Question 1

When the expectations of one person bring about the expected behavior in another person, the expectation has become a(n) ________.

Accepted Answer

A self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when a person's expectations cause them to behave in ways that make those expectations come true. This can also affect the behavior of others, leading them to fulfill the expectations placed on them.

Question 2

When Fred met Norris on his campus tour, Norris was friendly to him and showed him several different parts of campus, mentioning they should hang out, and maybe take a class together. When Fred moved in, he heard repeated stories about how Norris used freshman for money, and to do his coursework for him. However, Fred argued that Norris is still a nice person, and just "misunderstood." His refusal to see that his initial impression of Norris was mistaken is most likely due to the ________.

Accepted Answer

The primacy effect explains Fred's refusal to update his initial positive impression of Norris despite hearing negative stories about him later. This cognitive bias suggests that information presented first has a greater impact on our perception than information that comes later.

Question 3

The extent to which a behavior is the same whenever the presumed cause of the behavior is present affects our attributions of the behavior. This exemplifies ________.

Accepted Answer

The concept described in the question is consistency, which refers to the extent to which a behavior is the same across different situations when the presumed cause of the behavior is present.

Question 4

A special kind of schema that is simplistic, strongly held, and not necessarily based on firsthand experience is a ________.

Accepted Answer

Stereotypes are simplistic, strongly held beliefs about a particular group or category of people that are not necessarily based on firsthand experience, but rather on preconceived notions or widely held cultural beliefs. They can be formed through exposure to media or through socialization, and can be deeply ingrained and difficult to change.

Question 5

To the extent that a behavior occurs only when a particular event occurs, we tend to attribute the behavior to that event. This is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of distinctiveness, which refers to whether a behavior is specific to a particular situation or occurs in multiple situations. If a behavior only occurs in response to a particular event, it is considered distinct and we tend to attribute the behavior to that event.

Question 6

As the opening to the chapter discussed, Sher Singh lived an example of the creation of a(n) _____, as his beard and turban became a symbol of Middle Eastern terrorism after September 11^th, 2001, although his religion and belief system were not in alignment with the terrorists.

Accepted Answer

Sher Singh's beard and turban was stereotyped as a symbol of Middle Eastern terrorism after September 11, 2001, despite his religion and beliefs being unrelated to terrorism.

Question 7

Lorenzo has heard that organic chemistry is a really difficult class, and that most people have a hard time passing it. He knows that the teacher probably expects him to fail it and plans to make it as hard as possible for him, as he took the same instructor for general chemistry and barely passed. Lorenzo must be careful so that this situation does not become a ____________.

Accepted Answer

The situation described involves the concept of a self-fulfilling prophecy, where Lorenzo believes he will fail the class due to external factors and this expectation can lead to actions or behaviors that ultimately result in the expected outcome.

Question 8

Judgments about whether a behavior is more revealing about a person or a situation have been studied under the heading of ________.

Accepted Answer

Judgments about whether a behavior is more revealing about a person or a situation fall under the domain of attribution theory. Attribution theory deals with the ways people explain (attribute) the causes of behavior and events. It aims to understand how people interpret and make sense of their world, and to explain why people behave the way they do.

Question 9

The scientific study of the way in which thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of one individual are affected by the real, imagined, or inferred characteristics or behavior of others is known as ________ psychology.

Accepted Answer

The description provided matches the definition of social psychology, which focuses on how individuals are influenced by social situations and the presence of others. It examines how people form impressions of others, conform to group norms, obey authority, and engage in social comparison and competition.

Question 10

The collection and assessment of information about other people, so as to form first impressions and to try and understand their behavior is known as ________.

Accepted Answer

Social cognition refers to the process of collecting and analyzing information about others to form impressions and understand their behavior. The bystander effect is a phenomenon where individuals are less likely to intervene in an emergency situation when others are present. A response characteristic is a consistent way in which an individual reacts to a particular situation. Selective perception refers to the tendency to selectively interpret information based on our pre-existing beliefs and expectations.

Question 11

Which of the following is not one of the kinds of information attribution theorist Harold Kelley believed we use to draw conclusions about the causes of behavior?

Accepted Answer

Harold Kelley believed that we use three kinds of information to draw conclusions about the causes of behavior: consistency (whether the person's behavior is consistent over time), distinctiveness (whether the person's behavior is unique to a particular situation), and consensus (whether other people behave similarly in the same situation). Frequency is not considered one of the types of information used in Kelley's attribution theory.

Question 12

When pairs of participants played a competitive game, and researchers told one member of each pair that the other was either hostile or friendly, the players who were led to believe that their partner was hostile behaved ________.

Accepted Answer

This choice is correct because it reflects the phenomenon of self-fulfilling prophecy, where an individual's expectations about another person lead them to act in ways that cause the other person to confirm those expectations. In this case, believing the partner to be hostile leads to behaviors that actually provoke hostility in the partner, demonstrating how perceptions can shape social interactions.

Question 13

Cognitive social psychologists call ready-made categories concerning people ________.

Accepted Answer

Ready-made categories concerning people are called schemata. Schemata refer to mental frameworks or structures that we create to organize and make sense of our experiences. They can be based on personal experiences or societal norms and expectations.

Question 14

The extent to which the first information we receive about someone influences our impression of that person more than later information is called the ________.

Accepted Answer

The primacy effect refers to the tendency for the first information we receive about someone to influence our overall impression of them more than later information. This can be especially true if the first information is particularly strong or memorable.

Question 15

Research indicates that a teachers' expectations of students ________.

Accepted Answer

Various studies indicate that a teacher's expectations of their students can have a powerful impact on their academic performance, either positively or negatively. This is known as the Pygmalion effect or self-fulfilling prophecy. When a teacher has high expectations for a student, the student is more likely to perform better, while low expectations often lead to poorer outcomes.

Question 16

The so-called "Pygmalion effect" is a type of ________.

Accepted Answer

The Pygmalion effect refers to the phenomenon in which higher expectations lead to an increase in performance or success, while lower expectations lead to a decrease in performance or success. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy, as the expectations become reality through the actions and behaviors of the individual being evaluated.

Question 17

Heider argued within his theory, that we will attribute behavior to ________.

Accepted Answer

Heider's attribution theory suggests that people attribute behavior to either internal or external causes, but not both simultaneously. They assess whether a behavior is caused by personal factors (internal) or situational factors (external).

Question 18

The application of brain imaging and other neuroscience methods to social psychology is referred to as social ________.

Accepted Answer

Social neuroscience is the interdisciplinary field that explores how biological systems influence social processes and behavior, integrating methodologies and theories from neuroscience and psychology.

Question 19

A _______ is a set of characteristics presumed to be shared by every member of a social category.

Accepted Answer

This is the definition of a stereotype.

Question 20

The degree to which other people behave the same way as one person behaves in a situation affects our attributions of that person's behavior. This is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

Consensus refers to the degree to which other people behave the same way as one person behaves in a situation. It is one of the three factors used in attribution theory to explain the causes of behavior. A high level of consensus suggests that the behavior is more likely to be attributed to the situation rather than to the personal characteristics of the individual.

Quiz 14: Social Psychology