Question 1

We believe that a person is motivated by external causes if:
A) other people do not act like this, the person behaves consistently like this, and the person acts the same in other situations.
B) other people act like this, the person does not behave consistently like this, and the person acts the same in other situations.
C) other people do not act like this, the person behaves consistently like this, and the person acts differently in other situations.
D) other people act like this, the person behaves consistently like this, and the person does not act like this in other situations.

Accepted Answer

D

Question 2

Research has shown that when supervisors rate their subordinates, the more similar the subordinate is to them, the higher the rating the superior tends to give. This is an example of the perceptual bias of:
A) the similar-to-me effect.
B) selective perception.
C) the halo effect.
D) first-impression error.

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described is known as the similar-to-me effect or similarity bias, where people tend to rate others more positively if they share similar characteristics or backgrounds with them. This bias can affect evaluations in the workplace, leading to unfair treatment of those who are different from the evaluator. The other options, selective perception, halo effect, and first-impression error, are all different perceptual biases that can also influence evaluations in various ways.

Question 3

How can we minimize bias in social perception and promote more accurate perceptions of people?
A) Make more correspondent inferences.
B) Categorize and use your stereotypes more carefully.
C) Make more causal attributions and fewer correspondent inferences.
D) Do not overlook the external causes of behavior.

Accepted Answer

By not overlooking the external causes of behavior, we can minimize bias in social perception and have more accurate perceptions of people. This means considering situational factors and not solely relying on internal characteristics or stereotypes when forming impressions of others. It also involves being aware of the fundamental attribution error, which involves overemphasizing dispositional factors and underemphasizing environmental factors when explaining behavior.

Question 4

If we form a negative impression of someone, we tend to evaluate all future behavior negatively as well. This is an example of the perceptual bias of:
A) selective perception.
B) stereotyping.
C) halo effect.
D) first-impression error.

Accepted Answer

The halo effect is a perceptual bias where a person's overall evaluation of someone (positive or negative) influences how they evaluate specific traits or behaviors. In this case, a negative impression of someone leads to negative evaluations of all future behavior, even if some of that behavior may not deserve such negative evaluation.

Question 5

We will attribute another's actions to internal causes under conditions in which:
A) consensus is high, consistency is high, and distinctiveness is high.
B) consensus is high, consistency is low, and distinctiveness is high.
C) consensus is low, consistency is high, and distinctiveness is low.
D) consensus is low, consistency is low, and distinctiveness is low.

Accepted Answer

According to attribution theory, we are more likely to attribute someone's behavior to their internal characteristics or personality (internal attribution) when consensus is low (not everyone behaves the same way in that situation), consistency is high (the person behaves this way every time in this situation), and distinctiveness is low (the person behaves similarly in different situations). This combination suggests that the behavior is due to the individual's traits rather than the situation.

Question 6

When Samantha meets Joe, she is impressed with his professional appearance, quick responses, and articulation. She assumes he knows of what he speaks and follows his suggestions with disastrous results. This is an example of the consequences of the perceptual bias of:
A) selective perception.
B) stereotyping.
C) halo effect.
D) first-impression error.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When Samantha meets Joe, she is impressed...

Question 7

Police recruits whose instructors expected them to perform poorly in their training class did, in fact, perform worse than those about whom instructors had no advance expectations. The performance of the recruits could be attributed to:
A) fundamental attribution error.
B) the halo effect.
C) the Pygmalion effect.
D) the Golem effect.

Accepted Answer

The Golem effect refers to the phenomenon where lower expectations placed upon individuals lead to poorer performance, which aligns with the scenario described.

Question 8

The process of social perception:
A) is inherently nonjudgmental.
B) is a public process that can be objectively observed.
C) involves the combination, integration, and interpretation of sensory information.
D) is unrelated to the process of selectivity on the part of individuals.

Accepted Answer

Social perception involves the combination, integration, and interpretation of sensory information in order to form judgments and impressions about others. This process is not inherently nonjudgmental, and may involve selectivity on the part of individuals. It is not necessarily a public process that can be objectively observed, as much of it takes place within the individual's mind.

Question 9

When Berry wrecked the company car, his boss immediately assumed that the accident occurred because Berry was careless. He never considered that another driver could have hit the car. This perceptual bias is called:
A) the first-impression error.
B) the fundamental attribution error.
C) selective perception.
D) the halo effect.

Accepted Answer

The scenario involves the fundamental attribution error, which occurs when an individual overemphasizes the influence of personal characteristics on behavior and underemphasizes situational factors. In this case, Berry's boss assumes that his carelessness caused the accident, without considering external factors.

Question 10

When we attribute another's behavior to internal factors more than external factors we are:
A) experiencing the similar-to-me effect.
B) making a fundamental attribution error.
C) projecting the halo effect.
D) making a first-impression error.

Accepted Answer

Making a fundamental attribution error involves overemphasizing dispositional (internal) explanations for others' behavior and underemphasizing situational (external) explanations.

Question 11

Prior to the start of the semester, Dr. Blankenship was told that three of her students, in particular, had high potential for success. While those three students had, in fact, been only average students in the past, they ended up scoring very high on exams. The performance of the students could be the result of:
A) selective perception.
B) a fundamental attribution error.
C) the Pygmalion effect.
D) the Golem effect.

Accepted Answer

The Pygmalion effect is a self-fulfilling prophecy where someone's high expectations for another person's performance leads to that person's improved performance. In this case, Dr. Blankenship's expectations of high potential for success could have led to the three students performing better than they had in the past.

Question 12

We can improve the accuracy of our inferences about others by:
A) using appropriate stereotypes.
B) focusing on behavior that appears to have only one explanation.
C) observing people's behavior in situations where they are pressured to act a certain way.
D) studying psychology and human behavior before judging others.

Accepted Answer

Focusing on behavior that appears to have only one explanation can help reduce ambiguity and improve the accuracy of inferences about others.

Question 13

Li is an accountant by training, although he now works in human resources. There are problems within his department: employees are fighting with each other, morale is low, etc. But when asked how his department is doing, Li reports they are right on target with their compensation figures, their turnover rates, and their training expenses. Li's misperception is a function of the perceptual bias of:
A) selective perception.
B) the similar-to-me effect.
C) fundamental attribution error.
D) the first-impression error.

Accepted Answer

Li's misperception is a function of selective perception. This is because he is only focusing on the data related to compensation figures, turnover rates and training expenses while ignoring the other problems within the department. Selective perception refers to the tendency to selectively interpret what one sees based on one's interests, background, experience, and attitudes, and it causes people to disregard information outside of their interests or expectations.

Question 14

In the attribution process, correspondent inferences are:
A) explanations for events.
B) judgments about people's dispositions.
C) judgments about organizational contexts.
D) inferences based on similarities between people.

Accepted Answer

Correspondent inferences involve making judgments about people's dispositions based on their behavior. This means that we are inferring traits or characteristics about a person based on the behavior they exhibit in a particular context. For example, if someone is consistently kind and helpful, we might infer that they are a generous and caring person.

Question 15

Suppose you observe your neighbor running away from a dog who comes into your backyard during a picnic. You've seen him run away from dogs before, and you've seen him run away from all dogs. Also, you don't see anyone else run away from this dog. You would say that he ran away from this dog because ________, which is an example of an ________ attribution.
A) the dog is scary; internal
B) the dog is scary; external
C) he is afraid of dogs; internal
D) he is afraid of dogs; external

Accepted Answer

The best choice is C because it attributes the behavior to a personal characteristic of the neighbor, namely, that he is afraid of dogs. This is an internal attribution because it is based on a characteristic of the person. Option A is incorrect because it is also externalized but attributes the behavior to the dog being scary, and there is no evidence that the dog is scary. Option B is incorrect because it also externalizes the behavior but attributes it to the dog being scary, and there is no evidence for that. Option D is incorrect because it externalizes the behavior, but it does not account for why the neighbor is afraid of dogs.

Question 16

We all make inferences about people, but they may be inaccurate because:
A) our judgments may be inaccurate.
B) we may not know all of the possible causes of the behavior.
C) individuals may be concealing information about themselves and their traits.
D) of all of these.

Accepted Answer

All of the options listed contribute to the potential inaccuracy of our inferences about people. Our judgments may be influenced by biases and personal experiences, limiting our ability to accurately interpret behavior. Additionally, we may not have access to all of the information necessary to fully understand the causes of someone's behavior, and individuals may purposely hide information about themselves or their traits, further complicating our perceptions of them.

Question 17

According to Kelley's theory of causal attribution, when we form judgments on the basis consensus, our attribution is based on the fact that:
A) the person we're judging acts the same way at other times when he/she is in a similar situation.
B) this person behaves in the same manner in other contexts.
C) other people behave in the same manner as the person we're judging.
D) this person's traits match the traits of other people we know.

Accepted Answer

Kelley's theory of causal attribution suggests that when we form judgments based on consensus, we consider how other people behave in the same situation. Therefore, the correct choice is C, which suggests that our attribution is based on the fact that other people behave in the same manner as the person we're judging. The other choices (A, B, and D) relate to other aspects of Kelley's theory, but they do not specifically relate to judgments based on consensus.

Question 18

Perceptual biases are:
A) types of judgment errors that people are prone to make.
B) characteristics of the person who interprets a specific situation.
C) attempts to identify the causes of others' behavior.
D) tendencies to categorize people based on the groups to which they belong.

Accepted Answer

Perceptual biases refer to the types of judgment errors that people are prone to make. These biases stem from our individual perceptions and the limitations of our senses and cognitive processes, which can distort or influence our interpretation of information.

Question 19

You have an employee who is usually late and it takes him a half an hour to become productive. You believe that his behavior stems from being lazy and unorganized. This belief is an example of:
A) an attribution.
B) a correspondent inference.
C) a causal attribution.
D) observational learning.

Accepted Answer

The answer of You have an employee who is usually...

Question 20

The belief that all members of a specific group share the same traits and behaviors describes:
A) selective perception.
B) stereotyping.
C) halo effect.
D) similar-to-me error.

Accepted Answer

Stereotyping is the belief that all members of a specific group share the same traits and behaviors. The other options are related to different phenomena in perception and judgment. Selective perception is the tendency to hear what we want to hear and see what we want to see. The halo effect is the tendency to generalize positive impressions of someone based on one positive trait or behavior, and the similar-to-me error is the tendency to favor people who are similar to us in background, interests, or attitudes.

Quiz 3: Perception and Learning: Understanding and Adapting to the Work Environment

We believe that a person is motivated by external causes if:

Research has shown that when supervisors rate their subordinates, the more similar the subordinate is to them, the higher the rating the superior tends to give. This is an example of the perceptual bias of:

How can we minimize bias in social perception and promote more accurate perceptions of people?

If we form a negative impression of someone, we tend to evaluate all future behavior negatively as well. This is an example of the perceptual bias of:

We will attribute another's actions to internal causes under conditions in which:

When Samantha meets Joe, she is impressed with his professional appearance, quick responses, and articulation. She assumes he knows of what he speaks and follows his suggestions with disastrous results. This is an example of the consequences of the perceptual bias of:

Police recruits whose instructors expected them to perform poorly in their training class did, in fact, perform worse than those about whom instructors had no advance expectations. The performance of the recruits could be attributed to:

The process of social perception:

When Berry wrecked the company car, his boss immediately assumed that the accident occurred because Berry was careless. He never considered that another driver could have hit the car. This perceptual bias is called:

When we attribute another's behavior to internal factors more than external factors we are:

We can improve the accuracy of our inferences about others by:

In the attribution process, correspondent inferences are:

We all make inferences about people, but they may be inaccurate because:

According to Kelley's theory of causal attribution, when we form judgments on the basis consensus, our attribution is based on the fact that:

Perceptual biases are:

You have an employee who is usually late and it takes him a half an hour to become productive. You believe that his behavior stems from being lazy and unorganized. This belief is an example of:

The belief that all members of a specific group share the same traits and behaviors describes: