Question 1

Rivalry between groups is often most intense when the groups

Accepted Answer

Rivalry between groups is often most intense when they closely resemble each other, a phenomenon known as the narcissism of small differences. This concept suggests that groups with similar identities or characteristics may have more intense rivalries due to minor differences being exaggerated or highlighted to maintain distinctiveness.

Question 2

The names we choose for our children often express our

Accepted Answer

The desire for uniqueness is a common motive for choosing names for our children. We want our children to stand out and have a distinct identity.

Question 3

Research in both the United States and Canada revealed that the percentage of those who reported having been drunk in the last year was lower for those over the legal drinking age than for those under the legal drinking age.This exemplifies which of the following concepts?

Accepted Answer

This exemplifies psychological reactance, as those under the legal drinking age may feel restricted and rebel by drinking more, while those over the legal drinking age do not have the same sense of rebellion and thus drink less.

Question 4

You chose to attend a college that is known for its arts program as you would like to develop your talents further.This is an example of how

Accepted Answer

This situation demonstrates that people choose their social situations based on their interests and goals. The person decided to attend a college with a strong arts program to further develop their talents, showing that they actively chose their social situation.

Question 5

If we expect our significant other to be cheerful when we next see her,this may encourage her to be cheerful.This phenomenon is an example of how

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon falls under the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy, where our expectations or beliefs about a situation can influence its outcome. By expecting our significant other to be cheerful, we may unknowingly create a social situation that encourages her to be cheerful. Therefore, people create their social situations.

Question 6

The psychological reactance theory may help explain why

Accepted Answer

Psychological reactance theory suggests that people experience discomfort or distress when they perceive their freedoms or choices are being limited or threatened. This can lead to a counter-reaction to reassert their autonomy. All the provided options (A, B, C) are examples of situations where restrictions (legal age for drinking, another child taking a toy, rarity of an object) might increase the attractiveness or the desire for the restricted item or behavior, aligning with the principles of psychological reactance theory.

Question 7

High school students Aisha and Jared have been dating each other casually.When Aisha's parents tell her to stop seeing Jared and ask her to go out with "nicer boys," Aisha announces that she and Jared are actually "in love" and have decided to go steady.Aisha's behavior most likely illustrates the effects of

Accepted Answer

Aisha's behavior shows psychological reactance, which is a phenomenon where a person feels their freedom is being threatened, leading them to act against the perceived threat by asserting their independence. In this case, Aisha's parents telling her who to date threatened her freedom, prompting her to declare her love for Jared and assert her independence. The false uniqueness effect, fundamental attribution error, and self-serving bias do not apply in this scenario.

Question 8

Research in both the United States and Canada revealed that the percentage of those who reported having been drunk in the previous year was _____ for those over the legal drinking age than for those under the legal drinking age.

Accepted Answer

The research revealed that the percentage of those who reported having been drunk in the previous year was lower for those over the legal drinking age than for those under the legal drinking age.

Question 9

In a study by Snyder (1980),students who were told that their personal attitudes were nearly identical to those of 10,000 other students _____ when they participated in a conformity experiment.

Accepted Answer

When students were told their attitudes were identical to many others, they asserted their individuality by being nonconformists, as a reaction to the perceived loss of uniqueness.

Question 10

If we expect someone to be hostile,our actions toward that person may induce hostility.This is an example of how

Accepted Answer

This statement suggests that people have some control over the social situations they find themselves in, and furthermore, they can create their own social situations. If we assume someone will be hostile, we may behave differently towards them, which could create a hostile situation. This implies that our behavior is contributing to the situation we find ourselves in, rather than just being a passive participant.

Question 11

In the context of social psychology,a likely contributor to underage drinking is

Accepted Answer

Psychological reactance refers to the tendency to do the opposite of what is being demanded or expected, often as a way to assert freedom, which can contribute to underage drinking when individuals perceive restrictions on alcohol consumption as a threat to their autonomy.

Question 12

A single,black female lawyer in a group of black and white male lawyers will be most conscious of being

Accepted Answer

The fact that she is the only female in a group of male lawyers is likely to make her most conscious of her gender.

Question 13

Ahmed generally likes to go home to visit his family during spring vacation.However,after his father tells him that he must be home during spring vacation,Ahmed decides to stay in college.Ahmed's behavior is best understood in terms of

Accepted Answer

Psychological reactance is the tendency for individuals to respond in a way that opposes constraints or limitations on their freedom. In this scenario, Ahmed's father's demand that he must be home during spring vacation constrains Ahmed's freedom to make his own decision, and as a result, Ahmed decides to stay in college, opposing his father's demand. Therefore, Ahmed's behavior is best understood in terms of psychological reactance.

Question 14

When William McGuire and his Yale University colleagues invited children to "tell us about yourself," they found that the children were most likely to mention their

Accepted Answer

According to the article, the children were most likely to mention distinctive attributes about themselves, such as "I'm funny," "I'm shy," or "I'm good at soccer."

Question 15

Myers mentions that the Japanese are more responsive to social expectations than are the British.This is an example of how

Accepted Answer

The statement in the question implies that the social expectations in Japan have a greater influence on people's behavior than they do in Britain. This suggests that social situations can affect different people in different ways, which supports choice A. The other choices are not applicable to the scenario described.

Question 16

Knowing that someone is trying to coerce you may prompt you to do the opposite of that person's wishes.This response is predicted by

Accepted Answer

The reactance theory predicts that when individuals perceive that their freedom is being threatened or restricted, they may respond by doing the opposite of what is being asked of them. Therefore, in this scenario, the individual may do the opposite of the coercer's wishes as a way to assert their independence and resist the perceived attempt to control them.

Question 17

The motive to protect or restore one's sense of freedom is known as

Accepted Answer

Reactance is the motivation to protect or restore one's sense of freedom. It occurs when an individual perceives that their freedom is being taken away or threatened, leading to a desire to assert their sense of control and resist the perceived threat. Rebellion, disobedience, and resistance are all related concepts but do not fully capture the specific motivation of reactance.

Question 18

What can we conclude about the relationship between persons and situations?

Accepted Answer

All of the answers are correct. People's behavior is influenced by both the situations they are in and their individual differences in personality, beliefs, and values. While people cannot control all the situations they encounter, they can choose how to react to them and even create their social situations. Therefore, there is a complex interplay between individuals and situations, and both have an impact on human behavior.

Question 19

In a series of experiments,Silvia Bellezza and colleagues (2014)found that people wearing nonconformist clothing-such as a pair of red sneakers-were perceived by others as

Accepted Answer

In the experiments, people wearing nonconformist clothing were consistently perceived as higher in status than those wearing conformist clothing. The study did not find any evidence to support the other options (belonging to a cult, being perceived as immature and unethical, or being outgoing and carefree).

Question 20

Myers mentions that ardent political liberals are unlikely to live in suburban Dallas.This is an example of how

Accepted Answer

Myers is illustrating the concept that individuals often select environments that align with their values and beliefs, in this case, political liberals choosing not to live in an area that may not align with their political views.

Quiz 21: Power to the Person