Question 1

Attribution processes have all but which of the following characteristics?

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error actually involves overestimating the influence of personal characteristics and underestimating situational factors as causes of another person's behavior, not the other way around as stated in option B.

Question 2

A manager tends to focus on an employee's personal characteristics while disregarding situational effects on the employee's behavior. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the fundamental attribution error, where a person (in this case, the manager) attributes another's actions to their character or personality, while underestimating the influence of situational factors.

Question 3

An employee who makes false claims on an expense report thinks that most other employees are also likely to make false claims on their expense reports. This may be an example of

Accepted Answer

This is an example of false consensus, where an individual overestimates how much other people share their beliefs, behaviors, or attitudes. In this case, the employee assumes that because they make false claims, most other employees do the same, which may not be true.

Question 4

People tend to overestimate the degree to which others agree with their view. This is the

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as the false consensus effect, where individuals assume that their own opinions, beliefs, preferences, values, and habits are more widely shared among others than they actually are.

Question 5

Which of the following does not affect one's impressions of another person?

Accepted Answer

The number of traits that are perceived does not necessarily affect one's impressions of another person. Impressions are more significantly influenced by the mood of the perceiver, their recent experiences, and the way traits are weighted or interpreted, rather than simply by the quantity of traits observed.

Question 6

Which of the following is not part of an attitude?

Accepted Answer

Attitudes are psychological constructs composed of three main components: cognitive (beliefs and thoughts about the subject), affective (feelings or emotions towards the subject), and behavioral intentions (inclinations to act in a certain way towards the subject). Actual behaviors are outcomes of attitudes rather than components of them.

Question 7

A person's feelings of like or dislike about a certain object reflect the _______________ part of an attitude.

Accepted Answer

The affective component of an attitude refers to a person's feelings or emotions about an object, person, or event. This includes feelings of like or dislike, which is why option C is correct.

Question 8

A manager has a positive attitude about an employee. The manager will likely give this employee desired work assignments and added responsibility. This reflects the ______________ part of the manager's attitude.

Accepted Answer

Behavioral intentions part of an attitude refers to the manager's predisposition to act in a certain way towards the employee, which in this case is demonstrated by giving them desired work assignments and added responsibility.

Question 9

Which of the following is not a way attitudes can change?

Accepted Answer

Dissatisfaction with the attitude object itself does not directly lead to a change in attitude. Instead, it may lead to a reevaluation or consideration of change, but the mechanisms for changing attitudes typically involve external factors such as persuasive communication, social influence, or internal factors like cognitive dissonance.

Question 10

Persuasive communication tries to change the ______________ part of an attitude.

Accepted Answer

Persuasive communication primarily aims to change the cognitive component of an attitude, which involves altering beliefs or thoughts about a subject.

Question 11

Which of the following is not necessary for effective persuasive communication?

Accepted Answer

Dissonance, or the presence of inconsistency or conflict in attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors, is not necessary for effective persuasive communication. While creating a sense of dissonance can be a strategy to motivate change, it is not a required element for persuasion to be effective. Effective persuasive communication primarily requires attention, comprehension, and retention by the audience.

Question 12

A new employee strongly values his group of coworkers, who routinely take long lunches. This employee believes that workers should only take the time allotted for lunch, but over time he begins to accept the attitude of his coworkers toward long lunches. This is an example of which source of attitude change?

Accepted Answer

The employee's change in attitude towards taking long lunches, influenced by the behavior and beliefs of his coworkers, exemplifies social influence. This occurs when an individual's attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors are affected by the presence or actions of others.

Question 13

Which of the following statements is not true about cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that a change in the cognitive component of an attitude can indeed lead to a change in the attitude itself, as individuals seek consistency among their cognitions (beliefs, attitudes). Statement B is not true because changing one's cognitions (beliefs, thoughts) about something can lead to a change in their overall attitude towards it, which is contrary to what the statement suggests.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is true about cognitive dissonance?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that individuals strive for internal consistency, and when confronted with inconsistencies (dissonances) among their beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors, they experience psychological discomfort. This discomfort leads them to attempt to reduce the dissonance, often by changing their attitudes or behaviors. All the options provided (A, B, C) are aspects of how cognitive dissonance operates, making D (Each answer is true about cognitive dissonance) the correct choice.

Question 15

Efforts to reduce cognitive dissonance operate by changing the ________________ part of an attitude.

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that when individuals experience inconsistency between their attitudes and behaviors, they are motivated to reduce the dissonance. This is often achieved by changing the cognitive (i.e., thought-related) aspects of the attitude to make them consistent with the behavior.

Question 16

Which of the following statements is false about attitudes and behavior?

Accepted Answer

The relationship between attitudes and behavior is not always strong because various factors can influence whether an attitude leads to a corresponding behavior. This includes the strength of the attitude, situational factors, and social norms, among others.

Question 17

A person's personality typically stabilizes by the time the person reaches age

Accepted Answer

Personality traits tend to stabilize around the age of 30, as individuals mature and their roles in life become more defined.

Question 18

Which of the following is not a major class of personality theory?

Accepted Answer

Ethological theory is primarily concerned with the study of animal behavior in natural environments and is not a major class of personality theory.

Question 19

The class of personality theory that views a child as neither driven by instincts nor shaped by the environment is

Accepted Answer

Cognitive theory focuses on how our thoughts, perceptions, and feelings shape our personalities, rather than instincts or environmental factors.

Question 20

The class of personality theory that views people as having patterns of thinking which affect how they interpret events is

Accepted Answer

Cognitive theory focuses on how people's thoughts, perceptions, and interpretations of events influence their personality. It posits that individuals' patterns of thinking play a crucial role in how they understand and react to the world around them.

Quiz 5: Perception, Attitudes, and Personality