Question 1

Why are highly accessible attitudes more likely to predict spontaneous behaviors than are less accessible attitudes?

Accepted Answer

Highly accessible attitudes are more likely to come to mind when a person is called on to act, making them more influential in predicting spontaneous behaviors.

Question 2

If you stand in the checkout line of any discount store, you'll see a very odd assortment of items on display: disposable razors, batteries, ballpoint pens, playing cards, trail mix, USB drives, and so on. Retailers call these items "impulse buys," meaning that although people may not come to the store looking for cards, pens, or trail mix, when they see them near the checkout, they'll buy them. An attitude researcher might say that people buy these items because __________.

Accepted Answer

The question is asking why people buy impulse items, and choice C states that attitudes toward these items may be highly accessible. Attitude accessibility refers to the ease and speed with which an attitude comes to mind. In the context of impulse buying, it suggests that people may have pre-existing positive attitudes toward these utilitarian items, which makes them more likely to purchase them without deliberation when they see them near the checkout. Choice A is incorrect because while emotions may be involved in attitude formation, it doesn't explain why people would buy these specific items at checkout. Choice B is incorrect because there is no evidence suggesting that people think about their social identity when making impulse purchases. Choice D is also incorrect because impulse buying is not a deliberative behavior.

Question 3

Your best friend Nina may or may not visit New York this weekend. According to the theory of planned behavior, what information would be most useful in helping you predict whether Nina will actually travel to New York?

Accepted Answer

According to the theory of planned behavior, an individual's intentions are the most important predictor of behavior. Therefore, Nina's intention to visit New York is the most useful information to predict whether she will actually travel there. While her attitude about traveling and attitude toward New York may be factors in her decision, her intention is the most important aspect to consider. Similarly, her intention to get away may be related to her decision to go to New York, but it is not as specific as her intention to actually visit that city.

Question 4

Based on research presented in your text about attitudes predicting behavior, it could be said that __________ attitudes best predict actual behavior.

Accepted Answer

According to research in the text, specific attitudes that are closely related to the behavior in question are the best predictors of actual behavior. General or abstract attitudes may not be directly related to a specific behavior and therefore may not strongly predict behavior. Intrinsic attitudes refer to attitudes that are based on personal values and beliefs, but this is not necessarily linked to the predictive power of an attitude towards a specific behavior.

Question 5

Based on the theory of planned behavior, who is most likely to follow through on the intention to buy new tires?

Accepted Answer

According to the theory of planned behavior, intentions are influenced by attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms (what others think), and perceived behavioral control (the belief that one can perform the behavior). In this scenario, all four individuals have a positive attitude toward buying new tires, but only Richie has a subjective norm and perceived behavioral control. His parents prioritize safety (subjective norm), and they are lending him the money to purchase the new tires (perceived behavioral control), which increases the likelihood that he will follow through on his intention to buy the tires.

Question 6

What type of attitudes best predict spontaneous behavior?

Accepted Answer

Highly accessible attitudes are those that come to mind quickly and easily, and therefore are most likely to predict spontaneous behavior.

Question 7

__________ is to predicting spontaneous behavior as __________ is to predicting deliberative behavior.

Accepted Answer

Attitude accessibility is the degree to which an attitude comes to mind easily and quickly, which is a good predictor of spontaneous behavior. Intention, on the other hand, is a conscious and deliberate decision to engage in a behavior, making it a good predictor of deliberative behavior. Affect refers to emotional responses, which can influence both spontaneous and deliberative behavior, while cognition refers to thinking processes, which are more closely linked to deliberative behavior. Dissonance reduction and self-perception are theories about how attitudes and behaviors are related, but they do not specifically refer to predicting behavior. Utility and social identity are also not specifically linked to predicting behavior.

Question 8

Tom is trying to quit smoking. His parents, siblings, wife, children, and his doctor have all emphasized to him how important it is for him to quit. According to the theory of planned behavior, what factor is most likely to interfere with Tom's forming a firm behavioral intention to quit?

Accepted Answer

Perceived behavior control refers to an individual's beliefs about their ability to perform the behavior in question, and it is a strong predictor of behavioral intention. If Tom does not believe that he has control over his ability to quit smoking, he may not form a firm intention to do so. While attitudes and subjective norms are also important factors in the theory of planned behavior, perceived behavior control is most likely to interfere with Tom's ability to form a firm intention to quit. Attitude accessibility is not a factor in the theory of planned behavior.

Question 9

Attitudes are of course an individual internal phenomenon, yet they are of tremendous interest to social psychologists. Why?

Accepted Answer

Social psychologists are interested in attitudes because attitude change is often due to social influence. This means that external factors such as other people and social norms can influence an individual's attitude, which has important implications for behavior and overall societal attitudes.

Question 10

The concept of subjective norms refers to people's __________.

Accepted Answer

Subjective norms refer to a person's beliefs about what important others (such as friends, family, or colleagues) will think of their behavior. It is believed that these beliefs can influence a person's attitudes and intentions towards a particular behavior. Option A refers to social norms, while option B and C do not accurately represent the concept of subjective norms.

Question 11

Raymond's attitude is more likely to be highly accessible if he has __________ the attitude object.

Accepted Answer

Attitudes that are formed through direct experience with the attitude object are more likely to be highly accessible. This means that the attitude can be easily and quickly retrieved from memory when needed. Therefore, if Raymond has more firsthand experience with the attitude object, his attitude is more likely to be highly accessible.

Question 12

According to the tenets of cognitive dissonance theory, people are most likely to change their attitudes when they have __________ justification for an attitude-discrepant behavior.

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that when individuals have insufficient external justification for behavior that contradicts their attitudes, they are more likely to change their attitudes to align with their behavior, reducing the dissonance.

Question 13

Researchers (Davidson & Jaccard, 1979) studied the relationship between women's attitudes and their use of the birth control pill. They found that the best predictor of whether women were using the birth control pill two years after reporting their attitudes was the women's __________.

Accepted Answer

Davidson & Jaccard (1979) found that the best predictor of women's use of the birth control pill two years after reporting their attitudes was their attitude toward using birth control pills during the two-year period. This highlights the importance of specific attitudes towards a behavior in predicting future behavior.

Question 14

Researchers (Davidson & Jaccard, 1979) studied the relationship between women's attitudes and their use of the birth control pill. The results of this study indicated that general attitudes were __________ of behavior.

Accepted Answer

The results of the study indicated that general attitudes towards birth control were poor predictors of actual behavior when it came to use of the pill.

Question 15

The theory of planned behavior states that the best predictors of deliberate behaviors are __________.

Accepted Answer

The theory of planned behavior posits that the best predictors of intentional behavior are attitudes toward the specific behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control. These factors shape a person's behavioral intentions, which in turn affect their behavior. Attitudinal factors include a person's beliefs and evaluations about the behavior, while subjective norms refer to the social pressure to behave in a certain way from others such as family, friends, and peers. Perceived behavior control refers to a person's perceived ability to perform the behavior. Together, these three factors provide a comprehensive framework for understanding deliberate behavior.

Question 16

Eva's friends and her husband think that it's important that she get a mammogram at her next annual checkup. Eva believes that it will be relatively easy for her to make time in her schedule for that extra procedure. Thus, Eva has every intention of getting a mammogram as part of her annual checkup. This example best reflects the power of __________ and __________, respectively, to influence behavioral intentions and subsequent behaviors.

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes how Eva's friends and husband are trying to influence her to get a mammogram, indicating the influence of subjective norms. Eva also believes that it will be easy for her to make time for the mammogram, showing her perceived behavioral control, which is a key factor in the Theory of Planned Behavior that influences behavioral intentions and subsequent behaviors. Therefore, the best choice is D - subjective norms and perceived behavioral control.

Question 17

Even though Mario dislikes roller coasters, he may decide to take a ride because his best friend really wants him to ride the new Tidal Wave. This example shows the importance of __________ on our behavioral decisions.

Accepted Answer

Subjective norms refer to the influence that others have on our behavior. In this case, Mario's best friend's desire to ride the roller coaster is affecting his decision to take a ride, despite his personal dislike of roller coasters.

Question 18

"Why did the chicken cross the road?" is most associated with __________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of "Why did the chicken cross the road?"...

Question 19

Social psychologists have found that attitudes do predict behavior, but only under certain specifiable conditions. One key factor is knowing whether the behavior in question is __________.

Accepted Answer

Attitudes are more likely to predict behavior when the behavior is deliberate rather than spontaneous. Deliberate behaviors allow for reflection on attitudes, making the connection between attitude and behavior stronger.

Question 20

The concept of __________ refers to the ease with which people believe that they can perform a behavior in question.

Accepted Answer

Perceived behavioral control refers to an individual's belief regarding how easy or difficult it is to perform a specific behavior. It is a key factor in the theory of planned behavior, and can influence an individual's intentions and subsequent behaviors.

Quiz 7: Attitudes and Attitude Change: Influencing Thoughts and Feelings