Question 1

If a person is being robbed or assaulted, he or she should yell, "Fire" in order to be noticed by others, since bystanders who might run away from a robbery or an assault may rush to see where the fire is.

Accepted Answer

Yelling "Fire" can attract more attention because people are generally more responsive to the perceived threat of a fire, which might prompt them to investigate or call for help.

Question 2

A prime example of the weapons effect is the fact that murders are more likely to occur in homes where guns are kept.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that the presence of a gun in a home increases the likelihood of homicide, with family members being the most common victims. This is known as the weapons effect, where the mere presence of a weapon increases aggression and violence.

Question 3

Alcohol causes relaxation and raises one's threshold to engage in aggression.

Accepted Answer

Alcohol lowers inhibitions and can decrease self-control, making individuals more likely to act on aggressive impulses rather than raising their threshold to engage in aggression.

Question 4

While male bullies are more likely to engage in direct aggression, female bullies tend to specialize in indirect aggression.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that while both male and female bullies engage in both direct and indirect aggression, females tend to use more indirect tactics such as spreading rumors and social exclusion. Male bullies are more likely to use physical aggression.

Question 5

Psychologists have succeeded in teaching some people to control their anger and aggressive impulses.

Accepted Answer

Psychologists have developed techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, relaxation training, and anger management programs that have helped individuals better manage their anger and aggressive behavior.

Question 6

More than 180 million humans were killed by other humans (an average of nearly one person every 18 seconds)during the 20th century.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. According to estimates, more than 180 million people were killed by other humans during the 20th century, which averages nearly one person every 18 seconds. These deaths were caused by wars, genocides, political purges, and other forms of violence.

Question 7

People who are not consciously prejudiced may continue to respond emotionally to members of other ethnic groups, which may reflect lingering stereotypes and prejudices learned in childhood.

Accepted Answer

Even if someone is not consciously aware of their prejudices and stereotypes, they may still have emotional responses to members of other ethnic groups that reflect these underlying biases. These emotions can stem from childhood experiences and environmental influence.

Question 8

According to Gordon Allport, if you show a negative attitude toward members of another group only because your friends or co-workers expect you to think about this group as they do, you are exhibiting a personal prejudice.

Accepted Answer

According to Gordon Allport, this scenario describes compliance or conformity to group norms rather than personal prejudice. Personal prejudice involves holding negative attitudes or emotions towards members of another group based on personal beliefs, not merely because of group expectations.

Question 9

Watching violent media on television and in video games tends to inhibit dangerous impulses in viewers because it allows these urges to be released in a safer setting.

Accepted Answer

This statement is not true. Research has found that exposure to violent media can actually increase aggressive and violent behavior in viewers, especially in children and adolescents. It does not serve as a safe outlet for dangerous impulses, but instead, can lead to the normalization and acceptance of violence as a solution to problems.

Question 10

Jane Elliot's experiment showed that it was possible in less than one day to get children to hate each other because of eye color and status inequalities.

Accepted Answer

This is true. Jane Elliot conducted her famous "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" experiment in 1968, in which she divided her class of third graders based on their eye color and told them that one group was superior and the other inferior. Within hours, the children began to display discrimination and animosity towards each other based solely on their perceived status inequality.

Question 11

The fact that we are biologically capable of aggression means that aggression is inevitable or a "part of human nature."

Accepted Answer

While humans are capable of aggression, it does not necessarily mean it is inevitable or a part of human nature. Human behavior is also influenced by social and environmental factors.

Question 12

The implicit association test assesses one's bias toward others regarding race, age, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and weight by measuring how long it takes a person to respond and categorize words.

Accepted Answer

The statement accurately describes the purpose and methodology of the implicit association test.

Question 13

Stereotypes are oversimplified images of people and often include a mixture of positive or negative qualities.

Accepted Answer

Stereotypes are oversimplified and usually involve a mixture of positive or negative traits.

Question 14

To limit one's anger, it helps to learn how to avoid problematic situations or think differently about them in the first place.

Accepted Answer

Learning to avoid problematic situations or changing one's perspective can help prevent triggers for anger and manage it more effectively.

Question 15

When people feel like they are being judged in terms of a stereotype, they experience anxiety, which lowers their performance and seemingly confirms the stereotype.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as the stereotype threat and extensive research has shown that individuals who are aware of stereotypes related to their group identity, and who perceive that they are being judged or evaluated based on those stereotypes, experience anxiety that can interfere with their performance. This can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy where the person's actual performance confirms the stereotype, thus perpetuating it further.

Question 16

After the election of 2008, the opposing camps of "red states and blue states" consisted of the "blues," which are supposed to be conservative and the "reds," which are supposed to be liberal.

Accepted Answer

This statement is incorrect. In fact, the "red states" are typically associated with conservative values and the "blue states" with liberal values.

Question 17

Aggression can occur in the absence of frustration.

Accepted Answer

While frustration can be a trigger for aggression, aggression can also be caused by other factors such as a desire for power or control, jealousy, or even boredom.

Question 18

Shared beliefs concerning superiority, injustice, vulnerability, and distrust are common triggers for hostility between groups.

Accepted Answer

Shared beliefs concerning superiority, injustice, vulnerability, and distrust are known to be common triggers for hostility between groups.

Question 19

Prejudice is defined as the unequal treatment of people who should have the same rights as others.

Accepted Answer

Prejudice is defined as a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience, rather than the unequal treatment of people, which is more accurately described as discrimination.

Question 20

Persons with authoritarian personalities often think they are superior to everyone who is different, not just other ethnic groups.

Accepted Answer

Persons with authoritarian personalities tend to have a general sense of superiority over those who are different from them, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, or other characteristics. This can manifest in prejudice towards a wide range of groups, not limited to a particular set of identities.

Quiz 17: Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior.