Question 1

Vince is driving home in heavy traffic after a stressful day at work. A car comes up quickly behind him and the driver is yelling and gesturing for Vince to get out of his way. Angry, Vince hits the brakes and causes the other driver to swerve. Then Vince honks and makes a few obscene gestures at the driver. According to __________, Vince becomes aggressive because he is stressed and experiencing unpleasant emotions and has received negative cues from his environment.

Accepted Answer

The frustration-aggression hypothesis suggests that aggression is the result of frustration or other negative experiences, which can include stress and unpleasant emotions. In this scenario, Vince's stress and anger from his day at work likely contributed to his aggressive behavior towards the other driver who was also signaling negative cues towards him to move out of the way.

Question 2

All of the following have been identified as reasons why helping behaviors develop except for

Accepted Answer

Excitation transfer is not typically identified as a reason for helping behaviors; it refers to the process where arousal from one event can amplify the emotional response to another event.

Question 3

The school bully, Derrill, continues to harass the shorter children during class, but he does this only when the teacher is not looking in his direction. Derrill selectively exhibits aggression in this manner because the teacher

Accepted Answer

Derrill harasses other children only when the teacher is not looking, indicating that he is aware of the potential consequences and is trying to avoid punishment.

Question 4

Sima heads back to the locker room after running two miles on the track. Still winded from running, she walks into the shower room when another woman bumps into Sima, causing her to slip and fall on the wet floor. The __________ theory predicts that Sima's physical exertion, combined with the situation, will lead to an angry confrontation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Sima heads back to the locker room...

Question 5

Kumar is walking down the street when a stranger accidentally bumps into him as he passes. Kumar is least likely to respond aggressively if he

Accepted Answer

Individuals who live in collectivist cultures tend to prioritize relationship harmony and are less likely to respond aggressively to minor social infractions like accidental bumps.

Question 6

Vipool has just finished a hard workout at the gym when a stranger bumps into him. To his surprise, he immediately shoves the stranger. Vipool's behavior can best be explained as

Accepted Answer

Excitation transfer occurs when arousal from one source is transferred to another, unrelated source. In this case, Vipool's arousal from his workout was transferred to the stranger, leading him to shove the stranger.

Question 7

Which researcher suggested alterations to the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

Leonard Berkowitz suggested alterations to the original frustration-aggression hypothesis by proposing that aggression is not an automatic response to frustration but is influenced by environmental cues.

Question 8

On your way to class you see a homeless man asking for spare change. You reach into your pocket and give him a few quarters because you feel that if you don't give him your change you will probably experience guilt for the rest of the day. You are acting according to the __________ theory of altruism.

Accepted Answer

The arousal: cost-reward theory of altruism suggests that people help others to reduce their own feelings of discomfort or guilt, which aligns with the scenario described.

Question 9

You have been working all day on a computer assignment and are having trouble working through the errors. The phone rings, and it is one of your friends wanting to know if she can borrow one of your shirts. You surprise your friend by telling her to go out and buy a shirt like yours if she likes it so much. Normally you would let her borrow anything. Which of the following would explain your reaction?

Accepted Answer

The frustration-aggression hypothesis suggests that frustration can lead to aggressive behavior. In this scenario, the frustration from the computer assignment may have caused an aggressive response to the friend's request.

Question 10

Ernest is a cognitive behaviorist who believes that aggressive behavior is primarily learned. He would not agree, then, that

Accepted Answer

Cognitive behaviorists believe that aggressive behavior is learned through environmental influences, not instinctual responses.

Question 11

Darlene is always helping people, even when it involves a potential cost or risk to herself. She has no expectation that she will be rewarded for her actions. Darlene might be described as highly

Accepted Answer

Darlene's behavior of helping others without expecting any reward or benefit for herself is characteristic of altruism.

Question 12

By itself, generalized arousal does not lead to aggression. More appropriately, generalized arousal seems to produce aggression when

Accepted Answer

Generalized arousal can lead to aggression when the situation provides a reason or opportunity for aggression, as it acts as a catalyst in the presence of situational cues.

Question 13

Jamal has been playing basketball. Immediately after the game his coach makes some critical comments to Jamal about his playing. Jamal, still aroused from the game, becomes offended more easily than usual. This phenomenon is called

Accepted Answer

Excitation transfer refers to the process where arousal from one situation can carry over and intensify emotional reactions to another situation. In Jamal's case, his heightened state of arousal from playing basketball made him more susceptible to feeling offended by his coach's critical comments.

Question 14

Paula is interested in the effect of temperature on aggression. She has found that in North America, riots are more likely to occur in July and August-the two hottest months of the year. Paula's interest falls into the category of

Accepted Answer

Environmental psychology studies the interaction between individuals and their surroundings, including how environmental factors like temperature can influence behavior such as aggression.

Question 15

B.D. Check, a legislator, is being pressured to pass a bill to help curb the violence and aggressive behavior taking place in society. According to what you know about social psychology, this bill should include

Accepted Answer

Overcrowding is a factor that can contribute to increased aggression and violence in society. A monetary penalty for overcrowded apartment buildings could incentivize landlords to reduce overcrowding, potentially leading to a decrease in aggressive behavior.

Question 16

When Patricia was six months pregnant with her first child, Darin, her doctor gave her testosterone to prevent a miscarriage. Patricia's second child, Chaz, was given shots of testosterone when he was six years old. Assuming all other things are equal, how aggressive will these two boys be when they are teenagers?

Accepted Answer

Testosterone is linked to aggression and the earlier exposure in Darin's case (in utero) is likely to have a greater impact on his behavior compared to Chaz's exposure at age six.

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of altruistic behavior?

Accepted Answer

Altruistic behavior involves selflessly helping others without expecting any personal gain or reward. Anonymously reporting your company's wrongdoing to protect the environment, despite receiving no benefit, is an example of altruism.

Question 18

According to environmental psychologists, your chances of being a victim of a violent crime are highest in the

Accepted Answer

Environmental psychologists suggest that violent crime rates tend to increase in the summer due to factors like higher temperatures, increased outdoor activity, and social interactions.

Question 19

The fact that there are large differences in aggression from culture to culture best supports the __________ theory of aggression.

Accepted Answer

The observational learning theory, also known as social learning theory, posits that aggression is learned through observing and imitating the behavior of others, which aligns with the idea that aggression varies significantly across different cultures due to differences in social norms and behaviors that are modeled and taught.

Question 20

Which of the following best exemplifies the arousal: cost-reward theory?

Accepted Answer

The arousal: cost-reward theory suggests that people are motivated to help others in order to reduce their own distress. Tom feels better when he helps someone, which aligns with this theory as his helping behavior reduces his own arousal or discomfort.

Quiz 14: Social Psychology