Question 1

During your first session of this class, your instructor introduced him or herself and you probably respected his or her position as an authoritative figure in the classroom. Which of the following classification schema likely helped you organize that information?
A)physical constructs
B)role constructs
C)interaction constructs
D)psychological constructs

Accepted Answer

Role constructs involve understanding the roles and positions of individuals within a social environment. In this scenario, the categorization of the instructor as an authoritative figure can be classified under role constructs.

Question 2

One of your hall-mates, Ling, is an exchange student from Taiwan. Ling never goes out with the other students, goes to bed at 9:30 every night, and studies quietly in her room most of the time. You assume that Ling behaves the way she does because she is Asian. Which of the following attribution errors might you have committed?
A)self-serving bias
B)fundamental attribution error
C)overattribution
D)all of these

Accepted Answer

Overattribution occurs when someone attributes a person's behavior to their membership in a particular group, such as assuming Ling's behavior is due to her being Asian.

Question 3

Regarding the fundamental attribution error, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A)It refers to attributions we make for other people's behaviors, rather than our own.
B)We don't usually commit it when we are told that a person's behavior is externally caused.
C)It causes us to discount external, unstable causes for people's actions.
D)We commit it when we assume that another person's behavior is caused by internal, stable causes.

Accepted Answer

The statement "We don't usually commit it when we are told that a person's behavior is externally caused" is not true. In fact, even when we are told that a person's behavior is externally caused, we still tend to make internal attributions.

Question 4

Idealizing a romantic partner at the beginning of a new relationship is a common example of the ________ bias.
A)delusional
B)romantic
C)positivity
D)confirmatory

Accepted Answer

The positivity bias is the tendency for individuals to focus on and remember positive information more than negative information. Idealizing a romantic partner at the beginning of a new relationship can be an example of the positivity bias, as individuals may focus mainly on their partner's positive qualities and overlook any potential negatives.

Question 5

You liked most everything about your new roommate when you first met, but when you found out she smokes, that overshadowed all of her good qualities in your mind. What perception-making process are you displaying here?
A)primacy effect
B)negativity bias
C)stereotyping
D)egocentrism

Accepted Answer

The negativity bias is the tendency for negative information to weigh more heavily on our evaluations than positive information. In this situation, the fact that the roommate smokes is a negative attribute that is overshadowing all of her positive qualities, indicating a negativity bias. The primacy effect refers to the tendency for initial information to carry more weight in forming impressions, but smoking is not the first thing mentioned about the roommate in this scenario. Stereotyping involves applying preconceived beliefs about a group to an individual within that group, and egocentrism refers to a self-centered perspective, neither of which are applicable to this situation.

Question 6

According to your text, the perception-making process consists of three stages. Which of the following is NOT among them?
A)interpretation
B)attribution
C)organization
D)selection

Accepted Answer

The perception-making process consists of three stages: selection, organization, and interpretation. Attribution is not a stage in the perception-making process, but rather a concept related to how people explain the causes of behaviors or events.

Question 7

A fellow student in one of your communication classes, Rose, starts acting particularly nice to you in the weeks leading up to the first exam. Classmates have frequently treated you this way in the past in the hope that you will help them study. As a result, you are suspicious of Rose's motives. In this scenario, you are likely basing your suspicions on
A)personal experience.
B)your knowledge of Rose.
C)the closeness of your relationship with Rose.
D)All the answers are correct.

Accepted Answer

The suspicion is based on personal experience of classmates behaving a certain way in the past. The information about Rose and the closeness of the relationship is not mentioned as factors contributing to the suspicion.

Question 8

Which of the following statements is true with respect to the process of stereotyping?
A)Stereotypes are always unfair to women and minorities.
B)Stereotyping always leads to inaccurate assessments of others.
C)Stereotypes always cast people in a negative light.
D)Stereotypes are sometimes accurate.

Accepted Answer

Stereotypes are sometimes accurate, but they can also be based on limited or outdated information, and can lead to unfair assumptions and judgments about individuals or groups. It is important to be aware of our own stereotypes and try to avoid applying them in our interactions with others.

Question 9

Many factors affect the likelihood that we will notice a certain object in our environment. Which of the following does NOT lead to increased attention?
A)plainness
B)unusualness
C)repetition
D)intensity

Accepted Answer

Plainness or simplicity tends to be overlooked as they are not striking or unusual. Unusualness, repetition, and intensity all attract attention and increase the likelihood that we will notice an object in our environment.

Question 10

Which term refers to the ongoing process of making meaning from what we experience in our environment?
A)attribution
B)primacy
C)egocentrism
D)perception

Accepted Answer

Perception refers to the ongoing process of making meaning from what we experience in our environment. It involves interpreting sensory information and organizing it into a coherent understanding of the world around us.

Question 11

Samantha was a fantastic softball player, but she rarely took credit for her success. Every time a reporter from the school paper would ask her for a quote, Samantha would say, "I just got lucky today," or, "Their pitcher just gave me something I could hit." Which of the following likely factors into Samantha's personality?
A)internal locus
B)external locus
C)negative attribution
D)self-serving bias

Accepted Answer

Samantha's tendency to attribute her success to external factors, such as luck or the opposing team's performance, suggests that she has an external locus of control. This means that she believes her outcomes are largely influenced by outside forces rather than her own actions or abilities.

Question 12

People "see" faces in all sorts of natural phenomena, including clouds, tree bark, and even rocks on Mars. This is an example of which perception-making process?
A)egocentrism
B)perceptual set
C)positivity bias
D)recency effect

Accepted Answer

Perceptual set refers to the expectation or tendency to perceive something based on prior experiences and context. In this case, people have a perceptual set to see faces in natural phenomena due to cultural and biological factors.

Question 13

Which of the following sequences accurately depicts the process of stereotype formation?
A)identify group membership - apply generalization - act on prejudice
B)identify group membership - act on prejudice - form group generalization
C)identify group membership - recall group generalization - apply generalization
D)identify group membership - recall group generalization - act on prejudice

Accepted Answer

Identifying group membership leads to recalling any generalizations associated with that group, which then influences the application of those generalizations to individuals from the group.

Question 14

In which of the following instances might you have committed the self-serving bias?
A)You are quick to attribute your friend's behaviors to internal, stable causes.
B)You say that your co-worker's successes are due only to blind luck.
C)You say that most everything your roommate does is the result of his being an only child.
D)You attribute all your failures to external, unstable causes.

Accepted Answer

The self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute our successes to internal, stable factors while attributing our failures to external, unstable factors. Option D shows that the individual is attributing all their failures to external, unstable causes, which is an example of the self-serving bias.

Question 15

Rick and Jamie recently started dating. To commemorate their first month as a couple, Rick surprised Jamie when he picked her up at work in a rented limousine with floor-level tickets to a concert. After the show, Rick was upset because Jamie would barely speak to him. Jamie was also upset because she had been planning on surprising Rick with a quiet dinner at home. After two days of fighting, the couple broke up. What was likely at the root of this conflict?
A)egocentrism
B)negativity bias
C)altercentrism
D)perceptual set differences

Accepted Answer

Rick and Jamie's conflict likely stemmed from egocentrism, where each was focused on their own plans and desires without considering the other's perspective or expectations.

Question 16

An explanation for why something occurred is called a(n)
A)interpretation.
B)selection.
C)attribution.
D)perceptual set.

Accepted Answer

A possible explanation for why something occurred is called an attribution.

Question 17

Which of the following statements is true with respect to perceptual accuracy?
A)Our perceptions almost always reflect reality as it is, with minimal distortion.
B)Culture may affect behavior, but it does not usually influence perceptions of behavior.
C)Physiological characteristics, including our biological rhythms, affect perceptual accuracy.
D)All of these statements are false.

Accepted Answer

Physiological characteristics, such as biological rhythms, can influence how accurately we perceive things, affecting our alertness and perception.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT one of the influences on perceptual accuracy addressed in your textbook?
A)cultural background
B)social roles
C)co-cultural identity
D)genetic background

Accepted Answer

Genetic background is not mentioned as one of the influences on perceptual accuracy in the textbook.

Question 19

Angela had just been promoted to department chair at the college where she taught. Although she treated everyone the same, several of the male professors in the department were put off by Angela's requests. As a result, the female professors thought of Angela as fair and equitable in her treatment, but the male professors began resenting her and openly challenging her position on several issues. The male professors probably treated Angela that way because they
A)were culturally insensitive to Angela's professional position.
B)perceived Angela's professional position as masculine and socially threatening.
C)were physiologically opposed to Angela's professional position.
D)were prejudiced against Angela because of her ethnicity.

Accepted Answer

The male professors may have perceived Angela's professional position as masculine and socially threatening because it is traditionally male-dominated, leading them to challenge her authority and feel resentful towards her. This is a common phenomenon known as the "glass cliff," where women are put into leadership positions during times of crisis and are more likely to experience backlash and negative reactions.

Question 20

Which of the following processes is at work when we are able to recall only information that confirms our existing stereotypes?
A)stereotype recall bias
B)selective perception
C)selective memory bias
D)self-serving recall bias

Accepted Answer

Selective memory bias is at work when we are able to recall only information that confirms our existing stereotypes. This is because our brain is selectively processing and remembering information that is consistent with our preexisting beliefs and ignoring information that contradicts them.

Quiz 4: Interpersonal Perception

During your first session of this class, your instructor introduced him or herself and you probably respected his or her position as an authoritative figure in the classroom. Which of the following classification schema likely helped you organize that information?

Regarding the fundamental attribution error, which of the following statements is NOT true?

Idealizing a romantic partner at the beginning of a new relationship is a common example of the ________ bias.

You liked most everything about your new roommate when you first met, but when you found out she smokes, that overshadowed all of her good qualities in your mind. What perception-making process are you displaying here?

According to your text, the perception-making process consists of three stages. Which of the following is NOT among them?

Which of the following statements is true with respect to the process of stereotyping?

Many factors affect the likelihood that we will notice a certain object in our environment. Which of the following does NOT lead to increased attention?

Which term refers to the ongoing process of making meaning from what we experience in our environment?

People "see" faces in all sorts of natural phenomena, including clouds, tree bark, and even rocks on Mars. This is an example of which perception-making process?

Which of the following sequences accurately depicts the process of stereotype formation?

In which of the following instances might you have committed the self-serving bias?

An explanation for why something occurred is called a(n)

Which of the following statements is true with respect to perceptual accuracy?

Which of the following is NOT one of the influences on perceptual accuracy addressed in your textbook?

Which of the following processes is at work when we are able to recall only information that confirms our existing stereotypes?