Question 1

For as long as she can remember, Farrah has avoided talking toany Yumtucks because she thinks that all Yumtucks are self-centered and irresponsible. However, when Farrah's 4-year-old wandered out of the yard and strayed a couple of blocks, it wasa Yumtuck who found the child and brought him safely backhome. Based on this direct experience with a Yumtuck, Farrahis likely to:

Accepted Answer

Farrah's direct experience with the Yumtuck challenges her stereotype, but it may not necessarily cause her to completely abandon it. Therefore, it is likely that she may think of the Yumtuck who helped her as an exception to the stereotype, rather than changing her view on all Yumtucks.

Question 2

Nestor belongs to the cross-country ski club at his college but is not a member of the downhill ski club. In terms of basic social categories, Nestor's cross-country club members are the _____and the members of the downhill ski club are the _____.

Accepted Answer

This is because Nestor's cross-country ski club is the in-group, as he belongs to it, and the downhill ski club is the out-group, as he is not a member of it. The other options do not accurately reflect the social categorization in this scenario.

Question 3

After Judy made a choice between two fairly equal alternatives,she emphasized the negative features of the choice she rejected,which is called a "sour grapes" rationalization, and she focused on the positive features of the choice she committed to, a "sweetlemons" rationalization. This example illustrates:

Accepted Answer

This example illustrates cognitive dissonance, which is the discomfort or tension we feel when we hold two or more conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. Judy's behavior is an attempt to reduce this discomfort by justifying her decision and convincing herself that the choice she made was the better option. The "sour grapes" rationalization allows her to downplay the negative aspects of the rejected option, while the "sweet lemons" rationalization allows her to highlight the positive aspects of the chosen option. This helps her to maintain a consistent self-concept and reduce the cognitive dissonance caused by the conflict between her beliefs and behaviors.

Question 4

Being aware that your social group is associated with a particular stereotype can negatively impact your performanceon tests or tasks that measure abilities thought to be associated with that stereotype. This is a description of:

Accepted Answer

The description provided matches the concept of stereotype threat, which refers to the negative impact on individuals when they are aware of the negative stereotypes associated with their social group. This can affect their performance on tasks related to those stereotypes. The other options - rule of reciprocity, just-world hypothesis, and implicit personality theory - are not related to this idea.

Question 5

Denise went on a diet to lose some weight. When she went to lunch with some co-workers, she hesitated when it was her turnto order. Finally, she ordered the burger and fries instead of thesalad and yogurt. She then justified her choice by telling herself that some protein every day is important for good health.Denise's tendency to focus on the positive aspects of her choiceand minimize the negative aspects illustrates which of the following concepts in action?

Accepted Answer

Denise's justification for her choice despite her initial intention to choose the healthier option is an example of cognitive dissonance, where there is a conflict between her beliefs or values and her actions. She minimized the negative aspect of her choice (unhealthy food) and emphasized the positive aspect (protein for good health) to reduce the discomfort caused by the inconsistency between her beliefs and actions.

Question 6

When Catherine decided to major in engineering her parents thought she should reconsider her decision because engineering majors are "logical, analytical, conservative, aggressive, and always male." Her parents' view that all engineering majors are similar illustrates:

Accepted Answer

The parents' view of engineering majors as having similar personality traits reflects the out-group homogeneity effect, which is the tendency to perceive members of a group as more similar to each other than they actually are.

Question 7

Mrs. Lovejoy thinks that all teenagers are reckless,promiscuous, irresponsible delinquents. Mrs. Lovejoy appearsto be associating qualities that are unrelated to the objectivecriteria that define this particular age group. This example illustrates:

Accepted Answer

Mrs. Lovejoy's thinking is an example of stereotyped thinking, where she is applying a broad and fixed set of characteristics to all teenagers without considering individual variations.

Question 8

Before Jackie left for college, she told her friend Lisa that she thought sororities were filled with snobs and that she would never consider joining one. But during Jackie's first week on campus, she was approached by a sorority member who invitedher to a social function and encouraged her to pledge. After Jackie attended the party, she told Lisa, "Sororities do a lot ofgood things for the community. They're really service organizations." Jackie's change in attitude to match her behavior reflects which of the following concepts?

Accepted Answer

Jackie's change in attitude towards sororities represents cognitive dissonance - the feeling of mental discomfort that arises from having inconsistent attitudes, beliefs or behaviors. She initially had a negative attitude towards sororities (attitude) but after attending a social function, she had a positive experience (behavior). To reduce the discomfort of having inconsistent attitudes and behavior, she changed her attitudes to match her behavior.

Question 9

The "sour grapes" rationalization and the 'sweet lemons" rationalization that occur after a person has made a choice between two relatively equal alternatives are examples of _____in action.

Accepted Answer

The "sour grapes" rationalization and the "sweet lemons" rationalization are examples of cognitive dissonance, which occurs when a person experiences psychological discomfort due to conflicting beliefs or actions. In this case, the person may have initially felt that both alternatives were relatively equal in value, but after making a choice, they experience cognitive dissonance by feeling that the alternative not chosen is more valuable (sour grapes) or the chosen alternative is more valuable (sweet lemons) to justify their decision.

Question 10

Zelda is researching the topic of prejudice for a term paper. If she does a thorough job she is likely to conclude that:

Accepted Answer

Research has consistently shown that racial and ethnic groups have far more similarities than differences. This suggests that intolerance and prejudice are not necessary or beneficial to society. Additionally, studies have found that prejudicial attitudes can be changed through education, exposure to diverse groups, and personal experiences. Option B is incorrect because this statement is untrue; many effective interventions have been developed to decrease prejudiced attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Option C is incorrect because it is inconsistent with research findings; despite some superficial differences, human beings share many similarities across different racial and ethnic groups. Finally, Option D is incorrect because prejudice and discrimination can occur between any groups; it is not limited to minority groups only.

Question 11

The tendency to see members of out-groups as very similar to each other is called:

Accepted Answer

The out-group homogeneity effect refers to the tendency to perceive members of out-groups as relatively more similar to each other, while perceiving members of one's own in-group as more diverse and nuanced. This can contribute to stereotypes and prejudice towards out-groups. Options A, B, and C are not accurate descriptions of this phenomenon.

Question 12

_____ is defined as a negative attitude toward people who belong to a specific group.

Accepted Answer

Prejudice is defined as holding a negative attitude or making assumptions based on someone's perceived membership in a certain group, such as race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. Ethnocentrism refers specifically to favoring one's own group or culture over others. The rule of reciprocity is a social norm that dictates we should treat others as they have treated us. The self-effacing bias is a tendency to attribute personal success to external factors and personal failure to internal factors.

Question 13

According to the In Focus box, "Interpersonal Attraction and Liking," we are more attracted to people whom we perceive asbeing like us. However, cross-cultural research has shown that:

Accepted Answer

Cross-cultural research indicates that in some Eastern cultures, factors other than similarity, such as social harmony and group cohesion, may play a more significant role in attraction.

Question 14

Cross-cultural research has shown that men in societies where food and resources are in short supply tend to prefer _____women, and men in societies where food and resources are abundant tend to prefer _____ women.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cross-cultural research has shown that men in...

Question 15

Your textbook discusses a number of problems associated with stereotyped thinking. Which of the following is one of those problems?

Accepted Answer

The textbook discusses the problem that once formed, stereotypes are very hard to change. Option A is incorrect because stereotypes can greatly influence what people perceive or do not perceive. Option C is incorrect because when confronted by evidence that contradicts a stereotype, people tend to hold onto the stereotype even more strongly. Option D is incorrect because only option B is correct.

Question 16

Half the female participants were told that males typically did better than females on the math test they were about to take,and the other half were told that the test did not produce gender differences. The first group scored lower on the test than did the second group. These results are explained by a phenomenon called:

Accepted Answer

The results are explained by stereotype threat, which refers to the negative impact of stereotypes on performance. When women were told that males typically do better on the math test, it activated the stereotype that women are not as good at math, leading them to perform worse on the test compared to women who were not given this stereotype.

Question 17

People have a strong tendency to perceive others in terms of two basic social categories, which social psychologists call:

Accepted Answer

The in-group/out-group categorization is a well-established and widely studied social phenomenon in psychology. People instinctually categorize others into groups they belong to (in-group) and those they do not (out-group). This can lead to biases and discrimination towards the out-group based on perceived differences.

Question 18

The social group to which a person belongs is called the _____,and the social group to which a person does not belong is called the _____.

Accepted Answer

The terms "in-group" and "out-group" are commonly used in social psychology to refer to the social groups to which a person does or does not belong, respectively. Option A is the correct choice where in-group refers to a group to which an individual belongs and out-group refers to a group to which an individual does not belong. Option B is incorrect as prosocial and altruistic are not synonyms for in-group/out-group. Option C is partially correct as out-group is the opposite of in-group, but the order is reversed. Option D is incorrect as conformist and nonconformist refer to behavior, not social groups.

Question 19

Roger was not sure which of two candidates to vote for in the race for mayor. However, after he cast his vote, he felt much more confident that he had made the correct choice. The change in the strength of Roger's attitude about the candidate he voted for is probably the result of:

Accepted Answer

Roger's change in attitude is likely due to cognitive dissonance, which refers to the discomfort or psychological tension that arises when a person's attitudes or beliefs are inconsistent with their behavior. After voting for a specific candidate, Roger may have experienced cognitive dissonance if he held any negative or uncertain attitudes about that candidate. To reduce this discomfort, Roger may have adjusted his attitudes to align with his behavior, which would result in a more confident and positive attitude towards the candidate he voted for.

Question 20

Sixty-five-year-old Bernice is taking courses at the university with the intention of completing a bachelor's degree. Some members of her family think she is not likely to succeed because she is much too old to learn new information. These family members are demonstrating:

Accepted Answer

The family members are exhibiting stereotyped thinking by assuming that Bernice's age makes her incapable of learning new information. This is a common stereotype about older adults, but research shows that older adults are fully capable of learning and retaining new information, especially when it is relevant to their interests or goals. Bernice's determination to complete her degree is a good sign that she is motivated and committed to her educational goals, despite any negative stereotypes or doubts from others.

Quiz 12: Stress Health and Coping

Nestor belongs to the cross-country ski club at his college but is not a member of the downhill ski club. In terms of basic social categories, Nestor's cross-country club members are the _and the members of the downhill ski club are the _.