Question 1

One of the reasons proximity increases our liking for other people is that it

Accepted Answer

Proximity increases our liking for other people because it produces the mere-exposure effect. This effect refers to the tendency of people to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. When we are near someone, we are exposed to them repeatedly and hence become more familiar with them which leads to liking them more.

Question 2

A store manager marks all prices "25% off," then scratches that out and marks them "50% off!" Although the prices are still rather high,customers buy products enthusiastically.This is an example of the __________ technique.

Accepted Answer

The "that's-not-all" technique involves presenting an initial offer and then immediately improving upon it by adding something extra, such as a discount or bonus. In this case, the store manager initially marked all prices 25% off, but then improved upon that offer by increasing the discount to 50% off. This tactic is designed to make customers feel like they are getting a great deal and encourage them to make a purchase.

Question 3

The foot-in-the-door technique is one trick to facilitate persuasion.What is another way that involves doing just the opposite?

Accepted Answer

The technique described in D is known as the door-in-the-face technique, which involves starting with a large request that is likely to be refused, and then following it with a much smaller request (the actual desired outcome). This approach is considered the opposite of the foot-in-the-door technique, where one starts with a small request to increase the likelihood of agreement to a larger request later.

Question 4

The mere-exposure effect refers to the fact that

Accepted Answer

The mere-exposure effect refers to the phenomenon that people tend to develop a preference for things (including people) solely because they are familiar with them. Therefore, option D is the correct answer as it states that people tend to increase their liking for those who have become familiar to them.

Question 5

Ray is trying to convince people to contribute time to a tutoring center.He is considering asking people to volunteer 20 hours a week and then,after they refuse,settling for 1 hour a week.How will that strategy probably affect their rate of agreeing to contribute an hour a week?

Accepted Answer

This is known as the "door-in-the-face" technique, where a larger request is made first in order to make the smaller request seem more reasonable and increase the likelihood of compliance. Research has shown that this technique can be effective in increasing the rate of agreeing to smaller requests.

Question 6

When police or military investigators use coercive techniques to elicit confessions,one risk is

Accepted Answer

Coercive techniques, such as torture or threats, can lead to false confessions from innocent people who may confess just to escape the pain or fear. This can lead to wrongful convictions and miscarriage of justice.

Question 7

In one study,college students at the start of an academic year each named two other students they thought they might become friends with.Three months later,the investigator found that each student was most likely to become friends with one of the named people if

Accepted Answer

The study found that college students were most likely to become friends with one of the people they named if they lived close together in the dormitories. This suggests that proximity played a significant role in the development of friendships among these students. Factors such as facing the same commons dilemma or having matching strengths and weaknesses were not mentioned as significant factors in the study. While having an internal or external locus of control might have some impact on social interactions, it was not measured or included as a factor in this particular study.

Question 8

A speaker tries to persuade people to do something by describing the dangers they face if they fail to act.The speech is most likely to be persuasive if the danger seems __________ and if the listeners believe that they __________ do something about it.

Accepted Answer

The danger must seem real for the speech to be persuasive. Additionally, listeners need to believe that they can do something about it in order to be motivated to take action. The other options either exaggerate the danger or suggest that the listeners are powerless to make a difference, which is unlikely to be effective in motivating them to take action.

Question 9

Your friend Viola says "If you take me to the concert,I will pay for your ticket." You eagerly accept this offer,but then gradually learn that she is bringing along two friends,and that you have to drive,pay for tolls,and pay for parking.You have been a victim of the __________ technique.

Accepted Answer

Viola initially baited the offer of paying for your concert ticket, but later switched the terms by bringing along two friends and making you responsible for driving, tolls, and parking expenses. This is an example of the bait and switch technique.

Question 10

You are going to make a speech in favor of outlawing squirt guns.Your audience is intelligent and well educated.The persuasiveness of your speech will probably be decreased if

Accepted Answer

Forewarning an audience about the point of a speech can lead to resistance as they may form counterarguments in advance, reducing the persuasiveness of the speech.

Question 11

Your boss,Mr.Ebenezer,says he has to cut your salary by 50%.When you protest,he says he can manage to cut it only 5%,and you accept this plan with relief.This is an example of the __________ technique.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the "door-in-the-face" technique, where an initially large request is made expecting it to be refused, followed by a smaller request (the actual goal), which seems more reasonable by comparison, leading to compliance.

Question 12

One speaker warns people about the danger of AIDS.Another speaker warns of the danger of the greenhouse effect.A survey reveals that the AIDS speech was more persuasive.One likely explanation is that

Accepted Answer

People are more likely to be persuaded by issues when they can see clear, actionable steps they can take to prevent the problem, which is the case with AIDS prevention methods compared to the more complex and less individually actionable strategies to combat the greenhouse effect.

Question 13

The more often we come in contact with another person or thing the __________ likely we are to like that person or object.This is called the __________ effect.

Accepted Answer

The mere-exposure effect suggests that the more we are exposed to a person or thing, the more likely we are to like them. Thus, the answer is A - more likely. The answer cannot be B or D as they suggest that we are less likely to like the person or object as we come into contact with it. The answer cannot be C as equity refers to the fairness of exchanges and does not relate to the likelihood of liking someone or something based on exposure.

Question 14

Simply informing an audience a few minutes ahead of time about the content of a persuasive speech will make the speech __________ effective in changing attitudes.This is called the __________.

Accepted Answer

The forewarning effect suggests that when audiences are informed ahead of time about the persuasive intent of a message, they may become resistant to change, making the speech less effective in changing attitudes.

Question 15

Under what circumstances (if any)does a frightening message help to persuade people to do something?

Accepted Answer

A frightening message can be effective in persuading people to do something if the danger seems real and preventable. It can create a sense of urgency and motivate people to take action to avoid the potential harm. However, if the danger is perceived as too extreme or beyond people's ability to cope, a frightening message may not increase persuasion and can instead lead to feelings of helplessness or denial. Repetition can also help to reinforce the importance of taking action.

Question 16

Two people who hardly know each other go out on a first date.How much they like each other on this date depends mostly on

Accepted Answer

The answer of Two people who hardly know each other...

Question 17

An experimenter stops people on the street and first makes a moderate request of their time and money.How could the experimenter increase the chance that a given individual will agree to the request?

Accepted Answer

This technique is known as the "door-in-the-face" technique, where an initial large request is made knowing it will likely be refused, making the smaller subsequent request seem more reasonable by comparison, thereby increasing the likelihood of agreement.

Question 18

At first,group A listens to a weak attack on a common belief,while group B listens to a speech supporting that belief and group C listens to music.Then all three groups listen to a strong attack on that belief.Which group (if any)will be influenced least by the strong attack?

Accepted Answer

Group A, having already been exposed to a weak attack on the belief, is likely to have developed counterarguments or become inoculated against the belief's criticism, making them less susceptible to a strong attack compared to the other groups.

Question 19

Compared to less attractive people,attractive people are generally judged __________ favorably,and one reason for this belief is __________.

Accepted Answer

Attractive people are often judged more favorably due to a phenomenon known as a self-fulfilling prophecy, where positive expectations lead to positive outcomes, reinforcing the initial positive judgment.

Question 20

The Society to Help Aging Rock Entertainers asks you whether you could contribute $50 a month to help the cause.You refuse.Then the society asks whether you could at least make a one-time contribution of $10.The society is using the __________ technique.

Accepted Answer

The society is first asking for a large contribution of $50 a month, which is likely to be refused. This is followed up with a smaller request of a one-time contribution of $10, which may seem more reasonable in comparison. This is an example of the door-in-the-face technique, where a larger request is made first, followed by a smaller request that is more likely to be accepted.

Quiz 13: Social Psychology