Question 1

The anxiety we perceive when we become aware of the conflict between our behaviour and our attitudes is called
A) cognitive dissonance
B) self-serving bias
C) attribution syndrome
D) fundamental attribution anxiety

Accepted Answer

The anxiety we perceive when we become aware of the conflict between our behaviour and our attitudes is known as cognitive dissonance. Choice B, self-serving bias, refers to the tendency to attribute our successes to internal factors and failures to external factors. Choice C, attribution syndrome, is not a recognized term in psychology. Choice D, fundamental attribution anxiety, is not a recognized term in psychology.

Question 2

The tendency of people to be less likely to help strangers in need if there are other people present at the scene is called the
A) bystander effect
B) self-serving bias
C) fundamental attribution error
D) sadism effect

Accepted Answer

The bystander effect refers to the phenomenon where people are less likely to offer help to someone in need if there are other people present. This is because individuals in a group tend to assume that someone else will take responsibility for the situation, resulting in a diffusion of responsibility. This effect has been demonstrated in several real-world situations, such as the infamous case of Kitty Genovese.

Question 3

The details of the Kitty Genovese murder in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York, gave rise to interest in this social psychological phenomenon
A) learned helplessness
B) inclusive fitness
C) reciprocal altruism
D) bystander non-intervention

Accepted Answer

The Kitty Genovese murder is known for the bystander effect or bystander non-intervention phenomenon in social psychology. This refers to the tendency of people to not intervene in an emergency situation when other people are present because they assume someone else will take action. The murder gained attention because it was reported that many people heard or saw the attack but did not intervene, leading to the death of the victim.

Question 4

In laboratory studies of the bystander effect, the general rule is that the presence of groups
A) reduces the likelihood that a crime will be committed
B) reduces the likelihood of any one individual offering aid
C) increases the likelihood that an emergency will occur
D) increases the likelihood of any one individual offering aid

Accepted Answer

The bystander effect refers to the phenomenon where people are less likely to offer assistance in an emergency situation when other people are present. Research has shown that the presence of other bystanders actually reduces the likelihood that any one individual will offer help, which is why choice B is the correct answer. The other choices (A and C) are not supported by research on the bystander effect.

Question 5

In contrast to early research on the bystander effect, the more dangerous the circumstance and the more clear-cut the physical danger,
A) the less likely an individual is to offer aid
B) the more likely an individual is to contribute to the assault
C) the less likely an additional crime will occur
D) the more likely an individual is to offer aid

Accepted Answer

Studies have found that in more dangerous situations, individuals are actually more likely to offer aid rather than less likely, contradicting the original bystander effect research. This may be due to a sense of responsibility and urgency to act in order to prevent harm.

Question 6

Cosmides and Tooby (e.g., 2005) used the Wasson selection task to gather evidence of these psychological mechanisms.
A) social contracts
B) cheater detection mechanisms
C) reciprocal altruistic mechanisms
D) in-group biases

Accepted Answer

The Wasson selection task is a paradigm used to test cheater detection mechanisms. Cosmides and Tooby used this task to gather evidence for the existence of specialized psychological mechanisms for detecting cheaters in social exchange.

Question 7

The lessening of self-awareness or identity when in a group that may lead to reduced concern about how your behaviour will be evaluated by others is referred to as
A) social loafing
B) the bystander effect
C) deindividuation
D) reciprocal altruism

Accepted Answer

Deindividuation refers to the loss of self-awareness and identity when in a group, which can lead to reduced concern about how one's behavior will be evaluated by others. This can result in behaviors that are typically restrained, such as aggression or vandalism. Social loafing refers to the phenomenon in which individuals exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone. The bystander effect refers to the phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to help someone in distress when other people are present. Reciprocal altruism refers to the idea that individuals may help others because they expect that the favor will be returned in the future.

Question 8

The effects of deindividuation on behaviour were revealed in this classic psychological study.
A) the Milgram obedience experiment
B) the Asch conformity experiment
C) the Stanford Prison experiment
D) the Robber's Cave experiment

Accepted Answer

The Stanford Prison experiment investigated the impact of deindividuation, where individuals lose their sense of identity and become immersed in group behaviour. Participants assumed the roles of guards and prisoners and the study had to be terminated early due to the extreme and abusive behaviour exhibited by the guards, suggesting that deindividuation can lead to negative and uncharacteristic actions. The other experiments listed did not directly investigate deindividuation.

Question 9

The Stanford Prison study was constructed to examine the influence of these implicit rules for behaving in certain situations.
A) social roles
B) normative influences
C) individual traits
D) social traits

Accepted Answer

The Stanford Prison study was designed to investigate the impact of social roles on human behavior. The participants were randomly assigned roles of prisoners or guards, and the study found that their behavior quickly became consistent with the perceived expectations and norms of those respective roles. Therefore, the study primarily examined the influence of social roles on behavior, making option A) the best choice.

Question 10

The offering of assistance to others without the expectation of immediate reward is called
A) altruism
B) generosity
C) empathy
D) compassion

Accepted Answer

Altruism refers to the act of helping others without the expectation of an immediate reward or benefit for oneself. Generosity may involve giving something to others, but it doesn't necessarily imply selflessness or lack of reciprocation. Empathy and compassion involve understanding and empathizing with others' struggles and emotions, but they don't necessarily entail active assistance or helping behaviors.

Question 11

All of the following are considered prosocial behaviours or emotions, EXCEPT:
A) altruism
B) aggression
C) empathy
D) compassion

Accepted Answer

Aggression is not a prosocial behavior or emotion; it is a behavior that involves intentional harm to others. The other options are all examples of prosocial behaviors and emotions, which involve actions that benefit others and promote positive social interactions. Altruism refers to selfless acts of kindness or generosity, empathy involves understanding and sharing the feelings of others, and compassion involves feeling sympathy and a desire to help those who are suffering.

Question 12

Usually, when laypersons or scientists ask themselves why or how a person behaved the way he or she did, they are asking about
A) ultimate causes
B) proximate causes
C) social causes
D) evolutionary causes

Accepted Answer

Proximate causes refer to the immediate triggers or mechanisms that result in a behavior, such as environmental stimuli or internal processes. Ultimate causes, on the other hand, are the evolutionary reasons for why a behavior evolved over time. Social causes would be specific to social influences that may have impacted a person's behavior.

Question 13

Proximate causes for an altruistic behaviour, such as helping an elderly person cross the street, are usually described in terms of
A) evolutionary adaptiveness
B) social role theory
C) immediate motivation
D) ultimate causes

Accepted Answer

Proximate causes refer to the immediate motivations or mechanisms that lead to a behaviour, such as feeling empathy for the elderly person in need. Evolutionary adaptiveness and ultimate causes look at the long-term advantages or benefits of the behaviour, while social role theory focuses on societal expectations and norms.

Question 14

These explanations describe how the effects of some behaviour would have benefited the survival and reproduction of human beings over evolutionary time and therefore evolved through natural selection.
A) ultimate causes
B) proximate causes
C) social causes
D) evolutionary causes

Accepted Answer

Ultimate causes refer to the evolutionary reasons for the development of particular behaviors.

Question 15

According to this theory, an organism is reproductively fit not only to the extent that it can survive and reproduce, but also to the extent that it passes on its genetic line to new generations.
A) theory of natural selection
B) theory of inclusive fitness
C) theory of genetic variation
D) theory of adaptive selection

Accepted Answer

The theory described is that of inclusive fitness, which is the idea that an organism's genetic fitness is not only based on its own survival and reproduction, but also the survival and reproduction of its close genetic relatives. This theory is often associated with the study of kin selection and the evolution of altruistic behaviors.

Question 16

According to this theory, psychological attributes that motivate altruism will evolve under conditions where altruism is expected to be reciprocated at some point in the future.
A) theory of inclusive fitness
B) theory of adaptive altruism
C) theory of reciprocal altruism
D) theory of selective fitness

Accepted Answer

The theory described is the theory of reciprocal altruism, which states that psychological attributes that motivate altruism will evolve under conditions where altruism is expected to be reciprocated at some point in the future.

Question 17

The social psychological term to describe unharmonious relations among groups is
A) intergroup conflict
B) race-relations bias
C) social conflict
D) normative influence

Accepted Answer

Intergroup conflict refers to the tension, negative attitudes, and behaviors between different groups, such as racial or ethnic groups, religious groups, or political groups. The term specifically emphasizes the conflict between groups rather than conflict within a group or individual conflicts.

Question 18

The deliberate attempt to exterminate an entire people, which is often present in intergroup conflicts, is called
A) genocide
B) patricide
C) warmongering
D) ethnic cleansing

Accepted Answer

"The deliberate attempt to exterminate an entire people" is the definition of genocide.

Question 19

Attributing clusters of traits to specific categories of individuals and objects, which serves an important purpose in human social cognition, is called
A) stereotyping
B) in-group bias
C) out-group homogeneity
D) prejudice

Accepted Answer

Stereotyping is the attribution of clusters of traits to specific categories of individuals and objects. It serves an important purpose in human social cognition as it helps us to simplify information processing and make quick judgments about others. However, it can also lead to prejudice and discrimination when these judgments are based on inaccurate or negative beliefs about a particular group.

Question 20

The tendency to judge an individual based on beliefs about, or feelings toward, the group to which the person belongs is called
A) stereotyping
B) prejudice
C) racism
D) ethnic cleansing

Accepted Answer

Prejudice refers to judging someone based on preconceived beliefs or attitudes towards the group they belong to. Stereotyping and racism are related concepts but refer specifically to stereotypes and beliefs about race/ethnicity. Ethnic cleansing refers to the violent removal or eradication of a specific ethnic group from a region or country.

Quiz 22: Altruism and Antisocial Behaviour

The anxiety we perceive when we become aware of the conflict between our behaviour and our attitudes is called

The tendency of people to be less likely to help strangers in need if there are other people present at the scene is called the

The details of the Kitty Genovese murder in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York, gave rise to interest in this social psychological phenomenon

In laboratory studies of the bystander effect, the general rule is that the presence of groups

In contrast to early research on the bystander effect, the more dangerous the circumstance and the more clear-cut the physical danger,

Cosmides and Tooby (e.g., 2005) used the Wasson selection task to gather evidence of these psychological mechanisms.

The lessening of self-awareness or identity when in a group that may lead to reduced concern about how your behaviour will be evaluated by others is referred to as

The effects of deindividuation on behaviour were revealed in this classic psychological study.

The Stanford Prison study was constructed to examine the influence of these implicit rules for behaving in certain situations.

The offering of assistance to others without the expectation of immediate reward is called

All of the following are considered prosocial behaviours or emotions, EXCEPT:

Usually, when laypersons or scientists ask themselves why or how a person behaved the way he or she did, they are asking about

Proximate causes for an altruistic behaviour, such as helping an elderly person cross the street, are usually described in terms of

These explanations describe how the effects of some behaviour would have benefited the survival and reproduction of human beings over evolutionary time and therefore evolved through natural selection.

According to this theory, an organism is reproductively fit not only to the extent that it can survive and reproduce, but also to the extent that it passes on its genetic line to new generations.

According to this theory, psychological attributes that motivate altruism will evolve under conditions where altruism is expected to be reciprocated at some point in the future.

The social psychological term to describe unharmonious relations among groups is

The deliberate attempt to exterminate an entire people, which is often present in intergroup conflicts, is called

Attributing clusters of traits to specific categories of individuals and objects, which serves an important purpose in human social cognition, is called

The tendency to judge an individual based on beliefs about, or feelings toward, the group to which the person belongs is called