Question 1

Downward social comparison is a
A) tactic for managing one's self-image.
B) tactic for managing cognitive overload.
C) tactic for persuading others that you are correct.
D) tactic for increasing the accuracy of one's self-image.

Accepted Answer

Downward social comparison is a tactic individuals use to manage their self-image by comparing themselves to those who are worse off in some way, in order to feel better about themselves. It is not a tactic for managing cognitive overload or persuading others of one's correctness, nor does it necessarily increase the accuracy of one's self-image.

Question 2

A student who works at a record store and plays in a rock band thinks for a minute about his own music-purchasing habits,and then makes a quick guess about the number of other students who buy more than 30 CDs a year.He grossly overestimates.He has probably applied the
A) availability heuristic.
B) representativeness heuristic.
C) primacy heuristic.
D) anchoring and adjustment heuristic.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A student who works at a record...

Question 3

Festinger's (1954)social comparison theory emphasized the drive to assess one's abilities and opinions
A) positively.
B) as frequently as possible.
C) independently of our views of others.
D) accurately.

Accepted Answer

Festinger's social comparison theory emphasizes the drive to assess one's abilities and opinions accurately, rather than positively or as frequently as possible. The theory suggests that individuals engage in social comparison to gain an accurate understanding of their own abilities and opinions by comparing them to those of others.

Question 4

Imagine that you are listening to a speech and you need to evaluate the speaker's "true" attitudes toward some issues.In which of the following cases would you be LESS likely to take into account the circumstances under which the speaker is giving the speech,for example,whether he had a choice on which side to take?
A) The issue is personally important to you.
B) You are the next speaker and you are preparing your own speech.
C) You have plenty of time to make your evaluation.
D) You are in a sad mood.

Accepted Answer

When you are the next speaker and are preparing your own speech, you are likely to be more focused on your own preparation and less on evaluating the circumstances of the current speaker's situation. This focus on your own task can reduce the attention you pay to the context of the speaker's position.

Question 5

People are LESS likely to use simplifying cognitive strategies when
A) the situation confirms their expectations.
B) they are in a complex situation.
C) their expectations do not fit with the current situation.
D) they are physiologically aroused.

Accepted Answer

When people's expectations do not fit with the current situation, it creates cognitive dissonance, which is uncomfortable for individuals. Therefore, they are more likely to engage in effortful cognitive processing instead of relying on simplifying cognitive strategies.

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of a cognitive simplification strategy?
A) anchoring and adjustment
B) avoiding a negative self-fulfilling prophecy
C) upward social comparison
D) "basking in reflected glory"

Accepted Answer

Anchoring and adjustment is a cognitive simplification strategy where individuals rely on an initial piece of information (the anchor) to make subsequent judgments. This helps simplify complex information and decision-making.

Question 7

People with high ________ are more likely to use cognitive simplification strategies.
A) desire for control
B) intelligence
C) need for structure
D) need for cognition

Accepted Answer

The need for structure refers to the extent to which individuals prefer clear rules, routines, and order in their lives. People with a high need for structure are more likely to use cognitive simplification strategies, such as relying on stereotypes or heuristics, to make sense of complex information. The other options are not directly related to cognitive simplification strategies.

Question 8

When people are physiologically aroused,they are
A) more likely to rely on cognitive shortcuts.
B) more likely to rely on the availability heuristic, but less likely to rely on the representativeness heuristic.
C) more likely to use complex thinking.
D) less likely to make dispositional inferences.

Accepted Answer

When people are physiologically aroused, they are more likely to rely on cognitive shortcuts, such as heuristics, rather than engage in complex thinking. This is because cognitive shortcuts require less mental effort and are more easily accessible when one is in a state of arousal.

Question 9

Research has found that morning people
A) use cognitive shortcuts more at night.
B) use cognitive shortcuts more than evening people.
C) use cognitive shortcuts more in the morning.
D) use cognitive shortcuts less than evening people.

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that morning people tend to use cognitive shortcuts more at night, likely due to decreased cognitive resources as the day progresses.

Question 10

If you meet a member of a minority group when you are very busy preparing for a job interview,you are
A) more likely to stereotype the minority group member.
B) more likely to demonstrate the actor-observer difference.
C) less likely to make the fundamental attribution error.
D) more likely to avoid cognitive heuristics.

Accepted Answer

When individuals are busy or under cognitive load, they are more likely to rely on stereotypes because it requires less cognitive effort than processing new or complex information about an individual.

Question 11

After failing a test for the first time,Marla compares herself to her little brother,who failed four tests in one semester.Marla feels better about herself after making this comparison.This is an example of
A) downward social comparison.
B) upward social comparison.
C) lateral social comparison.
D) self-serving bias.

Accepted Answer

Marla is comparing herself to someone who is doing worse than her, which is a downward social comparison.

Question 12

According to the text,________ prompts us to rely on simplified cognitive strategies.
A) an unexpected event
B) boredom
C) arousal
D) mild depression

Accepted Answer

The text states that arousal prompts us to rely on simplified cognitive strategies. Arousal, in this context, refers to a heightened state of alertness and activation in the brain, which can lead to a narrowing of focus and a tendency to rely on simple heuristics or mental shortcuts when making decisions or solving problems.

Question 13

Unexpected events motivate people to
A) think in more complex ways.
B) protect their self-images.
C) engage in downward social comparison.
D) engage in upward social comparison.

Accepted Answer

Unexpected events often lead individuals to think in more complex ways as they try to make sense of the situation and understand its implications.

Question 14

You are the manager of a department in a big company and you are going to interview a candidate for an open position.The candidate comes 30 minutes late for the interview,has several body piercings,and doesn't seem very intelligent to you.Looking at his resume,however,you discover that he has graduated from a prestigious university and has several years of experience in the area.According to research,you would be
A) motivated to acquire more information to make the right decision about this person.
B) motivated to finish the interview as quickly as possible in order to conserve mental effort.
C) likely to hire this person without acquiring more information in order to resolve this complex situation.
D) likely to rely on your first impression and not hire this person.

Accepted Answer

As a manager, it is important to base hiring decisions on facts and not just impressions. Therefore, it would be best to acquire more information about the candidate before making a decision. This can be achieved by asking additional questions about their experience and qualifications, as well as conducting any necessary follow-up interviews. Rushing to judgment or relying solely on first impressions can lead to making a poor hiring decision that could negatively impact the department and the company as a whole.

Question 15

Lara,who is a teaching assistant for a psychology class,is responsible for evaluating student essays.One of the students brings his essay to her office and she can't help noticing the smell of alcohol on his breath.This is especially likely to reduce the accuracy and objectivity of Lara's evaluation if
A) she has just read a sad story in the newspaper.
B) she has one hour to grade the essay.
C) she has only 10 minutes to grade the essay.
D) she has low need for structure.

Accepted Answer

Time pressure (having only 10 minutes to grade the essay) can increase the reliance on stereotypes or first impressions (such as the smell of alcohol) in making judgments, thus potentially reducing the accuracy and objectivity of Lara's evaluation.

Question 16

A mental shortcut through which people begin with a rough estimation as a starting point and then revise this estimate to take into account unique characteristics of the present situation is
A) the representativeness heuristic.
B) the management heuristic.
C) the availability heuristic.
D) the anchoring and adjustment heuristic.

Accepted Answer

The anchoring and adjustment heuristic involves starting with an initial "anchor" value and then adjusting that value based on new information or unique characteristics of the present situation. This is a common mental shortcut used in decision-making and estimation.

Question 17

What is a benefit of engaging in upward social comparison?
A) It conserves mental energy.
B) It reduces stress.
C) It motivates one toward self-improvement.
D) It enhances one's self-esteem by derogating others.

Accepted Answer

Engaging in upward social comparison can motivate someone toward self-improvement by inspiring them to strive for the qualities or achievements they admire in others.

Question 18

Most people view their future prospects optimistically and believe that they possess more favorable characteristics and abilities than the average person.This is because they are motivated to
A) conserve mental effort.
B) seek accuracy.
C) manage their self-image.
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

The motivation to manage their self-image is the most logical reason why people view their future prospects optimistically and believe that they possess more favorable characteristics and abilities than the average person. This is because they want to feel good about themselves and maintain positive self-esteem. The other options, conserving mental effort and seeking accuracy, do not fully explain this phenomenon.

Question 19

If you were interviewing candidates for a job,which of the following situations would reduce the likelihood that you would use cognitive simplification strategies?
A) if you had a high need for structure
B) if you were given a strict deadline by which to finish the interviews
C) if your own boss made you justify your candidate selection to her
D) if the situation was highly complex and you had a large number of people to interview

Accepted Answer

If your boss is going to ask you to justify your candidate selection, you are more likely to put in extra effort and avoid simplification strategies in order to ensure that your choices are thorough and justifiable.

Question 20

Why do people desire positive self-regard?
A) We want to believe that we are effective.
B) We want to believe that we are socially accepted.
C) Positive self-regard often facilitates achievement.
D) all of the above

Accepted Answer

People desire positive self-regard for various reasons including believing that they are effective, socially accepted, and it often facilitates achievement. Therefore, option D is the correct answer as it includes all of the above reasons.

Quiz 3: Social Cognition: Understanding Ourselves and Others

Downward social comparison is a

A student who works at a record store and plays in a rock band thinks for a minute about his own music-purchasing habits,and then makes a quick guess about the number of other students who buy more than 30 CDs a year.He grossly overestimates.He has probably applied the

Festinger's (1954) social comparison theory emphasized the drive to assess one's abilities and opinions

People are LESS likely to use simplifying cognitive strategies when

Which of the following is an example of a cognitive simplification strategy?

People with high ________ are more likely to use cognitive simplification strategies.

When people are physiologically aroused,they are

Research has found that morning people

If you meet a member of a minority group when you are very busy preparing for a job interview,you are

After failing a test for the first time,Marla compares herself to her little brother,who failed four tests in one semester.Marla feels better about herself after making this comparison.This is an example of

According to the text,________ prompts us to rely on simplified cognitive strategies.

Unexpected events motivate people to

A mental shortcut through which people begin with a rough estimation as a starting point and then revise this estimate to take into account unique characteristics of the present situation is

What is a benefit of engaging in upward social comparison?

Most people view their future prospects optimistically and believe that they possess more favorable characteristics and abilities than the average person.This is because they are motivated to

If you were interviewing candidates for a job,which of the following situations would reduce the likelihood that you would use cognitive simplification strategies?

Why do people desire positive self-regard?