Question 1

Before Mark had even heard the details of Allison's car accident,he commented,"Allison is so absentminded,I'm sure it happened because she was probably talking on her cell phone and not paying attention." Mark's response illustrates

Accepted Answer

Mark's comment blames Allison for the accident, assuming it was her fault and not acknowledging any external factors that could have contributed to the accident. This is an example of victim blaming.

Question 2

The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity is called

Accepted Answer

The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity is called deindividuation. Cognitive dissonance refers to the psychological discomfort that arises when a person holds conflicting beliefs or values. Social loafing refers to the tendency for people to exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone. Social facilitation refers to the tendency for people to perform better on simple tasks and worse on complex tasks when in the presence of others.

Question 3

Laurel is attending school in Japan for a semester.When she visited her host family,she quickly learned that it is bad manners to wear shoes inside a home in Japan.This "rule" is an example of

Accepted Answer

The rule of not wearing shoes inside a home in Japan is an example of a norm, which is a socially accepted and expected behavior within a particular group or society.

Question 4

Initiating one or more small conciliatory acts is a central feature of

Accepted Answer

The answer of Initiating one or more small conciliatory acts...

Question 5

The social group to which a person belongs is called the _____,and the social group to which a person does not belong is called the _____.

Accepted Answer

The terms "ingroup" and "outgroup" are used to describe social groups. The ingroup refers to the social group to which an individual belongs and identifies with, while the outgroup refers to a social group to which the individual does not belong. Option B is incorrect as it switches the terms. Option C refers to two different phenomena in social psychology, but not the specific social groups themselves. Option D is not a commonly used or accepted terminology.

Question 6

Although Natalie receives somewhat greater rewards from her marriage than does her husband,both are satisfied with the relationship because they each benefit in proportion to what they put into it.This best illustrates the significance of

Accepted Answer

The answer of Although Natalie receives somewhat greater rewards from...

Question 7

When Christa learned that she did not make the cheerleading team,she stole clothes and toiletries out of the lockers of several cheerleaders.Her behavior is best explained in terms of

Accepted Answer

This behavior is best explained by the frustration-aggression principle, which suggests that frustration can lead to aggression or other negative behaviors. In this case, Christa's frustration at not making the cheerleading team may have led to her stealing from others.

Question 8

Participants in Milgram's obedience experiments were informed that they were involved in a study of

Accepted Answer

Milgram's obedience experiments focused on the mechanisms of learning and obedience to authority, not aggression, cognitive dissonance, or social norms.

Question 9

Although the leaders of two enemy nations admit to a buildup of their own military forces,each sees the other country's actions as unreasonable and motivated by evil intentions.This situation best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Mirror-image perceptions refer to the tendency of each side in a conflict to view the other as mirror images of themselves, with similar motivations and intentions. This can lead to a cycle of mistrust and aggression, as each side sees the other's actions as hostile and responds in kind. In this scenario, both countries are admitting to a buildup of military forces, but each sees the other's actions as unreasonable and motivated by evil intentions, suggesting a mirror-image perception at play.

Question 10

Rebecca needs a new car.When she sees her favorite movie star in a car commercial,she decides to purchase the car advertised in the commercial.Rebecca's decision making illustrates

Accepted Answer

Rebecca's decision making is based on peripheral route persuasion because she is influenced by the celebrity endorsement in the commercial rather than the features or benefits of the car itself.

Question 11

When Hutu militia began to slaughter the Tutsi in 1994,missionary Carl Wilkens risked his own life to save the lives of others.His actions best illustrated

Accepted Answer

Carl Wilkens demonstrated altruism by risking his own safety to save the lives of others during the Rwandan genocide. Altruism involves helping others without the expectation of receiving any benefits in return.

Question 12

Evidence that people exhibit heightened levels of prejudice when they are economically frustrated offers support for

Accepted Answer

The scapegoat theory proposes that prejudice arises as a result of frustrations people experience in their lives, such as economic frustration, and that they scapegoat minority groups to explain their frustrations.

Question 13

People's physical attractiveness is a good predictor of their

Accepted Answer

Studies have consistently shown that physically attractive people are more likely to be selected as romantic partners and to have a higher frequency of dating. There is not enough evidence to suggest that physical attractiveness predicts happiness, academic competence, or altruism.

Question 14

Cognitive dissonance theory is most helpful for understanding the impact of

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that when individuals behave in ways that are inconsistent with their beliefs or attitudes, they experience discomfort or psychological tension (cognitive dissonance). This discomfort motivates them to change their beliefs or attitudes to align with their behavior. Therefore, role-playing can lead to attitude change through cognitive dissonance.

Question 15

Dr.Strayer investigates the mental processes we use to make sense of our social environment and form judgments about the characteristics and motives of other people.Dr.Strayer is most likely a(n)________ psychologist.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Dr.Strayer investigates the mental processes we use...

Question 16

Bart complied with his friends' request to join them in smashing decorative pumpkins early one Halloween evening.Later that night he was surprised by his own failure to resist their pressures to throw eggs at passing police cars.Bart's experience best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The answer of Bart complied with his friends' request to...

Question 17

Michelle,who is a very fast keyboard typist,types faster when others are watching her work.This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Social facilitation refers to the tendency for individuals to perform better on simple or well-learned tasks when in the presence of others. In this scenario, Michelle types faster when others are watching her work, which is an example of social facilitation. Automatic mimicry (A) involves individuals unconsciously imitating the behavior of those around them, while the foot-in-the-door phenomenon (B) is a persuasion technique where a small request is made first, followed by a larger request. Cognitive dissonance (D) refers to the discomfort individuals feel when their beliefs or behaviors are inconsistent with one another.

Question 18

Marilyn judges her professor's strict class attendance policy to be an indication of his overcontrolling personality rather than a necessity dictated by the limited number of class sessions in a course that meets only once a week.Her judgment best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to overemphasize dispositional (internal) explanations for someone's behavior, rather than considering situational (external) factors that may also play a role. In this case, Marilyn is assuming that her professor's attendance policy is due to his personality traits, rather than considering the fact that the limited class sessions may necessitate such a policy.

Question 19

In making wedding preparations,Jason conforms to the expectations of his future bride's family simply to win their favor.His behavior illustrates the importance of

Accepted Answer

Jason is conforming to the expectations of his future bride's family in order to win their favor, which is an example of normative social influence. This type of influence involves conforming to social norms or expectations in order to gain the approval or avoid disapproval of others. Jason is likely motivated to do this because he wants his future bride's family to like him and feel positively towards him, which could be important for his relationship with his future wife.

Question 20

After Mrs.Chanski and her children had helped themselves to free samples of the cookies being promoted in the grocery store,she felt obligated to buy some,even though they seemed unreasonably expensive.Her reaction best illustrates the significance of

Accepted Answer

The reciprocity norm refers to the social expectation that favors should be reciprocated. In this scenario, Mrs.Chanski felt obligated to buy the cookies because she received free samples, which triggered the reciprocity norm.

Quiz 12: Social Psychology