Question 1

Dr. Krane studies questions such as why we conform to group norms, what compels us to obey authority figures, and under what conditions people will help a stranger. Dr. Krane's research focuses on an area of social psychology called:

Accepted Answer

Dr. Krane's research focus on studying why individuals conform to group norms, obey authority figures and help strangers, which are all part of understanding social influence in social psychology.

Question 2

The perspective in psychology based on the premise that certain psychological processes and behavioral patterns evolved over hundreds of thousands of years because of their adaptive and survival value is called:

Accepted Answer

The perspective in psychology that focuses on analyzing how evolutionary principles might have contributed to the development of adaptive and survival value psychological behaviors and processes is called evolutionary psychology. Therefore, the best answer is D. Personality psychology, social psychology, and cognitive psychology do not base their theories solely on the role of evolution in shaping human behavior.

Question 3

According to your textbook, an important social psychology concept is your sense of self, which:

Accepted Answer

A sense of self plays a key role in how you perceive and react to others, has been influenced by social, cultural, and psychological experiences, and involves you as a social being who has been shaped by your interactions with others. Therefore, option D is correct.

Question 4

In the process of person perception, we initially form a very rapid first impression based largely on looking at other people's faces. According to the textbook, if you glanced at a stranger's face for only one-tenth of a second:

Accepted Answer

According to the textbook, in just one-tenth of a second, we can evaluate a stranger's attractiveness, likeability, competence, trustworthiness, and aggressiveness based largely on their facial features. This suggests that we can form a rapid first impression of a person in a very brief amount of time.

Question 5

The branch of psychology that studies how a person's thoughts, feelings, and behavior are influenced by the presence of other people and by the social and physical environment is called:

Accepted Answer

Social psychology specifically focuses on how social situations and environments impact a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It looks at topics such as conformity, obedience, group behavior, attitude formation, and social influence.

Question 6

The mental processes people use to make sense of their social environments are to _____ as the effects of situational factors and other people on an individual's behavior are to _____.

Accepted Answer

Social cognition refers to the mental processes people use to make sense of their social environment, while social influence refers to the effects of situational factors and other people on an individual's behavior. Therefore, option C correctly pairs these two concepts. The other options either mix up the terms or pair unrelated concepts.

Question 7

While researching a term paper, Marcie read some interesting research on the mental processes we use to form judgments and draw conclusions about the characteristics and motives of others. Marcie was reading about:

Accepted Answer

Person perception refers to the mental processes we use to form judgments and draw conclusions about the characteristics and motives of others. This includes how we interpret nonverbal cues, make assumptions based on group membership, and use stereotypes to make sense of complex social information.

Question 8

Person perception is an active, interactive, and subjective process that always occurs in some interpersonal context. Which of the following is NOT one of the key components that influence that process?

Accepted Answer

The rule of reciprocity is not a key component that directly influences person perception; it is a social norm that governs human behavior. The other three options (characteristics of the individual, self-perception and goals, and specific situation) are key components that can significantly affect person perception.

Question 9

Person perception follows some basic principles. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

Accepted Answer

This statement is not true. Your reactions to others are highly influenced by your perceptions of them, which are subjective and influenced by your own beliefs, values, and past experiences.

Question 10

As a student majoring in psychology, Hannah is interested in how we form impressions of other people, how we interpret the meaning of other people's behavior, and how our attitudes affect our behavior. Hannah's interest most closely resembles an area of social psychology called:

Accepted Answer

Hannah's interests in how we form impressions of others, interpret their behavior, and the impact of attitudes on behavior are all key concepts within social cognition, which is the field of social psychology that focuses on how people perceive, process, and remember information about others.

Question 11

Pamela observes that people don't sit next to strangers on the subway when there are empty seats available. She notices this also happens on the bus, in the movie theater, and in the cafeteria. Pamela's observations suggest that people's behavior in these situations is governed by:

Accepted Answer

Pamela's observations suggest that people's behavior is guided by social norms. The norm of avoiding sitting next to strangers when there are empty seats available is a common social norm in many public spaces, such as on the subway, bus, movie theater, and cafeteria. This behavior serves to maintain personal space and reduce feelings of discomfort or unease that may arise when sitting close to someone unfamiliar.

Question 12

The bus is fairly crowded when you get on. You make a rapid evaluation and quickly decide to sit next to a well-dressed senior citizen because you think that it will be safer to sit next to him than some of the other people on the bus. This example illustrates:

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates the process of person perception, which involves forming impressions and making judgments about individuals based on various cues, such as appearance, behavior, and context. In this case, the well-dressed senior citizen is perceived as a safer option than other people on the bus, based on his appearance and perceived social status.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Dr. Strayer is most likely a social psychologist because social psychology focuses on how individuals perceive, influence, and relate to others, which includes understanding social environments and forming judgments about others.

Question 14

After Michael studied the chapter on social psychology, he decided to try an experiment. He wanted to see how people on a half-empty bus would react if he politely asked someone to move so he could have a particular seat. But when Michael boarded the bus, he found he was just too embarrassed to carry out his experiment. Michael's behavior appears to be governed by:

Accepted Answer

Michael's behavior is governed by social norms, which are the unwritten rules that guide behavior in social situations. In this case, Michael likely felt embarrassed or uncomfortable about violating the social norm of not asking strangers to move seats on a bus. Social norms can influence behavior even when there are no formal rules or consequences in place.

Question 15

The "rules," or expectations, for appropriate behavior in a particular social situation are called:

Accepted Answer

Social norms are the unwritten rules of behavior that are expected within a particular social group or culture. They dictate what is considered appropriate or inappropriate behavior in various social situations. These norms can vary widely between different cultures and social groups, and can include everything from dress codes to language to forms of address.

Question 16

According to your textbook, _____ is an area of social psychology that studies the effect of situational factors and other people on an individual's behavior.

Accepted Answer

Social influence is the area of social psychology that studies the effect of situational factors and other people on an individual's behavior. Social categorization refers to the process of grouping people into categories based on characteristics such as gender, race, or occupation. Social cognition is the study of how people perceive, remember, and interpret information about themselves and others. Explicit cognition refers to conscious, deliberate thought processes.

Question 17

Social cognition is to _____ as social influence is to _____.

Accepted Answer

Social cognition involves understanding how people perceive and interpret their social environment, while social influence refers to how situational factors and others affect an individual's behavior.

Question 18

Social psychology focuses on a broad range of topics. According to your textbook, the two key research areas in social psychology are:

Accepted Answer

Social cognition focuses on how people perceive, remember, and interpret information about themselves and others in social situations. Social influence refers to the ways people influence the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of others. These two research areas are the foundation for understanding many other topics within social psychology. Implicit cognition and explicit cognition are subtopics within social cognition, and the rule of reciprocity and the rule of commitment are concepts within social influence. Ethnocentrism and altruism are also topics within social psychology but are not the two key research areas identified in the textbook.

Question 19

Collectively, the mental processes people use to make sense of their social environment are called:

Accepted Answer

Social cognition refers to the mental processes people use to understand and make sense of their social environment, including how they perceive, interpret, remember, and use information about others. It is a collective term that encompasses a range of cognitive and affective processes, such as attention, perception, memory, reasoning, and decision making, that are involved in social interactions and relationships.

Question 20

A term that refers to the mental processes we use to form judgments and draw conclusions about the characteristics and motives of others is:

Accepted Answer

Person perception refers to the mental processes, including the use of cognitive schemas, that we use to form judgments and draw conclusions about the characteristics and motives of others. Social norms and social influence are broader concepts that refer to the ways in which society and others around us impact our behavior and attitudes. Cognitive schemas, while related, are a more specific term that refers to the mental structures we use to organize information about people and the world around us.

Quiz 11: Social Psychology