Deck 13: D: Social Psychology

Question 1

The approximate number of people that each of us knows reasonably well is

A)50.
B)100.
C)150.
D)200.

Answer 1

150.

Question 2

Individuals who experienced panic and interpreted the 1938 broadcast of The War of the Worlds as genuine breaking news fell prey to the ___________________ and failed to consider alternative hypotheses for these events.

A)belief perseverance
B)availability heuristic
C)confirmation bias
D)logical fallacy

Answer 2

confirmation bias

Question 3

According to research,humans have a biological need for interpersonal interactions.This is called the

A)need for friends theory.
B)need for intimacy theory.
C)need for interpersonal interactions theory.
D)need-to-belong theory.

Answer 3

need-to-belong theory.

Question 4

Which statement provides an explanation of the fundamental attribution error?

A)We attribute most of what people do to the influence of situations.
B)We rely on the first information we receive to make internal attributions.
C)We are more likely to attribute another's behaviour to internal rather than to situational causes.
D)We tend to attribute our successes to our own efforts and failures to the shortcomings of others.

Question 5

What do social psychologists call the tendency to rely on internal characteristics for explanations of the behaviour of others and to ignore the influence of the situation?

A)Social facilitation
B)Social influence
C)The social comparison theory
D)The fundamental attribution error

Question 6

The tendency to overestimate the impact of dispositional influences is known as

A)social facilitation.
B)social influence.
C)the social comparison theory.
D)the fundamental attribution error.

Question 7

Examples such as UFO sightings,cow mutilations by aliens,and crop circles demonstrate how _________________ can lead to mass hysteria and collective delusions.

A)fundamental attributions
B)social comparisons
C)conformity
D)obedience

Question 8

A woman reportedly gets stuck to a toilet in an airplane bathroom for several hours after flushing the toilet created a vacuum-like force that bound her to the seat.This,and other false stories,are known as

A)mass hysteria
B)urban legends
C)fundamental attributions
D)collective delusions.

Question 9

Which of the following persons is displaying the fundamental attribution error?

A)Dorothy thinks that a co-worker must be in a bad mood because their boss was overworking them.
B)Craig thinks that his classmate must have gotten a poor grade on an exam because he is stupid.
C)Blanche knows that her boss is going through some marital problems but is frustrated as she thinks he is taking that out on his employees.
D)Taylor laughs at a guy who trips in the hallway even though he knows the carpet is bunched up in that spot and he has tripped on it himself.

Question 10

Nora participated in a psychology experiment where she completed several psychological tests,and the researchers told her that her personality reflected that of someone who was likely to end up alone later in life.Compared with the students who did not receive such feedback,Nora is more likely to

A)join a book club to increase social bonding.
B)engage in unhealthy behaviours,such as overeating or drinking.
C)start acting in more prosocial ways to those around her.
D)discount the feedback and get angry because she believes it isn't true.

Question 11

Which groups of persons with psychological disorders experience an absence of contagious yawning?

A)Obsessive compulsive disorder and unipolar depression
B)Generalized anxiety disorder and antisocial personality disorder
C)Autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia
D)Bipolar depression and post-traumatic stress disorder

Question 12

A community member reports seeing a spaceship the night before crop circles were discovered in a local farmer's field.Suddenly,multiple members of the community are reporting that they have seen spaceships in other areas of the county.They are convinced that aliens are making the crop circles.This is an example of

A)a fundamental attribution error.
B)an urban legend.
C)a collective delusion.
D)the need to belong theory.

Question 13

Social psychology is best defined as the scientific study of

A)how deviant behaviour emerges within a society.
B)sociological factors in behaviour.
C)how we use and engage in social influence.
D)how people influence others' behaviour,beliefs,and attitudes.

Question 14

You observe a person at the grocery store get angry and yell at the cashier.Which of these attributions illustrates the fundamental attribution error?

A)The yeller is a mean,angry person.
B)The cashier is overworked.
C)The yeller has had a bad day.
D)The cashier has had a bad day.

Question 15

According to research on the fundamental attribution error,when explaining the causes of our own behaviour,we often attribute our own experiences to

A)dispositional factors.
B)emotional factors.
C)situational factors.
D)cultural factors.

Question 16

Amos is the only survivor of a plane crash,and is stranded in the wilderness all alone.As the days pass without rescue,he begins to feel extremely lonely and isolated,and begins talking to himself,the trees,and the nearby animals.Which of the following theories best explains Amos's behaviour?

A)Attributional theory
B)Social comparison theory
C)Cognitive dissonance theory
D)The need-to-belong theory

Question 17

_______________ is a contagious outbreak of irrational behaviour that is analogous to how the flu spreads among people.

A)Mass hysteria
B)Conformity
C)An urban legend
D)Fundamental attribution

Question 18

While watching Jeopardy,your roommate says,"Alex Trebek knows all the answers.He must be a genius." You tell your roommate she probably would not have said that if she had attended class the day the instructor discussed the topic of ______.

A)social facilitation
B)social influence
C)the social comparison theory
D)the fundamental attribution error

Question 19

An example of the power of ________________ is urban legends,such as the myth that gang members drive around with their lights off and shoot people who flash their lights at them.

A)conformity
B)social comparison
C)fundamental attribution
D)social contagion

Question 20

Which of the following reflects the main conclusion about social behaviour from an evolutionary perspective?

A)Conformity is a negative influence on reproductive capacity as it constrains mate selection processes by making mates less desirable as they are all the "same."
B)Conformity,obedience,and many other forms of social influence become maladaptive only when they're blind or unquestioning.
C)Negative influences on social behaviour have evolved to protect our self-esteem and allow us to engage in self-enhancement by controlling others.
D)Evolution is only related to the positive aspects of social behaviour (e.g. ,altruism,friendships,nurturing)relative to negative social behaviours (e.g. ,riots,aggression,obedience)that are modern concepts.

Question 21

Which factor significantly decreased the likelihood of conformity in Solomon Asch's studies?

A)The task difficulty was increased.
B)The confederates were all adults.
C)One confederate gave a correct response.
D)The participants were given two chances at responding.

Question 22

In Solomon Asch's study,which factor increased the rate of conformity?

A)The task difficulty was increased.
B)The confederates were all adults.
C)Increasing the number of confederates to 4 or 5 confederates.
D)Giving participants two chances to respond.

Question 23

An individual from which of the following cultures would be least likely to engage in the fundamental attribution error?

A)Canada
B)England
C)Japan
D)India

Question 24

Vince has always believed children deserve the best prenatal care available.During a class discussion,he hears the first of several speakers express very negative attitudes toward spending tax money on prenatal care for the poor.When it is his turn to speak,he voices an opinion more in keeping with the previous speakers.Vince's behaviour is an example of

A)compliance.
B)persuasion.
C)conformity.
D)obedience.

Question 25

"Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird.It's a plane.It's Superman!" If you looked up,would you be conforming?

A)Yes.You would be looking up because you were told to do so.
B)No.Conformity requires that you base your behaviour on what other people are doing,not being told to do so.
C)Yes.Conformity means doing what you are told or else.
D)No.Looking up only means you are curious.

Question 26

According to Asch and others,which of the following is a social factor that influences conformity?

A)Status of the group.
B)Unanimity of the group.
C)Intelligence level of group members.
D)Social setting of the task.

Question 27

Voluntarily yielding to social norms,even at the expense of one's own preference,is called

A)submission.
B)conformity.
C)compliance.
D)obedience.

Question 28

If you walk into a classroom talking with a friend,and the rest of the members of the class are not talking,you are likely to be quiet and stop your conversation.Your behaviour is an example of ______________.

A)obedience
B)compliance
C)conformity
D)persuasion

Question 29

The tendency of people to alter their behaviour as a result of group influence or pressure is called

A)obedience.
B)attribution.
C)conformity.
D)social comparison.

Question 30

It is 1951,and you are required to participate in a perception experiment.You join seven others seated in a room.You are shown a 25-cm test line and must choose the line that matches it in length from a choice of three lines.The experimenter,Solomon Asch,is studying

A)bystander apathy.
B)conformity.
C)groupthink.
D)social loafing.

Question 31

Asch's studies showed that overall conformity to group pressure occurred during approximately _____ of the trials.

A)one half
B)one third
C)one quarter
D)one fifth

Question 32

In which of the following scenarios would you be most likely to conform by giving the same response as the confederates?

A)Twelve confederates give the same answer and one confederate provides the correct response.
B)Eight confederates give the same answer and one provides a different but also incorrect response.
C)Four confederates give the same answer and all of the responses are the same.
D)Two confederates give the same answer and one provides another answer that is incorrect.

Question 33

Brain studies on conformity find increased activity in what part of the brain while conforming?

A)Hippocampus
B)Amygdala
C)Thalamus
D)Hypothalamus

Question 34

What is the moral or take-home message of Solomon Asch's series of experiments in which participants were asked to judge the lengths of lines? People will go to great lengths

A)to please people on whom they depend.
B)to fit in with others.
C)to assert their independence.
D)to convince others of their points of view.

Question 35

Which of the following individuals is least likely to make the fundamental attribution error?

A)Maggie,a 24-year-old Caucasian woman
B)Jethro,a 18-year-old Caucasian man
C)Anut,a 46-year-old Pakistani woman
D)Ming,a 35-year-old Chinese woman

Question 36

The main task of the Solomon Asch studies was

A)rating new fashions.
B)judging line lengths.
C)selecting paint colours.
D)taste-testing new candies.

Question 37

You get on an elevator.Everyone is facing to the right.You turn and also face to the right.This is an example of

A)obedience.
B)comparison.
C)attribution.
D)conformity.

Question 38

In Solomon Asch's study on conformity,the number of confederates was found to have a significant impact on the participants' likelihood of giving an incorrect answer.How many confederates did Asch find maximized the likelihood of conformity occurring?

A)2
B)4
C)8
D)12

Question 39

Experiments showing the effects of group pressure on conformity were conducted by

A)Zimbardo.
B)Asch.
C)Gibb.
D)Milgram.

Question 40

In Asch's research studies,conformity decreased to approximately ____ percent if one of the confederates gave the correct response (the same as the participant)relative to the others that gave an incorrect response.

A)10
B)25
C)37
D)45

Question 41

The 1986 Challenger space shuttle explosion was the result of

A)mob action.
B)deindividuation.
C)blind obedience.
D)groupthink.

Question 42

One criticism of Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment is that participants may have experienced ___________________ to behave according to their assigned roles as prisoners or guards.

A)deindividuation
B)demand characteristics
C)confirmation bias
D)obedience

Question 43

Based on research on differences in conformity,which of the following individuals would you most expect to conform to a group?

A)Patrick,an American male
B)Masami,a Japanese female
C)Beth,a Canadian female
D)Marcel,a Swedish male

Question 44

George is at a pub watching the Stanley Cup final game.When his local team loses,everyone in the bar starts booing and running around outside of the bar.People begin to smash windows of cars and business and some people begin to loot stores.George gets "caught up" in this and joins in the rioting behaviour.What concept is depicted in this example?

A)Groupthink
B)Conformity
C)Deindividuation
D)Obedience

Question 45

The Walkerton,Ontario,E.coli fiasco was the result of

A)mob action.
B)groupthink.
C)blind obedience.
D)deindividuation.

Question 46

All of the following statements about deindividuation are true except

A)Deindividuation makes us more likely to conform to whatever norms are present in the situation.
B)Deindividuation makes people more likely to engage in helping behaviour when others are helping out.
C)Deindividuation typically makes us behave badly.
D)Deindividuation makes us perform more like a member of a group.

Question 47

Research on crowd behaviour has demonstrated that

A)there is a consistent relationships between crowd situations and increased levels of aggression.
B)prosocial responses to crowd outbursts are more common than aggressive responses,even in an aggression-inducing situation.
C)crowd behaviour is a special case of deindividuation that results in violent responses.
D)crowds can be related to aggressive or prosocial behaviour depending on the prevailing social norm of the situation.

Question 48

The emphasis on group unanimity at the expense of critical thinking is called

A)deindividuation.
B)conformity.
C)obedience.
D)groupthink.

Question 49

When members of a group give priority to the cohesiveness of the group over the facts of a situation,they are engaging in what social psychologists call

A)mass thought.
B)consumerism.
C)solidarity think.
D)groupthink.

Question 50

Imagine you are a contestant on the popular game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire,and you have been asked a question that you don't know the answer to.You have used up your other two lifelines,so you poll the audience as to the correct answer.Even though you think differently,you become convinced that the audience is correct as 87 percent of them agree on a particular answer.You have experienced which psychological phenomenon?

A)social conversion
B)deindividuation.
C)blind obedience.
D)groupthink.

Question 51

A large crowd that stampedes to get into a store for a massive Boxing Day Sale would be an example of

A)conformity.
B)obedience.
C)influence.
D)deindividuation.

Question 52

The launch and subsequent explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986,despite warnings of danger from NASA engineers that parts might malfunction due to weather conditions,demonstrates the concept of ___________________.

A)conformity
B)groupthink
C)obedience
D)group polarization

Question 53

After a group of gang members learned that their friend had died in a seemingly random accident,several of the friends started blaming a rival gang for the death.Even though there was no evidence whatsoever that the death had been intentional,the more the friends talked the more passionate they became in their belief that an act of revenge was necessary.What concept from social psychology may contribute to an act of violent revenge in this case?

A)Deindividuation
B)Conformity
C)Social influence
D)Groupthink

Question 54

Which of the following provides a "real-world" example of the power of social influence and deindividuation?

A)The Walkerton water scandal
B)The Bay of Pigs invasion
C)Abu Ghraib prison abuse
D)Heaven's Gate mass suicide

Question 55

Which of the following is an example of "groupthink"?

A)The Challenger disaster
B)Prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib
C)The 2011 Stanley Cup riots in Vancouver
D)The Stanford Prison Experiment

Question 56

The prime minister notices that his closest advisers never seem to disagree with him or with each other on a lot of important issues,such as arms control.He worries that he is not getting the pros and cons of different issues because his advisers are engaging in

A)latent obedience.
B)intrinsic reinforcement.
C)latent learning.
D)groupthink.

Question 57

Carlos and his work associates form a close,friendly group,and they usually work well together.However,they may face a problem involving an extreme form of conformity called

A)generational identity.
B)self-serving bias.
C)fundamental attribution error.
D)groupthink.

Question 58

________________ is the tendency of people to engage in atypical behaviour when stripped of their usual identities.

A)Autokinesis
B)Deindividuation
C)Groupthink
D)Conformity

Question 59

Close,friendly groups usually work well together,but they may face a problem involving an extreme form of conformity called

A)fundamental attribution error.
B)generational identity.
C)self-serving bias.
D)groupthink.

Question 60

Zimbardo concluded from his Stanford prison study that prisoners and guards adopted their designated roles more easily than anyone might have imagined because of

A)conformity.
B)obedience.
C)influence.
D)deindividuation.

Question 61

The "banality of evil" refers to the idea that

A)the personality of "evil" people is often socially constructed as devious rather than boring.
B)perfectly normal citizens who follow orders blindly are responsible for most wickedness in the world.
C)evil became so commonplace during certain historical periods (e.g. ,Holocaust)that it was not unexpected.
D)obedience is always associated with evil intent whereas conformity only involves fitting in to belong.

Question 62

In which variation on Milgram's classic study of obedience did they find compliance to 450 volts fell to 0 percent?

A)A second experimenter debates with the first as to whether they should continue.
B)Less prestigious location
C)Experimenter gives orders by phone
D)The teacher has to hold the learner's hand on the shock plate.

Question 63

Horizontal influence is to ___________________ as vertical influence is to __________________.

A)obedience;conformity
B)persuasion;groupthink
C)conformity;obedience
D)groupthink;persuasion

Question 64

Milgram's shock studies involved what type of learning task?

A)judging line lengths
B)a crowd-riot response task
C)decision-making in a group setting
D)paired-associate task

Question 65

Which of the following is a misconception held about cults?

A)Cult leaders likely suffer from serious mental illness.
B)Cult members are discouraged from questioning the group's assumptions.
C)All cult members are brainwashed.
D)Cult members may have a marked rigidity of thinking

Question 66

Zimbardo is to ________________ as Milgram is to _________________.

A)deindividuation;obedience
B)conformity;deindividuation
C)conformity;obedience
D)deindividuation;persuasion

Question 67

What is the difference between conformity and obedience?

A)Conformity is influence from peers or colleagues and obedience is influence from authority.
B)Conformity occurs to most anything while obedience is unquestioning devotion to a single cause.
C)Conformity is the result of inoculation while obedience is the result of fear.
D)Conformity is the same as obedience.

Question 68

Naïve subjects in the Stanley Milgram experiment were given the opportunity to administer shocks to helpless victims.What was the maximum voltage that could be administered in one shock?

A)100
B)450
C)625
D)999

Question 69

Which of the following was a key theme that emerged from research conducted by Milgram?

A)The greater the " psychological distance" between the teacher and the learner,the less the obedience.
B)Obedient participants demonstrated higher levels of personality traits such as sadism and aggressive tendencies than did disobedient participants.
C)The greater the "psychological distance" between the teacher and the experimenter,the less the obedience.
D)Participants with low levels of the personality trait authoritarianism were more likely to comply with the experimenter's demands.

Question 70

You can teach people to resist the influences of cults by exposing them to information consistent with cult beliefs,and then debunking that information.This reflects the _____________________ and is effective at immunizing people from undesirable beliefs.

A)parametric effect
B)inoculation effect
C)social comparison effect
D)autokinetic effect

Question 71

________ is the treatment in which people are first introduced to the reasons why a belief seems to be correct,and then exposed to the reasons why the belief is incorrect.

A)Brainwashing
B)Groupthink
C)The bystander effect
D)Inoculation

Question 72

Cults are to _______________ as Abu Ghraib is to _______________.

A)deindividuation;groupthink
B)obedience;conformity
C)groupthink;deindividuation
D)conformity;social loafing

Question 73

What type of task was used in the Milgram shock study paradigm?

A)Paired-associate task
B)Staged emergency task
C)Autokinetic task
D)Line length judgments

Question 74

In Milgram's original study,what percentage of participants displayed complete compliance and administered shocks to the level of 450 volts?

A)33 percent
B)54 percent
C)62 percent
D)80 percent

Question 75

Which of the following variations of Milgram's obedience study is correctly matched with the percentage of participants who complied to the 450 volt level?

A)Proximity condition: 40 percent
B)Telephone condition: 48 percent
C)Voice feedback condition: 30 percent
D)Touch proximity condition: 15 percent

Question 76

Research suggests that cults promote groupthink in the following ways except

A)having a persuasive leader who fosters loyalty.
B)connecting group members to the outside world.
C)discouraging questioning of the group's or leader's assumptions.
D)utilizing training practices that gradually indoctrinate members.

Question 77

All of the following are symptoms of groupthink except

A)openness to differing opinions.
B)the belief that the group is invulnerable.
C)the belief that those who oppose the group have no worthwhile opinions.
D)the belief that the group can do no wrong.

Question 78

Which of the following themes from Milgram's studies is incorrect?

A)Obedience decreases as the psychological distance between teacher and experimenter increases.
B)Obedience increases as the psychological distance between teacher and learner increases.
C)Obedience decreases as the psychological distance between the teacher and learner decreases.
D)Obedience increases as the psychological distance between teacher and experimenter increases.

Question 79

Which of the following events is the best example of destructive obedience?

A)The Vancouver Stanley Cup Riots
B)The Challenger Shuttle Explosion
C)Abu Ghraib Prisoner Abuse
D)My Lai Massacre in Vietnam

Question 80

Which of the following statements is most likely to contribute to groupthink?

A)"Let's hear some differing opinions."
B)"What do you think?"
C)"I'm sure we all agree on this."
D)"We need to look at all of the evidence."