Question 1

Jessica and Nick are behavioral researchers. Jessica believes that her sons have been aggressive from birth because she and her husband Nick have inborn aggressive tendencies. Nick, however, believes that their sons are aggressive because throughout history it has been adaptive for men to be aggressive so that they can protect their territory and possessions. Nick's beliefs reflect the influence of _____, whereas Jessica's beliefs reflect _____.

Accepted Answer

Nick's perspective aligns with evolutionary psychology, which suggests behaviors (like aggression) have developed to solve adaptive problems (like protecting territory). Jessica's view reflects behavioral genetics, focusing on how genes influence behaviors.

Question 2

Which of the following is true of behavioral genetics?

Accepted Answer

Behavioral genetics is the study of how inherited factors (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) contribute to individual differences in behavior. It examines how genetic and environmental factors interact to influence behavior, including the extent to which behavioral tendencies may be inherited.

Question 3

All of the following are characteristic of the field of social psychology today except

Accepted Answer

The field of social psychology today places a heavy emphasis on the ethical standards in research. This is evident in the development of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review and approve research studies.

Question 4

Christine conducts cross-cultural research and Betty conducts multicultural research. Which of the following is probably true ?

Accepted Answer

Cross-cultural research typically involves comparing and contrasting two or more cultures or countries, while multicultural research involves studying multiple cultures within a single context or country. Therefore, Christine is more likely to sample individuals from many different countries, whereas Betty may focus on exploring multiple cultures within a single context. The other options do not necessarily follow from the given information.

Question 5

Which of the following would best represent the "hot" perspective in social psychology?

Accepted Answer

The "hot" perspective refers to the influence of emotions on social behavior. Choice A suggests that a positive emotion, such as a good mood, can impact attitude change.

Question 6

Jeff is a social psychologist who favors the "cold" approach to understanding human behavior. He is conducting research on why people fail to use condoms even when they know that they can reduce their risk of obtaining HIV by doing so. Jeff is least likely to devote his attention to people's

Accepted Answer

The answer of Jeff is a social psychologist who favors...

Question 7

The role of natural selection processes in the development of social behavior is a concern in

Accepted Answer

The concept of natural selection and its impact on the development of social behavior is a central idea in evolutionary psychology. This field of study emphasizes that many social behaviors have evolved because they were advantageous to survival and reproduction in ancestral human populations.

Question 8

Cross-cultural research by Carl Falk and colleagues (2009), in which self-ratings by Canadian and Japanese participants were compared, indicated that

Accepted Answer

The cross-cultural research by Carl Falk and colleagues (2009) indicated that Canadian participants endorsed more positive traits about the self than did Japanese participants. Therefore, option A is the correct choice.

Question 9

Which of the following statements regarding recent advances in behavioral genetics is false ?

Accepted Answer

The statement that recent advances in behavioral genetics are of interest to clinical but not social psychologists is false. These developments are of great interest to both clinical and social psychologists as they have implications for understanding a wide range of social behaviors and may inform interventions for mental health conditions.

Question 10

A contemporary social psychologist who studies stereotyping is likely to focus on

Accepted Answer

Contemporary social psychologists who study stereotyping recognize that it involves both automatic and controlled processes. While some stereotyping may occur automatically and unconsciously, individuals may also engage in more deliberate stereotyping based on conscious beliefs or attitudes. Therefore, a contemporary social psychologist studying stereotyping would likely examine both types of processes.

Question 11

Kareem is trying to explain to his class the difference between behavioral genetics and evolutionary psychology by using altruistic behavior as an example. In order to make the distinction clear, he should probably emphasize

Accepted Answer

Emphasizing the adaptiveness of altruistic behavior would help distinguish between behavioral genetics, which focuses on the genetic basis of behavior, and evolutionary psychology, which examines how behavior evolved to promote survival and reproduction.

Question 12

Izzy finds that when people vacate a parking spot, they do so more slowly when there is someone waiting to take their spot than if there is no one waiting. He attributes this behavior to an innate predisposition towards territoriality. It might be said that Izzy's findings represent a combination of work in social psychology and

Accepted Answer

Izzy's findings suggest that behavior may be influenced by evolutionary factors, which is a central focus of evolutionary psychology. The presence of an observer may trigger feelings of territorial protectiveness, which is a concept that can be explored through social psychology.

Question 13

Social psychologists interested in how we learn, store, and recall information about other people are interested in the subfield of

Accepted Answer

Social psychologists interested in how we learn, store, and recall information about other people are studying social cognition, which focuses on how people think about, perceive, and remember information about others. Evolutionary psychology studies how evolution has shaped human behavior, while behavioral genetics examines the genetic basis of individual differences in behavior. Multicultural psychology examines cultural influences on behavior and mental processes.

Question 14

Social cognition can be best described as the study of

Accepted Answer

Social cognition focuses on the mental processes involved in perceiving, remembering, and interpreting information about the self and others in social contexts. It includes topics such as social perception, social memory, social judgments, and attributional processes.

Question 15

Which of the following is concerned with how the brain influences social behavior?

Accepted Answer

Social neuroscience is the scientific study of the biological mechanisms underlying social behavior and how the brain influences social behavior. It combines principles and methods from neuroscience, psychology, and sociology to understand how social interaction occurs and how it affects our brain activity and anatomy.

Question 16

Which of the following is not identified by your textbook as an influential factor in today's social psychology?

Accepted Answer

The split between "red" and "blue" states in the U.S. is not identified as an influential factor in today's social psychology. The other options, new technological advances, behavioral genetics, and the internet are all identified by the textbook as influential factors in today's social psychology.

Question 17

Social neuroscience is best described as the study of

Accepted Answer

Social neuroscience is the interdisciplinary field that focuses on the interaction between social and neural processes. It seeks to understand how social interactions and experiences can shape and affect the brain and nervous system, and vice versa. It combines knowledge from neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, and other social sciences to study various topics such as social perception, empathy, and decision-making.

Question 18

Cross-cultural research regarding attitudes about the self indicate that

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that people from individualistic cultures, such as those in Western societies, tend to have more positive self-views and put a greater emphasis on self-enhancement, while people from collectivist cultures, such as those in East Asian societies, tend to have more modest self-views and put a greater emphasis on maintaining harmony and social relationships. This may lead individuals from individualistic cultures to seek out information that reinforces their positive self-views.

Question 19

Fatma investigates whether the tendency for people to return favors is the result of natural selection. Fatma's research is in the area of

Accepted Answer

Fatma's investigation into whether the tendency for people to return favors is a result of natural selection falls under the domain of evolutionary psychology, which seeks to understand how human behaviors and cognitions have evolved through natural selection.

Question 20

Which of the following questions would be of most interest to a social psychologist who studies behavioral genetics?

Accepted Answer

A social psychologist who studies behavioral genetics would be most interested in researching the heritability of attitudes and behaviors, which is addressed by question A. While questions B, C, and D are all interesting topics for social psychologists, they do not directly relate to the study of genetic influences on behavior.

Quiz 1: What Is Social Psychology