Question 1

The act of putting people into categories results in:

Accepted Answer

When categories are constructed, people within each category are assumed to be similar to each other in important ways. However, this assumption can lead to underestimating the variability within categories. People within categories are actually quite diverse and have their unique characteristics, talents, personalities, and behaviors. Therefore, putting people into categories can be simplifying and invalidating their uniqueness.

Question 2

Because Canada and the United States are different countries,people are likely to _____ the distance between Toronto,Ontario,and Ottawa,Ontario,and _____ the distance between Toronto,Ontario,and Detroit,Michigan.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Because Canada and the United States are...

Question 3

Suppose that students were given two tests.Before the tests,students were told that men usually do better than women do on test A but not on test B.Which set of results would be predicted by the literature on stereotype threats?

Accepted Answer

The literature on stereotype threats suggests that when there is a stereotype that a particular group (in this case, women) will perform poorly on a test, this can lead to anxiety and decreased performance. Therefore, it is likely that women would perform more poorly than men on test A, which has been specifically identified as a test on which men typically perform better. However, since women were told that men do not typically perform better on test B, this may reduce the impact of the stereotype threat and lead to similar performance between men and women on that test. Therefore, the best choice is D, where women perform more poorly than men on test A but do just as well on test B.

Question 4

The fear of confirming negative beliefs that others may hold is termed:

Accepted Answer

The term "fear of confirming negative beliefs that others may hold" refers to the stereotype threat, which is the fear that a person's behavior or performance will confirm a negative stereotype about their group. Option A, self-fulfilling prophecy, refers to a belief or expectation that leads to its own fulfillment, while option B, perceptual confirmation, refers to the tendency to interpret information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs. Option C, informational influence, refers to the influence that others' opinions or suggestions can have on our own beliefs or behavior.

Question 5

The tendency for people to see what they expect to see is termed:

Accepted Answer

Perceptual confirmation refers to the tendency for people to see and notice information that confirms their expectations or beliefs. This can lead to overlooking or dismissing information that goes against their expectations. The other options all refer to different psychological concepts. The self-fulfilling prophecy is the idea that expectations can influence behavior and outcomes; change blindness refers to the difficulty in detecting changes in visual stimuli; and correspondence bias (also known as the fundamental attribution error) is the tendency to overemphasize dispositional (personality) factors and overlook situational factors when explaining others' behavior.

Question 6

When Jimmy was growing up,his parents frequently told him he was "no good" and wouldn't amount to anything.Jimmy grew up to be a bitter,angry,destructive adult.His parents said,"We always knew this would happen." This result is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Jimmy's parents created a self-fulfilling prophecy by constantly telling him he was "no good" and wouldn't amount to anything. This negative messaging likely influenced Jimmy's behavior and attitudes, leading to a bitter, angry, and destructive adulthood. In this way, Jimmy's parents' beliefs and expectations of their son became reality, exemplifying the self-fulfilling prophecy phenomenon.

Question 7

Which statement about stereotypes is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

Stereotypes can be inaccurate, automatic, and self-perpetuating, so statement B is false. While stereotypes may not be useful or productive for creating individualistic and accurate perceptions of individuals or groups, they still exist and can have harmful effects.

Question 8

The belief that men have greater upper body strength than do women:

Accepted Answer

While it is generally true that men have greater upper body strength than women, it is not an absolute rule. There are many individual differences in strength within each sex, and therefore it is only accurate to say that men are, on average, stronger than women in their upper body.

Question 9

Which statement BEST illustrates overestimating the variability between categories?

Accepted Answer

This statement overestimates the variability between categories by making a broad generalization about two large and diverse groups based on a single trait (intelligence scores). It ignores the many individual differences within each group and the many other factors that contribute to intelligence.

Question 10

Which statement BEST illustrates overestimating the variability between categories?

Accepted Answer

This statement represents overestimating the variability between categories because it suggests that all artists vote Democrat and all business leaders vote Republican, when in reality there is likely to be a significant amount of variation within each group.

Question 11

When a person clearly disconfirms an observer's stereotype,the observer may create a new subcategory in order to retain the stereotype.This behaviour is called:

Accepted Answer

Subtyping refers to the creation of new subcategories within a stereotype in order to accommodate individuals who disconfirm the stereotype. This allows the observer to maintain their overall belief in the stereotype while still acknowledging exceptions to the rule. Stereotype plasticity is not a commonly used term in psychology. Cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort experienced when holding two conflicting beliefs or attitudes. Flex-typing is not a recognized term in psychology.

Question 12

Which statement BEST illustrates underestimating the variability within a category?

Accepted Answer

B) implies a generalization about the socioeconomic backgrounds of professional football players, underestimating the variability within the group by suggesting most come from a similar background.

Question 13

Much of what people know about the members of human categories is:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Much of what people know about the...

Question 14

Which statement BEST describes the concept of stereotype threat?

Accepted Answer

Stereotype threat refers to the phenomenon where individuals experience anxiety and decreased performance when reminded of negative stereotypes about their group. This can happen when individuals are in situations where they feel their performance is being evaluated. For example, a woman taking a math test may experience stereotype threat if she is reminded of the stereotype that women are not as good at math as men. This anxiety can lead to decreased performance, which may then confirm the stereotype in the minds of others.

Question 15

Professor Rose,who believes that women are innately unsuited for science,is much more likely to notice the mistakes of his female lab assistants than the mistakes of his male lab assistants.His behaviour is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Perceptual confirmation is the tendency to notice and remember information that confirms our beliefs or expectations, while ignoring or forgetting information that contradicts them. In this case, Professor Rose's belief that women are unsuited for science causes him to selectively notice and remember the mistakes of his female lab assistants more than the mistakes of his male lab assistants. This is an example of perceptual confirmation.

Question 16

An example of perceptual confirmation is taking particular notice of a(n):

Accepted Answer

Perceptual confirmation is when we only notice or pay attention to things that confirm our stereotypes or expectations. This example fits that definition because it assumes that all Latinos are good dancers and therefore, someone may only take notice of a Latino who is a good dancer. The other options do not necessarily fit the definition of perceptual confirmation.

Question 17

An error associated with stereotyping is that people tend to _____ the variability within a category and _____ the variability between categories.

Accepted Answer

The error associated with stereotyping is that people tend to underestimate the variability within a category and overestimate the variability between categories. This means that individuals tend to assume that all members of a particular group are the same, while also assuming that there are substantial differences between different groups.

Question 18

Which statement BEST illustrates underestimating the variability within a category?

Accepted Answer

Statement C best illustrates underestimating the variability within a category by suggesting a uniform personality trait distribution among all artists, ignoring the individual differences that exist within any group.

Question 19

A phenomenon whereby people behave as they are expected to behave is called:

Accepted Answer

The self-fulfilling prophecy is a phenomenon in which people's beliefs and expectations about others can lead them to behave in ways that fulfill those expectations. This can result in a cycle of reinforcement where the initial beliefs are reinforced by subsequent behavior.

Question 20

There are 1,000 members of group A and 100 members of group B in the community.Nine hundred members of group A and 90 members of group B routinely engage in acts benefitting the community.One hundred members of group A and 10 members of group B routinely engage in criminal acts.Which occurrence will MOST likely be remembered?

Accepted Answer

The occurrence of one member of group B engaging in a criminal act is more likely to be remembered because it is a rare and negative event, and people tend to pay more attention to negative events than positive ones. Additionally, the smaller size of group B makes the event more salient as a percentage of their overall group.

Quiz 13: Social Psychology

The act of putting people into categories results in:

Because Canada and the United States are different countries,people are likely to _ the distance between Toronto,Ontario,and Ottawa,Ontario,and _ the distance between Toronto,Ontario,and Detroit,Michigan.

Suppose that students were given two tests.Before the tests,students were told that men usually do better than women do on test A but not on test B.Which set of results would be predicted by the literature on stereotype threats?

The fear of confirming negative beliefs that others may hold is termed:

The tendency for people to see what they expect to see is termed:

When Jimmy was growing up,his parents frequently told him he was "no good" and wouldn't amount to anything.Jimmy grew up to be a bitter,angry,destructive adult.His parents said,"We always knew this would happen." This result is an example of:

Which statement about stereotypes is FALSE?

The belief that men have greater upper body strength than do women:

Which statement BEST illustrates overestimating the variability between categories?

Which statement BEST illustrates overestimating the variability between categories?

When a person clearly disconfirms an observer's stereotype,the observer may create a new subcategory in order to retain the stereotype.This behaviour is called:

Which statement BEST illustrates underestimating the variability within a category?

Much of what people know about the members of human categories is:

Which statement BEST describes the concept of stereotype threat?

Professor Rose,who believes that women are innately unsuited for science,is much more likely to notice the mistakes of his female lab assistants than the mistakes of his male lab assistants.His behaviour is an example of:

An example of perceptual confirmation is taking particular notice of a(n) :

An error associated with stereotyping is that people tend to _ the variability within a category and _ the variability between categories.

Which statement BEST illustrates underestimating the variability within a category?

A phenomenon whereby people behave as they are expected to behave is called: