Question 1

Which of the following statements regarding the impact of media violence is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

The majority of research evidence supports the social learning view of aggression, which suggests that individuals learn aggressive behaviors by observing them in media and then imitating them. This perspective is more widely supported in psychological research compared to the catharsis view, which posits that viewing aggressive or violent media can actually reduce aggressive tendencies by providing a safe outlet for aggressive feelings.

Question 2

Self-perception theory asserts that

Accepted Answer

Self-perception theory suggests that individuals determine their attitudes and feelings by observing their own behavior and the situation in which it occurs, rather than initially having a clear internal attitude. This means they infer what their attitudes must be in the same way they infer others' attitudes based on observed behaviors.

Question 3

Which of the following characteristics would be the least likely to enhance the persuasiveness of a communicator?

Accepted Answer

Directive communication styles, which involve telling the audience exactly what to do, can sometimes be perceived as controlling or authoritarian, potentially reducing the persuasiveness of the communicator. In contrast, attractiveness, likability, similarity to the audience, and moderate fear arousal are generally associated with increased persuasiveness.

Question 4

If an individual sees a member of an out-group as threatening, it is expected that the ________ will show more activation.

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is involved in the processing of emotions, such as fear and aggression, and plays a role in how we assess threats. When an individual perceives a member of an out-group as threatening, the amygdala is likely to show increased activation due to its role in evaluating potential threats and generating emotional responses.

Question 5

The text makes an important distinction between ___________, which refers to a negative attitude toward people based on their membership in a group, and ___________, which is concerned with actually treating people unfairly based on their group membership.

Accepted Answer

Prejudice refers to a negative attitude or feeling toward a person based on their membership in a particular group, while discrimination involves actions or behaviors that treat people unfairly because of their group membership.

Question 6

To make it psychologically easier to aggress toward others, the aggressor may blame the victim for imagined wrongs and become convinced that the victim "deserves it." This type of cognition is known as a

Accepted Answer

This type of cognition is known as self-justification, where the aggressor rationalizes their harmful actions by blaming the victim, thus making it psychologically easier to commit the aggression by believing the victim deserves the negative treatment.

Question 7

Consider the following scenario: when discussing her recent grades, Sherri indicated that she did very well in Math and attributes her success to studying very hard. Even though she studied equally hard for Chemistry, Sherri failed the exam but explains this failure in terms of her unfair professor. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

Sherri's reasoning illustrates self-serving bias, where she attributes her success to her own efforts (internal factors) but blames her failure on external factors (unfair professor), thus protecting her self-esteem.

Question 8

One of the following findings is FALSE regarding the response of White males presented with light-toned and dark-toned versions of Black faces and dark-toned and light-toned White faces. Their amygdala became

Accepted Answer

The amygdala, a region of the brain associated with emotional responses, has been found to become more active in response to Black faces compared to White faces, regardless of the tone of the White faces. This suggests a specific response to racial features rather than skin tone alone.

Question 9

Results from the Irwin and Gross study examining the impact of two different video games on aggressive behaviour obtained all of the following results for boys who played the violent video games EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

The answer of Results from the Irwin and Gross study...

Question 10

A man shows little or no reaction when other individuals provoke him. This continues for many years until finally one evening, he almost kills his neighbour after she unlocks the door to her apartment "too loudly." According to Megargee, this man would be said to have overcontrolled hostility and provides evidence most consistent with the __________ model of aggression.

Accepted Answer

The psychodynamic model of aggression, as proposed by Freud and later expanded by others like Megargee, suggests that aggression is an instinctual drive that can be repressed but may eventually manifest in explosive ways if overcontrolled. This model best explains the scenario where a man shows no reaction to provocation for years but then suddenly reacts violently to a minor trigger.

Question 11

Which of the following statements regarding the results of the Irwin and Gross study examining the impact of video games on child aggression is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

The Irwin and Gross study found that children who played a violent video game displayed more aggression than those who played a nonviolent game, and this difference in aggression was not attributed to differences in excitement levels between the games.

Question 12

After Gerri reluctantly agreed to type her boyfriend's psychology term paper, he told her it might actually be 75 pages long. Gerri appears to be a potential victim of

Accepted Answer

The low-ball technique involves initially presenting a request or deal that seems very reasonable or attractive, and then, after gaining agreement, making the terms less favorable. In this scenario, Gerri's boyfriend first gets her agreement to type his paper, which she might have assumed to be of a reasonable length, and then reveals it to be potentially 75 pages long, making the task much more onerous than initially understood.

Question 13

Based on the findings of Milgram's research, which of the following led to the greatest decrease in harmful obedience in the study?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Based on the findings of Milgram's research,...

Question 14

Which of the following was mentioned as one of the ways that media violence can increase the likelihood of aggressive behaviour?

Accepted Answer

Viewers can learn new aggressive behaviors through modeling, according to social learning theory, which suggests that people can learn new behaviors by observing others, including behaviors depicted in media.

Question 15

You are conducting a conformity experiment patterned after the one utilized by Solomon Asch. Under which of the following conditions would you expect conformity to be the highest (i.e., the most people will conform)?

Accepted Answer

Conformity tends to increase with the number of people in a group up to a certain point, with studies like Solomon Asch's indicating that conformity rates increase as the number of confederates increases, peaking around three to four confederates.

Question 16

People are most likely to aggress against another person when they perceive that the other person's behaviour was

Accepted Answer

People are most likely to aggress against another person when they perceive that the other person's behavior was intended and controllable, as this suggests a deliberate action to harm or disadvantage, triggering a stronger aggressive response.

Question 17

Which of the following is least likely to be emphasized by a theorist taking a social learning view of aggressive behaviour?

Accepted Answer

Social learning theory emphasizes learning through observation, imitation, and modeling, rather than vicarious discharge of aggressive impulses, which is more aligned with catharsis theory.

Question 18

All of the following were mentioned as cognitive factors that influence whether we respond aggressively to provocation EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

Provocation is a situational factor, not a cognitive one. Cognitive factors like attribution of intentionality, the ability to regulate emotions, and empathy influence how we interpret and respond to situations, including whether we react aggressively.

Question 19

According to Freud, performing an act of aggression discharges aggressive energy and temporarily reduces our tendency to aggress. This is the principle of ________________.

Accepted Answer

Freud's concept of catharsis refers to the release of emotional tension through activities or experiences, such as expressing aggression, which in turn reduces the impulse to act aggressively. This principle suggests that engaging in an act of aggression can temporarily alleviate aggressive urges by discharging pent-up aggressive energy.

Question 20

Suppose that someone has just opened a new night club and you freely choose to carry a big, obnoxious, heavy sign advertising this business around campus for three hours on a very hot day. According to _____________, you would probably rate this activity as the most enjoyable (or the least boring) if someone paid you _____ to do it.

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that when there is a discrepancy between beliefs and behaviors, individuals will adjust their beliefs to reduce the dissonance. Being paid only $1 for a disagreeable task would lead to greater dissonance than being paid $25, thus one would be more likely to rationalize the activity as enjoyable to justify the effort for such little reward.

Quiz 13: Behaviour in a Social Context