Question 1

Immigration reform has become a controversial topic.If you wanted to measure a person's beliefs about immigration reform without the influence of social desirability, you would ask them to take

Accepted Answer

The Implicit Association Test (IAT) is designed to measure implicit biases, which are unconscious attitudes or beliefs that people may hold. By using the IAT to measure beliefs about immigration reform, social desirability bias can be minimized, as participants are not directly asked to disclose their beliefs. Instead, the IAT measures reaction times and associations between different concepts, which can provide a more accurate measure of subconscious beliefs.

Question 2

Medical interns and residents are often required to work such long shifts that they are always exhausted and do not function optimally.Dissonance theory would suggest that a possible motivation for this policy is to

Accepted Answer

Dissonance theory, particularly when considering the concept of effort justification, suggests that people tend to assign greater value to outcomes they've had to work hard to achieve. In this context, the grueling hours and exhaustion could lead to interns and residents valuing their roles and the profession more highly because of the significant effort and hardship they endure during their training.

Question 3

When there is a conflict between attitude and behavior, why might dissonance be resolved by changing the attitude rather than the behavior?

Accepted Answer

Dissonance may be resolved by changing the attitude rather than the behavior because changing behavior is not always possible or practical. Once a behavior has been performed, it cannot be undone. In contrast, attitudes can be changed and adjusted to match the behavior that has already occurred, making it easier to alleviate cognitive dissonance.

Question 4

Sources of information who are tend to be the most persuasive.

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that sources who are both attractive (in terms of physical appearance and personality) and credible tend to be the most persuasive. They are able to grab the audience's attention and also come across as trustworthy and knowledgeable.

Question 5

At a race track, researchers asked people placing bets on horses about how confident they were in their chosen horse.They asked some people before they had placed their bets and others they asked after they had placed their bets but before the race had begun.Given your knowledge of social psychology, you could predict that after placing the bets, people would be confident about their chosen horses because of .

Accepted Answer

Postdecisional dissonance refers to the discomfort that arises when a person's belief or behavior conflicts with their own attitudes or values. In this case, after placing their bets, people have made a decision to invest their money in a particular horse. This decision creates a situation of cognitive dissonance, where people may start to doubt their choice and experience discomfort. To reduce this discomfort, they may become more confident in their chosen horse, leading to a higher level of confidence than they had before placing their bets.

Question 6

Saqui is deciding between two men to date.Each man has a different set of attractive qualities.After deciding which man to date, Saqui finds that she no longer likes the other man she was considering and that his qualities that she once found attractive are much less attractive now.This situation is best explained by

Accepted Answer

This situation is an example of postdecisional dissonance, which is the discomfort or regret that can arise after making a decision between two or more options. In this case, Saqui's choice to date one man over the other has led her to reevaluate the qualities she once found attractive in the rejected man, leading to a reduction in their attractiveness. This is a common phenomenon that occurs when people make choices and can serve as a way to reduce the cognitive dissonance that arises from making difficult decisions.

Question 7

Kyle was raised in a vegan family.Before he goes to college, his mother tells him that it will be very hard to maintain a healthy vegan diet in a college dorm and that a healthy diet is more important than a vegan diet.Kyle's mother is trying to protect him from experiencing

Accepted Answer

Kyle's mother is trying to avoid him experiencing cognitive dissonance, which occurs when one's beliefs or attitudes conflict with their behavior or experiences. In this case, Kyle's vegan beliefs conflict with the potential difficulties of maintaining a healthy vegan diet in a college dorm.

Question 8

If someone wants to create an attitude that will last a long time, he or she should use the method of persuasion.If someone wants to create an attitude that will last only a short time, he or she should use the method of persuasion.

Accepted Answer

The method of persuasion that creates attitudes that last a long time is the central route. This method uses logic and rational arguments to convince the audience. On the other hand, the peripheral route uses emotional triggers and surface-level persuasion tactics that create attitudes that last only a short time. Therefore, the best choice is B since central route persuasion creates attitudes that last a long time.

Question 9

Sara eats an unhealthy diet even though she knows the negative consequences of bad eating habits.As a result, she rationalizes her behavior by saying junk foods help decrease her anxiety about school. Sara's behaviors are best explained by

Accepted Answer

Sara's behavior is an example of cognitive dissonance - she is holding two conflicting beliefs (knowing the negative consequences of bad eating habits and still eating an unhealthy diet) and rationalizing her behavior to reduce the discomfort caused by this inconsistency.

Question 10

Dr.Johannson is writing a speech arguing for stricter car emissions standards.If he wants to persuade an environmental group, he should use arguments.If he wants to persuade automobile manufacturers, he should use arguments.

Accepted Answer

When persuading an environmental group, one-sided arguments that align with their existing beliefs about the importance of stricter emissions standards are effective. For automobile manufacturers, balanced arguments that consider both the benefits and challenges of stricter standards are more persuasive.

Question 11

According to the elaboration likelihood model, the two routes that persuasion may take are

Accepted Answer

The elaboration likelihood model proposes that there are two main routes to persuasion - the central route and the peripheral route. The central route involves a more thoughtful and thorough processing of persuasive messages, where the individual is analyzing the message and thinking critically about the arguments presented. The peripheral route involves less effortful processing and is characterized by more superficial cues, such as the source of the message, its length, or its emotional appeal. Ultimately, the route that is taken depends on individual factors, such as motivation and cognitive ability, as well as situational factors, such as time pressure or distraction.

Question 12

Kerry Ann is designing a political ad campaign in support of a new health care law.Kerry Anne makes sure that her ads are balanced and consider both sides of the issue.Given what you know about persuasion techniques, what is the most likely target audience for this ad campaign?

Accepted Answer

Kerry Ann is designing balanced ads that consider both sides of the issue, indicating that the target audience is likely voters who are skeptical of the new health care law. By presenting both sides of the argument, Kerry Ann may be able to persuade these voters to support the law, making them the most likely target audience.

Question 13

Song and Prakash are both taking a very difficult and quite boring class in symbolic logic.Song freely chose to take this class as an optional elective course.Prakash is taking the class because it is required for his major.When asked about the class, cognitive dissonance theory would predict that Song would say it is and Prakash would say it is .

Accepted Answer

According to cognitive dissonance theory, individuals will experience discomfort when they hold two conflicting beliefs or attitudes. In this case, Song's freely chosen decision to take the class conflicts with the fact that she finds it difficult and boring. Therefore, she is likely to experience cognitive dissonance and rationalize her decision by saying that she enjoys the class. On the other hand, Prakash's attitude towards the class is likely to be more consistent with the fact that he is taking it because it is required for his major. Therefore, he is unlikely to experience cognitive dissonance and is more likely to acknowledge that the class is difficult and boring, hence he would say it is terrible. Therefore, the best choice is D: enjoyable; terrible.

Question 14

If a political candidate wants to create a positive image that will convince people to contribute throughout a long campaign, the candidate should use campaign materials that

Accepted Answer

The best way for a political candidate to create a positive image and convince people to contribute throughout a long campaign is to present well-argued descriptions of their positions. By doing so, the candidate can demonstrate their competence, knowledge, and leadership qualities, and gain the trust and support of voters who share their values and beliefs. Catchy slogans and attention-grabbing graphics may attract initial attention, but they are unlikely to sustain long-term interest or generate meaningful engagement. Emotional attacks on the opponent may be effective in the short term, but they can also backfire and create a negative perception of the candidate as a divisive and dishonest person. Endorsements from prominent people may help to build credibility, but they are not sufficient to win over voters by themselves.

Question 15

Kate is prejudiced against minorities.Kate's new roommate is black, but Kate quickly discovers that her roommate is smart, funny, and empathetic.Kate feels anxious whenever she is with her roommate because Kate's prejudices conflict with her belief that her roommate is a good person.Kate is experiencing

Accepted Answer

Kate is experiencing cognitive dissonance, which is the discomfort experienced when holding two or more contradictory beliefs or attitudes. In this case, Kate's prejudice conflicts with her positive beliefs about her roommate, causing her to feel anxious.

Question 16

It is most evolutionarily adaptive for people to form attitudes .

Accepted Answer

From an evolutionary perspective, it is more adaptive for individuals to form negative attitudes quickly. This is because recognizing and reacting to potential threats rapidly can be crucial for survival. Quick formation of negative attitudes towards potentially harmful stimuli can help in avoiding dangers, thus providing an evolutionary advantage. Positive attitudes, while also important, do not typically require the same urgency in formation since they are less likely to be associated with immediate survival threats.

Question 17

Jacqueline grew up in an upper class family but believes that money and social class are not relevant to a person's worth.However, without realizing it, she spends most of her time at social events talking with others who have a similar upper class background.Jacqueline's belief in social equality is an) attitude, and her choice of people with whom to talk reflects an) attitude.

Accepted Answer

Jacqueline's belief that money and social class are not relevant to a person's worth is an explicit attitude. However, her tendency to socialize with others from a similar upper-class background without realizing it reflects an implicit attitude.

Question 18

Imagine you are recruiting people to volunteer to do part-time tutoring of elementary school kids.Dissonance theory would suggest that a successful strategy to enhance the commitment of the volunteers would be to pay them

Accepted Answer

Dissonance theory suggests that when individuals voluntarily engage in a behavior, such as tutoring, that goes against their self-interest, they may experience cognitive dissonance. Offering a large salary or bonus may make them feel like they are doing it for the money, rather than for the altruistic reasons they initially volunteered for. Therefore, offering only a token amount of money, such as a small stipend or reimbursement for supplies, may be enough to reduce any discomfort from cognitive dissonance while still maintaining the volunteers' sense of altruism and commitment to the cause.

Question 19

Larry comes to college convinced that it is wrong to drink any alcohol.After a while, he starts to drink moderately at parties.According to dissonance theory, Larry will

Accepted Answer

Dissonance theory suggests that when a person's behavior conflicts with their beliefs or values, they experience psychological discomfort or dissonance. In Larry's case, his belief that drinking any alcohol is wrong conflicts with his behavior of moderate drinking at parties. To resolve this dissonance, he may alter his belief or behavior. If Larry decides that moderate drinking is not really a problem, he can eliminate the dissonance by changing his beliefs to align with his behavior.

Question 20

The active and conscious effort to change an attitude through the transmission of a message is known as

Accepted Answer

The definition given is consistent with the definition of persuasion, which involves attempting to change someone's attitude through the transmission of a message. Conformity refers to changing one's behavior to match the group's social norms, deindividuation refers to losing one's sense of individual identity in a group setting, and social norms refer to the unwritten rules that govern behavior in society.

Quiz 12: Social Psychology