Question 1

Nikos has the opportunity to start his own business doing what he loves. However, to do this, he would have to liquidate all of his resources, including selling his home and emptying out his savings.  In the end, however, he decides that he has too much to lose and sticks with his day job, which is less fulfilling but offers a sure thing. Nikos is making his decision based on ____.

Accepted Answer

Nikos is making his decision based on risk aversion. He is not willing to take the risk of liquidating all his resources for the potential reward of starting his own business.

Question 2

Maureen thinks that her abilities are fluid and capable of changing and developing over time.  She decides to try to learn to garden. Her first year of planting is a complete failure--nearly every plant dies. She only harvests a few tomatoes. Given what you know about Maureen, what can you predict about her interest in gardening?

Accepted Answer

Maureen believes that her abilities can change and develop over time, so she is likely to view her first year of gardening as a learning experience rather than a complete failure. She will likely try again the next year and plan to learn from her mistakes in the previous year.

Question 3

Research on entity and incremental theorists has shown that, compared to Japanese athletes, American athletes are more likely to be ____ theorists, and thus more likely to view their athletic skills as ____.

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that American athletes are more likely to hold entity theories, which view traits as fixed and unchangeable, while Japanese athletes are more likely to hold incremental theories, which view traits as malleable and capable of improvement through effort and practice. Thus, option C, which suggests that American athletes view their athletic skills as inborn and fixed, is the most appropriate choice.

Question 4

____ occurs when people think they will fail so they quit trying to succeed.

Accepted Answer

Learned helplessness occurs when an individual experiences a sense of powerlessness or hopelessness after repeatedly facing negative outcomes or failures. This can then lead to giving up or quitting even when there is a possibility of success.

Question 5

Four-year-old Astrid does not like to get dressed early in the morning to go to day care, so rather than simply telling her to put on the clothes he laid out the night before, her father has begun to lay out several outfits and, in the morning, asking her which outfit she wants to wear that day. Astrid's father is making use of the idea of ____.

Accepted Answer

Astrid's father is using the concept of reactance, where by giving her a choice between outfits, he is allowing her to feel a sense of control and autonomy over her decision, and thus reducing her resistance to getting dressed for day care.

Question 6

Research findings suggesting that people become less prosocial when induced to reject their belief in free will is interpreted as indicating that ____.

Accepted Answer

The research findings suggest that the belief in free will affects people's willingness to behave prosocially, indicating that rejecting this belief leads to less prosocial behavior. This does not necessarily provide evidence for the existence or non-existence of free will, but rather highlights the impact of our beliefs on our behavior.

Question 7

Failure will most likely produce learned helplessness for ____.

Accepted Answer

Entity theorists believe that abilities and traits are fixed, which means they are more likely to experience learned helplessness after a failure because they view it as a sign of their inherent lack of ability. Incremental theorists, on the other hand, believe that abilities can be developed and improved with effort, so they are less likely to experience learned helplessness after a failure. People who engage in self-regulation and those who have high capacity to delay gratification are not directly related to learned helplessness.

Question 8

When human animals rely on meaning to make their choices, they are able to look at meaning ____.

Accepted Answer

When humans rely on meaning to make their choices, they are able to look at meaning in multiple ways of understanding a situation, considering various perspectives and interpretations before making a decision.

Question 9

One advantage of being an incremental theorist rather than an entity theorist is that ____.

Accepted Answer

Incremental theorists believe that their abilities can be developed and improved over time through effort and practice, so they are more likely to persist in the face of challenges and setbacks. This is in contrast to entity theorists who believe that their abilities are fixed and cannot be changed, so they may give up more easily when faced with obstacles.

Question 10

The idea that at least some of our activities must be motivated by their inner drives and choices, rather than by external factors, reflects ____.

Accepted Answer

The idea that at least some of our activities must be motivated by their inner drives and choices, rather than by external factors, reflects self-determination theory.

Question 11

The experience of learned helplessness is ____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The experience of learned helplessness is ____.
...

Question 12

Among humans, greater freedom is associated with ____.

Accepted Answer

Greater freedom allows individuals to have more options and choices, which requires greater flexibility in behavior to adapt to different situations and make decisions. Simple decision-making (A) would actually indicate less freedom as there are fewer options to choose from. Automatic processing (C) refers to the ability to perform tasks without conscious thought, which is not necessarily associated with freedom. Lower self-regulation (D) suggests less control over one's own behavior, which is not necessarily a result of greater freedom.

Question 13

Artie and his wife are making some important financial decisions and cannot seem to agree on what they should or should not do. The preference for avoiding certain types of risks is consistent with ____ theory.

Accepted Answer

Error management theory suggests that individuals have evolved to make decisions that minimize costly errors. This includes a preference for avoiding certain types of risks, which may be the case for Artie and his wife. They may each have different perceptions of potential risks and are trying to minimize their chances of making a costly mistake.

Question 14

According to the text, do most psychologists today believe that people have free will?

Accepted Answer

The text states that psychologists are currently divided on whether people have free will or not, indicating that there is no clear majority opinion. Option A is incorrect because the text does not state that most psychologists believe in free will. Option B is also incorrect because the text does not state that most psychologists do not believe in free will. Option D is incorrect because the text does not state that all psychologists agree that people do not have free will.

Question 15

Rosa has just been told she has a serious illness and visited with a specialist who has outlined a number of treatment options. If she is like most people, her next step will be to ____.

Accepted Answer

Eliminating some choices to focus on a select few is the best next step for Rosa. This will allow her to narrow down her options and research them further before making a decision. Googling her disease may lead her to unreliable sources and unnecessary stress, while ranking order all of the options or selecting a few at random to research further may not be the most effective way to make a decision.

Question 16

When experimental manipulations have induced people to reject their free will, they tend to ____.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that when people are induced to reject their free will, they are more likely to engage in immoral behavior such as cheating on a test or stealing money. This is because they no longer believe they have the agency to control their actions, and therefore feel less responsible for their behavior.

Question 17

Jonah is in his psychology class and has just gotten his third exam score back.  It's an "F" again! He hasn't passed one single exam this semester. He decides to quit studying for that class at all since it hasn't seemed to help much. Jonah is exhibiting ____.

Accepted Answer

Jonah is exhibiting learned helplessness, which is the belief that one is unable to control their environment or experiences. His repeated failures on exams have led to a sense of hopelessness and helplessness, causing him to give up on studying and trying to improve his grades.

Question 18

Self-determination theory states that people have an innate need ____.

Accepted Answer

Self-determination theory states that people have an innate need for autonomy and internal motivation. This means that individuals have a need to feel in control of their own actions and decisions, and to pursue activities that align with their personal values and interests. This type of motivation is considered more sustaining and fulfilling than extrinsic motivation, which comes from external rewards or pressures.

Question 19

Sherryl doesn't use online automated bill payment because she wants to have control over when she pays her bills. Even when she has enough money in her account to pay her bills, though, Sherryl still spends her weekend afternoons watching television rather than paying her bills. This is consistent with the idea of ____.

Accepted Answer

Sherryl's behavior is consistent with omission bias, which is the tendency to avoid making a decision, even when it is in one's best interest to do so. In this case, Sherryl has the funds to pay her bills and the ability to use automated bill payment, but she chooses to delay paying her bills and spend her time on other activities, such as watching television.

Question 20

Which statement about free will is BEST supported by your text?

Accepted Answer

The text discusses the concept of relative free will, which is the idea that while external factors may limit our choices, we still have some degree of agency in decision-making. It suggests that this understanding of free will is important in shaping social behavior, as it allows us to take responsibility for our actions while recognizing the impact of our surroundings. The text does not argue for the importance of absolute free will or suggest that free will is not important to social behavior.

Quiz 4: Behavior Control: the Self in Action

Research on entity and incremental theorists has shown that, compared to Japanese athletes, American athletes are more likely to be theorists, and thus more likely to view their athletic skills as .