Question 1

Paulo has always believed that tuition for higher education should be free. However, he has just changed his attitude to be more positive about paying for his education. In order to determine whether this change was the result of cognitive dissonance or self-perception, what would you look for?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance typically involves physiological arousal as a result of holding conflicting beliefs or attitudes, whereas self-perception theory does not. If Paulo experienced physiological arousal, it would suggest cognitive dissonance.

Question 2

Jennifer has just signed up for Match in order to find a date. All things being equal, she is likely to choose

Accepted Answer

Research in social psychology suggests that people are more likely to choose partners who are similar to them in terms of attractiveness. This phenomenon, known as the matching hypothesis, posits that individuals with similar levels of attractiveness are more likely to end up together because they offer each other a similar level of social desirability.

Question 3

Your best friend Beth has just signed up to several dating sites in order to find a date. She is moderate in attractiveness and is 30 years old. All things being equal, she is likely to choose

Accepted Answer

Beth is likely to choose someone who is about the same in attractiveness as she is, as people often seek partners with similar levels of attractiveness.

Question 4

You've just heard a new song on the radio. As you listened to it a few more times, you decided that you really liked it. How might we explain this increase in liking?

Accepted Answer

The mere exposure effect explains how repeated exposure to a stimulus (in this case, a song) increases our liking for it. This psychological phenomenon suggests that the more we are exposed to something, the more we tend to develop a preference for it.

Question 5

As you are shopping one day, you notice a customer arguing loudly with one of the sales staff. You immediately think that the customer is a rude person. However, you may have just demonstrated the

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the fundamental attribution error, where you attribute the customer's behavior to their personality or character (assuming they are a rude person) rather than considering situational factors that might be influencing their behavior.

Question 6

Jan needed a new phone so she went to the phone store where they offered her the latest Samsung for 1500 dollars. She said no, so they offered her the phone for 800 dollars. She agreed to buy the phone. Jan has just experienced

Accepted Answer

Jan experienced the door-in-the-face technique, where an initially high offer is made and then followed by a lower, more reasonable offer, which she accepted.

Question 7

All of your friends want to go out to the new Sushi restaurant for dinner. You don't. But you decide to go along anyway, even though you would prefer to go to the new steak house. Your behaviour is an example of

Accepted Answer

This behavior is an example of normative social influence, where individuals conform to the expectations of a group to be accepted or to avoid disapproval, even if it goes against their personal preferences.

Question 8

Let's say that you are a novice chess player. According to the theory of social facilitation, if an audience watches you play, you should

Accepted Answer

The theory of social facilitation suggests that the presence of an audience can lead to increased arousal, which tends to enhance the execution of well-learned or simple tasks but can impair performance on complex or new tasks. As a novice chess player, the game would be a complex task for you, so the presence of an audience is likely to make you perform worse than normal.

Question 9

John has been given a lot of information about a stranger. You are about to ask for his impression of this person. In order to decrease the likelihood of a primacy effect, what should you do?

Accepted Answer

To decrease the likelihood of a primacy effect, where the first pieces of information received disproportionately influence one's judgment, it's best to encourage a comprehensive and careful consideration of all information. This approach helps mitigate the impact of initial information and promotes a more balanced evaluation.

Question 10

Which of the following groups would be the LEAST likely to exhibit social loafing?

Accepted Answer

Social loafing is less likely in groups that are very important to the individuals because members are more motivated to contribute significantly to the group's success.

Question 11

Your best friend asks to borrow $100 until next week. You say no. He then asks if he can borrow $20 and you agree. You have fallen victim to

Accepted Answer

The door-in-the-face technique involves making a large request that is expected to be refused so that a smaller request seems more reasonable by comparison, which is what happened in this scenario.

Question 12

As you drive through an intersection, you notice that a car has been in an accident. You do not stop to help because there are a number of people at the scene, even though no one seems to be doing anything. Why didn't you help?

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes the diffusion of responsibility, where individuals in a group are less likely to take action because they assume others will.

Question 13

Jan needed a new phone so she went to the phone store where they offered her the latest Samsung for 50 dollars. She agreed to buy the phone. Then they told her that she would have to sign a new contract for 80 dollars a month. Jan has just experienced

Accepted Answer

Lowballing is a technique where an initially attractive offer is made to get a person to agree to a deal, and then the terms are made less favorable. In this scenario, Jan was initially attracted by the low price of the phone, only to find out later about the additional cost of the contract.

Question 14

You are really frustrated with your boss, but cannot attack her. So you go to the gym and work out for a while. You find that you are less frustrated and no longer want to attack. How can we explain this?

Accepted Answer

Catharsis theory suggests that expressing or getting out our frustrations and aggressive impulses in a socially acceptable way, such as through exercise, can lead to a reduction in those feelings.

Question 15

Liam doesn't like the new iPhone. In order for us to make a situational attribution and assume that it really is something about the phone (and not just Liam's opinion), which of the following has to be true?

Accepted Answer

For a situational attribution (attributing behavior to the situation rather than to the person), it's necessary that the behavior is consistent across time (consistency is high), that others behave similarly in the same situation (consensus is high), and that the behavior is unique to the situation (distinctiveness is high). This combination suggests that it's something about the phone, not just Liam's personal dislike.

Question 16

Let's say that you are a pretty good chess player. According to the theory of social facilitation, if an audience watches you play, you should

Accepted Answer

The theory of social facilitation suggests that performing a task in the presence of others, particularly a task at which one is skilled, tends to improve performance. Thus, if you are a good chess player, having an audience is likely to enhance your performance.

Question 17

Sometimes people will live up to others' stereotypes of their group because of fear and self-consciousness. Why?

Accepted Answer

Stereotype threat refers to the fear of confirming negative stereotypes about one's group, which can lead to anxiety and behavior that inadvertently conforms to those stereotypes.

Question 18

Paulo has always believed that tuition for higher education should be free. However, he has just changed his attitude to be more positive about paying for his education. If you know that he experienced a considerable amount of physiological arousal before changing his attitude, this would support

Accepted Answer

The theory of cognitive dissonance suggests that when individuals experience discomfort due to conflicting beliefs or behaviors, they are motivated to change their attitudes or beliefs to reduce the dissonance. Paulo's physiological arousal indicates discomfort, leading to a change in attitude to resolve the dissonance.

Question 19

As a researcher you approach couples at an amusement park and ask them how much they are in love. Some couples you ask before they get on the roller coaster, and other couples you ask as they get off. You find that people report they are more in love after they get off the roller coaster. How can you explain this?

Accepted Answer

The increase in feelings of love reported by couples after getting off a roller coaster can be explained by the transfer of excitation. This psychological phenomenon suggests that the arousal or excitement from the roller coaster ride can be misattributed to feelings of love or attraction towards their partner.

Question 20

All of your friends want to go out to the new Sushi restaurant for dinner. You would prefer to go to the new steak house. As you listen to their arguments, you decide that, in fact, the Sushi restaurant may be a good choice so you decide to go as well. Your behaviour is an example of

Accepted Answer

Informational social influence occurs when an individual changes their behavior or opinion based on the information or evidence presented by others, especially in situations where the individual is uncertain. In this scenario, you initially preferred a different restaurant but decided to change your preference based on your friends' arguments, indicating you were influenced by the information they provided about the sushi restaurant.

Quiz 13: Behaviour in a Social Context