Question 1

According to evolutionary theory, males put ____________ investment in their offspring than females because males ____________.

Accepted Answer

According to evolutionary theory, males put less investment in their offspring than females because they have more opportunities to produce offspring. This is because males can potentially mate with many females and produce many offspring, whereas a female's reproductive capacity is limited by the number of eggs she has and the time it takes to carry and care for each offspring. Therefore, from an evolutionary perspective, it is more beneficial for males to spread their genes widely, while females should invest more in each offspring to increase their chances of survival and reproductive success.

Question 2

Why is Social Darwinism a distorted application of Darwin's theory?

Accepted Answer

Social Darwinism mistakenly applies the concept of "survival of the fittest" to human societies, suggesting that certain groups are biologically superior to others and therefore more deserving of success and power. This goes against Darwin's actual theory, which is focused on the natural selection of traits within a species, not between different groups of individuals. Additionally, Darwin himself opposed Social Darwinism and recognized the dangers of attempting to apply evolutionary theory to human societies.

Question 3

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates how a construal can be changed by a life event?

Accepted Answer

Lisa's initial joy at receiving a "B" changed to disappointment after learning her friends received better grades, illustrating how her perception of the grade was altered by the new information.

Question 4

Which of the following practices do people share with animals, especially higher primates?

Accepted Answer

Both a and b are correct. Facial expressions and group living are shared by humans and higher primates. Wariness around spiders, on the other hand, is not necessarily a behavior shared by both humans and animals.

Question 5

____________ operates to mold animals and plants so that traits that enhance the probability of survival are passed on to subsequent generations.

Accepted Answer

Natural selection is the process by which certain traits become more prevalent in a population over time because they enhance an organism's likelihood of survival and reproduction. This process involves the differential survival and reproduction of individuals with advantageous traits, resulting in those traits becoming more frequent in the population over time. Social Darwinism is a philosophy that applies ideas of natural selection to human societies, often with harmful consequences. The naturalistic fallacy is the mistaken belief that what is "natural" is inherently good or desirable. Connectionism is a psychological theory that explains mental processes by comparing them to the way neurons in the brain are interconnected.

Question 6

Studies that show that unprejudiced people can still show negative implicit attitudes toward people of different races highlight the importance of distinguishing between

Accepted Answer

The studies mentioned suggest that even people who believe they are unprejudiced can still hold negative biases on an unconscious level. Distinguishing between conscious (i.e. intentional) and unconscious (i.e. unintentional) processing is therefore important for understanding and addressing biases.

Question 7

The naturalistic fallacy refers to the claim that

Accepted Answer

The naturalistic fallacy claims that the way things are is the way they should be, implying that natural processes cannot be judged by moral or ethical standards. It is a logical error to assume that if something is natural or common, it is therefore good or acceptable.

Question 8

Judy is always complimenting people she works with.Bob, one of Judy's best friends, thinks that Judy is genuinely thoughtful and friendly.Sarah, who does not know Judy well, thinks that Sarah is shallow and fake.This example suggests how friendship influences

Accepted Answer

This example deals with how people's perceptions or construals of Judy differ based on their relationship with her. Bob, who is closer to Judy, perceives her behavior as genuine, while Sarah, who is not as familiar with her, perceives her as fake. Therefore, friendship influences the way people construe others' behavior.

Question 9

The mind processes information in two different ways when you encounter a social situation.Automatic processing is often based on _________________, whereas controlled processing is often based on ____________.

Accepted Answer

Automatic processing is often based on emotional factors, such as gut reactions and quick judgments, while controlled processing is often based on careful thought and critical analysis. This aligns with option B where automatic processing is based on emotional factors and controlled processing is based on careful thought.

Question 10

According to research discussed in the textbook, which of the following methods is most clearly suited for testing whether construals exert a causal effect on game performance?

Accepted Answer

Manipulating the name of a game is the most suited method for testing whether construals exert a causal effect on game performance because it directly manipulates how participants interpret the game (i.e., construal), therefore being able to pinpoint the causal effect on game performance. B, C, and D do not directly manipulate construals and instead manipulate other factors that may or may not have an effect on game performance.

Question 11

A stereotype is best characterized as a type of ____________.

Accepted Answer

A stereotype is a cognitive schema, or a generalization about a group of people. It is a mental shortcut that allows individuals to quickly categorize and make assumptions about individuals based on their membership in a particular group.

Question 12

While boarding a plane, Doug feels fear when he notices another passenger sitting in his seat looking agitated and sweating profusely.In this situation,

Accepted Answer

In this situation, Doug's emotional reaction of fear is likely a result of a quick, automatic appraisal of the other passenger's appearance and behavior. This emotional reaction may occur before Doug has a chance to engage in careful, systematic thought about the situation.

Question 13

One of the most commonly used social neuroscience techniques is known as functional magnetic resonance imaging.This technique detects ____________ to determine which parts of the brain are active during certain activities.

Accepted Answer

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) detects changes in blood flow to specific areas of the brain, indicating increased neural activity in those areas. This technique does not measure electrical activity, radio active isotopes, or neurotransmitter levels.

Question 14

Research conducted by Bargh, Chen, and Burrows (1996)illustrates how seemingly trivial aspects of a situation can influence behavior in ways that people are not aware of.These researchers showed that

Accepted Answer

Bargh, Chen, and Burrows (1996) found that people who were primed with words related to the elderly (such as "cane" or "Florida") walked more slowly than those who were not primed with these words. This suggests that subtle cues in the environment can influence behavior in ways that people are not aware of.

Question 15

The text describes a study in which children were shown a candy box with the lid closed.The researcher asked them to predict what was in the box.Naturally, the children said, "Candy." Next, the researcher showed the children that, in reality, there were pencils in the box.Finally, the researcher asked the children to predict what a friend will say is in the box.____________ tend to say ____________.

Accepted Answer

The text states that "Naturally, the children said, 'Candy.'" Therefore, it can be inferred that normal 4-year-olds would still predict that their friend would say there is candy in the box, even though they know that there are pencils inside.

Question 16

Pro-affirmative action advocates try to activate schemas related to ____________, whereas anti-affirmative action advocates try to activate schemas related to ____________.

Accepted Answer

Pro-affirmative action advocates are trying to promote diversity in hiring and admissions, whereas anti-affirmative action advocates often argue that such policies are unfair to individuals who may be more qualified but are not selected based on demographic factors. Therefore, the former group seeks to activate schemas related to diversity, while the latter group tries to activate schemas related to fairness.

Question 17

Professor Hansen expects that students will sit quietly and take notes during his large lecture course.Thus, a student who talks in class and never opens a notebook violates Professor Hansen's ____________ about students.

Accepted Answer

A schema is a mental framework that we use to organize and interpret information. Professor Hansen has a schema of what he expects from students in his class, which includes sitting quietly and taking notes. The student who talks and never opens a notebook is violating this schema.

Question 18

Schemas are important because they

Accepted Answer

All of the above options are true. Schemas serve as elaborate stores of systematized knowledge, guide our expectations for a wide range of situations, and impact our judgments. Therefore, option D is the correct choice.

Question 19

The main difference between unconscious processes and controlled processes is that unconscious processes

Accepted Answer

Unconscious processes can operate in parallel, meaning multiple processes can occur simultaneously. Controlled processes, on the other hand, require conscious effort and can only occur serially, meaning one process at a time. While unconscious processes may be less accurate and less likely to be noticed, they can still have a significant influence on behavior.

Question 20

You are driving home from school, and suddenly you realize that you haven't noticed anything you've driven past for the last few minutes.Which type of unconscious processing is this?

Accepted Answer

The answer of You are driving home from school, and...

Quiz 1: An Invitation to Social Psychology

According to evolutionary theory, males put investment in their offspring than females because males .