Question 1

When the United States experienced terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, many felt that the government should go after Osama bin Laden. Chasing down bin Laden is an example of a superordinate goal.

Accepted Answer

This is because a superordinate goal involves two or more parties coming together to achieve a common goal that cannot be achieved by either party alone. In this case, the goal of capturing Osama bin Laden would require the cooperation and coordination of various government agencies and even international partners.

Question 2

An example of ____ against Native Americans would be the practice of keeping them on reservations instead of letting them live wherever they want.

Accepted Answer

Discrimination is the act of treating someone unequally or unfairly based on their characteristics, in this case, their race or ethnicity. The practice of keeping Native Americans on reservations instead of giving them the freedom to live anywhere they choose is an example of discrimination against them. It limits their opportunities and confers a disadvantage solely based on their identity. Prejudice is having preconceived notions or opinions about a group of people based on stereotypes. Racism is the belief that one race is inherently superior to another. Stereotyping is making generalizations about a group of people based on limited or incomplete information. Although these concepts are related, discrimination best describes the situation presented in the question.

Question 3

What a person believes is the cause of homosexuality has a noticeable impact on the level of anti-gay prejudice that person exhibits.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that individuals who believe that homosexuality is a choice or a result of poor parenting, for example, are more likely to exhibit higher levels of anti-gay prejudice. On the other hand, individuals who believe that sexual orientation is innate and not a choice are more likely to exhibit lower levels of anti-gay prejudice.

Question 4

Merely categorizing people into arbitrary groups like "red team" or "blue team" is sufficient to produce ingroup favoritism.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that even minimal grouping based on arbitrary categories can lead to ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation.

Question 5

Stereotypes are generally quite inaccurate.

Accepted Answer

While stereotypes can be overly simplistic and harmful, research has shown that many stereotypes have a kernel of truth to them, meaning they often contain some accurate observations about groups, albeit exaggerated or misapplied.

Question 6

The human mind appears to be innately programmed to think about people as individuals, rather than to engage in social categorization (by clumping people into social groups).

Accepted Answer

The statement is not entirely accurate. While the human mind does have a tendency to recognize individuals as unique, it also engages in social categorization as a way to simplify and make sense of the world around us. This can lead to stereotyping and prejudice if not done critically and consciously.

Question 7

Which of the following BEST qualifies as an example of prejudice?

Accepted Answer

Prejudice refers to the act of prejudging someone or something based on preconceived notions or stereotypes. In this case, Vera is displaying prejudice by assuming that all old people smell bad and feeling repulsed by the mere presence of an older person.

Question 8

Jayne firmly believes that prejudice is wrong, and works hard to consciously overcome any stereotypes she feels might interfere with her judgments. Jayne has an External Motivation to Respond without Prejudice.

Accepted Answer

Jayne's efforts to consciously overcome stereotypes and her belief that prejudice is wrong indicate an Internal Motivation to Respond without Prejudice, as she is motivated by personal values and beliefs.

Question 9

On average, black Americans have higher self-esteem than white Americans

Accepted Answer

Multiple studies have found that black Americans tend to have higher self-esteem than white Americans. This could potentially be due to factors such as a stronger sense of community and identity within the black community, as well as historical resilience in the face of oppression and discrimination. However, it's important to note that self-esteem can vary greatly among individuals regardless of their race or ethnicity, and should not be used as a broad generalization.

Question 10

The term "salience" can be loosely defined as "that which is flexible or changeable according to the situation."

Accepted Answer

The definition of salience is actually "the quality of being particularly noticeable or important; prominence." It does not refer to flexibility or changeability.

Question 11

Suppose that the CEO of a financial consulting company employs only tall people. Even though this CEO interviews equal numbers of short and tall applicants who are qualified to work at his company, he never hires any of the short ones. According to social psychologists, the CEO's behavior would be best described as an example of ____.

Accepted Answer

Discrimination refers to actions taken against individuals or groups based on their perceived characteristics, such as race or height. In this scenario, the CEO is not hiring qualified individuals solely based on their height, which is discrimination. Stereotyping refers to making assumptions or generalizations about a group based on their perceived characteristics. Prejudice refers to negative attitudes or beliefs about a group. Aversive prejudice refers to having negative attitudes or beliefs about a group, but also trying to avoid them or feel guilt about those attitudes. While the CEO in this scenario may also hold prejudiced beliefs about short people, his behavior primarily falls under discrimination.

Question 12

The term "____" refers to a negative attitude or feeling toward an individual based solely on that individual's membership in a certain group.

Accepted Answer

Prejudice is a negative attitude or feeling toward an individual based solely on that individual's membership in a certain group. Discrimination refers to actions taken against an individual or group based on prejudice, stereotype refers to a generalized belief about a group of people, and racism specifically refers to prejudice and discrimination based on race.

Question 13

Research has demonstrated that endorsement of traditional stereotypes leads to the oppression of women.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that the endorsement of traditional gender stereotypes, such as the belief that women should be submissive and nurturing, contributes to societal discrimination and oppression of women. This can manifest in various forms, including limited opportunities in education and employment, lower wages, and gender-based violence. Breaking down these stereotypes is crucial in achieving gender equality and promoting women's empowerment.

Question 14

People tend to engage in more stereotyping when they are under stress than when they aren't.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that stress can increase the use of stereotypes as a cognitive shortcut to simplify complex information and reduce cognitive load.

Question 15

Which of the following is the best definition of "discrimination"?

Accepted Answer

Discrimination refers to the unequal treatment of people based on the group or category to which they belong. This can include the denial of opportunities, benefits, and privileges to certain groups, as well as the use of negative stereotypes and prejudice to justify these actions. While attitudes and beliefs may play a role in discrimination, the key aspect is the unequal treatment of individuals based on their group membership.

Question 16

Research suggests that one key way in which non-prejudiced people differ from prejudiced people is that non-prejudiced people are not aware of the negative stereotypes of other groups.

Accepted Answer

Non-prejudiced people are often aware of negative stereotypes but choose not to endorse or act upon them, demonstrating an ability to recognize these stereotypes without letting them influence their judgment or behavior.

Question 17

Research suggests that black students tend to perform better on academic exams when they experience stereotype threat than when they don't.

Accepted Answer

Research actually suggests the opposite - that black students tend to perform worse on academic exams when they experience stereotype threat.

Question 18

Stereotyping saves mental energy and can help people process information more quickly.

Accepted Answer

Stereotyping allows people to make assumptions and judgments quickly about a person or group based on their appearance, behavior or other characteristics. This requires less mental effort than processing individual differences and can be a useful strategy in some situations. However, it can also lead to unfair or inaccurate judgments and should be used with caution.

Question 19

Hostile sexism is worse than benevolent sexism for women's cognitive performance.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Hostile sexism is worse than benevolent sexism...

Question 20

Based on the definition of stereotyping given in the textbook, stereotypes can be either positive or negative.

Accepted Answer

The textbook states that stereotypes can be both positive and negative.

Quiz 13: Prejudice and Intergroup Relations