Question 1

Kunda and her colleagues (1993)asked students to consider whether they were happy with their social life.The students searched their memories for positive examples and ended up feeling happier.This case illustrates how ____________ can appear when people evaluate themselves.

Accepted Answer

This case illustrates confirmation bias, where individuals tend to search for, interpret, and remember information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs or feelings. In this scenario, students focused on positive memories, reinforcing their sense of happiness with their social life.

Question 2

Compared to non-depressed people,depressed people are more likely to attribute their failures and setbacks to causes that are

Accepted Answer

Depressed people are more likely to attribute their failures and setbacks to internal causes, such as personal flaws or weaknesses, rather than external or situational factors. This tendency is known as the "attributional style" of depression, and it can contribute to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. Depressed individuals may also perceive negative events as stable and unlikely to change, further exacerbating their sense of despair. While unstable and specific causes may also influence attributions, they are not as strongly associated with depression.

Question 3

Depressed moods can lead to

Accepted Answer

Depressed moods can be contagious, and influence the moods of those around the depressed person leading them to also experience negative moods. This is known as reciprocal depression. A, B, and D are all incorrect as depressed moods generally lead to a shift towards more negative thinking patterns and memories, and a pessimistic view of the future, and self-blame.

Question 4

Maxwell,a first-year university student,suffers from chronic depression.After learning that he has performed poorly on his chemistry test,he is most likely to say,

Accepted Answer

Maxwell's statement reflects a negative self-image and a belief that he is inadequate. This type of thinking is common in individuals with depression and is known as negative self-talk. Option A suggests that the test was flawed and does not reflect Maxwell's actual knowledge, which may or may not be true but is unlikely to be helpful in this situation. Option B assumes that the professor's grading is unfair without any evidence to support this claim. Option D is a form of cognitive distortion known as "mind reading," where one assumes what others think or feel without evidence. Option C is the most appropriate as it acknowledges Maxwell's negative thoughts and beliefs about himself and provides an opportunity for him to challenge them.

Question 5

Explanatory style refers to

Accepted Answer

Explanatory style refers to one's habitual way of explaining life events, including whether one tends to explain events optimistically or pessimistically.

Question 6

Which of the following does not belong?

Accepted Answer

Negative explanatory style, global attribution, and stable attribution are all related to the concept of attributional style, which refers to how individuals explain the causes of events or behaviors. External attribution, on the other hand, is not a component of attributional style but rather refers to attributing the cause of an event or behavior to factors outside of oneself (i.e. external factors).

Question 7

Greg just watched his baseball team badly lose a game.When asked to predict how he was going to perform later that evening during a card game,Greg most likely

Accepted Answer

Greg is likely to experience a decrease in his mood after watching his team badly lose the game. This could lead to impaired performance during his card game later that evening.

Question 8

Based on what you know about social cognition and depression,which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Based on what you know about social...

Question 9

Explaining life events in terms of factors that are stable,global,and internal is a ___________ explanatory style.

Accepted Answer

The Stable-Global-Internal (S-G-I) explanatory style is associated with negative thinking patterns and is characterized by a belief that negative events are long-lasting (stable), impact all areas of life (global), and are caused by personal flaws (internal).

Question 10

Jane,a college senior,is mildly depressed.Asked to describe herself,she notes both her positive and negative qualities.She recalls both past successes and failures and takes personal responsibility for both.Jane clearly illustrates the _______________ effect.

Accepted Answer

The "sadder-but-wiser" effect is when people who have gone through negative experiences (such as failure or sadness) become more aware of their own abilities and limitations. They take personal responsibility for their actions and are more realistic in their self-assessment, which is illustrated by Jane's description of herself.

Question 11

Which of the following attributions regarding a failure or a setback illustrates the global quality of a depressed person's explanatory style?

Accepted Answer

A global attribution implies that the person believes the failure will affect many areas of their life, not just the specific situation, which is reflected in choice D.

Question 12

University students who have depressed roommates tend to become

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that students who have depressed roommates are more likely to become depressed themselves.

Question 13

The work of Alloy and Abramson in studying how depressives view the extent of their personal control over events provides evidence of the phenomenon known as

Accepted Answer

Alloy and Abramson's research supports the idea of depressive realism, which suggests that depressive individuals have a more accurate and realistic understanding of their level of control over events, rather than being overly optimistic or pessimistic. This concept contrasts with the idea of learned helplessness (D), which suggests that individuals who have experienced repeated failures may learn to feel helpless and have a lack of control over events, leading to a pessimistic outlook. Pessimistic exaggeration (B) is not a common term in research on depression and personal control, and does not describe the specific phenomenon addressed by Alloy and Abramson.

Question 14

Compared to depressed people,normal people

Accepted Answer

Normal people often exhibit what is known as the "illusion of control," where they overestimate their ability to control events around them, compared to depressed individuals who may have a more realistic, but sometimes overly negative, view of their control over situations.

Question 15

Strack and Coyne found that depressed people were realistic in thinking that other people

Accepted Answer

Strack and Coyne's research indicated that depressed individuals accurately perceived that others did not appreciate their behavior, reflecting a realistic understanding of social interactions.

Question 16

The tendency of mildly depressed people to make accurate rather than self-serving judgments,attributions,and predictions defines

Accepted Answer

The tendency of mildly depressed people to make accurate rather than self-serving judgments, attributions, and predictions is known as depressive realism. This is because individuals with depression tend to have a more realistic outlook on their life circumstances and the likelihood of positive outcomes, rather than having a tendency towards self-enhancement bias as seen in non-depressed individuals. Therefore, the correct answer is B - depressive realism.

Question 17

Colette is seeking a therapist.Based on the material in the text,Colette should make sure that the therapist

Accepted Answer

The text highlights the importance of therapists being aware of their own potential for "illusory thinking" and biases. Therefore, Colette should make sure that the therapist she chooses is actively guarding against this tendency.

Question 18

Dwayne believes that smiling during lectures helps him get better grades than he would otherwise get.Jake believes that smiling has no effect.Which of the following statements about Dwayne and Jake is most reasonable?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Dwayne believes that smiling during lectures helps...

Question 19

According to the text,an important implication of the research on illusory thinking is that

Accepted Answer

The text states that research psychologists must test their preconceptions before propounding them as truth. This is because illusory thinking can lead researchers to false conclusions if they do not critically examine their assumptions and pre-existing beliefs. Therefore, the implication of the research on illusory thinking is that researchers must be diligent in testing and retesting their theories in order to avoid biases and inaccuracies in their research. The text does not support choices A, B, or D.

Question 20

Which of the following best illustrates an internal attribution for a failure or setback?

Accepted Answer

"It's my fault" is an internal attribution because it places responsibility for the failure or setback on oneself rather than external factors.

Quiz 14: Social Psychology in the Clinic

Kunda and her colleagues (1993) asked students to consider whether they were happy with their social life.The students searched their memories for positive examples and ended up feeling happier.This case illustrates how ____________ can appear when people evaluate themselves.