Question 1

Social loafing generally does NOT occur

Accepted Answer

Social loafing occurs when people feel that their individual contributions cannot be evaluated or identified. If people know that their personal performance can be evaluated, they are less likely to engage in social loafing.

Question 2

You are sitting in your psychology class, and you do not understand what the professor is saying. You would like to ask a question, but as you look around the room, you see others quietly taking notes, and it looks like they understand. Nobody is asking questions, so you don't either. As it turns out, the majority of the students are thinking just as you are, so nobody asks any questions. This situation illustrates the concept of

Accepted Answer

The situation described illustrates pluralistic ignorance, which occurs when people assume that everyone else in a group understands something and, therefore, no one asks for clarification or speaks up. In this case, everyone is assuming that the other students understand, so no one is asking questions.

Question 3

A stereotype is:

Accepted Answer

A stereotype is a broad generalization about a group of people that may or may not be accurate. It is not related to changes in attitude, situational attributions, or nervous tension.

Question 4

Logan is speaking on the phone to Jean. Logan has never spoken with Jane before, but he has seen her picture and finds her very attractive. According to the research on self-fulfilling prophecies, which of the following is most likely to occur?

Accepted Answer

According to the research on self-fulfilling prophecies, when Logan perceives Jean as attractive, he is likely to behave in a friendly way, which will cause Jean to behave in a friendly way as well. This is because Logan's initial perception of Jean as attractive creates an expectation in his mind that Jean will like him. Logan's friendly behavior will then elicit friendly behavior from Jean, which confirms his expectation and reinforces his perception of her as attractive.

Question 5

Expectations that change one's own behavior in such a way as to increase the probability of the predicted event are known as

Accepted Answer

Self-fulfilling prophecies refer to the expectations that change one's behavior in a way that increases the probability of the predicted event. Options A, B, and D do not accurately describe this phenomenon.

Question 6

Two people tell you something about Pete, whom you have not met yourself. One of those statements is favorable; the other is unfavorable. Which statement will probably have a greater influence on your impression of Pete?

Accepted Answer

The first statement you hear will have a greater influence on your impression of Pete because it will set the tone for your perception of him.

Question 7

According to the primacy effect in impression formation, you will be more influenced by?

Accepted Answer

The primacy effect suggests that we are more influenced by the information that we receive first, rather than that received later. This means that the initial information we receive about someone will have a greater impact on our overall impression of that person.

Question 8

Someone is asked to scream and clap as loud as she can. If she is alone she screams louder than if she is screaming as part of a group of people who are all screaming as loud as they can. This is an example of what psychologists call

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as social loafing, which refers to the tendency of individuals to put forth less effort when they are part of a group performing the same task than when they are performing the task alone. In this scenario, the individual screams louder when alone than when screaming as part of a group, illustrating the reduction in individual effort due to the presence of others performing the same task.

Question 9

When we observe the behavior of other people, we are most likely to notice and remember when an __________ individual does something __________.

Accepted Answer

When we observe the behavior of other people, we are most likely to notice and remember when an unusual individual does something unusual. This is because unusual behavior is more likely to stand out and be memorable than ordinary behavior.

Question 10

Which of the following would decrease social loafing?

Accepted Answer

Convincing group members that their contribution is unique increases their sense of responsibility, which decreases social loafing. Increasing the size of the group can actually increase social loafing, making it harder for individuals to feel a personal responsibility for the success of the project. Making contributions anonymous can also increase social loafing by making it easier for individuals to hide behind the group and avoid taking responsibility for their actions. Decreasing the importance of the task can also make individuals feel less responsible for the success of the project, which can increase social loafing.

Question 11

Suppose Maria is asked to write down all the ways she can think of to use a brick. She is to write each answer on a card and toss her cards in with those of several partners, and the group with the most uses will be declared the winner. Maria is likely to loaf on the job if

Accepted Answer

Social loafing occurs when individuals exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone. If Maria sees her partners working hard, she might reduce her effort, assuming that the group will succeed based on her partners' contributions.

Question 12

You move into a new apartment, and your roommate tells you the neighbor across the hall is rude and unfriendly. The first time you meet your neighbor, you are somewhat rude and unfriendly, and she behaves in an unfriendly way in return. Your behavior illustrates

Accepted Answer

Your behavior towards your neighbor reinforces your roommate's belief that she is unfriendly, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy where your neighbor behaves in an unfriendly way in return, confirming your initial belief about her.

Question 13

The process by which we gather and remember information about others and make inferences based on that information is termed

Accepted Answer

Social perception and cognition refers to the processes by which we gather and remember information about others and make inferences based on that information. This includes our ability to perceive and interpret social cues, as well as our cognitive processes related to attention, memory, and decision-making in social situations.

Question 14

You are asked to "name all the uses you can think of for a brick," writing each one on a card. If you are working by yourself you will probably come up with far more responses than if you are working as part of a group. This is most clearly an example of what psychologists call

Accepted Answer

This activity involves brainstorming, and social loafing refers to the tendency for individuals to exert less effort in a group setting than when working alone. When working as part of a group, individuals may feel less accountable for their contributions, leading to a reduction in effort. The other options (diffusion of responsibility, conformity, and group polarization) do not accurately describe the situation.

Question 15

Social loafing refers to people's tendency to

Accepted Answer

Social loafing refers to the tendency of individuals to exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone. This occurs because individuals feel less accountable when working in a group and may believe that their individual contributions are not as important.

Question 16

Our first impression of somebody may influence the way we treat that person and they, in turn, may react in accordance with the way they are being treated. This can lead to what is termed a

Accepted Answer

The self-fulfilling prophecy is when our expectations about someone or something lead us to behave in a way that ultimately causes those expectations to come true. In this case, our first impression of someone may lead us to treat them in a certain way, and they may respond in a way that is consistent with our initial impression, leading to a self-fulfilling cycle.

Question 17

Professor Fairperson asks all his students to sign their name on the first essay test of the semester, but on later tests he asks them to write only their social security number or some other code. What is the probable reason?

Accepted Answer

Asking students to write only their social security number or some other code on later tests can help the professor avoid being influenced by his first impressions about individual students' performance. By removing the students' names from the test, the professor can grade more objectively, without any biases or preconceived notions about individual students.

Question 18

The major reason that first impressions are so influential is that

Accepted Answer

First impressions have a strong impact because they can alter how we interpret and remember later experiences with that person or situation. This is known as the primacy effect. Our initial perceptions can shape how we interpret and respond to subsequent information, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy effect where we look for evidence to confirm our first impression.

Question 19

The "primacy effect" refers to the fact that:

Accepted Answer

The primacy effect refers to the phenomenon where we tend to remember and give more weightage to the first information we receive about someone or something. This can influence our judgments and perceptions of that person or thing.

Question 20

Social loafing generally does NOT occur:

Accepted Answer

Social loafing is less likely to occur in team sports because individual performance is directly linked to the success of the team. Each member is aware that their contribution is necessary for the team's success.

Quiz 13: Social Psychology