Question 1

According to the authors of your text,people's evaluations of how good,competent,and decent they are is the definition of

Accepted Answer

The definition provided in the question, "people's evaluations of how good, competent, and decent they are," refers to self-esteem. Self-efficacy is a belief in one's ability to accomplish specific tasks, while self-monitoring refers to the degree to which people are aware of and able to control their behaviors in social situations. Self-evaluation is a more general term that can encompass all of these concepts, but in this case, the specific traits mentioned indicate self-esteem as the best choice.

Question 2

According to the authors of your text,why do people sometimes construe information to feel good about themselves?

Accepted Answer

The authors of the text suggest that people sometimes construe information to feel good about themselves because they have a strong need to maintain their self-esteem. This is a common motivation for people to engage in self-enhancement biases such as the self-serving bias or the better-than-average effect.

Question 3

Josh and his friends have just started up a new fraternity on campus,and want to recruit men who will be loyal and love it.Based on the self-esteem approach,which initiation strategy would you recommend to Josh?

Accepted Answer

According to the self-esteem approach, making initiates undergo some form of hardship or challenge (in this case, "make them suffer a little") can increase their loyalty and love for the group. This is because individuals tend to value membership more highly in groups that are harder to join, due to the effort justification bias.

Question 4

One potential problem of justifying past behavior in order to protect our self-esteem is that

Accepted Answer

The answer of One potential problem of justifying past behavior...

Question 5

Social psychologists have identified two motives that are of primary importance in explaining our thoughts and behaviors.According to your textbook authors,these are the need to ____ and the need to ____.

Accepted Answer

The need to be as accurate as possible refers to our motivation to understand the world around us and make accurate judgments, while the need to feel good about ourselves pertains to our desire for self-esteem and positive self-image. These two motives are often in tension with each other, as seeking accuracy may sometimes require acknowledging negative aspects of ourselves or the world around us that threaten our self-esteem.

Question 6

Recall from your text that President Lyndon B.Johnson's advisers gave him conflicting advice during the Vietnam War.Some urged him to pursue a peaceful solution; others urged him to escalate bombing to overcome the enemy.Johnson did not want to go down in history as the first U.S.president to lose a war,so he chose to escalate,prolonging a futile war.According to your text,Johnson's decision was most likely a consequence of his motive to

Accepted Answer

Johnson's motive was to justify his previous actions and not to be remembered as the first U.S. president to lose a war. This is evident by his choice to escalate the war despite conflicting advice from his advisers.

Question 7

What is one likely,undesirable consequence of foregoing accuracy in favor of justifying our past behaviors? Justifying past behavior can

Accepted Answer

If we prioritize justifying our past behaviors over accuracy, we may ignore mistakes or errors that we made in the past, leading us to repeat the same mistakes in the future. This decreases the probability of learning from past experiences.

Question 8

In which of the following examples does the need for accurate information most conflict with the need for self-esteem?

Accepted Answer

Carlos faces a conflict between wanting accurate feedback on his paper and the potential blow to his self-esteem from reading negative comments.

Question 9

People often construe the world as they do in order to maintain a favorable image of themselves.This assumption underlies the ____ approach.

Accepted Answer

The self-esteem approach suggests that people often interpret the world in a way that supports and maintains a positive self-image. This can include emphasizing their strengths and achievements, downplaying their weaknesses and failures, and attributing success to internal factors (e.g., skill, effort) while blaming external factors (e.g., luck, circumstances) for failure.

Question 10

Jordan's lover of four years just left him.He's hurt,angry,and confused,and says to himself,"He never did understand my need for independence." This explanation for the break-up best reflects which human motive?

Accepted Answer

The explanation given reflects the human motive of protecting one's self-esteem by justifying the break-up as a result of his need for independence, rather than accepting any personal faults or shortcomings that may have contributed to the end of the relationship.

Question 11

What is the take-home message of the authors' description of President Lyndon B.Johnson's decision to escalate the bombing during the Vietnam War?

Accepted Answer

The authors describe how President Johnson's decision to escalate the bombing was based more on his desire to feel powerful and in control, rather than on accurate information about the effectiveness of the bombing. This decision ultimately led to serious consequences for both the American soldiers and the Vietnamese people. Therefore, the take-home message is that when we forego accuracy in the interest of feeling good about ourselves, there are sometimes serious consequences.

Question 12

Jacob was pouring gravy when he dropped the ladle and splattered gravy all over the tablecloth.In order to maintain his self-esteem,Jacob decided that

Accepted Answer

By blaming the slipperiness of the ladle, Jacob is able to avoid a negative self-perception of being clumsy or embarrassing his family. He's also able to take responsibility for being more cautious in the future.

Question 13

Tom saw a fad weight-loss program advertised on late-night television.The ad claimed that deep breathing exercises would speed up metabolism,causing people to lose weight.He mailed a check for $99.95.When the plan arrived,Tom rearranged his day so that he could complete the breathing exercises as scheduled.They made him nauseated and dizzy,and before long,Tom's friends began to think that he was going overboard with the program,and they began to avoid him.After the end of the ten-week program,Tom got on the scale and saw that he hadn't lost an ounce! Still,he remained enthusiastic and thought,"I may not have lost any weight,but I feel so much healthier!" This situation is best explained by

Accepted Answer

The situation is best explained by the justification of suffering, as Tom experienced discomfort from the breathing exercises but continued to believe in the efficacy of the program despite not seeing any weight loss results.

Question 14

George just finished a poem,and is very proud of his work.He knows he should ask his instructor for some constructive feedback to improve it,but chooses not to because he is afraid of losing his sense of accomplishment.In this case,which basic motive did George give into?

Accepted Answer

George's fear of losing his sense of accomplishment suggests that he gave into the basic motive of the need to feel good about oneself.

Question 15

Given the choice between distorting the world in order to enhance their self-esteem or viewing the world accurately,people often

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that most people tend to put a slightly different spin on things in order to protect their self-esteem. This means they are not completely distorting reality but rather selectively interpreting it in a way that enhances their self-concept. This selective bias helps people maintain a positive self-image while still being somewhat accurate in their perceptions of the world.

Question 16

When asked why she is always losing things,Veronique replies,"I'm not careless.It's just that I have more important things to think about." This response would be predicted by a social psychologist who advocates ____ approach to understanding human behavior.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When asked why she is always losing...

Question 17

Larry is a physician and is convinced that his patient,Mr.Mraz,has cancer.However,after several diagnostic tests and a biopsy that came back negative,Larry rethinks his original diagnosis.He admits that he was wrong and does more research to find the correct diagnosis.In this case,which basic motive did Larry give into?

Accepted Answer

Larry's willingness to reconsider his initial diagnosis and conduct further research indicates that he values accuracy and getting the correct diagnosis for his patient.

Question 18

Which of the following is not a likely consequence of the human tendency to prefer self-justifying information to accurate information?

Accepted Answer

The human tendency to prefer self-justifying information to accurate information is likely to result in maintaining self-esteem, becoming less likely to learn from experiences, and making faulty decisions about future behavior. It is unlikely to result in gaining feedback that makes for better decisions.

Question 19

Rashim is viewed by most people he knows as rude,brusque,and completely unconcerned with other people's feelings.He,in contrast,describes himself as efficient and task-oriented.Rahim's self-description best reflects the motive to

Accepted Answer

Rashim's self-description reflects the motive to justify his troublesome behaviors. He is describing himself in a positive light despite the negative perception others have of him, which suggests he is attempting to rationalize or justify his behavior. This aligns with the motive to justify troublesome behaviors.

Question 20

When Mark goes to give Sven a congratulatory pat on the back after a job well done,he jumps and turns away.Mark has just read Chapter 1,and fancies himself something of a Gestalt psychologist.What is he likely to think about Sven's behavior?

Accepted Answer

As a Gestalt psychologist, Mark is likely to think that Sven's behavior is due to how he perceived and interpreted Mark's gesture, rather than any past experiences or personality traits (such as low self-esteem). The Gestalt approach emphasizes the importance of subjective perception and interpretation in shaping behavior. Therefore, it is most likely that Sven interpreted the pat on the back as something negative or threatening, rather than as a reinforcement, which led to his defensive response.

Quiz 1: Introducing Social Psychology