Deck 6: Perceiving and Interpreting Social Worlds

Question 1

What did Levy and Langer learn about memory retention in the study reported at the beginning of chapter 6?

A) Younger Americans remembered better than younger Chinese.
B) Younger Chinese remembered better than younger Americans.
C) Age had no impact whatever on the ability to remember activities.
D) Older hearing Americans remembered the least.
E) Older deaf Americans remembered the least.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Mindlessness is characterized by all of the following features EXCEPT:

A) a low IQ.
B) relying on old categories of experience.
C) following a predictable course.
D) inability to attend to new signals.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following statements is true of mindless interaction?

A) We are acting mindlessly when we use a familiar script to guide our actions.
B) We are acting mindlessly whenever we do something that is socially inappropriate or when we lack role competence.
C) We are acting mindlessly when we think carefully about what we should do next.
D) The more educated we are, the more likely we are to be mindless.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The ultimate goal of perception is:

A) deception.
B) disclosure.
C) accommodation.
D) competition.
E) sense making.

Question 5

The authors identify and develop four themes at the beginning of this chapter that they say are critical to perception. Which is NOT one of these themes?

A) Emotion
B) Motivation
C) Cognition
D) Gender

Question 6

What is the position of the authors regarding the role of emotion in perception?

A) Perceptions are about control, so emotion has no place in perception.
B) Emotions probably contribute to perception, but there is no evidence.
C) Emotion has no role at all in perception.
D) Research has shown that emotions influence perceptions.
E) All of the above

Question 7

The fabrication of memory is affected by ongoing events happening now as we try to remember. The authors cite the work of Gilbert who calls this phenomenon:

A) nowology.
B) presentism.
C) the revolving door of the mind.
D) the slippery cognition brain slope.

Question 8

In an experiment conducted by Loewenstein et al., students who took a five-item test were offered the answers or a candy bar. What did they do?

A) They refused both.
B) They chose the candy.
C) Half wanted the answers, and half wanted the candy.
D) All wanted the answers after completing the test.

Question 9

The mood congruity hypothesis states that when a memory is stored and then retrieved:

A) anger enhances memory.
B) length of time dulls memory regardless of emotion.
C) optimism enhances memory.
D) neutral emotional state enhances memory.
E) a match in emotion enhances memory.

Question 10

Moskowitz calls motivations that we are not aware of:

A) auto-motives.
B) self-reasoning.
C) self-goals.
D) auto-individualism.
E) autocracy.

Question 11

How does a clear goal or strong motivation affect perception?

A) A clear goal strengthens perception.
B) A clear goal weakens perception.
C) There are no effects that can be demonstrated.
D) A clear goal distracts from perception.

Question 12

In most situations we rely on stereotypes and categorical thinking rather than trying to derive new information. The authors call this:

A) the principle of least effort.
B) lazy thinking syndrome.
C) closed circuit thinking syndrome.
D) thinking inside the box.
E) the principle of least return.

Question 13

All of the following factors in the Krieger study enhanced mindfulness EXCEPT:

A) positive reasoning.
B) early cognitive commitment.
C) using a kaleidoscope perspective.
D) verbalizing thoughts and feelings.
E) using confident language.

Question 14

Which of the following statements accurately describes the difference between a prototype and an exemplar model of cognition?

A) A prototype is general; an exemplar is specific.
B) A prototype is specific; an exemplar is general.
C) Both are specific.
D) Both are general.
E) A prototype is a reality; an exemplar is an ideal.

Question 15

Which is NOT one of the four social cognition questions discussed in the text?

A) How does each participant view the situation?
B) What impressions do participants have of one another?
C) How good is their grasp of verbal and nonverbal languages?
D) What kind of relationship have the participants created?

Question 16

In which of the following situations will people be LEAST likely to pay close attention to their own and others' behavior and MOST likely to follow a script?

A) In a novel situation they have never encountered before
B) When external factors interrupt a sequence of behavior
C) When traditional scripts conflict
D) When the outcome of the interaction is exactly what they expected

Question 17

Jennifer won't even consider talking to Loren because one look at Loren's hair and clothes tells Jennifer that Loren must be snobbish and materialistic. This prediction about Loren's behavior is an example of using which of the following to guide perception?

A) A prototype
B) A stereotype
C) A script
D) A personal construct

Question 18

Don has never been to a really expensive restaurant before. He doesn't know what to do when the wine steward brings the wine. He lacks which of the following kinds of schemata?

A) A prototype
B) A stereotype
C) A script
D) A personal construct

Question 19

Jackie seeks out the same characteristics in all her friends. She looks for a good sense of humor, an outgoing personality, and ambition. Which kind of schemata is she using?

A) A prototype
B) A stereotype
C) A script
D) A personal construct

Question 20

Steve's roommate comes from Scarsdale. Steve just naturally assumes that the roommate will be wealthy and snobbish. In making this prediction about his roommate, Steve is converting a prototype into a:

A) stereotype.
B) script.
C) personal construct.
D) closed episode.

Question 21

Attending a religious service, taking part in a traditional wedding ceremony, or exchanging expected greetings are all examples of:

A) open episodes.
B) defined episodes.
C) closed episodes.
D) unscripted interactions.

Question 22

Dina has decided ahead of time that she doesn't like classical music, so she turns down an invitation to attend a concert in the Music School. Her behavior is an example of:

A) selective attention.
B) selective exposure.
C) mindless interaction.
D) a primacy effect.

Question 23

What is meant by naïve realism?

A) Our perceptions are an accurate reflection of reality.
B) Our perceptions seem real to us.
C) We deceive ourselves about the social world around us.
D) We are often wrong in our predictions.

Question 24

As people communicate, they work out an understanding of their relationship. This understanding guides the ways they interact. Such a relational definition is called a:

A) primacy effect.
B) open episode.
C) master contract.
D) personal construct.

Question 25

The definition of a relationship that guides recurring interaction of any dyad, according to Carson, is called:

A) a master contract.
B) a script.
C) covariance theory.
D) personal construct.

Question 26

If people are given information that it was a situation that caused the person to behave as he or she did, they will adjust their attribution away from internal causes within the personality of the other individual. The authors call this the:

A) the augmenting rule.
B) the forgiveness rule.
C) the least causality rule.
D) the discounting rule.

Question 27

If a situation discourages a behavior and the person exhibits the behavior anyway, this exemplifies:

A) the augmenting rule.
B) the forgiveness rule.
C) the least causality rule.
D) the discounting rule.

Question 28

A person's final judgment is almost always biased in the direction of his or her initial point of view. The authors call this phenomenon:

A) prejudicial cognitive syndrome.
B) overestimation bias.
C) underestimation bias.
D) proximity bias.
E) the anchoring effect.

Question 29

Another name for the overestimation bias based on snap judgments is:

A) brain ditching option .
B) anchoring the options.
C) wishful readiness.
D) spontaneous trait inference.

Question 30

When it comes to understanding the impact of situational information of perceptions, most people tend to do which of the following?

A) Underestimate importance of the situation
B) Overestimate importance of the situation
C) Always attend carefully to situational factors
D) Attend carefully to situational factors only in dealing with strangers
E) All of the above

Question 31

When we are explaining our own behavior, we tend to invoke what kind of explanation?

A) We base it on traits of our character.
B) A situational explanation
C) A cause-and-effect explanation
D) Justification
E) Refutation

Question 32

Assume a friend says to you, "I don't have a major yet, and I'm a sophomore. What if I never find out what I want to do?" Which of the following possible responses is a paraphrasing response?

A) Don't worry; you've got plenty of time to decide.
B) Make an appointment at Career Planning. They can help you.
C) Choosing a major is a big decision, and you're not sure which direction to take. You feel overwhelmed and scared right now.
D) All of the above.

Question 33

Our expectations can often affect what we perceive. For example, when I'm thinking of how hungry I am, I am likely to notice the smell of food. At other times, it escapes my notice. This is an example of a perception being primed.

Question 34

When Ellen Langer uses the term "mindless" to refer to someone's behavior, she means that the person's behavior is rude and impolite.

Question 35

We are most creative when we are in a state of mindlessness.

Question 36

There are times when it is to our advantage to act mindlessly.

Question 37

Failing to listen to what someone has to say because you think you won't agree is an example of selective attention.

Question 38

Interaction routines like gossiping, studying together, or going out for pizza are examples of social episodes.

Question 39

In open episodes, participants have no preconceived plan in mind and are free to take the episode in any direction.

Question 40

Open episodes are highly scripted.

Question 41

The belief that people who are intelligent are also responsible, serious, and quiet is called an implicit personality theory.

Question 42

Research shows that first impressions do not become stable until the second time that people interact.

Question 43

Research suggests that first impressions are solidly formed within the first 4-5 minutes of interaction.

Question 44

The tendency for first impressions to be lasting ones is known as the primacy effect.

Question 45

Self-monitoring is the ability to adapt one's self-presentation to the situation at hand.

Question 46

When faced with a social situation, people who are high self-monitors ask themselves, "Who am I, and how can I be true to my sense of who I am?"

Question 47

Paraphrasing is a listening technique that should be avoided because it makes others feel they are being ignored.

Question 48

When paraphrasing, it's important that you express content meaning while avoiding relational meaning.

Question 49

People often bias their attributions by attributing positive behavior by out-group members to situational rather than internal causes.

Question 50

When we explain our own behavior (as compared to the behavior of others), we often bias our attributions by assuming the cause for our behavior is due to the situation rather than to internal reasons.

Question 51

When we explain others' behavior (as opposed to our own behavior), we often bias our attributions by assuming the cause for their behavior is in their personalities rather than in the situation.

Question 52

Competitive attempts to control activity within an episode refer to defined episodes.

Question 53

What is an attribution? What kinds of biases often distort the attributions we make? How does this affect interpersonal communication?

Question 54

What are personal constructs? How are they related to a person's cognitive complexity? How can they affect interpersonal communication?

Question 55

Distinguish between "implicit personality theory" and "self-fulfilling prophecy." Give examples of each.

Question 56

Give an example of a prototype, a script, a stereotype, and several personal constructs you use often. How do these cognitive schemata affect your communication?

Question 57

Name the four social cognition questions that apply to any social interaction and explain what they mean.

Question 58

What are mindless interactions? Under what specific conditions are we more attentive?