Question 1

____ works on the assumption that a person's attitude toward helping others might fare better if his or her behavior is not measured by a single test. ​

Accepted Answer

Behavioral aggregation is the concept that suggests a person's behavior is more accurately measured over a variety of situations rather than from a single instance. This approach assumes that by looking at a broader range of behaviors, a more accurate assessment of a person's attitudes, such as their willingness to help others, can be made.

Question 2

According to cognitive dissonance theory, if Selena has just volunteered to give a presentation to her classmates about the importance of practicing safe sex at all times, then-at least in the immediate future-what best describes her likely behavior?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that when individuals advocate for a behavior, they are more likely to align their own beliefs and behaviors with the advocacy to reduce dissonance. Therefore, Selena is likely to both practice safe sex and believe in its importance after giving a presentation on the topic.

Question 3

George is supposed to give a presentation in his History class on Thursday and has been dreading it intensely all month (his knowledge of the topic is shaky and so is his presentation style). On Wednesday, the day before the presentation is scheduled, George's teacher, Ms. Torres, tells him that he can present the following week if he likes. Instead of taking Ms. Torres up on this offer, however, George says that he will go ahead and present the next day. Why?

Accepted Answer

George's decision to go ahead with the presentation, despite his initial dread, suggests that he might have addressed his nervousness and concerns by adjusting his attitudes or beliefs about the presentation or his ability to handle it. This choice reflects a psychological coping mechanism where confronting a fear or challenge directly can sometimes be a way to overcome it, rather than avoiding it.

Question 4

A study (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1977)conducted to defend attitudes as a construct predictive of behavior found that if you want to predict who will give blood, you should place which of the following statements on your attitude measure? (Assume a five-point Likert scale anchored by strongly disagree to strongly agree.)​

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) by Ajzen and Fishbein, which posits that the best predictor of a behavior is the intention to perform the behavior, which in turn is influenced by the attitude toward the behavior and subjective norms. Option D ("I believe giving blood is the right thing for me to do.") directly links the attitude to the specific behavior of giving blood, making it the most predictive of actual behavior according to the theory.

Question 5

Alex just bought a car last month and it is already having major mechanical problems. In which of the following cases is Alex least likely to experience cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance is less likely when the decision aligns with social support and the financial stakes are lower, as in option D.

Question 6

Suppose that Janine-who volunteers for a variety of environmental causes and frequently speaks on campus about the importance of recycling-decided to buy a gas-guzzling SUV last week. When is she most likely to try to rationalize her behavior? ​

Accepted Answer

Janine is most likely to try to rationalize her behavior if she experiences guilt or discomfort surrounding her purchase. This is because her action (buying a gas-guzzling SUV) conflicts with her beliefs and values (environmental causes and the importance of recycling), leading to cognitive dissonance. To reduce this discomfort, she might try to justify her decision.

Question 7

Iris is a vegetarian, but she ate a steak last night. When would she be most likely to try to rationalize her steak-eating?

Accepted Answer

Iris would be most likely to try to rationalize her steak-eating if she chose to eat the steak and feels guilty or nervous and attributes these feelings to the steak eating. This scenario involves cognitive dissonance, where her actions (eating steak) conflict with her beliefs (being a vegetarian), leading to discomfort that she would try to alleviate through rationalization.

Question 8

Conservatives tend to rely on conservative media outlets while liberals tend to rely on media outlets. What is this phenomenon called?

Accepted Answer

Selective exposure is the phenomenon where individuals prefer information that aligns with their pre-existing beliefs and attitudes, leading to a tendency among conservatives to consume conservative media and liberals to consume liberal media.

Question 9

In one well-known study that was conducted during an era of anti-Chinese prejudice (LaPiere, 1934), a researcher drove across the United States with a Chinese couple, stopping at dozens of restaurants, hotels, auto camps, and tourist homes. He was interested in attitude-behavior consistency. Specifically, he was interested in knowing the percentage of establishments that would serve the couple, as well as the percentage of establishments that would say that they would serve the couple when contacted later. What did he find?

Accepted Answer

LaPiere's study found that nearly 100% of the establishments served the Chinese couple during their travels, but when contacted later and asked if they would serve Chinese people, only about 10% said they would. This highlighted a significant discrepancy between expressed attitudes and actual behavior.

Question 10

The need to feel that one is thinking and behaving in consistent ways is ____. ​

Accepted Answer

The need for consistency is likely rooted in our biological nature, as it is a fundamental aspect of human psychology and behavior across cultures.

Question 11

Much research has demonstrated a weak link between (a)what people say their attitudes are and (b)how they actually behave. One of the key reasons that this relationship is so weak, however, is the fact that researchers have often ____.

Accepted Answer

A very general attitude might not predict a very specific behavior accurately because the broad nature of the attitude does not account for the nuances and specific contexts that influence specific behaviors.

Question 12

According to the text, the drive for consistency is ____. ​

Accepted Answer

The drive for consistency is likely rooted in our biological nature, as it helps in organizing our thoughts and actions, making our behavior more predictable and understandable both to ourselves and to others. This drive is fundamental and not limited to conscious processes; it also involves the unconscious mind, making option B incorrect. Additionally, the text does not specify that this drive is more prevalent in one type of culture over another, making options C and D incorrect.

Question 13

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)meetings are "self-help" meetings comprised of people who are recovering from alcohol-related problems. These meetings employ a number of practices designed to keep people away from alcohol. Which of the practices listed below is most consistent with the research on cognitive dissonance theory and attitude change? That is, which of the following would a cognitive dissonance theorist be most likely to applaud?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that when there is a discrepancy between one's beliefs and one's actions, it creates discomfort, leading individuals to change their attitudes or behaviors to reduce this dissonance. Publicly stating that they have an alcohol problem can create a situation where individuals feel a need to align their actions (avoiding alcohol) with their publicly stated position, thus supporting attitude and behavior change towards recovery.

Question 14

Suppose that Rachel sold one of her stocks last week and that the value of the stock has tripled since then. What a mistake! In which of the following cases is Rachel most likely to experience cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person's beliefs or actions are inconsistent with each other, leading to discomfort. In option A, Rachel is likely to experience cognitive dissonance because she made a decision against professional advice, which resulted in a negative outcome (the stock's value tripling after she sold it). This situation directly pits her action (selling the stock) against the advice she received (to keep it), likely causing significant psychological discomfort.

Question 15

Which term refers to the idea that while attitudes and behavior may not match in a single instance, they will tend to match up over a number of instances?

Accepted Answer

Behavioral aggregation is the concept that suggests while attitudes and behaviors may not align in a single instance, over multiple instances, they tend to correlate more strongly. This idea posits that by looking at behaviors aggregated over time, a more accurate picture of an individual's attitude can be discerned.

Question 16

In light of the research on cognitive dissonance theory, what is the best explanation for the role of large, expensive marriage ceremonies?

Accepted Answer

Large, expensive marriage ceremonies likely strengthen commitment through effort justification, as individuals rationalize the effort and resources spent on the ceremony by valuing the relationship more. Additionally, the public commitment in front of friends and family may discourage behaviors inconsistent with the commitment, such as cheating, by increasing social and personal accountability.

Question 17

In one well-known study that was conducted during an era of anti-Chinese prejudice (LaPiere, 1934), a researcher drove across the United States with a Chinese couple, stopping at dozens of restaurants, hotels, auto camps, and tourist homes. He was interested in knowing the percentage of establishments that would serve the couple, as well as the percentage of establishments that would SAY that they would serve the couple when contacted later. The results from this research provided some of the first evidence of ____.

Accepted Answer

LaPiere's study showed a discrepancy between what people said they would do and their actual behavior, highlighting that people's stated attitudes may not always align with their actions.

Question 18

Deepa has finally decided where to attend graduate school-University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After she has informed all the schools of her final decision, she begins to question her choice. However, she immediately focuses on all the reasons Illinois was the best choice for her and better than her other options by far. This reassures her and makes her happy again. Deepa's feeling of uncertainty and subsequent motivation to justify her choice is an example of ____.

Accepted Answer

Deepa's experience is an example of post-decision dissonance, a psychological phenomenon where individuals experience discomfort or doubt after making a difficult decision. To reduce this dissonance, they often emphasize the positive aspects of the chosen option and devalue the alternatives, as Deepa did by focusing on the reasons why the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was the best choice for her.

Question 19

Which of the following best describes behavioral aggregation as a solution to the problem of attitude-behavior inconsistency? ​

Accepted Answer

Behavioral aggregation involves measuring a variety of behaviors related to a general attitude to better predict how that attitude might manifest across different situations, addressing the inconsistency between attitudes and behaviors by considering a broader range of actions.

Question 20

In terms of how it is experienced, cognitive dissonance most closely resembles ____.

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance is experienced as an uncomfortable emotion or feeling of arousal that arises from holding two conflicting beliefs or attitudes simultaneously. It prompts individuals to seek resolution to reduce the discomfort.

Quiz 7: Attitudes, Beliefs, and Consistency

____ works on the assumption that a person's attitude toward helping others might fare better if his or her behavior is not measured by a single test.

According to cognitive dissonance theory, if Selena has just volunteered to give a presentation to her classmates about the importance of practicing safe sex at all times, then-at least in the immediate future-what best describes her likely behavior?

Alex just bought a car last month and it is already having major mechanical problems. In which of the following cases is Alex least likely to experience cognitive dissonance?

Suppose that Janine-who volunteers for a variety of environmental causes and frequently speaks on campus about the importance of recycling-decided to buy a gas-guzzling SUV last week. When is she most likely to try to rationalize her behavior?

Iris is a vegetarian, but she ate a steak last night. When would she be most likely to try to rationalize her steak-eating?

Conservatives tend to rely on conservative media outlets while liberals tend to rely on media outlets. What is this phenomenon called?

The need to feel that one is thinking and behaving in consistent ways is ____.

Much research has demonstrated a weak link between (a) what people say their attitudes are and (b) how they actually behave. One of the key reasons that this relationship is so weak, however, is the fact that researchers have often ____.

According to the text, the drive for consistency is ____.

Suppose that Rachel sold one of her stocks last week and that the value of the stock has tripled since then. What a mistake! In which of the following cases is Rachel most likely to experience cognitive dissonance?

Which term refers to the idea that while attitudes and behavior may not match in a single instance, they will tend to match up over a number of instances?

In light of the research on cognitive dissonance theory, what is the best explanation for the role of large, expensive marriage ceremonies?

Which of the following best describes behavioral aggregation as a solution to the problem of attitude-behavior inconsistency?

In terms of how it is experienced, cognitive dissonance most closely resembles ____.

Quiz 7: Attitudes, Beliefs, and Consistency

____ works on the assumption that a person's attitude toward helping others might fare better if his or her behavior is not measured by a single test. ​

According to cognitive dissonance theory, if Selena has just volunteered to give a presentation to her classmates about the importance of practicing safe sex at all times, then-at least in the immediate future-what best describes her likely behavior?

Alex just bought a car last month and it is already having major mechanical problems. In which of the following cases is Alex least likely to experience cognitive dissonance?

Suppose that Janine-who volunteers for a variety of environmental causes and frequently speaks on campus about the importance of recycling-decided to buy a gas-guzzling SUV last week. When is she most likely to try to rationalize her behavior? ​

Iris is a vegetarian, but she ate a steak last night. When would she be most likely to try to rationalize her steak-eating?

Conservatives tend to rely on conservative media outlets while liberals tend to rely on media outlets. What is this phenomenon called?

The need to feel that one is thinking and behaving in consistent ways is ____. ​

Much research has demonstrated a weak link between (a) what people say their attitudes are and (b) how they actually behave. One of the key reasons that this relationship is so weak, however, is the fact that researchers have often ____.

According to the text, the drive for consistency is ____. ​

Suppose that Rachel sold one of her stocks last week and that the value of the stock has tripled since then. What a mistake! In which of the following cases is Rachel most likely to experience cognitive dissonance?

Which term refers to the idea that while attitudes and behavior may not match in a single instance, they will tend to match up over a number of instances?

In light of the research on cognitive dissonance theory, what is the best explanation for the role of large, expensive marriage ceremonies?

Which of the following best describes behavioral aggregation as a solution to the problem of attitude-behavior inconsistency? ​

In terms of how it is experienced, cognitive dissonance most closely resembles ____.

____ works on the assumption that a person's attitude toward helping others might fare better if his or her behavior is not measured by a single test.

Suppose that Janine-who volunteers for a variety of environmental causes and frequently speaks on campus about the importance of recycling-decided to buy a gas-guzzling SUV last week. When is she most likely to try to rationalize her behavior?

The need to feel that one is thinking and behaving in consistent ways is ____.

According to the text, the drive for consistency is ____.

Which of the following best describes behavioral aggregation as a solution to the problem of attitude-behavior inconsistency?