Question 1

The "anger superiority effect" in social perception refers to the finding that

Accepted Answer

The "anger superiority effect" in social perception refers to the finding that people are quicker to spot an angry face in a crowd than a neutral or happy face. This has been demonstrated in numerous studies and is thought to be a result of the evolutionary importance of quickly detecting potential threats in the environment.

Question 2

A target's "gaze disengagement" tends to lead perceivers to

Accepted Answer

The answer of A target's "gaze disengagement" tends to lead...

Question 3

Colin and Erin are waiting to meet with their caterer so that they can discuss the menu for their wedding.The caterer is 30 minutes late and still hasn't arrived.Colin suggests that the caterer is probably delayed because of traffic.Erin suggests that the caterer is probably disorganized and unreliable.Colin is making a(n)_____attribution, whereas Erin is making a(n)_____ attribution.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Colin and Erin are waiting to meet...

Question 4

Cross-cultural differences in the perception of nonverbal behavior are least prevalent in which of the following types of judgments?

Accepted Answer

Evaluations of emotions and facial features are the least impacted by cross-cultural differences in the perception of nonverbal behavior as they tend to be universally recognized and expressed in the same way across cultures.

Question 5

Jorge watches his friend Nina interacting with others and makes a situational attribution for her behavior.Jorge believes that

Accepted Answer

Situational attribution involves explaining someone's behavior as a result of the situation they are in, rather than their individual personality traits or characteristics. Jorge sees Nina's behavior as being influenced by the circumstances of the encounter, rather than something inherent to her personality.

Question 6

What do psychologists mean when they describe a judgment of another person as based on "thin slices?"

Accepted Answer

When psychologists describe a judgment of another person as based on "thin slices," it means that the judgment was based on a very limited behavior sample, such as observing a brief interaction or seeing a snapshot of the person. This can lead to inaccurate or incomplete judgments about the person.

Question 7

Jerry makes frequent eye contact with the person to whom he is talking.This is most likely to elicit

Accepted Answer

Frequent eye contact is generally perceived positively in friendly interactions, as it can convey interest and engagement. However, in adversarial situations, it might be perceived as confrontational or aggressive.

Question 8

What is the adaptive significance of being able to identify the emotion of disgust in others?

Accepted Answer

Being able to identify disgust in others helps us to avoid potential sources of food poisoning, as disgust is often elicited by things that may be harmful to consume. This increases our chances of survival and reproductive success.

Question 9

Which part of the brain is activated when we sniff a disgusting odor as well as when we watch others sniffing the disgusting odor?

Accepted Answer

The insula is involved in processing emotions and is activated both when experiencing disgust and when observing others experiencing disgust.

Question 10

One of the reasons that we are not very successful at detecting deception is because

Accepted Answer

The answer of One of the reasons that we are...

Question 11

Deception is most likely to be detected by attending to which channel of communication?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Deception is most likely to be detected...

Question 12

A group of theories that describe how people explain the causes of behavior is known as

Accepted Answer

Attribution theory refers to a group of theories that describe how people explain the causes of behavior. The other options are specific theories within attribution theory.

Question 13

The importance of nonverbal behavior when it comes to social perception can be seen by the fact that e-mail messages

Accepted Answer

Nonverbal behavior, such as tone of voice and facial expressions, can greatly affect how a message is perceived. In e-mail messages, these nonverbal cues are absent, increasing the likelihood of misinterpretation, especially when humor or sarcasm is involved.

Question 14

Which of the following is supported by research on deception?

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that focusing on body movements can be more effective in detecting deception than focusing on facial expressions, as people often control their facial expressions more consciously.

Question 15

Which of the following research findings is most consistent with Darwin's hypothesis that the ability to interpret emotion from facial expressions has survival value?

Accepted Answer

Darwin's hypothesis is that the ability to interpret emotions from facial expressions has survival value because it helps individuals identify potential threats or danger. The finding that people are quicker to recognize angry faces than happy faces supports this hypothesis, as it suggests that people have evolved to quickly detect and respond to potential threats.

Question 16

Bella is a teacher who suspects that a student is trying to deceive her.Under which of the following conditions does Bella have the best chance of being accurate in her attempts to detect whether or not the student is lying?

Accepted Answer

Asking someone to recount their story in reverse chronological order increases cognitive load, making it more difficult for liars to maintain consistency in their fabricated stories, thereby improving the chances of detecting deception.

Question 17

Which of the following has been demonstrated by Henley's (1977)research on touching?

Accepted Answer

Henley's research in 1977 found that men tend to initiate more touching than women, often due to social norms and power dynamics.

Question 18

The purpose of an emoticon is to

Accepted Answer

The purpose of an emoticon is to provide nonverbal cues in written media forms, such as e-mails, text messages, and online chat conversations. Emoticons are used to convey facial expressions and emotions that would normally be expressed through body language and tone of voice in face-to-face communication.

Question 19

Research conducted by Hall and colleagues suggests that we tend to believe that dominant people touch others more than do subordinate people, and behavioral data indicate that

Accepted Answer

The question cites research conducted by Hall and colleagues, which suggests that the commonly held belief that dominant people touch others more than subordinates is not accurate. Therefore, choice C is the most appropriate answer.

Question 20

Charice's boyfriend is late for their date.Charice believes this is because he is thoughtless and self-centered.Charice is making a(n)

Accepted Answer

Charice is attributing the cause of her boyfriend being late to a personal characteristic (thoughtlessness and self-centeredness) rather than a situational factor. This is a personal attribution.

Quiz 4: Perceiving Persons