Question 1

Chandra belongs to a sorority that is full of intelligent, hard-working, and attractive women. Based on her evaluation of herself relative to her sorority sisters, she considers herself to be about average. Chandra is using ____ in her evaluation of herself.

Accepted Answer

Chandra is using social comparison in her evaluation of herself. She is comparing herself to her sorority sisters in order to determine her own level of intelligence, work ethic, and attractiveness. Social comparison involves evaluating oneself by making comparisons to others.

Question 2

While talking to his therapist, Bobby says, "I always feel tense! I'm trying to balance the need to be like others with a corresponding need to feel unique." His therapist says, "It appears as if your therapy is succeeding, as you just correctly defined the ____ theory."

Accepted Answer

Bobby's statement is referring to the social identity theory, which explains how individuals define themselves based on group membership and social comparisons. This theory also highlights the tension that can arise between the desire to fit in with a group and the need to maintain an individual identity.

Question 3

Gillian has been earning $1 million a year, starring in a television show, and is the highest-paid actress on that network. However, several actors on other shows, less highly rated than hers, make $5 million a year. To keep from resenting this situation, she should ____.

Accepted Answer

By changing her reference group, Gillian can shift her focus from comparing herself to those who make more than her to those who make less than her. This can help her appreciate the success she has achieved and feel less resentful towards others who are earning more than her. Complaining (both privately and publicly) and working harder may not necessarily address the root cause of her resentment towards others making more money.

Question 4

Punjit works at a button-sorting factory. He feels bad that he can sort only twenty buttons a minute, when the average worker can sort thirty. To feel better about himself, Punjit compares his performance with Brant, who can sort only ten buttons a minute. This is an example of ____.

Accepted Answer

Punjit is engaging in downward social comparison by comparing himself with someone who is performing worse than him. This can be a way to boost his self-esteem and feel better about his own performance.

Question 5

Caleb is giving a presentation on the benefits of self-esteem as it relates to coping with death. Caleb states that increased self-esteem may ____.

Accepted Answer

Increased self-esteem may act as a buffer against anxiety and negative feelings related to death, by providing a sense of self-worth and resilience to cope with difficult emotions.

Question 6

Tamara is excited when she first meets Aisha, her new roommate. Tamara gets the impression that Aisha is nice, honest, and dedicated to her friends. According to your text, which statement is not true of Tamara's impression of Aisha?

Accepted Answer

Tamara's impression of Aisha is based on schemas, which are cognitive structures that help us organize information. If Aisha had acted negatively, Tamara might have assumed she is unfriendly due to the same cognitive schemas. It is also true that initial impressions can be difficult to change over time. However, the statement that Tamara thinks Aisha acted positively toward her for only one reason is not supported by the information given. The text does not specify Tamara's thoughts on the reasons behind Aisha's behavior, making option D incorrect.

Question 7

Kati is in high school. Kati aspires to become more like her older sisters, who have all graduated college, begun careers, and started families. Kati is engaging in ____.

Accepted Answer

Kati is comparing herself to those who are higher than her in social status or accomplishments, which is known as upward social comparison.

Question 8

Zewde is usually very friendly and outgoing. She is typically polite to others and always leaves a large tip when she goes out to eat. Earlier today, however, you saw her yell at a waiter at a local restaurant. You also noticed that other customers yelled at this waiter. According to Kelly's attribution theory, you are likely to make a(n)____ attribution for Zewde's behavior.

Accepted Answer

According to Kelly's attribution theory, when observing someone's behavior, we tend to make either internal or external attributions. Internal attributions attribute the behavior to the person's personality or disposition, while external attributions attribute the behavior to external factors such as the situation or other people involved. In this scenario, since the waiter was receiving negative feedback from multiple customers, it is more likely that Zewde's behavior was influenced by external factors (i.e. the waiter's poor service or behavior), rather than her personality. Therefore, an external attribution is more appropriate.

Question 9

At a conference, you meet someone who immediately gives you a bad first impression. The process that you went through to quickly interpret information, form an impression, and draw conclusions is known as ____.

Accepted Answer

Social perception refers to the process of interpreting information about another person and forming impressions and conclusions about them. This includes forming first impressions based on initial interactions, as in the scenario described in the question. Attribution, social discrimination, and attitudes are related concepts but do not capture the entirety of the process of forming an impression in a brief encounter.

Question 10

Your roommate Perry is often cranky. One night you overhear Perry yelling at someone on his cell phone. You conclude that Perry is being his irritable self again and feel bad for the person he's talking to. You have made a(n)____ attribution for Perry's behavior.

Accepted Answer

The fact that the behavior is attributed to Perry's internal disposition, being "irritable" or "cranky," indicates an internal attribution.

Question 11

When Rolla met Roaa at a benefit dinner, he thought she was lovely and charming; he liked her. A few days later, when Roaa rudely demanded a refund for her dinner, Rolla most likely ____ his impression of her because ____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When Rolla met Roaa at a benefit...

Question 12

Maya was told that her new roommate, Puja, is a lazy slob who won't clean up after herself. When Puja moves in, Maya begins to clean obsessively. While Puja does indeed try to clean up after herself, Maya never really gives her a chance to do so. Eventually, Puja stops trying and simply lets Maya do all the cleaning. This is an example of ____.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the self-fulfilling prophecy, as Maya's belief about Puja being a lazy slob influenced her behavior to constantly clean, which in turn caused Puja to give up trying to clean and reinforce Maya's belief about her roommate's laziness.

Question 13

A paper titled "The effect of the individual on the group, and vice versa" would most likely have been written by a(n)____ psychologist.

Accepted Answer

The title suggests a focus on the interaction between individuals and groups, which falls under the domain of social psychology. Cognitive psychologists study mental processes such as perception and memory, experimental psychologists conduct research to test hypotheses, and clinical psychologists focus on diagnosing and treating mental illness.

Question 14

Terror management theory predicts that when people are sensitized to the threat of death, they are least likely to ____.

Accepted Answer

According to terror management theory, when people are sensitized to the threat of death, they are least likely to accept the thought of their own mortality. This is because thoughts of mortality can be distressing and individuals may engage in psychological defenses to avoid thinking about their own death.

Question 15

Which statement about cross-cultural differences in attribution is true?

Accepted Answer

Cross-cultural differences in attribution can often lead to misunderstandings between individuals from different cultures. For example, one culture may tend to make internal attributions for behavior (e.g. assuming someone is lazy), while another culture may make external attributions (e.g. assuming someone is overworked). Understanding these differences can help individuals from different cultures communicate more effectively and avoid misunderstandings. Therefore, option D is the correct answer. The other options are not true.

Question 16

In presidential election campaigns, many television ads focus on the "negatives" of an opponent. Campaign managers are obviously aware that when people are forming impressions, they tend to ____.

Accepted Answer

The question states that television ads focus on the "negatives" of an opponent because campaign managers are aware that when people are forming impressions, they tend to view negative information as more important than positive information. Therefore, the best answer is C.

Question 17

When Cassie fails her physics exam, she feels like a failure in every aspect of her life-as a daughter, a student, and a friend. This belief of herself reflects Cassie's ____.

Accepted Answer

Cassie's belief of herself indicates her self-concept, which refers to the set of beliefs and attitudes that a person holds about themselves.

Question 18

Ivan, a teacher, spends most of his time working with male students because he believes that they have the best chance of being admitted into the advanced program. As a result, the male students do perform better and are admitted more often than females. This example illustrates ____.

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates a self-fulfilling prophecy, where Ivan's belief that male students have the best chance of being admitted into the advanced program leads him to work more with them, which in turn leads to their better performance and higher likelihood of admission.

Question 19

Maggie was raised in an Irish-Catholic home; she is very proud of her heritage and pleased when she hears that other Irish-Catholics are successful. Being Irish-Catholic is part of Maggie's ____ identity.

Accepted Answer

Group identity refers to the sense of identity based on group membership, such as nationality, ethnicity, or religion. Maggie's pride in her Irish-Catholic heritage and her identification with other successful Irish-Catholics suggests that this is a component of her group identity. Personal identity, on the other hand, refers to an individual's unique characteristics and experiences, while schematic identity refers to one's self-concept based on cultural stereotypes and social roles. Unified identity refers to a cohesive and integrated sense of identity across various domains of life.

Question 20

Ben has been set up on a blind date. He knows his date works as a counselor, so when they meet, he pays special attention to how she talks to him, her body language, and her tone of voice. He is concerned she will interact with him as if he is a patient. Ben's reaction demonstrates the power that ____ have on our perception of others.

Accepted Answer

Schemas are cognitive frameworks or mental models that influence our perception and interpretation of information. Ben's concern about being perceived as a patient is an example of how schemas can affect our perception of others. Ben may have a schema of what a counselor does and therefore, be interpreting his date's behavior through that lens.

Quiz 16: Social Psychology