Question 1

Compared to people with low self-esteem, people with high self-esteem most likely ____.
A)think they are smarter, and score slightly higher on IQ tests
B)think they are smarter, but don't score higher on IQ tests
C)do not necessarily think they are smarter, but do score higher on IQ tests
D)do not necessarily think they are smarter, and don't score higher on IQ tests

Accepted Answer

Self-esteem is more about one's perception of themselves rather than their actual abilities. People with high self-esteem may perceive themselves as smarter, but this perception does not necessarily correlate with higher scores on IQ tests.

Question 2

Since self-handicapping allows people to easily engage in ____, it helps them to maintain and enhance positive self-concepts.
A)the self-serving bias
B)automatic egotism
C)the self-reference effect
D)introspection

Accepted Answer

Self-handicapping is a cognitive strategy by which people avoid effort in the hopes of keeping potential failure from hurting self-esteem. It is closely related to the self-serving bias, where individuals attribute positive outcomes to their own character but attribute negative outcomes to external factors, helping them maintain a positive self-concept.

Question 3

The _____ that characterize the thought processes of nondepressed people are: overestimating their positive qualities, seeing themselves as having more control over external events than they really have, and having an unrealistically optimistic outlook on life.
A)delusions of grandeur
B)positive illusions
C) narcissistic triad
D) self-deception triad  strategies

Accepted Answer

The correct term is "positive illusions," which refers to mildly distorted views of oneself that are generally beneficial to mental health, such as overestimating one's positive qualities, perceiving more control over events than one actually has, and maintaining an unrealistically optimistic outlook. These are not considered pathological like delusions of grandeur or inherently linked to narcissism, but rather normal and even healthy distortions that can help individuals maintain motivation and mental well-being.

Question 4

Which of the following groups of people in the United States appear to have the highest self-esteem?
A)European Americans
B)Women
C)African Americans
D)Adolescents

Accepted Answer

Research has consistently shown that African Americans tend to report higher self-esteem compared to other racial groups in the United States, including European Americans. This finding is robust across various age groups and socioeconomic statuses.

Question 5

Compared to people with high self-esteem, people with low self-esteem ____. ​
A)are more prone to mood swings
B)set lower goals for themselves
C)have very clear-cut, well-defined self-concepts
D)often purposely fail at things

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compared to people with high self-esteem, people...

Question 6

You are a terrible athlete but you are great at negotiating. According to the self-serving bias, which of the following statements is most likely true of your beliefs?
A)Not everybody is a terrible athlete.
B)Negotiation is a rare skill, and thus immensely valuable.
C)Most people are even better athletes than they think they are.
D)Nearly everybody can negotiate as well as you can.

Accepted Answer

The self-serving bias is a common cognitive bias that leads individuals to attribute their successes to internal or personal factors while attributing failures to external or situational factors. In this scenario, emphasizing the rarity and value of your negotiation skills (a success) aligns with the self-serving bias, as it allows you to view this ability in a positive, self-affirming light.

Question 7

Faith grew up in Miami, had a pet as a child, is an excellent pinball player, and sometimes drinks too much at parties. In order to keep her positive illusions intact, which of the following statements is she most likely to believe?
A)Growing up in Miami harms one's career prospects.
B)Having a pet is tiresome and a great responsibility.
C)Being an excellent pinball player is not a matter of pride.
D)Drinking too much at parties is common and acceptable behavior.

Accepted Answer

Positive illusions are cognitive biases that help individuals maintain a positive self-image. Since Faith sometimes drinks too much at parties, she is most likely to maintain her positive self-image by believing that this behavior is common and acceptable (D), rather than focusing on negative aspects that could harm her self-perception.

Question 8

Since the 1970s, it appears that average self-esteem scores in the United States have been ____.
A)rising
B)decreasing
C)increasing for men but rapidly decreasing for women
D)rapidly decreasing among adolescents and teens

Accepted Answer

Since the 1970s, studies and surveys have generally shown that average self-esteem scores in the United States have been rising.

Question 9

The difference in self-esteem between males and females in the United States is largest among ____.
A)young children
B)adolescents
C)middle-aged adults
D)the elderly

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that the difference in self-esteem between males and females is most pronounced during adolescence. This is due to a variety of factors, including body image issues, societal expectations, and the onset of puberty, which can affect girls and boys differently.

Question 10

Marisol is pretty equal in terms of taking the blame for failures and crediting herself for successes. She is also fairly accurate when it comes to judging how much control she has over events in her life. Additionally, she has a fairly accurate idea of how much various people like her. Marisol also has low self-esteem and fails to interpret events in a positive manner. In the context of reality and illusion, Marisol may have _____.
A)a high public self-consciousness
B)self-handicapping tendencies
C)clinical depression
D)self-actualization needs

Accepted Answer

Marisol's characteristics, such as low self-esteem and a tendency not to interpret events positively, align with symptoms of clinical depression. These include a negative view of oneself and one's circumstances, which is not necessarily related to the level of public self-consciousness, self-handicapping tendencies, or self-actualization needs.

Question 11

Given the research on positive illusions, which of the following is probably FALSE?
A)Most truckers think that they are better drivers than they really are.
B)Most criminals overestimate the likelihood that they will actually get away with their crimes.
C)Most teenagers think they are more physically attractive than they really are.
D)Most depressed patients who are undergoing treatment think that they will never recover.

Accepted Answer

Positive illusions are overly favorable attitudes that people have towards themselves, which include unrealistic optimism. Depressed individuals typically have negative views about themselves and their future, contradicting the concept of positive illusions, making option D likely false in the context of positive illusions research.

Question 12

Research suggests that most normal or nondepressed people today ____.
A)are increasingly more pessimistic
B)think that they are about as competent as they really are
C)are pessimistic and think that they are not as competent as they should be
D)are unrealistically optimistic and think that they are more competent than they really are

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that most nondepressed individuals tend to have an optimism bias, meaning they often believe they are more competent and capable than evidence might suggest. This can be seen as a psychological mechanism that helps maintain mental well-being.

Question 13

Most of the time, people tend to ____ when they are successful (e.g., when they win a tennis match)and ____ when they are unsuccessful (e.g., when they lose a tennis match).
A)take credit; blame someone or something else
B)take credit; say nothing (have no explanation)
C)credit someone else; blame themselves
D)credit someone else; say nothing (have no explanation)

Accepted Answer

This behavior is known as the self-serving bias, where individuals attribute their successes to internal or personal factors while attributing failures to external or situational factors.

Question 14

People who are clinically depressed tend to ____.
A)blame themselves for their failures almost 100% of the time
B)assume that they have much less control over their lives than they really do
C)have an accurate view of who likes them and who doesn't
D)have a completely distorted view of how their skills and abilities are perceived by others

Accepted Answer

The answer of People who are clinically depressed tend to...

Question 15

The tendency to be skeptical and critical of bad feedback about your performance, but accepting of good feedback is a ____.
A)self-presentation strategy
B)self-deception strategy
C)self-regulation strategy
D)social comparison process

Accepted Answer

This tendency is a self-deception strategy, where individuals deceive themselves into believing more positive feedback and dismissing negative feedback to maintain or enhance their self-esteem.

Question 16

The tendency for people to take credit for their successes but blame failures on other people or on outside circumstances is known as ____.
A)the fundamental attribution error
B)introspection
C)self-handicapping
D)the self-serving bias

Accepted Answer

The self-serving bias describes the common human tendency to attribute one's successes to personal characteristics and failures to external factors, which helps maintain self-esteem.

Question 17

Mental tricks that people use to help themselves believe things that are false are called ____.
A)impression management skills
B)self-presentation strategies
C)narcissistic strategies
D)self-deception strategies

Accepted Answer

Self-deception strategies are mental tricks or mechanisms that individuals use to convince themselves of the truth of certain beliefs or ideas, even when these beliefs are false. These strategies help individuals maintain their self-esteem or avoid uncomfortable truths.

Question 18

Research on self-esteem in the United States indicates that ____.
A)self-esteem is unrealistically high
B)African Americans have significantly lower self-esteem than European Americans
C)adolescent girls have lower self-esteem levels than adolescent boys
D)women have higher self-esteem scores than men

Accepted Answer

Research in the United States suggests that self-esteem levels are generally high, and some studies indicate they may be unrealistically so.

Question 19

North American adolescent boys have higher self-esteem than adolescent girls. Research suggests that this disparity is probably MOSTLY due to the fact that ____.
A)girls tend to be more modest when filling out surveys
B)self-esteem surveys are heavily gender-biased
C)girls regard themselves as less intelligent than boys
D)girls tend to be more critical of their bodies than boys

Accepted Answer

Girls tend to be more critical of their bodies than boys, which is a significant factor contributing to the disparity in self-esteem levels between adolescent boys and girls in North America. This critical self-view regarding body image among girls can negatively impact their overall self-esteem.

Question 20

Most people choose to compare themselves to people who are ____ than themselves because it makes them feel good.
A)much better
B)much worse
C)slightly better
D)slightly worse

Accepted Answer

The answer of Most people choose to compare themselves to...

Quiz 3: The-Self

Compared to people with low self-esteem, people with high self-esteem most likely ____.

Since self-handicapping allows people to easily engage in ____, it helps them to maintain and enhance positive self-concepts.

The _____ that characterize the thought processes of nondepressed people are: overestimating their positive qualities, seeing themselves as having more control over external events than they really have, and having an unrealistically optimistic outlook on life.

Which of the following groups of people in the United States appear to have the highest self-esteem?

Compared to people with high self-esteem, people with low self-esteem ____.

You are a terrible athlete but you are great at negotiating. According to the self-serving bias, which of the following statements is most likely true of your beliefs?

Faith grew up in Miami, had a pet as a child, is an excellent pinball player, and sometimes drinks too much at parties. In order to keep her positive illusions intact, which of the following statements is she most likely to believe?

Since the 1970s, it appears that average self-esteem scores in the United States have been ____.

The difference in self-esteem between males and females in the United States is largest among ____.

Given the research on positive illusions, which of the following is probably FALSE?

Research suggests that most normal or nondepressed people today ____.

Most of the time, people tend to when they are successful (e.g., when they win a tennis match) and when they are unsuccessful (e.g., when they lose a tennis match) .

People who are clinically depressed tend to ____.

The tendency to be skeptical and critical of bad feedback about your performance, but accepting of good feedback is a ____.

The tendency for people to take credit for their successes but blame failures on other people or on outside circumstances is known as ____.

Mental tricks that people use to help themselves believe things that are false are called ____.

Research on self-esteem in the United States indicates that ____.

North American adolescent boys have higher self-esteem than adolescent girls. Research suggests that this disparity is probably MOSTLY due to the fact that ____.

Most people choose to compare themselves to people who are ____ than themselves because it makes them feel good.