Deck 13: Section 2: Social Psychology

Question 1

Aggression is defined as behavior where the purpose is to:

A)use physical violence to achieve a goal.
B)impulsively take something from another person.
C)harm another.
D)take premeditated action to achieve a goal.

Answer 1

harm another.

Question 2

The study of social behavior is best described as:

A)studying how people interact with each other.
B)the examination of how one person can influence a group.
C)the examination of how a person conforms to a group.
D)studying how people understand each other.

Answer 2

studying how people interact with each other.

Question 3

Which of these is NOT a defining characteristic of ultrasocial species?

A)formation of societies
B)division of labor
C)altruism
D)cooperation

Answer 3

altruism

Question 4

Which action is the best example of social influence?

A)helping an elderly person cross the street
B)cooperating with your partner in a game of cards
C)changing your behavior to conform to your church group
D)understanding why some people discriminate against minorities

Question 5

Which of these is an ultrasocial species?

A)ants
B)centipedes
C)rhesus monkeys
D)sparrows

Question 6

Men who commit acts of aggression most often do so in response to perceived challenges or threats to their dominance and status; women's aggression is more likely to be focused on:

A)saving face.
B)satisfying basic survival motives.
C)attaining or protecting a resource.
D)guarding their self-esteem.

Question 7

Which statement about aggression is true?

A)Testosterone increases the probability that we will perceive threats from others.
B)Testosterone directly causes aggression.
C)Male aggressiveness is related to both socialization and the presence of testosterone.
D)Socialization is unrelated to aggression in males.

Question 8

Which of these is NOT an ultrasocial species?

A)naked mole rats
B)dolphins
C)termites
D)bees

Question 9

When people's goals are thwarted, they often harm others. This phenomenon is referred to as:

A)the targeted-aggression effect.
B)reciprocal aggression.
C)the projected-aggression principle.
D)the frustration-aggression hypothesis.

Question 10

Social behavior has evolved primarily:

A)as a means to consolidate resources in the hands of the most genetically fit.
B)as a by-product of evolutionary increases in prefrontal cortex volume.
C)because it aids in survival and reproduction.
D)in species with language capacities.

Question 11

The study of the causes and consequences of sociality is called social:

A)influence.
B)psychology.
C)cognition.
D)behavior.

Question 12

Which statement about the relationship between testosterone and aggression is FALSE?

A)Testosterone makes people feel more concerned about their social status.
B)Testosterone increases peoples' confidence that they will prevail in an altercation.
C)Testosterone triggers the flight-or-fight response.
D)Testosterone reduces peoples' sensitivity to threat.

Question 13

Psychologists who consider the frustration-aggression hypothesis incomplete argue that the real cause of aggression is:

A)anxiety.
B)pain.
C)increased body temperature.
D)negative affect.

Question 14

The CEO of a major company defrauded shareholders and stole hundreds of millions of dollars. This CEO displayed what kind of behavior?

A)social loafing
B)deindividuation
C)aggression
D)cognitive dissonance

Question 15

How do humans differ from other ultrasocial species?

A)Humans are the only ultrasocial species that is not an insect.
B)Humans are the only ultrasocial species whose members cooperate for mutual benefit.
C)Humans are the only ultrasocial species whose members engage in aggressive acts toward other members.
D)Humans are the only ultrasocial species whose societies consist of genetically unrelated individuals.

Question 16

The single best predictor of aggression is:

A)gender.
B)age.
C)culture.
D)social class.

Question 17

Which statement about aggression by women is true?

A)Women are more likely than men to aggress by causing social harm.
B)Aggression by women tends to be more impulsive than premeditated.
C)Aggression by women is more likely to focus on protecting their status than on protecting a resource.
D)Women are more likely than men to aggress by causing psychological injury.

Question 18

Many psychologists view the frustration-aggression hypothesis as a(n):

A)complete account of aggression.
B)complete account of frustration.
C)incomplete account of aggression.
D)incorrect account of the relationship between frustration and aggression.

Question 19

The process by which people come to think about others is termed social:

A)psychology.
B)influence.
C)behavior.
D)cognition.

Question 20

How many species have been identified as ultrasocial?

A)one
B)four
C)seven
D)thousands

Question 21

When groups get together for discussions, their decisions tend to be more extreme than any one member would have made alone. This phenomenon is known as:

A)common knowledge effect.
B)group relativity.
C)group polarization.
D)diffusion of responsibility.

Question 22

Even when participants are assigned to completely meaningless groups, it is highly likely they will exhibit:

A)group polarization within their own group.
B)negative deindividuation directed toward the other group.
C)preferential treatment to members of their own group.
D)reciprocal altruism within their own group.

Question 23

Acting negatively or positively toward others based on their group membership shows:

A)discrimination.
B)prejudice.
C)group polarization.
D)deindividuation.

Question 24

Behavior by two or more individuals that leads to mutual benefit is called:

A)reciprocity.
B)altruism.
C)social exchange.
D)cooperation.

Question 25

Although Alexander is careful to treat all of his employees fairly, he secretly feels that those who graduated from his business school are more competent employees than those who graduated from rival schools. This illustrates:

A)discrimination.
B)prejudice.
C)harassment.
D)deindividuation.

Question 26

People in a mob situation are more likely to stray from their own moral values, illustrating the phenomenon of:

A)prejudice.
B)diffusion of responsibility.
C)deindividuation.
D)conformity.

Question 27

Which statement is true?

A)Prejudice and discrimination amount to the same thing.
B)Stereotypes are always negative or unflattering.
C)Ethnic and racial groups are the only widespread targets of prejudice in modern society.
D)People see members of other groups in a less favorable light than members of their own group.

Question 28

One of the dangers of groupthink is the group's tendency to:

A)overthink all their possible options.
B)come up with too many solutions to a problem.
C)be unable to come up with a solution.
D)sacrifice a balanced discussion of the options in order to achieve consensus.

Question 29

Compared with men, women are _____ likely to aggress without provocation and are _____ likely to aggress in ways that cause physical injury.

A)more; more
B)more; less
C)less; more
D)less; less

Question 30

In the prisoner's dilemma, what strategy will produce the greatest benefit?

A)confessing when the other player also confesses
B)confessing when the other player does not confess
C)not confessing when the other player confesses
D)not confessing when the other player also does not confess

Question 31

The trait that most people want those around them to have is:

A)intelligence.
B)attractiveness.
C)industriousness.
D)trustworthiness.

Question 32

Research on cooperation has often involved using:

A)multiplayer video games.
B)the ultimatum game.
C)the prisoner's dilemma.
D)multiplayer board games.

Question 33

In the prisoner's dilemma, what strategy results in the largest penalty?

A)confessing when the other player also confesses
B)confessing when the other player does not confess
C)not confessing when the other player confesses
D)not confessing when the other player also does not confess

Question 34

Evaluating other people positively or negatively based on their group membership illustrates:

A)discrimination.
B)prejudice.
C)group polarization.
D)the hypothesis-confirming bias.

Question 35

In the ultimatum game, a person who feels that she is being cheated by another player usually will:

A)forego his monetary prize to punish the other player.
B)punish the other player only if doing so does not jeopardize his monetary prize.
C)not punish the other player because doing so results in forfeiting his winnings.
D)not punish the other player but begin to cheat himself.

Question 36

In the ultimatum game, one player has to divide a monetary prize into two parts and offer one part to a second player. What happens if the second player rejects her portion of the prize?

A)She receives the other portion and the first player has to accept the part originally offered to her.
B)She receives the other portion and the first player receives nothing.
C)The game ends and both players receive nothing.
D)Both players receive the smaller of the two parts.

Question 37

The rate of murder in the United States is _____ than it was a century ago.

A)slightly higher
B)much higher
C)slightly lower
D)much lower

Question 38

The primary reason that Southern men are more aggressive than Northern men is that:

A)Southern men have slightly higher baseline levels of testosterone than Northern men.
B)Southern men are taught to react aggressively to acquire resources.
C)Southern men are taught to react aggressively when they feel their status has been challenged.
D)it is hotter in the South than in the North.

Question 39

Which man is MOST likely to be aggressive?

A)a younger man with very low self-esteem
B)a younger man with unrealistically high self-esteem
C)an older man with very low self-esteem
D)an older man with unrealistically high self-esteem

Question 40

The tendency for group discussions to focus on information that all members share is known as:

A)group polarization.
B)the common knowledge effect.
C)groupthink.
D)deindividuation.

Question 41

Dutton and Aron's (1974) suspension bridge study demonstrated that men may misinterpret _____ for _____.

A)passionate love; companionate love
B)mere exposure; physical attraction
C)physiological arousal; physical attraction
D)physical attraction; companionate love

Question 42

The first time Igor Stravinsky's innovative musical composition Rite of Spring was performed in 1913, the audience booed and nearly rioted. Almost 100 years later, this much-performed work has become a beloved staple of the classical repertoire. This change is most likely due to:

A)cognitive dissonance.
B)the mere exposure effect.
C)perceptual confirmation.
D)the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 43

In one study, an attractive person approached opposite-sex strangers on a college campus and asked, "Would you go out with me tonight?" What was the outcome?

A)Men were slightly more likely than women to agree to a date.
B)Men were considerably more likely than women to agree to a date.
C)Men and women were about equally likely to agree to a date.
D)Women were considerably more likely than men to agree to a date.

Question 44

After a big win, college students overturned cars and set fires in the street. A few students were apprehended, and these students did not feel responsible for their behavior because many others also participated. The thought process of the students illustrates the phenomenon of:

A)heuristic persuasion.
B)deindividuation.
C)cognitive dissonance.
D)diffusion of responsibility.

Question 45

Which action BEST illustrates altruism?

A)donating a kidney to save your brother's life
B)making an anonymous donation to a charity
C)paying back the person who loaned you money last week
D)buying your significant other an expensive gift

Question 46

Behavior that benefits another with the expectation that those benefits will be returned in the future is called:

A)normative influence.
B)reciprocal altruism.
C)social exchange.
D)reverse altruism.

Question 47

Which statement about the biological determinants of mate selectivity is FALSE?

A)There are considerable physical costs associated with conception for both sexes.
B)Pregnancy puts a woman at a greater risk of illness and death.
C)For men, the ability to conceive a child tomorrow is not inhibited by conceiving one today.
D)Females have very few egg cells relative to males' sperm cells.

Question 48

The bird who gives an "alarm call" upon seeing a predator and thereby puts itself at a greater risk of being eaten is engaging in:

A)altruism.
B)reciprocal altruism.
C)kin selection.
D)obedience.

Question 49

In one study, an attractive person approached opposite-sex strangers on a college campus and asked, "Would you go to bed with me?" What was the outcome?

A)Every man said "yes."
B)Every woman said "no."
C)About 40 percent of men said "yes."
D)About 25 percent of women said "yes."

Question 50

_____ is best described as cooperation extended over time.

A)Social cognition
B)Reciprocal altruism
C)Kin selection
D)Obedience

Question 51

On September 11, 2001, people headed into the burning buildings to try to rescue people they did not know. This is an example of:

A)altruism.
B)reciprocal altruism.
C)companionate love.
D)normative influence.

Question 52

Shannon is a shy, quiet college student. However, when she sits in the student section at university basketball games, she cheers and yells whenever her team scores. Shannon's behavior at the game illustrates the phenomenon of:

A)conformity.
B)deindividuation.
C)informational influence.
D)diffusion of responsibility.

Question 53

In choosing a long-term mate for a monogamous relationship:

A)women are more selective than men.
B)men are more selective than women.
C)both sexes are equally selective.
D)culture largely determines which sex is more selective.

Question 54

Behavior that benefits another without benefiting oneself is called:

A)companionate love.
B)reciprocal altruism.
C)cooperation.
D)altruism.

Question 55

"You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" illustrates the principle of:

A)social exchange.
B)equity.
C)social cognition.
D)reciprocal altruism.

Question 56

Samantha is a first-year college student living on the ninth floor of a residence hall. By the end of the year, she is MOST likely to be friends with:

A)Natalie, a stunning-looking student who lives on the second floor.
B)Melissa, an outgoing, popular student who lives in the next building.
C)Jenny, the captain of the softball team, who lives in a residence hall for athletes.
D)Michelle, an average student who lives in the room next to Samantha's.

Question 57

Anthony Philip's homeroom teacher seats her pupils in alphabetical order. By the end of the school year, Anthony's best friends had become Jake Parker and Aaron Porter. This is BEST explained by the phenomenon called:

A)perceptual confirmation.
B)actor-observer effect.
C)self-fulfilling prophecy.
D)mere exposure effect.

Question 58

You are likely to work hardest to like the new neighbors who:

A)moved in down the block from you.
B)moved into the most expensive house in your subdivision.
C)moved in next door to you.
D)give a lot of parties.

Question 59

As the ratio of mob members to victims _____, the level of atrocity directed at the victims _____.

A)increases; increases
B)increases; decreases
C)decreases; increases
D)decreases; decreases

Question 60

In choosing sexual and reproductive partners:

A)women are more selective than men.
B)men are more selective than women.
C)both sexes are equally selective.
D)culture largely determines which sex is more selective.

Question 61

Andrea won the Miss Illinois beauty pageant the year she graduated from college. Knowing this, the amount of money she will earn over the course of her adult lifetime is MOST likely to be _____ that of her peers.

A)about the same as
B)more than
C)slightly less than
D)much less than

Question 62

Compared with mothers of unattractive children, mothers of attractive children are:

A)more affectionate and playful with their children.
B)more affectionate but less playful with their children.
C)equally affectionate and playful with their children.
D)more affectionate and playful with their children but only during infancy.

Question 63

Elizabeth, a reasonably attractive, smart college student is MOST likely to find herself attracted to:

A)Kevin, the brightest student at Elizabeth's college.
B)Mark, an extraordinary track star at the school.
C)Nicholas, the fun-loving president of the most popular fraternity on campus.
D)Joe, a fairly good-looking and smart graduate student.

Question 64

Standards of ideal female beauty over thousands of years show that the ideal size _____ and the ideal hip-to-waist ratio _____.

A)changes; remains constant
B)remains constant; changes
C)changes; changes
D)remains constant; remains constant

Question 65

Men tend to date and marry women who are:

A)slightly more attractive than they are.
B)considerably more attractive than they are.
C)slightly less attractive than they are.
D)about as attractive as they are.

Question 66

Olivia is college-educated, ambitious, and a political activist who happens to lack a sense of humor. She is MOST likely to marry:

A)Matthew, who is not college-educated or as ambitious, and who hates comedies.
B)Andrew, who is rather lazy and dropped out of college but is politically active and funny.
C)David, who is a college graduate, ambitious, and politically active but lacks a sense of humor.
D)Jeremy, who is college-educated, ambitious, a political activist, and has a great sense of humor.

Question 67

Women can discriminate symmetrical and asymmetrical men by:

A)listening to them talk.
B)smell.
C)examining their bedroom.
D)examining their handwriting.

Question 68

A couple has just started to date. In light of Dutton and Aron's (1974) suspension bridge study results, which activity might increase their attraction to each other?

A)attending a baseball game
B)a picnic in the woods
C)skydiving
D)sunbathing near the ocean

Question 69

Faces of both sexes are judged to be more attractive when they have features that are:

A)immature.
B)slightly asymmetrical.
C)symmetrical.
D)considered somewhat unique.

Question 70

Which candidate for homecoming queen is likely to be judged most attractive?

A)Bethany, who has large eyes, high eyebrows, and a small chin
B)Ella, who has small eyes, low eyebrows, and a large chin
C)Sara, who has large eyes, thin eyebrows, and a prominent chin
D)Hannah, who has small eyes, high eyebrows, and a square chin

Question 71

Isabel was voted the "best-looking girl" in her high school graduating class. Compared with her peers, Isabel also is likely to:

A)have more friends than her less-attractive peers.
B)have fewer dates because boys are afraid of being turned down if they ask her out.
C)engage in less sex because she is highly selective of her sexual partners.
D)earn less money over the course of her career.

Question 72

In Ghana, most men desire to:

A)become obese.
B)have a "baby face."
C)be short.
D)become extremely muscular.

Question 73

High estrogen level in women is related to:

A)weight gain.
B)an inverted triangle figure.
C)high fertility.
D)having a "baby face."

Question 74

Among the best predictors of the number of responses a personal ad receives are a woman's _____ and a man's _____.

A)height; weight
B)weight; height
C)age; wealth
D)wealth; age

Question 75

Which statement is NOT a characteristic of people considered to be beautiful?

A)They earn more money.
B)They have better social skills.
C)They are more intelligent.
D)They have more sex.

Question 76

In Mauritania, young girls desire to:

A)have small breasts.
B)become obese.
C)grow tall through stretching exercises.
D)obtain a perfect hourglass figure.

Question 77

Which couple would be considered most attractive overall?

A)Brandon and Julia, who both have "baby faces"
B)David and Stephanie, who both have mature faces
C)Isabel, who has a "baby face," and Anthony, who has a mature face
D)Megan, who has a mature face, and Steve, who has a "baby face"

Question 78

Research on predictors of online dating choices has found that:

A)physical attractiveness was the only factor that predicted online dating choices in both men and women.
B)physical attractiveness was the only factor that predicted online dating choices in men but not women.
C)physical attractiveness, wealth, and humor were the three best predictors of online dating choices in both men and women.
D)physical attractiveness, intelligence, and wealth were the three best predictors of online dating choices in both men and women.

Question 79

Which candidate for homecoming king is likely to be judged most attractive?

A)Jacob, whose face and body show slight bilateral asymmetry
B)Ethan, whose face and body show bilateral symmetry
C)Joshua, whose face shows slight bilateral asymmetry but whose body is bilaterally symmetrical
D)Daniel, whose face is bilaterally symmetrical but whose body is slightly bilaterally asymmetrical

Question 80

High testosterone level in males is related to having:

A)square body shape.
B)six-pack abs.
C)faces that approximate the average of the human population.
D)social dominance.