Question 1

When asked to imagine someone who fits the description "construction worker," many people picture a man in a hard hat and work clothes.Such mental images of a group of people are examples of

Accepted Answer

Stereotypes are fixed and oversimplified beliefs about a particular group of people. In this case, the mental image of a construction worker as a man in a hard hat and work clothes is a widely held stereotype. Prejudices are negative attitudes towards a particular group of people, evaluations refer to judgments or opinions, and scripts are a sequence of expected behaviors in a particular social situation.

Question 2

____ are generalizations about a group of people in which identical characteristics are ascribed to all members of the group,regardless of within-group variations.

Accepted Answer

Stereotypes are generalizations about a group of people that assume all members of the group share identical characteristics, ignoring individual differences. Schemas refer to cognitive frameworks that help individuals organize and interpret information about the world around them. In-group biases refer to a preference for individuals within one's own group over those outside of it, while negative stereotypes refer specifically to negative beliefs and attitudes toward a particular group.

Question 3

____ is to affect as ____ is to cognition.

Accepted Answer

A stereotype is a belief about a group of people, while prejudice is an affective response (such as a negative feeling) toward that group of people. Similarly, discrimination is a behavior or action taken toward a group of people based on their membership in that group, while stereotype is a cognitive process or belief about that group. Therefore, the pair that correctly matches affect to prejudice and cognition to stereotype is D) Prejudice; stereotype.

Question 4

When Gordon Allport (1954)described stereotyping as "the law of least effort," he was suggesting that stereotypes arise

Accepted Answer

Gordon Allport's description of stereotyping as "the law of least effort" suggests that stereotypes arise as a cognitive shortcut to help us conserve cognitive energy. Stereotypes allow us to quickly categorize people or groups, which can be useful in some situations but can also lead to unfair and inaccurate judgments.

Question 5

Julius is an African American and Mike is a Caucasian; both are basketball players for high-school teams.They both score same number of baskets and have similar records of assists,rebounds,and free throws.According to information from your text,who would be viewed as having more athletic ability and as having played a better game overall?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Julius is an African American and Mike...

Question 6

Stereotypes are beneficial to the extent that they

Accepted Answer

Stereotypes can help people make sense of a complex social world by simplifying it. They provide a mental shortcut for how to understand an individual or group based on their perceived characteristics. However, stereotypes can also be harmful if they are applied universally and without nuance.

Question 7

A cashier at the store assumes that because his next customer is elderly,she will take a long time to pay.The cashier is using his stereotypes about the elderly and not taking the time or energy to carefully consider each customer in his line as an individual.His use of stereotypes best exemplifies Allport's idea of

Accepted Answer

The cashier's use of stereotypes to assume that the elderly customer will take a long time to pay is an example of the law of least effort, which is the tendency to rely on cognitive shortcuts and stereotypes rather than carefully considering each person as an individual.

Question 8

Keep in mind Gordon Allport's (1954)description of stereotyping as "the law of least effort." From Allport's perspective,people are often

Accepted Answer

Allport's description of stereotyping as the "law of least effort" refers to the idea that individuals tend to use mental shortcuts and rely on preconceived notions rather than putting in the effort to truly understand and analyze a situation or group of people. This fits with the concept of cognitive miserliness, which suggests that individuals conserve mental energy by using heuristics and schemas to simplify their thinking.

Question 9

Stereotypes are the ____ component of a negative attitude toward a group of people.

Accepted Answer

Stereotypes are cognitive beliefs or generalizations about a group of people, often based on limited or inaccurate information. They form the basis for negative attitudes and behaviors towards that group of people. The affective component refers to the emotional reactions associated with those attitudes, while the behavioral component refers to the actions that result from those attitudes. The denotative component is related to language and refers to the literal, dictionary definition of words.

Question 10

Which of the following examples best captures the social-psychological concept of a stereotype?

Accepted Answer

A stereotype is a generalization about a group of people that is often oversimplified and inaccurate. Option B reflects a stereotype because it is a generalization about women that is negative and not based on individual characteristics or experiences. Option A is an example of a phobia, option C is an example of personal space preferences, and option D is an example of prejudice towards a particular group.

Question 11

Some would argue that the stereotype that African Americans are athletic is flattering.Which of the following is one reason why it is abusive?

Accepted Answer

The stereotype that African Americans are athletic is a gross overgeneralization because it assumes that all individuals of a particular race possess the same physical abilities, which is not true. It also can lead to a narrow view of what African Americans can do in society, limiting their opportunities and reinforcing harmful racial biases.

Question 12

Stereotyping is a way of ____ the complex information around us,and thus is sometimes ____.

Accepted Answer

Stereotyping simplifies the complex information around us, making it easier for us to process and navigate our surroundings. This can be adaptive in some situations where quick decisions need to be made. However, stereotyping can also be harmful and perpetuate negative biases and prejudices.

Question 13

If someone from Texas and someone from Massachusetts were asked about their stereotypes of Hollywood actors,they would probably have remarkably similar stereotypes.This is because stereotypes are perpetuated in a culture on a large scale through

Accepted Answer

Stereotypes are perpetuated through media, which includes television shows, movies, news outlets, and social media. These platforms have a significant influence on how people form their opinions about various groups, including Hollywood actors. Therefore, it is likely that people from different regions with different cultures would have similar stereotypes about Hollywood actors due to the pervasive influence of media.

Question 14

Shane believes that women are more dependent,more nurturing,more intuitive,and less rational than men.These are examples of Shane's ____ women.

Accepted Answer

Shane's beliefs are based on stereotypes, which are generalizations or assumptions about a group of people. These stereotypes may not be accurate and can be harmful if they are used to make decisions or judgments about individuals based on their gender. Prejudice and discrimination involve negative attitudes or actions towards a particular group, and there is no evidence of Shane engaging in such behaviors based on the given information. Negative affect refers to negative emotions such as anger or fear towards a group, which is not necessarily present in Shane's beliefs. Therefore, the best answer is B, as it accurately describes Shane's attitudes towards women as being based on stereotypes.

Question 15

There is some evidence that there is at least a shred of truth underneath the stereotypes that African Americans are more athletic than Caucasians.One example of such evidence is that

Accepted Answer

The fact that 75 percent of the NBA is made up of African Americans suggests that there may be some truth to the stereotype that African Americans are more athletic. However, it is important to note that this does not mean that all African Americans are more athletic than all Caucasians, as there is significant individual variation within both racial groups. Additionally, it is important to recognize that there are many factors that contribute to athletic success beyond race, such as access to resources, training methods, and cultural attitudes toward sports.

Question 16

Stereotypes are harmful to the extent they

Accepted Answer

Stereotypes that are overgeneralized to members of a group can harm individuals by promoting prejudice, discrimination, and bias. It can lead to individuals being unfairly judged, excluded, or treated differently based solely on their group membership, rather than their individual merits or actions. Stereotypes based on experience can also be harmful if they lead to assumptions that are incorrect, unfair, or limit opportunities for individuals based on their group membership. However, stereotypes that reduce cognitive effort can sometimes be helpful in processing complex information efficiently, but they can still be harmful if they lead to biased or inaccurate judgments about individuals based on their group membership.

Question 17

"Female humans are more nurturant than males,because throughout time,females who were poor nurturers did not successfully pass on 'non-nurturant' genes." This assertion would have been made by a(n) ____ psychologist.

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary psychologists study how evolution has shaped human behavior and cognition. The assertion that females are more nurturant than males due to selective pressures in evolution is consistent with the perspective of evolutionary psychology. Personality psychologists study individual differences in behavior and traits, comparative psychologists study animal behavior, and cognitive psychologists study mental processes.

Question 18

____ psychologists have argued that men and women differ on domains that have historically posed different adaptive problems.

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary psychologists have argued that men and women have evolved different strategies to solve adaptive problems that were historically relevant to their reproductive success. Therefore, there are innate sex differences in behavior, cognition, and emotion that reflect these adaptations. Personality, social, and sex-role psychologists may also study gender-related differences, but their approaches and explanations are typically different from those of evolutionary psychologists.

Question 19

Recall that Jeff Stone and his colleagues (1997)exposed participants to a twenty-minute audiotape of a college basketball game.Half of the participants were led to believe that one player,Mark Flick,was African- American,and the other half were led to believe that Mark Flick was Caucasian.When participants were asked to rate Mark Flick's performance,

Accepted Answer

Participants rated the "African American" Mark Flick as more athletic, demonstrating racial stereotypes influencing their perceptions.

Question 20

The term ____ was coined by journalist Walter Lippman (1922),who referred to these phenomena as "the little pictures we carry around in our heads."

Accepted Answer

The term "little pictures we carry around in our heads" was coined by Walter Lippman to describe stereotypes. Therefore, the correct answer is D) stereotype.

Quiz 13: Prejudice: Causes and Cures