Question 1

When confounding occurs, the experimenter cannot know whether the independent variable or the second confounded variable produced the change observed in the ____________ variable.

Accepted Answer

Confounding occurs when an experimenter cannot determine if the change in the dependent variable is due to the independent variable or another variable that has not been controlled for.

Question 2

A participant will be less likely to be influenced by a group in a visual discrimination task if

Accepted Answer

If one member of the group responds correctly, it provides social support for the participant's own correct perception, reducing the pressure to conform to the incorrect majority.

Question 3

Which of the following topics would least likely be studied by social psychologists?

Accepted Answer

Social psychology focuses on how individuals think, feel, and behave in social contexts. Topics such as aggression, altruistic behavior, and conformity are central to understanding social interactions and influences. Reading disabilities, however, are more likely to be studied within educational psychology or neuropsychology, as they pertain to cognitive processes and learning differences rather than social behavior.

Question 4

Social facilitation refers to the phenomenon that

Accepted Answer

Social facilitation is the concept that an individual's performance can be improved when they are in the presence of others, either because they are being watched or because they are competing with others. This phenomenon suggests that the mere presence of others can enhance performance on simple or well-rehearsed tasks.

Question 5

In Milgram's obedience studies, the confederate learner

Accepted Answer

In Milgram's obedience studies, the confederate learner was never actually shocked. The shocks were simulated to study obedience to authority figures.

Question 6

___________ occurs when a change in the dependent variable is produced by some factor other than the change in the independent variable.

Accepted Answer

Experimental error occurs when a change in the dependent variable is produced by some factor other than the change in the independent variable, indicating a discrepancy that cannot be attributed to the variable being tested.

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a source of experimenter bias?

Accepted Answer

Experimenter bias refers to any action or behavior of the experimenter that can influence the results of the experiment, except for the deliberate falsification of data. Choices A, B, and C can all influence the outcome of an experiment based on the experimenter's actions or behaviors. However, D (individual differences in ability among the participants) is not a source of experimenter bias, as it relates to the characteristics of the participants themselves rather than the actions or influence of the experimenter.

Question 8

The field study by Piliavin, Rodin, and Piliavin (1969) on bystander intervention showed that

Accepted Answer

The study found that people were more likely to help an ill victim than a drunk victim, indicating that the perceived deservingness of help influenced bystander intervention.

Question 9

Experimental control helps to eliminate the problem of

Accepted Answer

The answer of Experimental control helps to eliminate the problem...

Question 10

In Milgram's laboratory studies of obedience, the participants

Accepted Answer

Participants in Milgram's obedience studies were free to leave the experiment at any time; their ability to leave was part of the ethical considerations, even though many participants felt compelled to continue due to the perceived authority of the experimenter.

Question 11

Orne and Evans (1965) showed that behavioral compliance effects believed to occur only under hypnosis

Accepted Answer

Orne and Evans (1965) demonstrated that the effects attributed to hypnosis could often be explained by demand characteristics, meaning participants were responding based on their perceptions of what behaviors were expected of them, rather than being under any special state induced by hypnosis.

Question 12

McDougall's view that social behavior is largely determined by instincts

Accepted Answer

McDougall's view that social behavior is largely determined by instincts has since been largely discredited and abandoned in favor of theories that emphasize the role of environment, learning, and culture in shaping human behavior.

Question 13

The autokinetic phenomenon

Accepted Answer

The autokinetic phenomenon occurs when a stationary light stimulus appears to move by itself after extended viewing, typically in a dark room where there are no surrounding cues to anchor the light's position.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT true of field research?

Accepted Answer

Field research often involves studying behaviors or phenomena in their natural settings, which makes it challenging to control for potential confounding variables. Unlike laboratory research, where conditions can be tightly controlled, field research settings are more complex and unpredictable, making it difficult to isolate and control for all potential confounds.

Question 15

Sherif studied the impact of social norms on perception using the autokinetic phenomenon and found that

Accepted Answer

Sherif's study on the autokinetic phenomenon demonstrated that individuals' perceptions of light movement were significantly influenced by the reports of others, showing how social norms can shape perceptual judgments.

Question 16

_________________ refers to the finding that patients in medical research who are in a control condition and who do not receive actual medication, sometimes show an improvement in the illness.

Accepted Answer

The placebo effect describes the phenomenon where individuals in a control group, who receive a sham treatment or no treatment at all, experience an improvement in their condition, demonstrating the power of belief and expectation in the healing process.

Question 17

Upon testing variations of his original obedience study, Milgram found that

Accepted Answer

Milgram found that obedience decreased when the participant was physically closer to the learner, as the participant could see and hear the learner's distress more directly.

Question 18

_____________ guarantees that even though a variable cannot be controlled, its influence will not affect the outcome of the experiment by being confounded with the independent variable.

Accepted Answer

The answer of _____________ guarantees that even though a variable...

Question 19

One technique in psychological experiments is to keep the experimenter from knowing the research hypothesis or the experimental condition of the participants currently being tested. This technique helps to prevent the problem of

Accepted Answer

Experimenter bias occurs when the experimenter's expectations influence the outcome of the study. By keeping the experimenter blind to the research hypothesis or the experimental condition of the participants, this bias can be minimized, ensuring more objective results.

Question 20

Which of the following is most likely to be used as a dependent variable in a social psychology experiment?

Accepted Answer

Preference is a subjective measure that can be influenced by a variety of social factors, making it a suitable dependent variable in social psychology experiments.

Quiz 13: Social Psychology