Question 1

Amber and Jules are friends but differ in how neat they keep their rooms. According to personality psychologists, the distinction between the friends can be referred to as a(n) __________.

Accepted Answer

The distinction between Amber and Jules in terms of how neat they keep their rooms is a characteristic that varies between individuals and is therefore an individual difference. Option A (hypothesis) is not applicable in this context, as a hypothesis is a tentative explanation for a phenomenon that has yet to be fully tested. Option B (social influence) and option C (direct persuasion attempt) do not apply in this scenario, as there is no evidence of a direct influence or attempt to persuade either individual to change their behavior.

Question 2

"Are some people just better leaders than others?" Such a question about human nature is most likely to be asked by a __________.

Accepted Answer

Personality psychologists study the traits and characteristics that contribute to individual differences in behavior, including leadership abilities. Therefore, they are most likely to ask questions related to the inherent qualities that make some people better leaders than others.

Question 3

Social psychologists, as compared with personality psychologists, believe that by only paying attention to the influence of personality traits on behavior, one is ignoring what?

Accepted Answer

Social psychologists believe that personality traits alone cannot fully explain behavior, as social influence and situational factors also play a significant role in shaping behavior. Therefore, ignoring the role of social influence by focusing only on personality traits would be a limitation of the study.

Question 4

What is the role of folk wisdom in social psychology?

Accepted Answer

Folk wisdom often provides ideas or hypotheses for scientific investigation in social psychology. While not all folk wisdom may be accurate or useful, it can still inspire researchers to investigate certain phenomena or beliefs.

Question 5

Although the fields of sociology and social psychology are related, what distinguishes social psychology from the other?

Accepted Answer

Social psychology focuses on how individuals think, feel, and behave in social situations, emphasizing the influence of the immediate social environment on the individual. In contrast, sociology tends to focus on broader societal structures, processes, and issues, such as social classes, institutions, and cultural norms, without zeroing in on the individual's role within these contexts as closely as social psychology does.

Question 6

Why is a scientific approach preferable to reliance on folk wisdom and common sense?

Accepted Answer

Folk wisdom and common sense often contain contradictions, which can make them unreliable guides for understanding and predicting behavior. Scientific approaches, by contrast, rely on empirical evidence and systematic testing to build a more consistent and reliable body of knowledge.

Question 7

Compared to social psychologists, personality psychologists are more likely to focus their attention on __________.

Accepted Answer

Personality psychologists specialize in studying individual differences among people such as their traits, characteristics, and behaviors. Social psychologists, on the other hand, study how people interact with one another and how their behavior is influenced by social situations. Therefore, personality psychologists are more likely to focus on individual differences than social psychologists.

Question 8

Sometimes when we encounter behavior that is unpleasant or unexpected, we assume that something about the person-and not the situation-caused the behavior. In this sense, lay people are most like __________.

Accepted Answer

Personality psychologists focus on individual differences and how these influence behavior, which aligns with the tendency to attribute behavior to personal characteristics rather than situational factors.

Question 9

Like social psychologists, personality psychologists focus on __________.

Accepted Answer

C  Personality psychologists, like social psychologists, focus on individuals and individual differences, examining how these differences influence behavior and personality.

Question 10

Professor Takahami is a personality psychologist interested in divorce. Which question is she most likely to investigate?

Accepted Answer

As a personality psychologist, Professor Takahami would be interested in investigating whether some types of people are more likely to divorce than others based on their individual personalities and traits. This aligns with the focus of personality psychology on studying individual differences in behavior and traits. The other options may be of interest to other subfields of psychology, such as social psychology (A) or developmental psychology (D).

Question 11

Jamal was confused by his sister's relationship with her boyfriend. They just didn't seem to have anything in common. "Oh well," Jamal figured, "I guess opposites really do attract." Jamal's explanation is an example of __________.

Accepted Answer

Jamal's statement reflects common societal belief, which is an example of folk wisdom.

Question 12

How would a personality psychologist most likely explain the mass suicide in Jonestown?

Accepted Answer

Personality psychologists would likely focus on individual traits, such as instability, that might predispose people to join cults.

Question 13

Although the fields of personality psychology and social psychology are related, what distinguishes social psychology from the other?

Accepted Answer

Social psychology focuses on how social situations impact individuals' lives, whereas personality psychology focuses on individual differences and traits. Although they use rigorous scientific methods, both fields focus on the individual, so option A and C are incorrect. Option D is not accurate, as social psychology does examine the individuals within social situations.

Question 14

Shanika is an executive, and asked her assistant repeatedly to make some copies for her. The assistant repeatedly failed to successfully complete the assignment. If Shanika is thinking like a social psychologist about this situation, what is she most likely to think about her assistant?

Accepted Answer

Social psychologists are interested in understanding how people form attitudes and make decisions in social situations. In this case, Shanika is likely to consider the possibility that her assistant is under stress from something else, as she is interpreting the situation in context and not simply as a reflection of her assistant's character or abilities. This demonstrates a more nuanced approach to understanding human behavior and avoids making harsh judgments based on limited information.

Question 15

Justin isn't sure if he wants to date Mary, with whom he shares many similarities, or Emma, who is very different from him. His friend says, "Opposites attract," and advises him to date Emma. But his brother says, "Birds of a feather flock together," and suggests that he pursue Mary. This best exemplifies that __________.

Accepted Answer

Folk wisdom often contains contradictory sayings, as illustrated by the advice Justin receives, highlighting the variability and context-dependent nature of such wisdom.

Question 16

Social psychologists and personality psychologists share what common goal?

Accepted Answer

Both social psychologists and personality psychologists aim to understand the causes of human behavior, although they focus on different aspects such as social influences and individual traits, respectively.

Question 17

Rahid's server in the restaurant just can't seem to get his order right. If Rahid has just read Chapter 1 on social influence and is thinking more like a social psychologist than before, what would he be most likely to think?

Accepted Answer

By thinking like a social psychologist, Rahid would be more likely to consider situational factors that may be affecting the server's performance. He may think that the server could be having a bad morning or may be dealing with personal issues that are affecting their work. This aligns with the social psychological principle of situational attribution. Option A and D involve dispositional attribution and option B is not relevant to the situation at hand.

Question 18

Which of the following questions is most likely to be asked by a social psychologist?

Accepted Answer

Social psychologists are interested in understanding how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others, which includes how situations can affect behavior.

Question 19

Why is conducting research in social psychology so challenging?

Accepted Answer

Conducting research in social psychology is challenging because psychologists are attempting to predict the behavior of highly sophisticated organisms in complex situations. Social behavior is influenced by a multitude of factors, including environmental context, individual differences, and social norms. Therefore, it is difficult to isolate and measure the effect of any one particular variable. Additionally, social behavior is often nuanced and complex, making it difficult to draw clear conclusions from data.

Question 20

When a social psychologist discusses individual differences, she is discussing __________.

Accepted Answer

Individual differences in social psychology refer to differences in aspects of personality that make people differ from one another, such as their attitudes, beliefs, and values. This includes differences in factors like self-esteem, extraversion, and openness to experience. While genetic variation may play a role in some of these differences, the focus of social psychology is on the social and environmental influences that shape behavior and attitudes. Differences in how people respond in different situations and differences in how people behave in public versus private settings are more specific aspects of individual differences, rather than a broad definition of the concept itself.

Quiz 1: Introducing Social Psychology