Question 1

Which of the following statements about social perceptions is false?

Accepted Answer

We do not base decisions primarily based on the priorities of others. While the opinions of others may influence our decisions, ultimately we make decisions based on our own priorities and values.

Question 2

It is not uncommon for people to hang on to their beliefs even when substantial evidence suggests they are untrue, counterproductive, and even harmful. This tendency is known as the

Accepted Answer

The tendency to hold on to beliefs even when faced with contradictory evidence is known as the belief perseverance phenomenon. This phenomenon can lead people to ignore or downplay evidence that contradicts their beliefs, leading them to maintain those beliefs even when they are clearly counterproductive or harmful.

Question 3

Research has demonstrated that when shown a face with a neutral expression, participants will interpret the expression as cruel or kind according to what they had been previously told about the individual (e.g., Gestapo leader versus leader in the anti-Nazi movement, respectively). Studies such as this demonstrate

Accepted Answer

The research demonstrates how our preconceptions (or pre-existing beliefs about individuals) shape our interpretations of neutral stimuli, in this case a neutral facial expression. The participants' interpretations of the expression as cruel or kind were based on what they had been previously told about the individual, indicating that their preconceptions influenced their perception of the neutral face.

Question 4

One possible solution to the belief perseverance phenomenon is to

Accepted Answer

The answer of One possible solution to the belief perseverance...

Question 5

The act of automatic (uncontrolled) activation of particular associations in our memory is best known as the

Accepted Answer

The act of automatic activation of specific associations in our memory is generally known as the priming effect. This effect occurs when exposure to a stimulus (the prime) influences a person's response to another stimulus (the target) without conscious awareness.

Question 6

Preconceptions seem to influence our social judgments most when

Accepted Answer

When social information is subject to multiple interpretations, preconceptions tend to influence our social judgments the most. This is because we tend to rely on our preconceived ideas and stereotypes to fill in the gaps in our understanding, leading us to make assumptions that may not be accurate. When social information is clear and unambiguous, we are more likely to rely on the information itself rather than our preconceptions. Similarly, when we have complete information, we are less likely to rely on our preconceptions because we have more concrete facts to base our judgments on. Finally, correspondence (whether our expectations match reality) may influence the strength of our preconceptions, but it is not the primary factor in determining their influence on social judgments.

Question 7

Anderson, Lepper, and Ross provided people with evidence that either risk-prone or cautious people make better firefighters. Those who wrote an explanation for the findings were particularly susceptible to

Accepted Answer

Belief perseverance refers to the tendency for people to maintain their beliefs even in the face of contradictory evidence. In this case, if someone wrote an explanation for the findings that risk-prone people make better firefighters, they may be more likely to ignore evidence that suggests otherwise and continue to hold onto their belief, thus demonstrating belief perseverance.

Question 8

According to the textbook

Accepted Answer

Both A and B are correct as they reflect the idea that reality is influenced by social and individual perceptions.

Question 9

To retrieve a memory, you need to activate one of the strands that leads to it through a process known as

Accepted Answer

The process described in the question is known as priming. Priming occurs when a stimulus (such as a word or image) activates a memory or association, making it easier to retrieve. This process involves activating one or more strands that lead to the desired memory, allowing it to be accessed more readily. Belief perseverance refers to the tendency to maintain one's beliefs even in the face of contradictory evidence, and is not directly related to memory retrieval. Reconstruction and induction are related to memory, but do not specifically refer to the process of activating strands to access a specific memory.

Question 10

Although research has been very clear on the harmful effects of drug dependency, Carla continues to believe that one Tylenol a day is harmless. Carla's thinking clearly reveals

Accepted Answer

Carla's thinking reveals belief perseverance, which is the tendency to cling to one's initial beliefs even in the face of evidence to the contrary. Despite the research that shows the harmful effects of drug dependency, Carla persists in her belief that taking one Tylenol a day is harmless.

Question 11

Suppose a group of people who oppose gun control is presented with research evidence that is ambiguous about how well gun-control legislation will deter crime. Some of the evidence suggests that such laws would reduce crime, whereas other evidence suggests it would be ineffective or even backfire. After reviewing the evidence, how will most people in the group react?

Accepted Answer

The group of people who oppose gun control already hold a certain belief that restricting access to guns is not a solution to prevent crime. When presented with ambiguous research evidence, they are likely to interpret the evidence in a way that confirms their pre-existing belief, known as confirmation bias. Therefore, they are more likely to become more strongly opposed to gun control legislation, rather than changing their attitude or becoming more sympathetic to the opposing point of view.

Question 12

Following political debates, individuals typically

Accepted Answer

Debates often reinforce pre-existing beliefs and biases, leading individuals to become more entrenched in their support for their preferred candidate. This phenomenon is related to the confirmation bias, where people tend to favor information that confirms their preconceived notions.

Question 13

The process where people associate traits that we talk about other people having with ourselves (e.g., you talk about how another person is a gossip, some people may unconsciously associate gossip with you) is known as

Accepted Answer

Spontaneous trait transference is the process where people associate traits that we talk about other people having with ourselves. Counterfactual thinking describes the tendency to imagine alternative outcomes to past events. The priming effect occurs when exposure to one stimulus influences a response to a subsequent stimulus. Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out and interpret information in a way that confirms preexisting beliefs.

Question 14

What concept best explains why disputing labour and management representatives may both perceive an impartial mediator to be biased toward the other side?

Accepted Answer

Powerful preconceptions influence how individuals interpret the actions and decisions of an impartial mediator. Both sides may come into the negotiation with strong biases and expectations about the other party and the mediator, leading them to perceive any decision that does not fully align with their interests as evidence of bias towards the other side. This is because their pre-existing beliefs and expectations about the negotiation process and the other party's intentions can color their interpretation of the mediator's actions, making it difficult for them to see the mediator as truly neutral.

Question 15

Ross, Lepper, and Lord showed mixed research results on the deterrence effect of the death penalty to students who either favoured or opposed the death penalty. Showing the two sides this identical body of mixed evidence

Accepted Answer

The study found that exposure to mixed evidence actually increased polarization, as individuals interpreted the evidence in a way that reinforced their pre-existing beliefs, leading to greater disagreement.

Question 16

When we say something good or bad about someone else, people will tend to associate that quality with us. This phenomenon is known as

Accepted Answer

Spontaneous trait transference refers to the tendency for individuals to unknowingly transfer the traits or qualities they attribute to someone else onto the person describing them. In other words, if someone talks about a friend in a positive manner, the listener may unknowingly associate those positive traits with the speaker. Conversely, if someone speaks negatively about someone else, the listener may also unknowingly associate those negative traits with the speaker. This phenomenon can have an impact on how people perceive us, even if we are not actually exhibiting those traits ourselves.

Question 17

According to the textbook, the reason why ambiguous information in politics, religion, and science often fuels conflict is because

Accepted Answer

Ambiguous information can be interpreted in different ways, reinforcing pre-existing opinions and beliefs of individuals or groups, which can lead to conflict.

Question 18

Priming studies examining the unconscious suggest that the unconscious

Accepted Answer

Priming studies have shown that the unconscious can affect our behavior and decision making in ways that we are not aware of. This suggests that the unconscious may have a significant amount of control over our behavior.

Question 19

Jennifer is home alone and has just finished watching the movie re-make of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. She hears a noise in her garage and becomes very afraid as she thinks someone may be trying to break into her house. This example best represents the concept of

Accepted Answer

Jennifer's fear is influenced by the recent movie she watched, which primes her to interpret the noise in the garage as a potential break-in, demonstrating the priming effect. This effect occurs when exposure to a stimulus influences a response to a subsequent stimulus, without conscious guidance or intention.

Question 20

showed pro-Israeli and pro-Arab students network news coverage of the 1982 killing of civilian refugees in Lebanon. Results showed

Accepted Answer

Both pro-Israeli and pro-Arab students perceived the news to be hostile to their respective sides, indicating a bias on both sides in the news coverage.

Quiz 3: Social Beliefs and Judgments