Question 1

Kramer tells Elaine that he is dominating the mat at his karate dojo. He feels great about being much better than all of his sparring mates. When Elaine goes to watch him, she realizes that he is the only adult. The other karate students are children! Kramer is demonstrating

Accepted Answer

Kramer is engaging in downward social comparison by comparing himself to children, which makes him feel superior and boosts his self-esteem.

Question 2

Dr. Sven Gali researches the role of self-esteem in peoples' lives. Dr. Gali is interested in how self-esteem relates to the terror management theory, which is based on the notion that humans are the only creatures capable of

Accepted Answer

Terror management theory suggests that humans are unique in their awareness of their own mortality, which influences their behaviors and self-esteem.

Question 3

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, which involves evaluating oneself in relation to others, to assess her own abilities and attributes compared to her sorority sisters.

Question 4

When Cassie failed her physics exam, she felt 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 that failing an exam makes her a failure in all aspects of her life reflects her self-esteem, as it shows how she evaluates her own worth and abilities.

Question 5

The mental processes associated with how people perceive and react to other individuals and groups are known as social

Accepted Answer

Social cognition refers to the mental processes involved in perceiving, interpreting, and reacting to social information, including understanding and interacting with other individuals and groups.

Question 6

Uncle Scrooge has been reflecting recently on how worthy he feels as a member of society and as a member of his family. In doing so, Uncle Scrooge is thinking about his

Accepted Answer

Uncle Scrooge is considering his own value and worthiness, which relates to self-esteem, a personal evaluation of one's own worth.

Question 7

Gloria is a psychologist who studies the influence of other people on an individual's behaviors and mental processes. Gloria is most likely a __________ psychologist.

Accepted Answer

Gloria is most likely a social psychologist because social psychology focuses on how individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the presence of others.

Question 8

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 to someone who performs worse than he does, in order to feel better about himself. This is a common cognitive tendency and can be effective in boosting self-esteem.

Question 9

On her first day of kindergarten, Ramona watches some third-graders practice arithmetic at recess. She thinks they are much smarter than she is and that she will never be able to pass third grade. Ramona's thinking demonstrates

Accepted Answer

Ramona's thinking demonstrates upward social comparison because she is comparing herself to others who she perceives as better or more advanced than she is, which is typical when individuals evaluate themselves against those they see as superior.

Question 10

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 can act as a buffer against anxiety and negative feelings, providing individuals with a greater sense of resilience and optimism in coping with difficult situations such as death. Emotional benefits may certainly be present, but cognitive benefits may also be experienced as individuals with higher self-esteem may be better equipped to problem-solve and make adaptive decisions in the face of adversity. While a positive feedback system may be present, it may not necessarily be the primary benefit of increased self-esteem in coping with death. Finally, while compliance may be present in some individuals, it is not necessarily a direct outcome of increased self-esteem.

Question 11

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 is a core topic within the field of social psychology.

Question 12

The process of comparing yourself to people who you perceive to be doing much better than you are is called ________ social comparison.

Accepted Answer

Upward social comparison occurs when individuals compare themselves to others who they believe are in a better position or more successful, often to motivate themselves or to understand their own standing.

Question 13

Steven recently learned that he has a rare form of terminal cancer. According to terror management theory, Steven may cope with his anxiety about death by reviewing his personal accomplishments in an effort to maintain his

Accepted Answer

According to terror management theory, individuals cope with the fear of death by bolstering their self-esteem, which can be achieved by reflecting on personal accomplishments.

Question 14

Jeremy says that he is very smart and athletic. This is his __________. However, he thinks that these traits are useless, so he doesn't value himself. This is his __________.

Accepted Answer

Jeremy's self-concept is his perception of his own traits and abilities, which includes his belief that he is smart and athletic. His self-esteem is his evaluation of his own worth, which is low because he believes that his traits are useless.

Question 15

"I might not be the best, but at least I'm not as bad as those people!" Such a statement might help preserve a person's self-esteem through ________.

Accepted Answer

Downward social comparison involves comparing oneself to others who are worse off, which can help boost self-esteem by making one's own situation seem better in comparison.

Question 16

Kathy Lee has decided to leave Regis, but is afraid the news will leave him highly anxious and depressed. What should Kathy Lee do before telling Regis that she is leaving to lessen the impact of her decision?

Accepted Answer

Complimenting Regis's rugged good looks can boost his self-esteem, potentially making him more resilient to the news of Kathy Lee's departure.

Question 17

The people you compare yourself with are beautiful, popular, brilliant, and successful. Next to them you feel drab, dull, and stupid. In order to feel better about yourself, you might consider changing your

Accepted Answer

Changing your reference group to one that is more similar to you or that you perceive more positively can help improve your self-esteem and how you feel about yourself.

Question 18

When you meet someone for the first time, you both usually form impressions of each other fairly quickly. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

Social cognition refers to the processes by which people come to understand and make sense of others and themselves, including forming impressions quickly.

Question 19

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

Gillian should compare herself to a different reference group to maintain her satisfaction and avoid resentment, as this can help her focus on her own achievements and circumstances rather than comparing herself to others who are not directly comparable.

Question 20

Rodney wonders whether he is an attractive and intelligent individual. Because there are no objective criteria for attractiveness and intelligence, Rodney will have to evaluate himself in relation to others in a process known as

Accepted Answer

Social comparison is the process of evaluating oneself in relation to others, which Rodney is doing to assess his attractiveness and intelligence.

Quiz 14: Social Psychology