Question 1

Which of the following best illustrates Lewin's interactionist perspective?

Accepted Answer

Lewin's interactionist perspective focuses on the interactions between a person's traits and the situational factors that influence their behavior. In this scenario, Rikki's shyness may be a trait, but her outgoing behavior at work is influenced by the situational factor of her work environment.

Question 2

Jack and his girlfriend Diane dine out about three times a week. Jack believes that they hardly ever dine out, whereas Diane thinks they dine out all the time. This illustrates what important theme in social psychology?

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates the important theme of different people having different perceptions and interpretations of the same situation, which is a common theme in social psychology. This is known as the subjective nature of social reality and can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts in social interactions.

Question 3

Thibaut and Kelley share Heider's interest in

Accepted Answer

Thibaut and Kelley's work focused on the perceptions people have in relationships, particularly the ways in which people's perceptions of each other influence their behavior.

Question 4

Phoebe is a graduate student in social psychology who will only agree to conducting research that will help address an ongoing social problem. Phoebe's desire is most consistent with the philosophies of which of the following pairs of individuals?

Accepted Answer

Kurt Lewin is known for his work on action research, which emphasizes solving social problems, and Floyd Allport is recognized for his contributions to social psychology that focus on real-world applications.

Question 5

Mona would like to understand the interactionist perspective. She has enough time to skim two textbooks. She should probably read one textbook in social psychology and one in

Accepted Answer

The answer of Mona would like to understand the interactionist...

Question 6

According to the interactionist perspective, behavior is a result of the interaction between

Accepted Answer

The interactionist perspective emphasizes the importance of both personality and situational factors in determining behavior. It suggests that behavior is the result of the interaction between individual characteristics (such as personality traits, beliefs, and values) and situational factors (such as the context, social norms, and environmental cues). Thus, although motivation and cognition, introverts and extraverts, and theoretical and practical concerns may impact behavior, they do not fully capture the complexity of the interactionist perspective.

Question 7

Which of the following is not one of the fundamental principles of social psychology established by Lewin?

Accepted Answer

Kurt Lewin's fundamental principles include the idea that behavior depends on perception and interpretation, is a function of person-environment interaction, and that social psychology should address practical issues. The concept of behavior as an interaction of cognition and motivation is not one of Lewin's established principles.

Question 8

Lewin's research concerning both how to promote economical and nutritious eating habits, and what kinds of leaders elicit the best work from group members, was important in establishing which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Lewin's research demonstrated that social psychology could be applied to practical problems and have real-world impact, highlighting the practical applications of the field.

Question 9

An emphasis on experiments addressing the interaction of individuals and their social context is particularly clear in the writings of

Accepted Answer

The answer of An emphasis on experiments addressing the interaction...

Question 10

Galen studies stereotypes and prejudice; Dan studies how people make attributions about others' behavior. Galen and Dan probably feel particular gratitude to _____ and _____, respectively, for helping to establish these areas in social psychology.

Accepted Answer

Gordon Allport is known for his work in studying stereotypes and prejudice, which is the topic of Galen's research. Fritz Heider is known for his work on attribution theory, which is the topic of Dan's research. Therefore, Galen and Dan probably feel particular gratitude to Allport and Heider, respectively, for helping to establish these areas in social psychology.

Question 11

Elliot is interested in how people cope with holding two thoughts that are not consistent with each other. He would do best to read the writings of which of the following pairs of social psychologists?

Accepted Answer

Heider and Festinger are both known for their work on cognitive dissonance, which is the discomfort felt when holding two conflicting beliefs or attitudes. They both studied how individuals cope with this discomfort, making their research relevant to Elliot's interest in how people cope with holding inconsistent thoughts. The other options may be relevant to other aspects of social psychology, but are not as directly related to cognitive dissonance.

Question 12

Dimitri would like to read about social psychological research on conformity. He should look at the research of

Accepted Answer

Asch is well-known for his research on conformity, specifically his line judgment study where participants gave incorrect answers to match the group's response. Thibaut and Kelley focused on social exchange theory and interpersonal relationships, while Adorno's research focused more on authoritarianism and prejudice. Heider's work was more heavily focused on attributional processes.

Question 13

By stressing both internal differences among individuals and differences among external situations, the interactionist perspective is an approach combining

Accepted Answer

The answer of By stressing both internal differences among individuals...

Question 14

Research on the social psychological underpinnings of prejudice might be said to have its roots in research by

Accepted Answer

Adorno and Allport were two of the earliest and most influential researchers in the field of social psychology and prejudice. They conducted studies on the roots of prejudice and emphasized the importance of individual differences and group dynamics in shaping attitudes toward outgroups.

Question 15

Suppose that research on how people make attributions about others' behavior was linked to the way in which people compare themselves with others. This would best represent an intersection of the work done by which of the following pairs of social psychologists?

Accepted Answer

Heider is known for his work on attribution theory, which is the study of how people explain the causes of behavior. Festinger is known for his work on social comparison theory, which is the study of how people evaluate themselves by comparing themselves to others. The intersection of these two areas of study would involve how people make attributions about others' behavior in relation to how they compare themselves to others.

Question 16

Because of his research on practical issues, such as the research he conducted in the 1940s concerning promotion of more economical and nutritious eating habits, Kurt Lewin could be considered one of the founders of

Accepted Answer

Kurt Lewin's research focused on practical issues and finding solutions for real-life problems, which aligns with the goals of applied social psychology.

Question 17

Which of the following is true regarding Kurt Lewin?

Accepted Answer

Kurt Lewin was instrumental in generating research on how groups function. He is known for his work on group dynamics, which emphasized the importance of understanding how individuals interact within groups, and how group processes can impact individual behavior. While Lewin's interactionist perspective acknowledged situational pressures as a factor in human behavior, it did not argue that it was the primary factor. Additionally, while Lewin's push for practical research was met with some resistance, he was not the first to test social psychological hypotheses in a scientific manner.

Question 18

Abe subscribes to a psychoanalytic view of human behavior. Abe's view probably differs from that of Kurt Lewin in that Abe is more likely to emphasize the power of

Accepted Answer

The psychoanalytic perspective places a strong emphasis on internal motives and unconscious processes, whereas Kurt Lewin's perspective focused more on situational factors and external influences on behavior. Therefore, Abe's emphasis on internal motives aligns more with the psychoanalytic perspective.

Question 19

Hovland and his colleagues are best known for their research concerning

Accepted Answer

Hovland and his colleagues are best known for their research on attitudes and persuasion, including the Yale persuasion model, which emphasizes the role of the source, message, and audience in persuasive communication.

Question 20

Which of the following is correctly matched with its founder?

Accepted Answer

Attribution theory was founded by Fritz Heider. Social comparison theory was founded by Leon Festinger. Social cognition was founded by Robert Zajonc. Cognitive dissonance theory was founded by Leon Festinger and later researched by Elliot Aronson.

Quiz 1: What Is Social Psychology