Question 1

Which factor increased the likelihood that an individual would obey the experimenter in Milgram's obedience studies?

Accepted Answer

Milgram's obedience studies found that individuals with authoritarian personalities were more likely to obey the experimenter, even when it involved administering increasingly harmful electric shocks to another person. Those with internal loci of control and disobedient assistants were found to be less likely to obey. Conducting the experiment outside of Yale University was not found to have a significant impact on obedience levels.

Question 2

According to research on factors affecting obedience,which scenario would be most likely to induce obedience?

Accepted Answer

Research on obedience has shown that the presence of authority figures (such as experimenters in lab coats) and the absence of other non-conforming subjects can increase obedience. Therefore, a study done at the Beckman Institute with experimenters in white lab coats and no other subjects present would be most likely to induce obedience. The other scenarios do not have the same combination of factors that have been shown to increase obedience.

Question 3

According to the evolutionary approach,aggression ____.

Accepted Answer

The evolutionary approach suggests that aggression evolved as a behavior that helped individuals compete for resources, including mates, which increased their chances of survival and reproduction.

Question 4

In Milgram's original experiment on obedience,most subjects stopped administering shocks ____.

Accepted Answer

In Milgram's original experiment on obedience, most subjects continued with the procedure until the highest level of shocks had been delivered, showing a high level of obedience to authority figures even in the face of causing potential harm to others.

Question 5

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 generalized arousal theory suggests that physiological arousal from one situation can carry over to another, potentially leading to heightened emotional responses such as anger.

Question 6

When Kami's son Terence became increasingly violent during his teen years,Kami blamed it on hormones.Kami would most likely agree with a(n)____ theory of aggression.

Accepted Answer

A biological theory of aggression focuses on physiological factors such as hormones, genetics, and brain chemistry. Kami's belief that her son's aggression is due to hormonal changes during puberty aligns with this theory. Ethological theory would focus on innate patterns of behavior, Freudian theory would focus on unconscious psychological factors, and releaser theory would focus on external stimuli triggering aggression. None of these fit Kami's explanation as closely as a biological theory.

Question 7

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 8

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 frustration and negative cues from the environment can lead to aggressive behavior, which is consistent with Vince's behavior in this scenario.

Question 9

Silas has just taken an ax and killed several people.Silas's doctors suspect that his violent behavior could be due to ____.

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is responsible for processing emotions, including fear and aggression. A problem with the amygdala could contribute to Silas's violent behavior.

Question 10

What is the most serious ethical objection to Milgram's studies on obedience?

Accepted Answer

The most serious ethical objection to Milgram's studies on obedience is that experimental procedures should not cause emotional harm to subjects. Milgram's participants were subjected to high levels of stress and anxiety during the study, and some experienced long-term effects such as feelings of guilt and self-doubt. While Milgram's study did contribute valuable insights into human behavior, the ethics of conducting research that may cause harm to participants must always be carefully evaluated.

Question 11

According to Milgram's obedience to authority studies,which individual is least likely to obey?

Accepted Answer

Milgram found that participants were less likely to obey when they saw someone else refuse to continue with the experiment. Therefore, Bradley, who participates with someone who refuses to continue, is least likely to obey.

Question 12

A person from your sorority calls and asks you to bake cookies for a bake sale to raise money for a local charity.You agree,but an hour later she calls you back and says that they have enough bakers; they need you to work at the bake sale for four hours.You agree,and as you hang up the phone,you think back to your psychology text and suddenly realize that you have been victimized by the ____ technique.

Accepted Answer

The lowball technique involves getting someone to agree to a request and then changing the terms, often making it less favorable, after the initial agreement.

Question 13

Ezekiel asks,"Mom,may I eat a hot fudge sundae with extra whipped cream?" When his mother replies that he may not,Ezekiel then asks if he may eat one cookie.Ezekiel is using the ____ technique for gaining compliance.

Accepted Answer

Ezekiel is using the door-in-the-face technique, which involves making a large request (eating a hot fudge sundae with extra whipped cream) that is likely to be rejected and then making a smaller request (eating one cookie) that is more likely to be granted in comparison.

Question 14

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

Living in a collectivist culture promotes interdependence and community harmony, rather than individualism and self-interest, which reduces the likelihood of responding aggressively to incidents like being accidentally bumped into by a stranger.

Question 15

Randa studies the impact of aggression on society.Her newest study corroborates other recent research findings that aggression itself is not inherited.Rather,people tend to inherit a temperament of ____ that often leads to aggressive behaviors.

Accepted Answer

The sentence states that people tend to inherit a temperament of impulsiveness which often leads to aggressive behavior. Option A, impulsiveness, fits this description. Defensive aggression and frustration are not mentioned in the text and generalized arousal is too broad and unspecific.

Question 16

Jeffrey is a serial killer,and brain scans have revealed that there is damage that makes it less likely that he will inhibit his aggressive tendencies.He most likely has damage to his ____.

Accepted Answer

The limbic system is responsible for emotional regulation and impulse control. Damage to this area can result in decreased ability to inhibit aggressive tendencies, which may contribute to Jeffrey's behavior as a serial killer. The suprachiasmatic nuclei are responsible for regulating the sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhythm, while the medulla oblongata is involved in autonomic functions such as breathing and heart rate. The corpus callosum connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain and is not directly involved in inhibiting aggressive behavior.

Question 17

During a defensive huddle,a linebacker says to his fellow teammates,"I am really going to cream that running back! I'll hit him so hard that he will think he is a Radio City Music Hall Rockette!" This would be considered a(n)____.

Accepted Answer

The statement made by the linebacker expresses a threat of aggression towards the running back.

Question 18

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

Darin was exposed to testosterone in utero, which can have long-term physiological effects on brain development and behavior. Chaz, on the other hand, only received shots of testosterone at the age of six, which may have less impact on his overall aggression levels compared to Darin. However, it is important to note that other factors beyond testosterone exposure can also influence aggression levels.

Question 19

Most psychologists believe that Milgram demonstrated a basic truth about human behavior-that ____.

Accepted Answer

Milgram's study showed that under certain circumstances, such as being instructed by an authority figure, individuals are capable of inflicting harm on others, even if it goes against their own values or beliefs. This points to a basic truth about human behavior that individuals can be influenced by situational factors and may engage in brutal acts towards others.

Question 20

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.

Quiz 16: Social Psychology