Question 1

A criticism of social-cognitive theories has been that they

Accepted Answer

Social-cognitive theories tend to focus on situational factors and behaviors, overlooking the impact of enduring personality traits. This has been a critique of the theory.

Question 2

Students in one academic program were more likely to become scientists if they had a clear vision of themselves as successful scientists.This best illustrates the motivational significance of

Accepted Answer

The concept of possible selves refers to the ideas and images individuals have about who they might become, or who they hope to become in the future. This can serve as a powerful source of motivation if individuals have a clear and positive vision of themselves as successful in their desired field, as in the example of students becoming scientists. Defensive self-esteem, the spotlight effect, and the psychodynamic perspective are not directly related to this specific situation.

Question 3

When Professor McKay nervously began teaching a university class for the first time,he overestimated the extent to which his students would notice that he was anxious.His reaction best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The spotlight effect refers to the tendency to overestimate how much others are noticing our behavior or appearance. In this case, Professor McKay is overestimating how much his students are noticing his anxiety, which is a common example of the spotlight effect.

Question 4

Our motivation to lay out specific goals that direct our energy effectively and efficiently is most directly influenced by our

Accepted Answer

Our possible selves, or the versions of ourselves that we aspire to become, heavily influence our motivation to set and achieve specific goals. When we have a clear vision of who we want to be and what we want to accomplish, we are more likely to direct our energy towards those specific goals in an effective and efficient manner.

Question 5

Because she is often rejected by her parents,Sally mistrusts other people and treats them with hostility,which leads to their rejection of her.This cycle of rejection,mistrust,hostility,and further rejection illustrates what is meant by

Accepted Answer

This situation exemplifies reciprocal determinism, which is the interaction between a person's behavior, their environment, and their personal factors. Sally's mistrust and hostility towards others may be the result of her experiences with rejection and neglect from her parents, and this behavior may further lead to additional rejection from others, thus perpetuating the cycle of behavior and environment.

Question 6

Narcissism refers to excessive

Accepted Answer

Narcissism refers to an excessive love and admiration for oneself. Those with narcissistic personality disorder have an exaggerated sense of their own importance and seek constant attention and admiration from others.

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of narcissistic people?

Accepted Answer

Narcissistic people typically lack modesty and have inflated self-esteem. They may also be less forgiving and engage in sexually forceful behavior, but they do not exhibit modesty.

Question 8

AT&T has assessed prospective managers by observing them doing simulated managerial work.This best illustrates the use of an assessment strategy favored by ________ theorists.

Accepted Answer

The use of simulated managerial work to assess prospective managers is an example of a social-cognitive assessment strategy, which emphasizes the interaction between individuals, their behavior, and their environment. This approach assesses an individual's ability to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world situations, rather than just assessing their innate traits or unconscious motives (as in trait or psychodynamic theories) or their individualistic growth and self-actualization (as in humanistic theories).

Question 9

Professor Leed performed an experiment in which participants put on an Easter Bunny T-shirt before entering a room with other students.The participants' tendency to overestimate the extent to which the other students would notice their unusual T-shirt best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The spotlight effect is the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others are paying attention to and noticing our behavior or appearance, as seen in the participants' overestimation of how much others would notice their Easter Bunny T-shirt.

Question 10

Which of the following is(are)said to function as an organizer of our thoughts,feelings,and behaviors?

Accepted Answer

The self is the cognitive and affective representation of one's identity and function as an organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Self-efficacy is a belief in one's ability to accomplish a specific task and does not encompass the full scope of one's identity. The Big Five refers to personality traits and does not have a direct connection to organizing one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Self-image is related to one's perception and evaluation of their own appearance, and does not encompass the full scope of one's identity as the self does.

Question 11

Exaggerated feelings of self-importance are most closely linked with

Accepted Answer

Exaggerated feelings of self-importance are a defining characteristic of narcissism, a personality disorder characterized by a grandiose sense of self-importance, a lack of empathy, and a need for admiration. Extraversion, the spotlight effect, and self-efficacy are not directly linked with such feelings of self-importance.

Question 12

Self-esteem refers to

Accepted Answer

The answer of Self-esteem refers to
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Question 13

Dr.Alvarado asked college students in a survey if they were more or less likely to go deeply into debt with high-interest credit cards.Most students answered that they would be less likely to go deeply into debt.This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The answer is self-serving bias because the students are likely giving a biased response that reflects positively on themselves. They want to believe that they have better financial management skills and are less likely to fall into debt, even though this may not be true for all students.

Question 14

Athletes often privately attribute their losses to bad officiating.This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The athletes are likely exhibiting self-serving bias, which refers to the tendency to attribute successes to internal factors but blame failures on external factors. In this case, the athletes are blaming their losses on bad officiating, rather than acknowledging any potential flaws in their own performance.

Question 15

Compared with those who have high self-esteem,individuals with low self-esteem are likely to

Accepted Answer

Individuals with low self-esteem often feel anxious and lonely, and may struggle with thoughts of inadequacy and self-doubt. They may have difficulty forming close relationships and may struggle with self-worth. Options A, B, and D are not necessarily characteristics that are commonly associated with low self-esteem.

Question 16

If children's positive self-esteem is largely a consequence rather than a cause of their successful accomplishments,parents would be best advised to enable their children to

Accepted Answer

Since children's positive self-esteem is largely a consequence of their successful accomplishments, parents should focus on enabling their children to effectively deal with challenges and achieve success. This will naturally lead to an increase in positive self-esteem, as the children will feel confident and capable of overcoming obstacles. Developing defensive self-esteem may actually be detrimental to the child's growth and could lead to a reliance on external validation. Encouraging positive self-esteem regardless of performance may also not be effective in the long term, as children may struggle with self-esteem issues when faced with failure or setbacks. Encouraging a focus on achievement and teaching children the skills to overcome challenges is the most effective way to foster positive self-esteem.

Question 17

Our ________ is our internal view of our personality.

Accepted Answer

Self-image refers to how we see ourselves, our self-concept or perception of our own personality. Options A, B, and C do not specifically refer to our internal view of our personality but rather to different aspects of our psychology such as our beliefs about our abilities (self-efficacy) or our personality traits (Big Five).

Question 18

According to social-cognitive theories,the best predictor of students' academic success in college would be their

Accepted Answer

Social-cognitive theories emphasize the importance of self-regulation, self-efficacy, and goal setting in achieving academic success. High school grade-point average is a strong indicator of past academic performance, which is likely to be predictive of future success in college. College entrance test scores may provide some insight into academic ability, but they do not account for factors such as motivation and effort that are critical to success in college. Self-esteem and relative standing on the Big Five personality traits are not as closely related to academic success as academic performance and self-regulation.

Question 19

According to social-cognitive psychologists,one of the best ways to predict a person's future behavior is to

Accepted Answer

Social-cognitive psychologists believe that behavior is influenced by the interaction between a person's personality and the situation. Therefore, observing a person's behavior in various relevant situations would be the best way to predict their future behavior. Personality inventories and projective tests may provide some insights into a person's traits and motives, but they may not accurately predict their behavior in different situations. Self-esteem may also affect behavior, but it is just one aspect of a person's personality and does not account for situational factors.

Question 20

Rebecca views herself as a confident,independent woman.These characteristics make up her

Accepted Answer

Self-image refers to the beliefs, attitudes, and values that a person holds about themselves. In this case, Rebecca's belief that she is confident and independent reflects her self-image. Self-efficacy refers specifically to a person's belief in their ability to achieve specific goals or perform specific tasks, which is not mentioned in the scenario. Narcissism is a personality trait characterized by excessive self-love and selfishness, which is not suggested in the scenario. Self-worth is a concept referring to a person's overall sense of value or worth as a human being, which is related to self-image but is more broad and inclusive.

Quiz 12: Personality