Question 1

Which statement about willpower is accurate?

Accepted Answer

Practicing willpower exercises can help strengthen self-control over time, similar to how physical exercise strengthens muscles.

Question 2

People who practice willpower "exercises" find that they ____.

Accepted Answer

According to research, practicing willpower exercises temporarily depletes willpower resources but in the long term, it results in stronger levels of willpower. This is because willpower, like a muscle, can be strengthened through exercise and regular use.

Question 3

Perhaps the most widely recognized and important factor that interferes with successful monitoring (and thereby undermines successful self-regulation) is ____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Perhaps the most widely recognized and important...

Question 4

Monitoring oneself is one of the key ingredients in ____.

Accepted Answer

Self-regulation refers to the ability to control and adjust one's behavior, emotions, and thoughts to align with desired goals or standards. Monitoring oneself is a crucial element in self-regulation as it involves being aware of one's own actions and their impact on the environment, enabling individuals to make necessary adjustments to their behavior. Reactance refers to the tendency to resist or rebel against external constraints or forces that threaten one's freedom or autonomy. Entity seeking and temporal discounting are not related to the concept of monitoring oneself.

Question 5

Social psychologists use the term ____ to self's capacity to alter its own responses.

Accepted Answer

Self-regulation refers to the self's capacity to alter its own responses, such as controlling impulses, managing emotions, or delaying gratification. Option B, self-monitoring, refers to the extent to which individuals are aware of, and responsive to, the impression they make on others. Option C, response modification, is not a standard term used in social psychology. Option D, prosocial behavior, refers to actions that benefit others or society as a whole.

Question 6

Self-regulation involves monitoring your behavior, ____, and adjusting your behavior accordingly.

Accepted Answer

Self-regulation involves comparing one's behavior against standards to determine if adjustments are needed to meet goals or expectations.

Question 7

Capacity for change is one of the key ingredients for successful self-regulation, and is essentially the same thing as ____.

Accepted Answer

Capacity for change refers to a person's ability to exert self-control and resist temptation, which is essentially what willpower is. Potential refers to a person's inherent abilities or possibilities, intent refers to a person's planned actions, and opportunity refers to external circumstances that allow for certain actions to take place. While all of these factors can play a role in self-regulation, willpower is specifically related to the capacity for change.

Question 8

Research on habits show that ____.

Accepted Answer

Research on habits shows that people have plenty of habits and use them frequently. In fact, studies suggest that up to 40% of our daily behaviors are habitual, indicating that habits are a significant part of our lives.

Question 9

As described in the text, the standards against which people compare themselves ____ supplied by culture and ____.

Accepted Answer

The text states that standards against which people compare themselves can be supplied by culture and can dictate both negatives and positives, meaning what not to do as well as what to do. This matches option A. The other options either suggest that standards are always present (without mentioning the role of culture), or that they only dictate positives (ignoring the important role of negatives).

Question 10

The term self-regulation essentially refers to ____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The term self-regulation essentially refers to ____.
...

Question 11

One of the biggest differences between attending to current concerns and engaging in long-term planning is that how people deal with current concerns is more dependent upon ____.

Accepted Answer

Dealing with current concerns typically involves navigating practical constraints such as time, resources, and immediate needs, while long-term planning may involve more abstract considerations like meaning and cultural significance.

Question 12

The acronym TOTE-which stands for "Test, Operate, Test, Exit"-is shorthand for the processes involved in ____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The acronym TOTE-which stands for "Test, Operate,...

Question 13

Mr. Lee has been drinking a lot of whiskey lately and wants to cut back. Research suggests that he is more likely to be successful if he keeps a record of exactly how much whiskey he consumes every week. In other words, ____.

Accepted Answer

Monitoring behavior is a key aspect of self-regulation, which can help individuals like Mr. Lee reduce or control their consumption of substances such as whiskey.

Question 14

Peter is team leader for a major project at work. The project is very complex and will require a number of months to complete. He wants to ensure that the team members will stay motivated and on task despite the inevitable frustrations. Based on research, it is likely that the lowest motivation will occur ____.

Accepted Answer

According to research, motivation tends to be lowest midway through a project when team members may feel overwhelmed by the complexity and duration of the project, and may not yet see the end in sight. This is often referred to as the "valley of despair" in project management. Therefore, Peter should focus on maintaining team motivation during this critical phase of the project.

Question 15

Effective self-regulation involves ____.

Accepted Answer

Effective self-regulation involves being aware of standards or goals one wishes to achieve, being able to monitor oneself to ensure progress is being made towards those goals, and having the capacity for change if one's actions or behaviors are not leading to successful outcomes. It does not necessarily involve strict adherence to rules regardless of circumstances or the ability to control the external environment.

Question 16

According to the text, why is it usually a doomed idea to try to diet when you are under stress?

Accepted Answer

The text states that people's capacity for willpower is limited and can be depleted by attending to stressors, leaving little willpower available for dieting.

Question 17

When people make multiple demands upon themselves (when they must complete or persist at multiple tasks), their capacity for change (their willpower) sometimes seems to get "used up." Research shows that in fact, ____.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that willpower can be depleted, meaning that only a limited amount of willpower is available at any given time. This has been found to be true regardless of whether the demands on a person are physical or mental, and regardless of a person's mindset or attitudes about the tasks. Therefore, option D is the best answer.

Question 18

Research suggests that dieters are most successful in losing weight ____.

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that dieters are most successful in losing weight when they are under low levels of stress and keep careful track of their eating behavior. This combination allows for a greater focus on healthy eating habits while minimizing the negative impact of stress on the body and mind. Additionally, keeping track of what is eaten can help dieters identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to their eating habits.

Question 19

According to the text, many of the problems that afflict people in modern society -such as drug addictions, anger management problems, obesity, sexually transmitted diseases, and crime-involve some component of inadequate ____.

Accepted Answer

The text states that many modern society problems, such as drug addiction, anger management problems, obesity, sexually transmitted diseases, and crime, involve some component of inadequate self-regulation. Therefore, choice A is the best answer. The other options, self-monitoring, response modification, and reactance, are not mentioned in the text as being directly related to these problems.

Question 20

Habits are largely controlled by the ____ system.

Accepted Answer

Habits are behaviors that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously, without much conscious thought or effort. Therefore, habits are largely controlled by the automatic system or the unconscious mind. This system relies on neural pathways that are created through repeated behavior. Once these pathways are established, the behavior becomes automatic and requires little conscious effort to perform.

Quiz 4: Choices and Actions