Question 1

The belief that men have greater upper body strength than do women:
A)is confirmed by the fact that male Olympic lifters almost always are stronger than are female Olympic lifters.
B)is disconfirmed because Adam's wife can do more pushups than he can.
C)allows us to accurately predict how much weight individuals can lift if we know their sex.
D)is only true with respect to the average strength of men and women.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that, on average, men have greater upper body strength than women. However, this does not mean that all men will be stronger than all women, as individual variability exists within each sex. Additionally, other factors such as training and genetics can affect an individual's strength levels. Therefore, option D is the best choice as it acknowledges the average difference in upper body strength between men and women.

Question 2

Which statement BEST illustrates overestimating the variability between categories?
A)Artists exhibit neurotic and impulsive personality traits.
B)Artists sleep in the day and work at night.
C)Artists and writers tend to be socially liberal.
D)Artists vote Democrat and business leaders vote Republican.

Accepted Answer

The statement that artists vote Democrat and business leaders vote Republican is an overgeneralization and overestimation of the variability between categories. It is not accurate to assume all individuals in a certain profession or group have the same political beliefs.

Question 3

Which statement BEST illustrates underestimating the variability within a category?
A)Football players come in all shapes and sizes.
B)Most professional football players come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
C)Professional football players are much more aggressive than are accountants.
D)Professional football players are much less intelligent than are accountants.

Accepted Answer

B) implies a generalization about the socioeconomic backgrounds of professional football players, underestimating the variability within the group by suggesting most come from a similar background.

Question 4

The act of putting people into categories results in:
A)underestimating the variability within the categories.
B)overestimating the variability within the categories.
C)noticing the uniqueness of each person in the categories.
D)underestimating the differences between categories.

Accepted Answer

When people are put into categories, there is a tendency to make assumptions about them based on their group membership, potentially underestimating the variability within the group. This can lead to stereotyping and prejudice. Additionally, categorizing people can overlook the unique qualities and individual differences present within each person. Therefore, option A is the best choice as it highlights the potential negative consequences of categorizing people.

Question 5

The fear of confirming negative beliefs that others may hold is termed:
A)the self-fulfilling prophecy.
B)perceptual confirmation.
C)informational influence.
D)the stereotype threat.

Accepted Answer

The fear of confirming negative beliefs that others may hold is known as stereotype threat. It refers to the anxiety experienced by individuals who belong to a group that is stereotypically stigmatized regarding their academic performance, athletic abilities, or other skills, which may lead to underperformance, as they internalize their group's negative characteristics.

Question 6

Which statement BEST illustrates overestimating the variability between categories?
A)Feminists and gay rights advocates are both socially liberal.
B)Football and basketball players are both physically strong.
C)European Americans have higher standardized intelligence scores than do African Americans.
D)Similar core personality traits are observed in individualistic and collectivist cultures.

Accepted Answer

This statement illustrates overestimating the variability between categories as it implies that all individuals from one category (European Americans) have higher intelligence scores than all individuals from another category (African Americans), which is not accurate and feeds into harmful stereotypes.

Question 7

Professor Rose,who believes that women are innately unsuited for science,is much more likely to notice the mistakes of his female lab assistants than the mistakes of his male lab assistants.His behavior is an example of:
A)correspondence bias.
B)the self-fulfilling prophecy.
C)perceptual confirmation.
D)the actor-observer effect.

Accepted Answer

The professor's behavior is an example of perceptual confirmation, in which an individual's pre-existing beliefs or expectations influence their perception and interpretation of others' behavior, leading them to see what they expect or want to see. In this case, the professor's belief that women are unsuited for science is likely causing him to selectively notice and remember mistakes made by his female lab assistants, reinforcing his belief.

Question 8

There are 1,000 members of group A and 100 members of group B in the community.Nine hundred members of group A and 90 members of group B routinely engage in acts benefiting the community.One hundred members of group A and 10 members of group B routinely engage in criminal acts.Which occurrence will MOST likely be remembered?
A)one member of group A engaging in a beneficial act
B)one member of group A engaging in a criminal act
C)one member of group B engaging in a beneficial act
D)one member of group B engaging in a criminal act

Accepted Answer

The occurrence that is most likely to be remembered is one member of group B engaging in a criminal act. This is because the relative size of group B is smaller than group A, so any negative behavior from a member of group B will stand out more. Additionally, criminal acts are more memorable than beneficial acts, as they are often seen as more impactful or damaging to the community. Therefore, a member of group B engaging in a criminal act is the most salient occurrence.

Question 9

The process by which people draw inferences about others based on their knowledge of the categories to which others belong is known as:
A)stereotyping.
B)prejudice.
C)discrimination.
D)categorization.

Accepted Answer

Stereotyping involves making inferences about individuals based on the categories or groups to which they belong, rather than on their individual characteristics.

Question 10

Which statement BEST illustrates underestimating the variability within a category?
A)Artists are,on average,more socially liberal than are chief executive officers.
B)Artists are not as strong or as aggressive as are collegiate wrestlers.
C)Artists' personalities are high in openness to experience and low in conscientiousness.
D)Artists tend to show more right-brain activation than do controls when asked to mold something out of clay.

Accepted Answer

Statement C best illustrates underestimating the variability within a category by suggesting a uniform personality trait distribution among all artists, ignoring the individual differences that exist within any group.

Question 11

The word stereotyping was coined by:
A)Joseph Pulitzer.
B)William Randolph Hearst.
C)Walter Lippmann.
D)Gordon Allport.

Accepted Answer

Walter Lippmann, an American journalist, political commentator, and author, coined the term "stereotyping" in his book "Public Opinion" published in 1922. He used it to describe the process of categorizing people according to their perceived group membership, which can lead to oversimplified and inaccurate judgments about them.

Question 12

Which statement about stereotypes is FALSE?
A)They can be inaccurate.
B)They are not useful.
C)They are often automatic.
D)They can be self-perpetuating.

Accepted Answer

Stereotypes can be inaccurate, often automatic, and self-perpetuating, meaning they can contribute to discrimination and prejudice. While they may not be useful in promoting diversity and inclusion, they do serve a psychological function of simplifying complex information for the brain.

Question 13

Stereotypes CANNOT be described by the adjective:
A)inaccurate.
B)overused.
C)automatic.
D)rehearsed.

Accepted Answer

The adjective "rehearsed" does not accurately describe stereotypes. Stereotypes are often automatic and overused, and may or may not be accurate, but they are not necessarily rehearsed.

Question 14

Which action does NOT illustrate a stereotype?
A)asking a tall man if he plays basketball
B)offering a child a piece of candy
C)asking your neighbors to turn down their music
D)asking a gas station attendant for directions

Accepted Answer

Asking your neighbors to turn down their music does not involve making assumptions or judgments based on a person's characteristics or identity, thus, it does not illustrate a stereotype. The other options involve making assumptions or judgments based on a person's physical appearance, age, or occupation, which can perpetuate harmful stereotypes.

Question 15

The tendency for people to see what they expect to see is termed:
A)the self-fulfilling prophecy.
B)perceptual confirmation.
C)change blindness.
D)correspondence bias.

Accepted Answer

Perceptual confirmation refers to the tendency for people to see what they expect to see. This can lead to biased perceptions and interpretations of events and people. The other answer options (A, C, and D) refer to different psychological concepts.

Question 16

Much of what people know about the members of human categories is:
A)completely false.
B)a self-fulfilling prophecy.
C)based on empirical observations.
D)hearsay.

Accepted Answer

Much of what people know about human categories is often based on hearsay, which involves information received from others that is not based on personal experience or empirical evidence.

Question 17

A phenomenon whereby people behave as they are expected to behave is called:
A)the self-fulfilling prophecy.
B)perceptual confirmation.
C)the actor-observer effect.
D)correspondence bias.

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described in the question is the self-fulfilling prophecy, where people's behavior is influenced by the expectations or beliefs others have about them. This can lead them to unwittingly act in ways that confirm those expectations, perpetuating the cycle of belief and behavior.

Question 18

An error associated with stereotyping is that people tend to _____ the variability within a category and _____ the variability between categories.
A)overestimate;judge accurately
B)overestimate;underestimate
C)judge accurately;underestimate
D)underestimate;overestimate

Accepted Answer

When stereotyping, people tend to underestimate the variability within a category and overestimate the variability between categories. This leads to generalized and often inaccurate judgments about individuals based on assumptions and preconceived notions about their group membership.

Question 19

Because the United States and Canada are different countries,people are likely to _____ the distance between Memphis,Tennessee,and Pierre,South Dakota,and _____ the distance between Memphis,Tennessee,and Toronto,Ontario.
A)overestimate;underestimate
B)underestimate;overestimate
C)overestimate;overestimate
D)underestimate;underestimate

Accepted Answer

People are likely to underestimate the distance between Memphis and Pierre because both are within the United States, making them seem closer. Conversely, they may overestimate the distance to Toronto because it involves crossing an international border, making it seem farther away.

Question 20

An example of perceptual confirmation is taking particular notice of a(n):
A)Asian American who is a writer and a poet.
B)senator who does stand-up comedy.
C)Latino who is a good dancer.
D)African American who is a tax attorney.

Accepted Answer

Perceptual confirmation refers to the tendency to notice and remember information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs and stereotypes. In this case, the example of perceptual confirmation would be taking particular notice of a Latino who is a good dancer, as it reinforces the stereotype that Latinos are good dancers. The other answer options do not necessarily correspond to a commonly held stereotype or pre-existing belief.

Quiz 13: Social Psychology-Part A

The belief that men have greater upper body strength than do women:

Which statement BEST illustrates overestimating the variability between categories?

Which statement BEST illustrates underestimating the variability within a category?

The act of putting people into categories results in:

The fear of confirming negative beliefs that others may hold is termed:

Which statement BEST illustrates overestimating the variability between categories?

Professor Rose,who believes that women are innately unsuited for science,is much more likely to notice the mistakes of his female lab assistants than the mistakes of his male lab assistants.His behavior is an example of:

The process by which people draw inferences about others based on their knowledge of the categories to which others belong is known as:

Which statement BEST illustrates underestimating the variability within a category?

The word stereotyping was coined by:

Which statement about stereotypes is FALSE?

Stereotypes CANNOT be described by the adjective:

Which action does NOT illustrate a stereotype?

The tendency for people to see what they expect to see is termed:

Much of what people know about the members of human categories is:

A phenomenon whereby people behave as they are expected to behave is called:

An error associated with stereotyping is that people tend to _ the variability within a category and _ the variability between categories.

Because the United States and Canada are different countries,people are likely to _ the distance between Memphis,Tennessee,and Pierre,South Dakota,and _ the distance between Memphis,Tennessee,and Toronto,Ontario.

An example of perceptual confirmation is taking particular notice of a(n) :