Question 1

You are very sociable and outgoing; at a holiday party, you approach a quiet young woman standing alone in the corner.To break the ice, you discuss a number of "safe" topics: what the winter will be like, what new television shows are worth watching, and what books you've been reading lately.You both see eye-to-eye on a lot.After the conversation, you like the young woman.Based on a large number of social-psychological experiments, why is that so?

Accepted Answer

According to the social-psychological principle of homophily, people tend to be attracted to others who hold similar attitudes, values, and beliefs. The fact that you and the young woman saw eye-to-eye on a lot of topics suggests that you shared similar attitudes, which increased your liking for her.

Question 2

The term "functional distance" refers to

Accepted Answer

Functional distance refers to the ways in which certain aspects of architectural design, such as the placement of stairs or the layout of hallways, can affect the amount of interaction that occurs between people in a given space. It has less to do with physical distance and more to do with the way that the environment plays a role in shaping social behavior.

Question 3

Moreland and Beach (1992) had a confederate attend large university classes for a systematically varied number of class sessions.She attended some classes a few times and other classes many more times.In keeping with the research on the mere exposure effect presented in the text, when unsuspecting students in those classes were later shown photos of the confederate, when would they have liked her best? When she had

Accepted Answer

According to the mere exposure effect, people tend to develop a preference for things that they have been consistently exposed to. In this study, the confederate attended some classes a few times and other classes many more times. Therefore, the students would have liked her best when she attended more classes, as they would have been exposed to her more consistently. Wearing their school colors or challenging the professor may not necessarily have an impact on their liking towards her. Attending class only a few times would not have provided enough exposure to generate a strong preference.

Question 4

If an architect were to capitalize on functional distance, and design an apartment building in which all tenants had an equal chance of taking advantage of the propinquity effect, the building would have which of the following features?

Accepted Answer

The circular shape of the building with equidistant elevators, laundry facilities, and mailboxes ensures that all tenants have an equal chance of taking advantage of the propinquity effect. This design eliminates the possibility of any one apartment being too far away from these common areas, thereby minimizing functional distance. The other options either have apartments too far away from common areas (A) or create a linear flow of traffic, which does not allow for equal access to common areas (B, D).

Question 5

Video chatting, e-mail, and texting may influence interpersonal relationships because they increase the ________ of people even if they do not affect their physical proximity.

Accepted Answer

Propinquity refers to physical proximity or nearness. While video chatting, e-mail, and texting do not actually bring people physically closer together, they do increase the perceived closeness or connectedness between individuals because they allow for more frequent and immediate communication. This can influence and strengthen interpersonal relationships.

Question 6

Propinquity is most similar to which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Propinquity refers to physical proximity or nearness, and is often linked to increased familiarity and liking for others due to more frequent interaction. Choice A, physical closeness, captures this concept most accurately.

Question 7

Katie and Jon are in the same accounting class, they live in the same wing of their dormitory, and they usually both study at the campus coffeehouse in the morning before class.Over time, Katie and Jon become attracted to each other.What force is most likely at work here?

Accepted Answer

Propinquity, or physical proximity, is the most likely force at work here. Katie and Jon are constantly exposed to each other through their shared activities and proximity in their living space, which can increase the likelihood of attraction. While complementarity, reciprocal liking, and similarity may also play a role in their attraction, propinquity is the most relevant factor in this scenario.

Question 8

You are strongly attracted to Mario, and you very much want him to like you, too, but you're afraid that if you open your mouth, he won't like you.If you're too nervous to interact with Mario, you can take advantage of the mere exposure effect and

Accepted Answer

The mere exposure effect suggests that the more familiar we become with something or someone, the more we tend to like them. Therefore, frequenting the same coffee shop as Mario and making sure he sees you every day can increase his familiarity with you and potentially increase his liking for you. A and C could come across as awkward or forced, and D may not be the best approach as highlighting your negative qualities first could potentially turn Mario off.

Question 9

Which of the following adages most directly contradicts research findings on the propinquity effect?

Accepted Answer

The propinquity effect suggests that the more we see and interact with people, the more likely we are to become friends or enter into relationships with them, which contradicts the idea that "Familiarity breeds contempt."

Question 10

Festinger, Schachter, and Back (1950) traced friendship formations among couples in an apartment complex at MIT.They found that residents were most likely to be friends with people

Accepted Answer

Festinger, Schachter, and Back (1950) found that physical proximity, or how close one person lived to another, was a significant factor in the formation of friendships among residents in an apartment complex. This phenomenon is known as the proximity effect.

Question 11

Distance is to ________ as familiarity is to ________.

Accepted Answer

The propinquity effect refers to the tendency for people to form relationships with those who are close by physically. The mere exposure effect refers to the tendency for people to have a preference for things or people they are familiar with. Therefore, distance is to the propinquity effect as familiarity is to the mere exposure effect.

Question 12

Why aren't Web sites better at making successful relationship matches?

Accepted Answer

While websites may use algorithms and questionnaires to match people based on certain criteria, there are many factors that go into successful relationships beyond just personality traits. Compatibility also involves factors such as communication styles, shared values, and life goals, which can't necessarily be quantified and matched by a website algorithm.

Question 13

Arlene finds that even though she sat in the opposite corner of the classroom from Ronda during the entire term of their chemistry class, when they bump into each other at a party, she seems to like Ronda more than the strangers around.This is best explained by

Accepted Answer

This is best explained by the mere exposure effect, which suggests that people develop a preference for things simply because they are familiar with them. Even though Arlene may not have interacted with Ronda during class, the fact that they were in the same space and had some exposure to each other may have led to a preference for Ronda over strangers.

Question 14

Lem is looking at new cars.Each one he sees has a certain trim detail across the hood which he somewhat likes at the start of the day.At the end of the day, and fifteen cars later, he really likes the detail.His opinion is influenced by the

Accepted Answer

The mere exposure effect states that repeated exposure to a stimulus can increase feelings of liking towards that stimulus. In this scenario, Lem's increased liking towards the trim detail across the hood is a result of the mere exposure effect because he saw it repeatedly throughout the day.

Question 15

Consider the following piece of folk wisdom: "Opposites attract." The social-psychological concept of ________ is most closely related to this truism.

Accepted Answer

The concept of complementarity suggests that people are attracted to individuals who possess qualities that complement their own. This can be seen as a form of "opposites attract" in that each person brings something different to the relationship. However, it is important to note that complementarity is not the same as complete opposition or difference; rather, it is a form of balance and compatibility.

Question 16

Amy and Jen are roommates this year.________ would predict that they are likely to like each other, and ________ can be described as the "fuel" that would create a friendship between them.

Accepted Answer

Propinquity, or physical proximity, increases the likelihood of forming friendships, and similarity in interests, values, or backgrounds often strengthens these bonds.

Question 17

When Festinger and his colleagues studied friendship patterns among married couples in an apartment complex at MIT, they found that people who lived at the foot of the stairs or near mailboxes had more friends on upper floors than did other people who lived on the first floor.This illustrates the power of ________ to influence friendship patterns.

Accepted Answer

Functional distance refers to how often people's paths cross within a building, which can be influenced by factors such as location of mailboxes, stairs, elevators, or communal areas. In this case, the people who lived near the mailboxes and foot of the stairs had more interactions with others on upper floors, leading to more opportunities for friendship formation. This illustrates the power of functional distance to influence friendship patterns. Physical distance (A) alone may not necessarily impact the frequency of interactions between people, as it could be affected by factors such as building layout and accessibility. Similarity (C) and movement patterns (D) may also play a role in friendship formation, but these are not the primary factors highlighted in this scenario.

Question 18

Which has the better success rate-dating facilitated by a Web site or being set up by family or friends?

Accepted Answer

Studies and surveys often show that the success rates of relationships initiated online and those set up by friends or family are quite similar, as both methods have their own advantages and challenges.

Question 19

Leandro tends to be happy when in relationships with others.However, right now, he's away from home and the absence of meaningful relationships is leading to

Accepted Answer

Leandro tends to be happy when in relationships with others, so the absence of meaningful relationships is likely to lead to feelings of loneliness, hopelessness, and alienation, as he is away from home. There is no indication of being more productive at work or experiencing hallucinations. While material objects may provide some temporary happiness, they are unlikely to be a sustainable source of joy without meaningful relationships.

Question 20

Jacob is about to start a new job.Given that he wants to make lots of new friends, he should choose the office that is located

Accepted Answer

The office by the vending machines is a high traffic area where people are likely to congregate, making it easier for Jacob to meet new colleagues and make friends. The other options either isolate him from others or are less frequently visited areas.

Quiz 10: Interpersonal Attraction: From First Impressions to Close Relationships