Question 1

The processes we use to think about others and ourselves are called social ________.

Accepted Answer

Social cognition refers to the processes we use to think about and understand our own social world, which includes how we perceive and interpret information about others and ourselves.

Question 2

The mental processes we use to form impression of others are called person ________.

Accepted Answer

Person perception refers to the mental processes we use to form judgments and impressions of other people.

Question 3

Explanations that we provide for the causes of behaviors or events are referred to as ________.

Accepted Answer

Attributions are the explanations we generate for the causes behind behaviors or events, encompassing our interpretations of why things happen and why people act in certain ways.

Question 4

Kaitlyn believes that she failed her psychology exam because the teacher made the questions on the test impossible to answer. Kaitlyn has just engaged in ________.

Accepted Answer

Kaitlyn has engaged in an attribution, which is the process of explaining the causes of behavior or events. In this case, she attributes her failure to the teacher's actions, rather than her own abilities or efforts.

Question 5

According to social psychologists, people want to develop logical attributions for behavior because it makes them feel ________.

Accepted Answer

People want to develop logical attributions for behavior because it helps them feel safer and more in control, as understanding the reasons behind actions can reduce uncertainty and increase predictability in their environment.

Question 6

Dr. Mitchell is 15 minutes late to class and when she comes in, she goes right into her lecture without explaining to the students why she was late. The students assume that she is just lazy and did not care about being on time, when in fact she was late because her daughter was ill and she had to arrange childcare at the last minute. The students have made the ________.

Accepted Answer

The students have made the fundamental attribution error, which occurs when people overemphasize personal characteristics and ignore situational factors in judging others' behavior. In this case, the students attributed Dr. Mitchell's lateness to her personal qualities (laziness, lack of care) rather than considering external circumstances (her daughter's illness).

Question 7

Most people perceive Elizabeth as being a poor public speaker because her mistakes in speaking are much more apparent than the dreaded feelings of social phobia that come over her when she speaks. This is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

The saliency bias is at play here because people focus on the most noticeable (salient) aspect of Elizabeth's public speaking, which is her mistakes, rather than the less visible internal feelings of social phobia she experiences.

Question 8

When you find yourself out in a storm without an umbrella, you blame it on the fact that the storm was unexpected. But when you see another person without an umbrella, you think that they are silly for having not looked at the weather forecast before leaving the house. This is an example of which effect?

Accepted Answer

This scenario is an example of the actor-observer bias, where people tend to attribute their own actions to external factors (unexpected storm) but attribute others' actions to internal factors (not checking the weather forecast).

Question 9

Amelia failed a test and said it was because the questions were "tricky." On the next exam, she scored an impressive 98%. Now she said that she studied hard and was a conscientious student. Amelia is demonstrating the ________.

Accepted Answer

Amelia is demonstrating the self-serving bias, where she attributes her failure to external factors ("tricky" questions) and her success to internal factors (her hard work and conscientiousness), thereby maintaining a positive self-image.

Question 10

Which of these is less commonly seen in collectivist as compared to individualist cultures?

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error, which is the tendency to attribute others' actions to their character or personality while underestimating situational influences, is less common in collectivist cultures. Collectivist cultures tend to be more aware of the situational and contextual factors affecting behavior.

Question 11

Westerners watching a baseball game in Japan who see an umpire make a bad call would tend to assume a(n) ________ cause for the call, whereas the Japanese spectators would tend to make a(n) ________ attribution.

Accepted Answer

Westerners are more likely to attribute actions to individual dispositions (personality traits, attitudes), while Japanese and people from other East Asian cultures are more likely to consider situational factors.

Question 12

Eliza, from China, observes a man push a woman to the side. How would Eliza most likely interpret the man's behavior?

Accepted Answer

Cultural interpretations of behavior can vary significantly. In some cultures, including many parts of China, pushing past someone without an overt display of anger might be more readily interpreted as being in a hurry (such as being late for work) rather than as a sign of rudeness, anger management issues, or a generally bad attitude. This understanding comes from the context of densely populated cities where such actions, though not necessarily condoned, might be more common and thus interpreted differently.

Question 13

Eastern conceptions of self-esteem ________.

Accepted Answer

Eastern conceptions of self-esteem often emphasize fitting in with the group, valuing harmony and collective well-being over individual achievement or standing out.

Question 14

Regarding attitudes toward the economic "meltdown," the belief that the economic troubles resulted from actions of greedy bankers reflects which component of attitude?

Accepted Answer

This belief is an example of the cognitive component of attitude, which involves beliefs or thoughts about an object, person, or situation. In this case, it's the belief about the cause of economic troubles.

Question 15

Regarding attitudes toward the economic meltdown, being fearful of further loss of personal savings during an economic downturn reflects which component of attitude?

Accepted Answer

The affective component of attitude involves a person's feelings or emotions about the attitude object. Being fearful of further loss of personal savings during an economic downturn reflects an emotional response, thus it is part of the affective component.

Question 16

Regarding attitudes toward the economic meltdown, withdrawing savings from local banks in response to a pending economic crisis reflects which component of attitude?

Accepted Answer

Withdrawing savings from local banks in response to a pending economic crisis is a behavioral component of attitude, as it involves an action taken based on one's beliefs or feelings about the economic situation.

Question 17

"Greedy bankers cause economic troubles" is an example of which component of a person's attitude?

Accepted Answer

This statement is an example of the cognitive component of a person's attitude, as it reflects a belief or thought (in this case, about the cause of economic troubles).

Question 18

Cognitive dissonance theory predicts that after Lamar bought a Samsung instead of an iPhone, he would ________.

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that after making a decision, individuals are likely to experience discomfort from any dissonance between their choice and the rejected alternatives. To reduce this discomfort, they tend to justify their decision by focusing on the positive aspects of the chosen option and minimizing the negative aspects. Therefore, after choosing a Samsung over an iPhone, Lamar is likely to focus on the positive features of his Samsung.

Question 19

According to the textbook, people experiencing cognitive dissonance would most likely ________.

Accepted Answer

People experiencing cognitive dissonance are likely to change their attitude to reduce the discomfort caused by the inconsistency between their behavior and attitude.

Question 20

The word prejudice literally means ________.

Accepted Answer

The word "prejudice" comes from the Latin "praejudicium," which means "prejudgment." It refers to forming an opinion or assumption about someone or something before having adequate knowledge to do so fairly.

Quiz 15: Social Psychology