Question 1

Several of the people ahead of Kyle in the checkout line at the cafeteria put loose change in a charitable donation box. According to your textbook:

Accepted Answer

The presence of the charitable donation box and the previous donations made by others in the checkout line create a norm of social responsibility and increase the likelihood of Kyle making a donation as well. This is known as social influence or conformity.

Question 2

Sylvester was thrilled when he received a large bonus from his company. Later that day, when he was asked if he could volunteer a few hours to help at the Food Bank, he readily agreed. This example best illustrates:

Accepted Answer

The "feel good, do good" effect refers to the idea that people are more likely to help others when they are in a positive mood or have received positive news or experiences. Sylvester's receipt of a bonus likely put him in a good mood, making him more willing to volunteer at the Food Bank.

Question 3

The Stanford Prison Experiment:

Accepted Answer

The Stanford Prison Experiment was a psychological study conducted by Stanford University professor Philip Zimbardo in 1971, in which college students were randomly assigned to the role of prisoner or guard in a simulated prison environment. The study aimed to observe the effects of situational factors on human behavior, but was discontinued after only six days due to the abusive and sadistic behavior exhibited by the guards towards the prisoners.

Question 4

_____ is any behavior that helps another person, whether the underlying motive is self-serving or selfless.

Accepted Answer

Prosocial behavior is characterized by actions that benefit others, regardless of the motive behind them. This can include behaviors such as helping, sharing, and cooperating. Altruism is a specific type of prosocial behavior in which the motive is purely selfless, but not all prosocial behavior is necessarily altruistic. Out-group homogeneity behavior and ethnocentrism are not related to helping others, but rather refer to biases towards specific groups of people.

Question 5

In order to earn his "Community Service" badge as a Boy Scout, young Miguel is a weekend volunteer in the "Up With Trees" program. Miguel's behavior in this situation is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Miguel's voluntary participation in the "Up With Trees" program to help the community is an example of prosocial behavior, where individuals engage in actions that benefit others, without expecting any personal gain.

Question 6

The Stanford Prison Experiment was conducted by psychologist:

Accepted Answer

The Stanford Prison Experiment was conducted by psychologist Philip Zimbardo in 1971, with the aim of investigating how people's behavior is affected by their roles and the social context in which they find themselves.

Question 7

Kitty Genovese was murdered outside her New York City apartment. This tragic event led to intense psychological research on:

Accepted Answer

Kitty Genovese's murder led to research on bystander intervention, altruism, and prosocial behavior. This event triggered the formulation of the bystander effect, which suggests that the more witnesses present during an emergency, the less likely any individual is to offer help. This research has helped to identify the factors that promote or inhibit helping behavior, including the diffusion of responsibility and the evaluation apprehension.

Question 8

Helping another person with no expectation of personal reward or benefit is the definition of:

Accepted Answer

Altruism is the act of helping others without expecting any personal reward or benefit in return. Attribution refers to explanations we make for the causes of behavior, ethnocentrism is a belief in the superiority of one's own culture, and persuasion involves attempting to change someone's attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors.

Question 9

Most of the Army Reserve soldiers who were convicted of mistreating prisoners at Abu Ghraib:

Accepted Answer

Many of the Army Reserve soldiers involved in the Abu Ghraib scandal were reservists who had been called up for duty in Iraq without proper training or preparation for handling prisoners. They were not fully aware of the Army regulations on detainee treatment and were left unsupervised by their superiors, leading to the abuses. Some of them also lacked experience in the military justice system or had never dealt with prisoners before.

Question 10

Altruism is to _____ as prosocial behavior is to _____.

Accepted Answer

Altruism refers to helping someone else with no expectation of reward, while prosocial behavior is a broader term that includes both selfless and self-serving behavior that benefits others.

Question 11

The Stanford Prison Experiment lasted:

Accepted Answer

The Stanford Prison Experiment lasted for six days, from August 14 to August 20, 1971. Despite its short duration, the experiment had a significant impact on our understanding of social psychology and human behavior in group settings.

Question 12

Peggy worked very hard as an unpaid volunteer at an animal shelter because she hoped to get hired as a full-time staff member after she finished school. Peggy's helping behavior best illustrates:

Accepted Answer

Prosocial behavior refers to any behavior that helps others, regardless of the motives or any rewards involved. Peggy's work at the animal shelter exemplifies prosocial behavior as she volunteered her time and effort to help animals in need, with the hope of securing a job in the future.

Question 13

The Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrated the powerful influence of:

Accepted Answer

The Stanford Prison Experiment showed that situational roles and conformity to implied social rules and norms had a powerful influence on the behavior and attitudes of the participants. The prisoners and guards adopted their roles quickly and began to conform to the expectations of those roles, leading to oppressive and abusive behavior by the guards and submissive and obedient behavior by the prisoners. This demonstrates the power of social norms and roles to shape behavior, even in the absence of explicit orders or direct pressure from an authority figure.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Multiple reports and investigations revealed that several military personnel did report the mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib to higher authorities, including members of the chain of command. This led to investigations and repercussions for those involved in the abuse. A is incorrect because not all officers involved were court-martialed and sentenced to lengthy prison terms, and the highest ranking officer convicted was a Staff Sergeant. B is incorrect because not all of the prisoners were convicted terrorists, and their status as such would not justify mistreatment. D is incorrect because while some individuals may have received direct orders from superiors to mistreat prisoners, this was not the sole or overarching cause of the abuse.

Question 15

The _____ effect refers to the fact that when people feel, successful, happy, or fortunate, they are more likely to help others.

Accepted Answer

The "feel-good, do-good" effect is a phenomenon where individuals are more likely to help others when they themselves feel good or happy. This effect highlights the positive correlation between positive emotions and pro-social behavior.

Question 16

Philip Zimbardo made the claim that "the value of the _____ Experiment resides in demonstrating the evil that good people can be readily induced into doing to other good people within the context of socially approved roles, rules, and norms."

Accepted Answer

The quote is specifically referencing the Stanford Prison Experiment, which was conducted by Philip Zimbardo. Option A, Jigsaw Classroom, is a cooperative learning technique and not relevant to the quote. Option C, Robbers Cave, is a study of intergroup conflict and not relevant to the quote. Option D, Asch Conformity, is a study of conformity to group pressure and also not relevant to the quote.

Question 17

Which of the following psychologists began a series of studies in the 1960s investigating the factors involved in determining whether a person will help a stranger?

Accepted Answer

Bibb Latané and John Darley conducted a series of studies in the 1960s investigating the factors involved in determining whether a person will help a stranger.

Question 18

Which of the following events spurred social psychologists to begin studying the conditions under which people will help another person?

Accepted Answer

The murder of Kitty Genovese, where no one intervened to help her, was a significant event that spurred social psychologists to study the conditions under which people will help another person. This incident raised questions about the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility, leading to research on the social norms and situational factors that influence helping behavior.

Question 19

Alvarez spent his whole working life selflessly helping the sick and poor in some of the poorest countries in the world. This example illustrates:

Accepted Answer

Alvarez's actions demonstrate altruism, which is the selfless concern for the well-being of others. He spent his entire working life helping the sick and poor in some of the world's poorest countries.

Question 20

According to the Critical Thinking box "Abuse at Abu Ghraib," the Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrated that _____ is more likely in confusing or ambiguous situations.

Accepted Answer

The Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrated that normative social influence is more likely in confusing or ambiguous situations, as individuals look to others for cues on how to behave, which can lead to the perpetuation of abusive behaviors in environments like Abu Ghraib.

Quiz 11: Section 2: Social Psychology