Question 1

Stereotypes can be described by all of these adjectives EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Stereotypes are not typically rehearsed or scripted, but rather automatic and ingrained ways of thinking and categorizing people or groups. Stereotypes can also be overused and inaccurate, but the description of rehearsed does not fit the typical definition of a stereotype.

Question 2

Which statement best illustrates underestimating the variability within a category?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which statement best illustrates underestimating the variability...

Question 3

The act of putting people into categories results in:

Accepted Answer

Putting people into categories can lead to underestimating the variability within those categories, as individuals within a category may have differing characteristics or experiences. This can lead to stereotypes and prejudice, as assumptions are made about all individuals within a category based on limited information.

Question 4

When a person clearly disconfirms an observer's stereotype, the observer may create a new subcategory in order to retain the stereotype. This behavior is called:

Accepted Answer

Subtyping is the process in which an observer creates a new subcategory for a person who disconfirms their stereotype, rather than changing their overall stereotype. This allows the observer to maintain their pre-existing beliefs while acknowledging exceptions to the rule. Stereotype plasticity and flex-typing are not recognized psychological terms, and while cognitive dissonance may play a role in stereotype maintenance, it is not the specific behavior described in the scenario.

Question 5

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 of these will MOST likely be remembered?

Accepted Answer

The crime committed by one member of Group B is more likely to be remembered as it is a relatively rare occurrence in that group, whereas the beneficial acts are routine for both groups. This is supported by the base-rate fallacy, which states that people tend to focus on specific, vivid, and unusual events rather than more common occurrences.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

Perceptual confirmation refers to the tendency for people to see what they expect to see, for example, interpreting ambiguous information in a way that confirms their pre-existing beliefs. The other options listed are related to different psychological concepts.

Question 7

A phenomenon whereby observers bring about what they expect to perceive is called:

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described in the question is known as the self-fulfilling prophecy. This occurs when an individual's expectations about another person or group influence their behavior towards them, which in turn leads the other person or group to behave in a way that confirms those expectations.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

While it is generally true that men have greater upper body strength than women, it is only true with respect to the average strength of men and women. There is a great deal of variability within each sex, and it is not accurate to make predictions about an individual's strength solely based on their sex. Olympic lifting records can be suggestive, but they are not definitive, and individual variation and training factors can still come into play. The example of Adam's wife also highlights that individual differences in strength exist, even between men and women.

Question 9

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.

Accepted Answer

Since Memphis, Tennessee, and Toronto, Ontario, are in different countries, people are likely to underestimate the distance between them. On the other hand, since Memphis, Tennessee, and Pierre, South Dakota, are both in the United States, people may assume the distance is shorter than it actually is, leading to an overestimation.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 11

The process by which a person identifies a stimulus as a member of a class of related stimuli is called:

Accepted Answer

Categorization is the process by which a person organizes information about stimuli into categories or groups based on their similarities or differences. This allows for efficient processing and recognition of new stimuli that fit into the same category. Recognition refers to the ability to identify a specific stimulus that has been previously encountered. Association refers to the linking of two or more stimuli or events in memory. Equivalence refers to the ability to respond to a new stimulus in the same way as a previously trained stimulus that is functionally equivalent.

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

When stereotyping, people tend to make assumptions about all individuals within a category, leading them to underestimate variability within that category. At the same time, they tend to exaggerate differences between categories, leading them to overestimate variability between categories.

Question 13

The word stereotyping was coined by:

Accepted Answer

Walter Lippmann, an American journalist and author, is credited with coining the term "stereotyping" in 1920 in his book Public Opinion.

Question 14

Professor Ross, 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:

Accepted Answer

Perceptual confirmation is the tendency to perceive and selectively notice information that is consistent with our existing beliefs or expectations. In this case, Professor Ross's belief that women are unsuited for science is shaping his perception of his female lab assistants' mistakes, leading him to notice them more readily compared to his male assistants' mistakes.

Question 15

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

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 16

An example of perceptual confirmation is represented by a(n):

Accepted Answer

Perceptual confirmation refers to the tendency for people to notice and remember things that confirm their preexisting beliefs or expectations. In this case, the belief that Latinos are good dancers is being confirmed by the fact that the individual in question is a good dancer. The other choices do not necessarily fit this pattern of perceptual confirmation.

Question 17

Which action does NOT illustrate a stereotype?

Accepted Answer

Asking your neighbors to turn down their music is not related to any preconceived notion or generalization about a particular group of people. It is a common and reasonable request to make to ensure a peaceful living environment. The other actions may perpetuate stereotypes such as assuming all tall men play basketball, offering a child candy based on a belief that all children like sweet treats, or assuming a gas station attendant knows directions because of their job.

Question 18

When social and nonsocial tasks are logically identical, research shows that people are faster and most accurate in drawing inferences about:

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that people are generally faster and more accurate in drawing inferences about social entities, such as people, compared to nonsocial entities like metals, due to the human brain's specialization in processing social information.

Question 19

Which statement about stereotypes is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

Stereotypes can be inaccurate and often automatic, meaning we may not even be aware that we hold them. They can also be self-perpetuating, as individuals may selectively attend to information that confirms their stereotypes and ignore information that contradicts them. While stereotypes may have negative consequences and contribute to prejudice and discrimination, they can be useful in certain contexts, such as allowing us to quickly process information and navigate complex social situations.

Question 20

Which statement best describes the concept of stereotype threat?

Accepted Answer

Stereotype threat is the phenomenon where individuals belonging to a group that is negatively stereotyped may experience anxiety and a fear of confirming those beliefs when reminded of their group membership. This can lead to underperformance in situations where the negative stereotype may be relevant.

Quiz 13: Section 2: Social Psychology