Question 1

While they were shopping, six-year-old Elliot came running around one of the store aisles and excitedly asked his mother if she would buy him a $299 Microsoft Xbox 360 game console to use with their television at home. When his mother immediately refused, Elliot looked very dejected but apologized for asking. A few moments later, Elliot asked, "Well, can I get a new basket for my bicycle?" Clever Elliot appears to be using the _____ technique to persuade his mother.

Accepted Answer

The answer of While they were shopping, six-year-old Elliot came...

Question 2

While studying in the crowded library, Arlene hears a crashing noise and then someone moaning. The commotion appears to come from behind closed doors marked "Staff Only." Nobody near Arlene seems concerned, so Arlene goes back to her studying. This situation is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The situation described is an example of the bystander effect, which is the phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help in an emergency situation when others are present. In this case, Arlene assumes that if nobody else is reacting to the noise, then it must not be a situation that requires her assistance.

Question 3

Your textbook suggests that the sheer number of bystanders who observed the death of Kitty Genovese may have been a factor in these people's decision not to give her assistance because of:

Accepted Answer

Diffusion of responsibility refers to the phenomenon where individuals in a group are less likely to take responsibility and take action in a situation due to the belief that someone else will step up and help. In the case of Kitty Genovese's murder, the large number of bystanders may have led each individual to believe that someone else would intervene, resulting in a lack of action.

Question 4

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

Prosocial behavior involves actions that benefit others, such as volunteering for a community service program like Up With Trees. Miguel's volunteer work is an example of prosocial behavior. Conformity refers to adjusting one's behavior to match that of others, altruism involves selfless concern for others' welfare, and the bystander effect refers to the phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help in an emergency situation when others are present.

Question 5

The textbook provides several practical suggestions to defend against being manipulated by various persuasion techniques. Which of the following is NOT one of the practical suggestions you can use in making important decisions?

Accepted Answer

Going with your first impulse and not reflecting on the decision can lead to impulsive and potentially regretful decisions, making it an impractical suggestion for making important decisions. The other options, such as listing all reasons for and against a decision or taking time to sleep on it before making a final commitment, are practical suggestions for making important decisions.

Question 6

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 is the tendency for people to be more helpful when they are in a good mood. Sylvester's receipt of a large bonus likely contributed to his positive mood, which in turn made him more willing to volunteer at the Food Bank.

Question 7

When Marsha wavers on her decision to buy a new computer, the salesperson finally says to her, "If you buy this computer system today, I'll throw in a larger hard drive and a couple of computer games for your kids. Have we got a deal?" The salesperson appears to be using the _____ technique to persuade Marsha to buy the computer system.

Accepted Answer

The salesperson is using the "that's-not-all" technique, which involves sweetening the deal by adding additional incentives or bonuses to make the offer more attractive.

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT one of the factors that increases the likelihood of bystanders helping?

Accepted Answer

The presence of other bystanders in the situation actually decreases the likelihood of bystanders helping, due to the diffusion of responsibility and the assumption that someone else will take action. A, C, and D are all factors that increase the likelihood of bystanders helping.

Question 9

While Eddie was working alone in the computer lab, he noticed a strange unpleasant smell and immediately went to report the incident. Eddie's behavior:

Accepted Answer

Eddie's behavior was not constrained by the bystander effect because he was alone in the lab and there were no other people present to influence his behavior or decision-making process.

Question 10

In which of the following scenarios are people MOST likely help another person?

Accepted Answer

People are more likely to help in situations where they feel a sense of responsibility or connection, such as helping a coworker whose car is blocking the exit.

Question 11

Which of the following was NOT one of the factors that seemed to play a role in explaining why no one helped Kitty Genovese?

Accepted Answer

The bystander effect suggests that individuals are less likely to help when others are present, partly because they assume others will intervene. In Kitty Genovese's case, it was not that each bystander thought they were the only witness, but rather that they assumed someone else would take action.

Question 12

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

According to the social norm of reciprocity, seeing others engage in helping behavior can influence an individual to behave similarly. Therefore, it is quite probable that Kyle will make a donation too.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

The "feel good, do good" effect is a well-documented phenomenon in social psychology where individuals who are in a positive mood and have positive self-concepts are more likely to engage in prosocial behavior and help others. This effect has been demonstrated in numerous studies and is thought to be the result of a heightened sense of empathy and reduced self-focus when individuals are feeling positive emotions. The other options, diffusion of responsibility, bystander effect, and out-group homogeneity, all refer to different social psychological phenomena that are unrelated to the "feel good, do good" effect.

Question 14

_____ refers to the phenomenon in which the presence of other people makes it less likely that any individual will help someone in distress because the obligation to intervene is shared among all the onlookers.

Accepted Answer

Diffusion of responsibility refers to the tendency of individuals to feel less personal responsibility to take action in emergency situations when other people are present. This is because the responsibility for helping is seen as shared among all of the bystanders, rather than solely the responsibility of any one individual.

Question 15

A local television station did an on-the-scene news report about a nearby town that was almost totally destroyed when a tornado ripped through it. Most of the residents lost their homes and possessions. During the newscast, some of the residents made direct appeals to the viewers for help. According to your textbook, the victims of this tragedy are:

Accepted Answer

According to the textbook, people are more likely to help individuals who are not responsible for their own misfortunes, such as natural disasters like tornadoes. Therefore, the victims of the tornado are likely to get help because their situation occurred through no fault of their own.

Question 16

A middle-aged woman is sitting on a bench in a busy shopping mall, holding her head in her hands, visibly upset and crying. Nobody stops to see if she needs assistance. Based on what you read in the text, the most likely explanation for why nobody helps in this situation is:

Accepted Answer

Diffusion of responsibility can lead people to assume that others will take action or that someone more qualified will help the woman, resulting in nobody providing assistance.

Question 17

On a cross-country road trip, Gregory ran out of gas on the outskirts of Edenville, population 3,211. Which of the following is most probable?

Accepted Answer

In larger populations, there are more people available to potentially offer assistance, increasing the likelihood of receiving help.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

Prosocial behavior is defined as any behavior that helps another person, regardless of whether the underlying motive is selfless or self-serving. Altruism, on the other hand, specifically refers to behaviors that are motivated by the desire to benefit others without any regard for one's own self-interest. Out-group homogeneity behavior and ethnocentrism are related to attitudes and behaviors towards different groups of people and do not directly relate to helping behavior towards others.

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

Peggy's behavior of working hard as an unpaid volunteer at an animal shelter with the hope of getting hired as a full-time staff member shows that she is engaging in prosocial behavior, which refers to any action intended to help others. Altruism refers to helping others without any expectation of personal gain, and conformity and obedience both involve acting in response to social pressure or authority, which are not relevant in this scenario.

Question 20

The phenomenon in which the greater the number of people present means the less likely each individual is to help someone in distress is called:

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described in the question is known as the bystander effect, which refers to the decreased likelihood of individuals to intervene in an emergency situation when other people are present. This effect occurs because individuals assume that someone else will take responsibility for helping, leading to a diffusion of responsibility.

Quiz 11: Social Psychology