Deck 9: Behavior and Belief

Question 1

Research indicates that harming an innocent victim,especially voluntarily,leads one to

A)feel increasingly guilty.
B)disparage the victim to justify the behavior.
C)act more kindly toward others.
D)become more aggressive toward others.

Answer 1

disparage the victim to justify the behavior.

Question 2

The tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later to a larger request is called the _______ phenomenon.

A)foot-in-the-door
B)low-ball
C)compliance
D)conformity

Answer 2

foot-in-the-door

Question 3

The cognitive dissonance theory was formulated by

A)James Laird.
B)William James.
C)Leon Festinger.
D)Daryl Bem.

Answer 3

Leon Festinger.

Question 4

Research in France found that having people first sign a petition against landmines increased the likelihood that Internet users would contribute to a fund for victims of landmines.This is an example of the _______ phenomenon.

A)foot-in-the-door
B)low-ball
C)compliance
D)conformity

Question 5

When are attitudes least likely to influence actions?

A)When attitudes are specific to the behavior.
B)When external influences on our actions are minimal.
C)When are attitudes do not match the majority opinion.
D)When we are conscious of our attitudes.

Question 6

You are interested in purchasing a digital camera and find one priced extremely low.As you are about to purchase the camera,you discover that it does not come with a power cord,memory card,or battery.You purchase all of these separately.The total cost surpasses what you would have paid at another store that listed the camera at a higher price,but included all the accessories.You have been a victim of the _______ technique.

A)foot-in-the-door
B)low-ball
C)compliance
D)conformity

Question 7

The fact that 76% of Californians agreed to install a huge ugly sign in their front yard after first being approached with a small request two weeks earlier exemplifies the _______ phenomenon.

A)foot-in-the-door
B)low-ball
C)compliance
D)conformity

Question 8

Following the U.S.Supreme Court's 1954 decision to desegregate schools,the percentage of European-Americans favoring integrated schools more than doubled.This is an example of how

A)attitudes influence behavior when they are specific to the behavior examined.
B)attitudes influence behavior when they are potent.
C)moral attitudes feed moral actions.
D)moral actions feed moral attitudes.

Question 9

A set of norms that defines how people in a given social position ought to behave is what social psychologists call a(n)

A)attitude.
B)behavior.
C)role.
D)stereotype.

Question 10

If the number of people in favor of gay and lesbian marriage increases after a law is passed allowing for such,this would be an example of how

A)attitudes influence behavior when they are specific to the behavior examined.
B)attitudes influence behavior when they are potent.
C)moral attitudes feed moral actions.
D)moral actions feed moral attitudes.

Question 11

Research has found that when consumers are aware of a seller's profit motive,the low-ball technique _______ effective.

A)fails to be
B)continues to be
C)is sometimes
D)becomes more

Question 12

Which theory best explains why 40% of smokers in the U.S.judge smoking as not very harmful?

A)self-presentation
B)cognitive dissonance
C)insufficient justification
D)self-perception

Question 13

As noted in the textbook,at the beginning of the Iraq war only 38% of Americans said the war was justified even if Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction.When no such weapons were found after the war,58% of Americans then supported the war.Myers explains this revision of people's memories of the government's rationale for going to war as an example of

A)self-presentation.
B)cognitive dissonance.
C)self-justification.
D)self-perception.

Question 14

study children were given a mild or severe threat for playing with a toy.Two weeks later,when they were given the option to play with the toy _____ of children in the mild-threat condition played with the toy.

A)all
B)1/3
C)2/3
D)none

Question 15

____ are beliefs and feelings that can influence our reactions.

A)Attitudes
B)Attributions
C)Aptitudes
D)Prejudices

Question 16

When induced to give spoken or written support to something they doubt,without bribery or coercion,people will

A)make excuses for their deceit.
B)blame their deceit on the inducement.
C)deny that they did it.
D)begin to believe what they are saying.

Question 17

A variation of the foot-in-the-door technique is often used by car dealers,because it typically results in people complying with higher and higher requests.It is called the _______ technique.

A)foot-in-the-door
B)low-ball
C)compliance
D)conformity

Question 18

Attitudes include all of the following EXCEPT

A)feelings.
B)behavioral tendencies or actions.
C)beliefs or thoughts.
D)aptitudes.

Question 19

classic study of a simulated prison.

A)attitudes;behaviors
B)behaviors;attitudes
C)roles;attitudes
D)attitudes;roles

Question 20

A favorable or unfavorable evaluation reaction toward something or someone is what social psychologists call

A)a feeling.
B)a cognition.
C)an attitude.
D)a behavioral tendency.

Question 21

Explain the attitudes-follow-behavior principle and give an example.

Question 22

Compare and contrast cognitive dissonance and self-perception theories.

Question 23

Describe a situation in which you or someone you know has been susceptible to the "foot-in-the-door" phenomenon.Explain what you would need to do differently in order to not fall prey to this tactic the next time you are in a similar situation.

Question 24

The research indicates that if you wish to love someone more,you should

A)let them do favors for you.
B)ignore their negative traits.
C)act as if you do.
D)focus on their positive traits.

Question 25

When we are unsure of our attitudes,we infer them the same way someone else would who was observing us - that is,we look at our behavior.Which theory does this describe?

A)self-presentation theory
B)self-consistency theory
C)cognitive dissonance theory
D)self-perception theory

Question 26

Although you were opposed to the war with Iraq,your attitude changed when you were required to report on the justifications for it at your job as a newspaper journalist.Which theory best explains the change in your attitude?

A)self-presentation theory
B)self-consistency theory
C)cognitive dissonance theory
D)self-perception theory

Question 27

Research revealed that the POWs of the Korean War were brainwashed through the tactic of

A)torture and punishment.
B)gradually escalating demands,or "start-small-and-build".
C)attitude adjustment.
D)confidence-building.

Question 28

Describe how the dissonance theory could explain your post-choice thinking regarding the purchase of a new car over a used one.

Question 29

Describe one of your attitudes.Include cognitive (thoughts),affective (feelings),and behavioral (actions)components.

Question 30

Sarah has always strongly believed that it is wrong to steal,but after she steals a bottle of nail polish from the drug store,her attitude toward stealing becomes significantly less harsh.Which theory best accounts for her shift in attitude?

A)cognitive dissonance theory
B)self-perception theory
C)reinforcement theory
D)role-playing theory