Question 1

In describing the intricacies of cross-cultural research, the authors of your text assert that it is not as simple as translating one's materials into an appropriate language, traveling to another culture, and conducting the experiment there. Which of the following statements best captures the role of construals in making cross-cultural research very difficult to do?

Accepted Answer

The notion of construals refers to the different meanings that people in different cultures attach to the same stimuli, situations, or events. As a result, a simple translation of materials and procedures may not be sufficient to guarantee cross-cultural equivalence. Therefore, cross-cultural researchers need to pay close attention to how their materials and procedures may be interpreted differently by participants from different cultural backgrounds.

Question 2

Dr. Hyder hypothesizes that aggression in humans has a basis in our genetic adaptations in our distant past. Dr. Hyder's theory is most in line with ___________.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Hyder's theory that aggression in humans has a basis in our genetic adaptations in our distant past is consistent with the principles of evolutionary psychology which looks at how our behavior has evolved over time due to natural selection.

Question 3

The same experimental situation can have different meanings in different cultures; thereby complicating cross-cultural research. This fact means that there are different _______ of the same situation.

Accepted Answer

Construals refer to the interpretation or understanding of a situation, event or behavior in different cultural contexts. Therefore, this is the best choice to describe the different meanings that the same experimental situation can have in different cultures. Informed consents refer to the process of obtaining permission from participants before they participate in a research study. Ethnographies refer to the study of a particular cultural group or community, and internal validities refer to the degree to which a study is methodologically sound or free from confounds.

Question 4

According to the authors of your text, one of the major problems with relying solely on evolutionary theory as the only explanation for social behavior is that

Accepted Answer

The authors argue that relying solely on evolutionary theory as the only explanation for social behavior is problematic because psychologists are making assumptions about the conditions that existed long ago that produced reproductive advantages for certain genes, which may not accurately reflect the complexity of social behavior today.

Question 5

The idea of explaining social behavior in terms of genetic factors that evolved over time based on natural selection is the crux of the idea behind

Accepted Answer

The idea of explaining social behavior in terms of genetic factors that evolved over time based on natural selection is the crux of the idea behind evolutionary psychology.

Question 6

The primary goal of cross-cultural research is to

Accepted Answer

The primary goal of cross-cultural research is to demonstrate the universality or cultural dependence of psychological processes. This involves comparing psychological processes across different cultures to determine whether they are universal or influenced by cultural factors.

Question 7

According to the authors of your text, when Darwin developed evolutionary theory, it was aimed at explaining how

Accepted Answer

The text states that Darwin's evolutionary theory aimed to explain how "animals adapt to their environments".

Question 8

Which of the following techniques is most likely to be used by social neuroscientists?

Accepted Answer

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a technique commonly used by social neuroscientists to examine brain activity while individuals engage in social behavior or decision-making tasks. Ethnography is more commonly used in cultural anthropology, archival research involves analyzing pre-existing documents, and field experiments are more commonly used in experimental psychology.

Question 9

Because evolutionary psychology is based on assumptions of conditions thousands of years ago that led to the reproductive success of some more so than others, it makes evolutionary hypotheses

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary hypotheses are difficult to test experimentally because they are based on assumptions of past conditions that cannot be directly observed or manipulated in a laboratory setting. Instead, researchers often rely on correlational or observational studies to support their hypotheses.

Question 10

When researchers examine a social psychological phenomenon using cross-cultural research, they are enhancing

Accepted Answer

Cross-cultural research enhances external validity by allowing researchers to generalize their findings across different cultures and populations. This increases the likelihood that their findings will be applicable in areas beyond the specific culture in which the research was conducted.

Question 11

One reason why it is important to examine cultural influences on social psychological processes is that

Accepted Answer

Examining cultural influences on social psychological processes helps us understand whether certain psychological processes are universal. It is important to determine whether findings from one culture can be generalized to other cultures or whether cultural differences exist. This knowledge can inform theories and interventions in social psychology.

Question 12

External validity is enhanced when results generalize across different people. ______ research is especially useful for this purpose

Accepted Answer

Cross-cultural research involves comparing and contrasting different cultures, which helps to identify similarities and differences in behavior across people from different cultural backgrounds. This can help to enhance the external validity of research findings by demonstrating that the results are not limited to a specific cultural context. Social neuroscience, archival, and applied research may also have implications for external validity, but they are not as directly focused on issues of cultural diversity as cross-cultural research.

Question 13

What is one of the main problems faced by researchers who want to test their theories cross-culturally?

Accepted Answer

When testing theories cross-culturally, variables may have to be changed so that their meaning is understood in the same way across different cultures. This is a significant challenge as different cultures may have different perspectives and definitions of certain terms or concepts.

Question 14

Which of the following would be most likely to share a research lab and equipment with the biology department or medical school?

Accepted Answer

Social neuroscientists would be most likely to share a research lab and equipment with the biology department or medical school because their research combines elements of social psychology and neuroscience, making collaboration with the biology department or medical school essential. The other options, such as ethnographers, personality psychologists, and archival researchers, are less likely to have a need for such equipment and collaboration with the biology department or medical school.

Question 15

One evolutionary psychologist hypothesizes that humans were savage in their distant past, while another hypothesizes that they were very cooperative. Based on information from the authors of your text, which hypothesis is correct?

Accepted Answer

The answer of One evolutionary psychologist hypothesizes that humans were...

Question 16

Certain birds with the ability to thrive in a variety of climates become more likely to survive and reproduce than those who have a limited tolerance for heat or cold. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

This is an example of natural selection, where the birds with traits that allow them to adapt and survive in different climates have a higher likelihood of passing on those traits to their offspring, increasing their population over time.

Question 17

"Evolutionary psychology is silly!" exclaims Julie. "If we are so adapted to the environment, why haven't we evolved away from racism?" A reasonable response to this, based on the explanation of evolutionary psychology presented by the authors of your text, is that

Accepted Answer

Evolution occurs slowly, and it takes many generations for genetic adaptations to occur. Racism has likely only been present for a relatively short period of time in our evolutionary history, so it is not surprising that we have not evolved away from it yet. Additionally, evolutionary psychology does not claim that all behaviors are adaptive or beneficial, but rather that they may have been adaptive in certain environments or circumstances in our evolutionary history.

Question 18

The idea that certain traits that promote survival are passed to future generations because the organisms that possess those traits are more likely to successfully reproduce is the definition of

Accepted Answer

The given definition describes natural selection, which is the process where organisms with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and pass on those traits to their offspring. Evolution is the overall process of change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations, which can be driven by natural selection. Mate selection and sexual selection refer specifically to the process of choosing a mate based on certain traits, which is not as broad as natural selection.

Question 19

Applied research involves studies that are designed to

Accepted Answer

Applied research is conducted with the purpose of addressing and finding solutions to real-world problems, such as social or environmental issues. The other options (A, B, and C) are more related to theoretical or fundamental research, as they deal with exploring, testing, and explaining general principles and concepts.

Question 20

Testing hypotheses experimentally is most difficult for _______ because it is based on assumptions of the conditions that existed thousands of years ago.

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary psychology often makes hypotheses about the adaptive functions of certain behaviors or traits in our ancestors, but testing these hypotheses experimentally is challenging because it requires making assumptions about the conditions that existed thousands of years ago.

Quiz 2: Methodology: How Social Psychologists Do Research