Question 1

A music critic always seems to be asked for her attitudes about the relative merits of rock music from the 60s and from the 90s. You might expect this critic's attitudes about rock music to be highly accessible due primarily to

Accepted Answer

Rehearsal, in this context, refers to the frequent recalling or discussing of the critic's attitudes about rock music from the 60s and 90s. This constant engagement with the topic makes her attitudes highly accessible.  The more we have formulated an attitude about something, the more accessible it will be. This constitutes rehearsal of the attitude.

Question 2

Suppose you take great pride in your critical thinking ability. When others try to convince you to adopt their viewpoint, you like to think carefully about the value of their persuasive argument. According to the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion, you focus your cognitive processes in a manner most consistent with the ________ route.

Accepted Answer

The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion suggests that there are two main routes to persuasion: the central route and the peripheral route. The central route involves careful and thoughtful consideration of the arguments presented, which is consistent with someone who takes pride in their critical thinking ability.  When the central route to persuasion is used, attitude change depends on the strength of the arguments. The central route represents circumstances in which people think carefully about the persuasive communication.

Question 3

Critics of the political process often claim that political campaigning focuses, to a substantial degree, on appearances rather than issues. Social psychologists who conduct research on attitude change would say that today's political ads emphasize the ________ route to persuasion.

Accepted Answer

Political ads often emphasize the peripheral route to persuasion, which focuses on superficial cues and emotional responses rather than the detailed evaluation of the content or the quality of the arguments, aligning with the criticism that campaigns focus more on appearances than on substantive issues.  When the peripheral route to persuasion is used, the person trying to persuade us of something is hoping that we do not use critical thinking. The peripheral route represents circumstances in which the focus is shifted away from the message and toward superficial cues in the situation, such as in the case of the celebrity endorsing the candidate.

Question 4

Cross-cultural research on the self suggests that Canadian participants should experience ________ dissonance with respect to their own choices (because of their independent senses of self), whereas Japanese participants should experience ________ dissonance with respect to their choices for their friends (because of their interdependent senses of self).

Accepted Answer

Cross-cultural research indicates that Canadians, with their independent sense of self, would experience more dissonance with their own choices, reflecting a focus on personal autonomy and decision-making. Conversely, Japanese individuals, who have an interdependent sense of self, are more likely to experience dissonance when making choices for friends, as their decisions are often influenced by social harmony and the preferences of others.

Question 5

A friend of yours asks you whether you like scary rides at the fair. Although you have never really thought about it before, you answer "yes" because you remember that whenever you go to the fair you choose the scary rides. According to Daryl Bem, your response is predicted by

Accepted Answer

Daryl Bem's self-perception theory suggests that individuals infer their attitudes and feelings by observing their own behavior and the situations in which those behaviors occur, especially when their attitudes are unclear. In this scenario, you deduced that you like scary rides because you observed your own behavior of choosing them at the fair.  We use our self-knowledge to reason backward to the most likely causes of behavior. We base the assessment of our personal preferences on our previous actions (such as always choosing scary rides before).

Question 6

When you answer the doorbell, you encounter a young person who hands you a free laminated bookmark and then asks whether you would be interested in subscribing to some magazines. This person is using the sales technique based on

Accepted Answer

This person is using the reciprocity norm, a social norm where if someone does something for you, you feel a pressure or obligation to return the favor. By giving you a free bookmark, they are hoping you'll feel compelled to reciprocate by subscribing to the magazines.  The reciprocity norm dictates that if someone does something for us, we feel obliged to do something for him or her as well. If we accept the bookmark, we may subscribe to a magazine in return.

Question 7

A stranger asks you for a donation of $20 for a charitable enterprise. When you turn him down, he requests only $1. After you give him $1 you realize that this illustrates

Accepted Answer

When people say no to a large request, they will often say yes to a smaller request. When someone has modified his request from large to small, you must reciprocate to avoid violating the social norm of reciprocity.

Question 8

A young adult believes that elderly people are terrible drivers. He never allows himself to be given a ride by anyone over age 55. This young adult will continue to believe that the elderly are poor drivers due, in part, to the effect of

Accepted Answer

Behavioral confirmation is a type of self-fulfilling prophecy whereby people's social expectations lead them to behave in ways that cause others to confirm their expectations. In this case, the young adult's belief that elderly people are terrible drivers leads him to avoid riding with them, thus he never has the opportunity to see evidence that could contradict his belief, reinforcing his initial stereotype.  People fill in missing data with information from their stereotypes. Their own actions may cause people to act in ways that are consistent with the stereotype. If he is forced to ride with an elderly member of the family, his own anxiety may cause the elderly person to drive poorly.

Question 9

A proponent of the "contact hypothesis" would likely attempt to reduce the hostility that two groups show toward each other by

Accepted Answer

The "contact hypothesis" suggests that under appropriate conditions, interpersonal contact is one of the most effective ways to reduce prejudice between majority and minority group members. It posits that bringing members of different groups together can reduce hostility, provided these interactions are cooperative and occur under conditions of equal status. Encouraging personal interaction in pursuit of shared goals aligns with this theory by fostering understanding and reducing prejudice.  Simple contact between the groups, such as bringing them together in noncompetitive circumstances, would likely not work to reduce tensions. The key is to create a situation in which both groups must cooperate to reach a shared goal.

Question 10

A review of 515 studies on the contact hypothesis strongly supported the conclusion that contact with out-group members

Accepted Answer

The contact hypothesis posits that under appropriate conditions, interpersonal contact is one of the most effective ways to reduce prejudice between majority and minority group members. The review of 515 studies supports the conclusion that contact typically reduces intergroup prejudice.

Question 11

According to the research on interpersonal attraction, if you want a person to like you it would be a good idea to

Accepted Answer

Frequent exposure to someone typically increases our liking for them, a phenomenon known as the mere exposure effect. Seeing someone regularly can make them seem more familiar and safe, which can lead to increased attraction.  People tend to like others with whom they are in close proximity-people they see regularly at home or at work or in some other mutual location. People tend to like other people and objects just by virtue of mere exposure.

Question 12

Many people think that a particular woman is physically attractive. Based on this information only, you can predict that people will also tend to believe that she is

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as the "halo effect," where the perception of one positive trait (in this case, physical attractiveness) leads people to make generalized positive assumptions about other traits, such as social competence.  Western culture supports a strong stereotype that attractive people are also good in other ways. Both adults and children who are attractive are rated as more socially competent than others.

Question 13

Research on love has found that

Accepted Answer

Research on love and attraction often shows that in many cases, people initially like or are attracted to those they end up loving. This initial liking can grow into deeper feelings of love over time. Love is a complex and multi-dimensional concept, involving various factors such as attraction, commitment, and intimacy, rather than being one-dimensional or solely based on initial dislike.

Question 14

Being "in love" with someone as opposed to "loving" someone seems to require the experience of

Accepted Answer

Being "in love" typically involves a strong element of passion, which distinguishes it from the broader concept of "loving" someone that might not necessarily include passion.

Question 15

Imagine reading an interview in which a woman says that she would marry only for love and not convenience, and that she is going to spend a great deal of time choosing the "right mate." The woman being interviewed is most likely to come from a culture

Accepted Answer

The emphasis on marrying for love and taking time to choose the "right mate" suggests a culture that values individual choice and personal fulfillment, characteristics of societies that value independence.  People from cultures that emphasize independence tend to demand more of their partners and have stronger ideas about personal fulfillment than people from interdependent cultures.

Question 16

In the context of adult attachment style, researchers have found that the most enduring romantic relationships as adults are between individuals with a(n) ________ attachment style.

Accepted Answer

Secure attachment style is associated with the most enduring romantic relationships in adults because it fosters trust, stability, and positive emotional bonding between partners.

Question 17

You are held spellbound by the account in the newspaper of a man who risked his own life to save a little boy from a burning building, even though he was not related to the little boy. Social psychologists would say that the man demonstrated

Accepted Answer

Altruism refers to selflessly helping others without expecting anything in return, which describes the man's actions in saving the little boy from a burning building.  Altruism is prosocial behavior, an act of helping others without regard to personal safety or benefit.

Question 18

In an investigation of the relationship between the unemployment rates and aggression rates in San Francisco, researchers found all of the following EXCEPT that

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is D because it contradicts the findings that violence increased with unemployment only up to a certain point and then decreased, indicating that there isn't a linear relationship between unemployment rates and aggression rates under all circumstances.

Question 19

In a study that is described in the textbook, college undergraduates played either violent or nonviolent video games for 25 minutes, and then were asked to look at violent or nonviolent photographs. The research demonstrated that the brain response called __________ was underactive in those who had played violent videogames and then looked at violent photographs.

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is D) P3. The P3 response, also known as the P300 wave, is a component of the human event-related potential (ERP) measured in neurophysiology. It is associated with the allocation of attention and the processing of stimulus significance. The study mentioned suggests that exposure to violent video games can reduce the P3 response when subsequently viewing violent images, indicating a diminished brain response to violence, possibly due to desensitization.

Question 20

From an evolutionary perspective, altruistic behavior is

Accepted Answer

Altruistic behavior, from an evolutionary perspective, can be explained through concepts like kin selection and inclusive fitness, where individuals may act to benefit others at a cost to themselves, particularly if it enhances the survival and reproduction chances of their genetic relatives. This helps in the propagation of shared genes, thus having a connection to reproductive success.  Altruistic behavior among family members ensures that the family's gene pool survives even if the individual imperils his or her own survival. Reciprocal altruism means that even with nonkin, we will tend to be altruistic because we expect altruistic behavior in return, thus indirectly affecting the survival of the gene pool.

Quiz 16: Social Psychology