Question 1

A set of characteristics believed to be shared by all members of a social category is a ________.

Accepted Answer

A stereotype is a set of characteristics believed to be shared by all members of a social category. The other options are not accurate descriptions of this concept.

Question 2

A set of beliefs or expectations about something that is based on past experience is a ________.

Accepted Answer

A schema is a mental framework of beliefs and expectations based on past experience. It helps us organize and interpret new information, and can affect our perception and behavior. Perceptual norms refer to socially shared expectations about how people perceive things. A rationale is a reasoned explanation or justification for something. Projective influence refers to the possibility that our own psychological needs and emotions can influence our perception of the world around us.

Question 3

John's friends told him that Mary was the homecoming queen last year. Al's friends told him that Mary was not invited to any of her friends' parties last year. Both John and Al take Mary out on blind dates. Which of the following is the most likely outcome?

Accepted Answer

A

Question 4

Cognitive social psychologists call ready-made categories concerning people ________.

Accepted Answer

Schemata are the pre-existing categories or mental frameworks that help us organize and interpret information related to people and situations. Exemplars refer to specific examples of people or situations that exemplify a particular category. Formal operations refer to a stage of cognitive development in which individuals are able to think logically and systematically about abstract concepts. Rationales refer to the reasons or justifications behind a particular belief or action.

Question 5

An influential attribution theory was developed by ________.

Accepted Answer

Kelley developed the covariation model of attribution, which proposes that people make attributions based on three types of information: consistency, distinctiveness, and consensus.

Question 6

When Erika first met Bill, she found him to be very pleasant and likable. However, over the next few weeks she hears repeated stories of his rude and insensitive behavior toward others. In spite of that, she continues to view him as a nice person who is just "misunderstood." Her refusal to see that her initial impression of Bill was mistaken is most likely due to the ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When Erika first met Bill, she found...

Question 7

Judgments about whether a behavior is more revealing about a person or a situation have been studied under the heading of ________.

Accepted Answer

The concept of attributions refers to how people explain the causes of behavior. Attribution theory examines how people make judgments about the causes of behavior they observe, whether the behavior is due to internal factors (such as personality traits) or external factors (such as the situation).

Question 8

Lisa's friends have told her that Virginia is not very popular. Jane's friends have told her that Virginia is well liked. Both Lisa and Jane are assigned to work with Virginia on a class assignment. Which of the following is the most likely outcome?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Lisa's friends have told her that Virginia...

Question 9

When the expectations of one person bring about the expected behavior in another person, the expectation has become a(n) ________.

Accepted Answer

A self-fulfilling prophecy is when a person's expectation about someone else influences that person's behavior in a way that makes the expectation come true. Essentially, the person's expectation becomes a reality through their own actions or belief. This can have both positive and negative implications.

Question 10

The "Pygmalion effect" refers to findings that ________.

Accepted Answer

The Pygmalion effect refers to the phenomenon where teachers' expectations of their students can influence their academic performance.

Question 11

When pairs of participants played a competitive game, and researchers told one member of each pair that the other was either hostile or friendly, the players who were led to believe that their partner was hostile behaved ________.

Accepted Answer

This choice is correct because it reflects the phenomenon of self-fulfilling prophecy, where an individual's expectations about another person lead them to act in ways that cause the other person to confirm those expectations. In this case, believing the partner to be hostile leads to behaviors that actually provoke hostility in the partner, demonstrating how perceptions can shape social interactions.

Question 12

The collection and assessment of information about other people, so as to form first impressions and to try and understand their behavior is known as ________.

Accepted Answer

Social cognition is the process of collecting and assessing information about others in order to form first impressions and understand their behavior. The bystander effect refers to the phenomenon where people are less likely to help in an emergency situation when others are present. A response characteristic is a tendency to answer questions in a certain way that may not accurately reflect one's true beliefs or attitudes. Selective perception refers to the tendency to interpret information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or attitudes.

Question 13

According to Heider, we usually attribute someone's behavior to ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Heider, we usually attribute someone's...

Question 14

According to Kelley, we rely on ________ kinds of information to draw conclusions about the causes of behavior.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Kelley, we rely on ________...

Question 15

The so-called "Pygmalion effect" is a type of ________.

Accepted Answer

The Pygmalion effect is a self-fulfilling prophecy where an individual's expectations of another person's ability or performance influence that person's actual ability or performance.

Question 16

The extent to which the first information we receive about someone influences our impression of that person more than later information is called the ________.

Accepted Answer

The primacy effect refers to the tendency for the initial information we receive about someone to have a greater impact on our impression of them than subsequent information.

Question 17

Recent research suggests that in sorting people into categories, we are ________ likely to apply stereotyped schemata in a chance encounter than in a structured, task-oriented situation, and ________ likely to pay attention to individual signals than to stereotypes when we are pursuing a goal.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Recent research suggests that in sorting people...

Question 18

The scientific study of the way in which thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of one individual are affected by the real, imagined, or inferred characteristics or behavior of others is known as ________ psychology.

Accepted Answer

The definition provided describes the field of social psychology, which focuses on how individuals interact with and are influenced by others. Choice A, interpersonal psychology, is not a recognized field of psychology. Choice B, cognitive psychology, focuses on mental processes such as perception, attention, and memory. Choice C, environmental psychology, focuses on the interaction between individuals and their physical environment.

Question 19

A special kind of schema based on almost any distinguishing personal attribute is a ________.

Accepted Answer

A stereotype is a special kind of schema that is based on almost any distinguishing personal attribute, such as race, gender, age, religion, or occupation. Stereotypes are often negative and can lead to discrimination and prejudice.

Question 20

Research indicates that teachers' expectations of students ________.

Accepted Answer

Research findings have consistently shown that teachers' expectations of their students can have a powerful positive or negative effect on their performance. When teachers believe in their students’ academic abilities, their students are more likely to perform better. In contrast, when teachers have low expectations of their students, they are likely to underperform, and in turn fulfill the low expectations set for them. This phenomenon is called the Pygmalion effect or self-fulfilling prophecy.

Quiz 15: Social Psychology