Question 1

Jordan is a student who has just begun taking courses at a nearby college. Because of Jordan's limited interaction with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, he hesitates to venture too far out of his comfort zone. Specifically, he shies away from social gatherings and jobs where he anticipates meeting people that do not look or talk like him. Consequently, he has missed out on a number of opportunities to make new friends and expand his social network. Jordan's experiences illustrate which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Jordan's hesitation to venture out of his comfort zone due to limited interaction with people from diverse cultural backgrounds is an example of personal barriers. These are internal factors that hinder his ability to engage in social situations and expand his social network.

Question 2

When we perceive what we want to perceive, this is called

Accepted Answer

Selective perception is the process by which individuals perceive what they want to in media messages while ignoring opposing viewpoints. It is a type of cognitive bias that allows people to avoid considering information that contradicts their pre-existing beliefs or preferences.

Question 3

In his discussion of barriers to success, the author "places" the reader on campus at the University of North Carolina. Specifically, you are asked to evaluate a number of statues found on campus that were created to depict the diversity of the university's diverse student population. The author cites this example to illustrate which of the following barriers?

Accepted Answer

The author uses the example of statues on campus to illustrate "limited perceptions," suggesting that the way diversity is represented can reflect or perpetuate narrow or stereotypical views of different groups, rather than a full and inclusive understanding of diversity.

Question 4

Which of the following statements best illustrates ethnocentrism?

Accepted Answer

Ethnocentrism is the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture. Statement A ("If you don't do it my way, it's not the right way.") best illustrates this concept by implying that one way (presumably the speaker's way) is the correct way, dismissing other cultural practices or beliefs as incorrect or inferior.

Question 5

According to findings from The Pew Global Attitude Project, people in many of the countries surveyed agreed that "their culture is superior to others." This attitude illustrates which of the following barriers?

Accepted Answer

Ethnocentrism is the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture. The attitude that one's own culture is superior to others directly aligns with the definition of ethnocentrism.

Question 6

An unverified and oversimplified generalization about an entire group of people is called

Accepted Answer

A stereotype is an oversimplified generalization about an entire group of people without considering individual differences.

Question 7

Joe is a college student majoring in business. Because he is extremely good-looking, people who do not even know him assume he is sociable, sensitive, and poised. This is an example of the

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the attractiveness stereotype, where individuals attribute positive characteristics such as sociability, sensitivity, and poise to people simply because they are good-looking.

Question 8

Following the attacks on September 11, 2001, some Muslims living in the United States encountered a number of social barriers. In some cases, people prejudged and misjudged Muslims simply because of their appearance. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

Prejudice involves making judgments about individuals based on stereotypes or preconceived notions, often without sufficient knowledge. In this context, Muslims being prejudged and misjudged because of their appearance is an example of prejudice. Discrimination would involve actions taken against them based on these prejudices.

Question 9

According to the text, prejudice can lead to

Accepted Answer

Prejudice can lead to inaccurate judgments about people, as it often involves preconceived opinions that are not based on reason or actual experience. This can also result in resentment and fear among those who are being prejudged, as well as contribute to "coping fatigue" for those constantly facing prejudice. Therefore, all of the listed outcomes are potential consequences of prejudice.

Question 10

In a well-known experiment conducted in the 1960's, Jane Elliott sought to teach her third- grade students in a rural town in Iowa about the dynamics of prejudice. She did this by dividing her students according to

Accepted Answer

Jane Elliott divided her students based on their eye color to teach them about prejudice, demonstrating how arbitrary characteristics can be used to foster discrimination.

Question 11

When the economy took a turn for the worse, unemployed workers in a small town outside of Atlanta were both angry and frustrated. Unable to strike out at the real cause of their predicament, they unfairly blamed local immigrants for the fact that they did not have a job.This is an example of

Accepted Answer

Scapegoating occurs when individuals or groups unfairly blame others for their own problems or misfortunes. In this scenario, the unemployed workers are projecting their frustrations and difficulties onto the local immigrants, despite the immigrants not being the cause of the economic downturn or the workers' unemployment.

Question 12

The ability to influence and control others is the definition of

Accepted Answer

Power is defined as the ability to influence or outright control the behavior of people. This can involve a variety of mechanisms, including authority, persuasion, and force.

Question 13

In her interviews with the residents of Jasper, Texas, Dina Temple-Raston found that

Accepted Answer

Whites in Jasper tended to view hate crimes as isolated incidents caused by individual racists, rather than as symptoms of broader societal or historical issues. This perspective minimizes the role of systemic racism and focuses on the actions of specific individuals.

Question 14

Unequal treatment of people on the basis of their group membership is the definition of

Accepted Answer

Discrimination refers to the unfair or prejudicial treatment of individuals based on their membership in a particular group, such as their race, gender, age, or religion, rather than on individual merit.

Question 15

Which of the following would be an example of discrimination against women?

Accepted Answer

Denying women a job based on their assumed sexual weakness is a direct form of discrimination, as it involves treating women unfairly or less favorably because of gender-based stereotypes or assumptions.

Question 16

An employer feels negatively toward employing older people. Nevertheless, he hires older people because of equal opportunity laws. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

This is an example of a prejudiced nondiscriminator because the employer holds negative feelings towards hiring older people (indicating prejudice), but still hires them due to equal opportunity laws, thus not discriminating in action.

Question 17

Often, Rivka is hesitant to ask questions in her advanced math class. Since it seems as if everyone expects her to perform poorly in math because of her gender, she rarely says anything. By not asking questions, she avoids the risk of being perceived as a low achiever when it comes to math. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

This is an example of stereotype vulnerability, where Rivka's fear of confirming negative stereotypes about her gender's abilities in math influences her behavior, leading her to avoid asking questions to not appear as a low achiever.

Question 18

Hate crimes reflect the conflict and imbalance of power that has existed among races throughout the history of the U.S. According to this point of view, hate crimes are a reflection of

Accepted Answer

Hate crimes as a reflection of the conflict and imbalance of power among races align with the concept of institutional racism, which involves systemic inequalities and power imbalances embedded in societal structures.

Question 19

Which of the following is not an example of institutional discrimination?

Accepted Answer

Institutional discrimination refers to policies or practices within and by organizations that intentionally or unintentionally disadvantage certain groups of people. A father's personal bias (A) does not constitute institutional discrimination because it is an individual's action, not a policy or practice of an institution. Choices B, C, and D all describe scenarios where institutions (a bank, a school district, and a school, respectively) engage in practices that could disadvantage certain groups, fitting the definition of institutional discrimination.

Question 20

A landlord has no negative personal opinions toward Native Americans. However, many tenants have a deep-seated resentment toward members of this group. To avoid offending these tenants, the landlord does not rent to anyone who appears to be Native American. The landlord is a(n)

Accepted Answer

The landlord does not hold personal negative opinions (unprejudiced) but chooses to discriminate based on the prejudices of others.

Quiz 3: Personal and Social Barriers to Success