likely to engage in physical aggression?&#10;A)Billy,who was raised in North Dakota&#10;B)Mao Lin,who was raised in Beijing,China&#10;C)Beau,who was raised in Savannah,Georgia&#10;D)Tanaka,who was raised in Tokyo,Japan

Accepted Answer

There is no clear indication that any one of the individuals is more likely to engage in physical aggression solely based on their place of origin or upbringing. Other factors such as individual temperament, past experiences, and current environment can influence one's likelihood to engage in physical aggression.

Question 8

A group of chemists,who have been working together on a new diet pill for the last four years,met to discuss their new drug.Over the years,they have all come to respect each other and have formed a close bond.Upon discussing the effectiveness and safety of the diet pill,many members of the group found themselves agreeing with most of the comments that were made.Somewhere along the way,no one seemed to pay much attention to the fact that some of the subjects in the clinical trials of that drug became ill.It seemed that because nobody wanted to disrespect anyone else,the topic of ill subjects was dropped.What psychological phenomenon occurred here?

A)Social facilitation
B)Group polarization
C)Groupthink
D)Social loafing

Accepted Answer

The psychological phenomenon that occurred in this situation is groupthink. Groupthink is a phenomenon where members of a group prioritize maintaining cohesiveness over critical thinking and problem-solving, leading to a decrease in the quality of decisions made by the group. In this case, the chemists were so focused on maintaining their close bond and not disrespecting each other's opinions that they failed to critically examine the potential negative side effects of their diet pill. This led to the group disregarding important information about ill subjects in the clinical trials. Group polarization, social facilitation, and social loafing are not relevant in this scenario.

Question 9

Devin holds the viewpoint that a female physician will not be as effective as a male physician because females are too emotional in nature.Devin's way of thinking about this situation can best be described as

A)prejudiced.
B)ethnoracial.
C)an example of poor cognition.
D)discriminatory.

Accepted Answer

Devin's belief is based on a stereotype about women being overly emotional and not based on any evidence or individual merits. This is an example of prejudice, which refers to a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. Devin's belief is not related to race or ethnicity, so it is not ethnoracial discrimination. It is also not necessarily an example of poor cognition, as some people may hold prejudiced beliefs despite being intellectually competent. However, it is discriminatory, as it unjustly excludes qualified individuals based on their gender.

Question 10

When she is not at the bar,Jayla preaches to everyone about the dangers of smoking.However,she does smoke an occasional cigarette when she is at the bar with her friends-although at those times,she feels somewhat frustrated by her own smoking behavior.Jayla is likely experiencing _____ when she smokes.

A)groupthink
B)cognitive dissonance
C)social facilitation
D)compliance

Accepted Answer

Jayla is experiencing cognitive dissonance, which is the discomfort or tension that arises from holding conflicting beliefs or behaviors. In this case, she preaches about the dangers of smoking but also engages in the behavior herself, leading to a sense of frustration or discomfort.

Deck 13: Exsetntion: Social Psychology