Question 1

Which of the following social influence techniques involves getting someone to commit to an attractive proposition before its hidden costs are revealed?

Accepted Answer

The lowball technique involves getting someone to commit to an attractive proposition before its hidden costs and additional requirements are revealed. This makes it difficult for the person to back out of the deal since they have already made a commitment.

Question 2

In trying to understand why some ethnic neighbourhoods are dominated by poverty, people often infer that the residents are lazy and unmotivated. What does this type of inference illustrate?

Accepted Answer

This inference illustrates the fundamental attribution error, which involves attributing someone's behavior to their internal characteristics (such as laziness) rather than external factors (such as poverty and lack of opportunities). It is a common cognitive bias that can lead to unfair judgments and perpetuate stereotypes.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of ethnocentric thinking?

Accepted Answer

Ethnocentric thinking involves evaluating other groups based on the perspective of one's own group. Option D contradicts this characteristic by suggesting that ethnocentric thinkers evaluate other groups from the perspective of the outgroup, which is not true.

Question 4

Kevin is the human resource manager for a large company. He has a favourable attitude toward individuals with disabilities, in general. However, he hasn't hired anyone who has a visible disability for any position that has come open in the company because his boss told him not to consider applicants who are disabled. Which of the following is true of Kevin?

Accepted Answer

Kevin has a favorable attitude towards individuals with disabilities, indicating no prejudice. However, by not hiring them due to his boss's directive, he is engaging in discriminatory behavior.

Question 5

The purveyors of miracle tonics and psychic advice tend to rely on which of the following forms of evidence?

Accepted Answer

Purveyors of miracle tonics and psychic advice tend to rely on anecdotal evidence, which consists of personal stories and testimonials from individuals who have purportedly experienced the benefits of their products or services. Anecdotal evidence is not a reliable form of evidence as it is subject to bias, selective reporting, and the placebo effect.

Question 6

What is the tendency called ethnocentrism?

Accepted Answer

Ethnocentrism is the tendency to view one's own cultural or ethnic group as superior to others. This can lead to biased and unfair judgments of people from different cultures and can contribute to prejudice and discrimination.

Question 7

What is the term for denying a person equal social treatment based on his or her group membership?

Accepted Answer

Discrimination is the term for denying a person equal social treatment based on his or her group membership. Prejudice is an attitude or belief about a particular group, while social scaling refers to the way people organize themselves into a hierarchy based on social status. Chauvinism is a form of extreme patriotism or belief in the superiority of one's own group.

Question 8

After repeatedly hearing her parents say that "all fat people are slobs," Cindy begins to express the same belief. How was Cindy's prejudice acquired?

Accepted Answer

Cindy's prejudice was acquired through observational learning by observing and imitating her parents' beliefs and behaviors.

Question 9

A man who believes that "women just don't make good leaders" may dwell on his female supervisor's mistakes and quickly forget about her achievements. Which of the following concepts is illustrated by this scenario?

Accepted Answer

The scenario illustrates bias in attribution, which occurs when a person's preexisting beliefs or biases influence the way they interpret and assign causes to other people's behavior. In this case, the man's belief that "women just don't make good leaders" is likely affecting the way he perceives his female supervisor's actions and accomplishments, leading him to focus more heavily on her mistakes and discount her achievements.

Question 10

Which of the following social influence techniques involves getting people to agree to a small request to increase the chances that they will agree to a larger request later?

Accepted Answer

The foot-in-the-door technique is the social influence technique that involves getting people to agree to a small request (such as signing a petition) to increase the likelihood that they will agree to a larger request later (such as making a donation).

Question 11

When a member of an ethnic minority is successful, which of the following are people least likely to attribute that success to?

Accepted Answer

People are least likely to attribute the success of an ethnic minority member to their ability or intelligence due to prevalent stereotypes and biases that undermine their capabilities.

Question 12

Groups seeking donations often ask people to simply sign a petition first. Which of the following social influence techniques is illustrated by this approach?

Accepted Answer

The foot-in-the-door technique is illustrated by this approach. This technique involves getting people to agree to a small request first, which then increases the likelihood of them complying with a larger second request. In this case, signing a petition is a small request that may prime individuals to later donate money.

Question 13

What does the fundamental attribution error lead observers to attribute the crime and poverty of urban ethnic neighbourhoods to?

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error leads observers to attribute the crime and poverty of urban ethnic neighbourhoods to the personal qualities of the residents. This error involves the tendency to overvalue dispositional or personal factors and undervalue situational or environmental factors when explaining the behavior of others. Thus, observers may assume that the residents of these neighbourhoods are lazy, unmotivated, or criminal by nature, rather than recognizing the impact of systemic injustices, historical legacies, and social inequalities on their life chances and opportunities.

Question 14

Advertisements that include phrases like "limited supply available" or "for a limited time only" are making use of which of the following social influence techniques?

Accepted Answer

Advertisements that use phrases like "limited supply available" or "for a limited time only" are making use of the feigned scarcity technique, which creates a sense of urgency and encourages people to act quickly before the opportunity is gone. This technique is commonly used in marketing to persuade consumers to buy a product or service. The other options are not applicable in this context.

Question 15

A car dealer may offer a customer a terrific deal on a car, but once the customer commits to buying the car, the dealer reveals that there are some hidden costs. Which of the following social influence techniques is illustrated by this approach?

Accepted Answer

The lowball technique is illustrated in this scenario because the dealer offers a great deal initially but then reveals hidden costs once the customer has committed to buying the car. This technique involves making a low offer initially to get the customer committed, and then revealing additional costs.

Question 16

Groups seeking donations routinely send address labels and other small gifts with their pleas. Which of the following social influence techniques is illustrated by this approach?

Accepted Answer

The group is using the reciprocity norm by providing a small gift with the hope that the recipient will feel obligated to donate in return. This technique plays on the social norm that when someone does something nice for us, we feel obligated to do something nice in return.

Question 17

What is the name for the societal "rule" that we should pay back in kind what we receive from others?

Accepted Answer

The societal "rule" that we should pay back in kind what we receive from others is known as the reciprocity norm. It is based on the concept of fairness and is a common expectation in many cultures.

Question 18

Although Maxine has never met anybody who is Russian, she is convinced that all Russians are sneaky individuals who can't be trusted. She has heard her mother and her three uncles make these types of statements for as long as she can remember. How was Maxine's prejudice acquired?

Accepted Answer

Maxine's prejudice was acquired through observational learning, where she learned the negative attitudes and beliefs towards Russians from her mother and uncles.

Question 19

Which of the following is true about observers' attributional tendencies regarding success by males and females?

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that observers tend to attribute male success to internal factors like ability, while female success is often attributed to external factors like luck or effort.

Question 20

Complete the following analogy: Prejudice is to discrimination as ________

Accepted Answer

Prejudice and attitude are both related to thoughts and feelings, while discrimination and action are both related to behavior. Therefore, the analogy can be completed by relating prejudice to attitude and discrimination to action.

Quiz 16: A: Social Behaviour