Question 1

We don't evaluate a person in isolation. Our reaction to a person is influenced by other persons we have recently encountered. This is known as the ________.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as the contrast effect. The halo effect refers to the tendency to generalize positive or negative impressions of someone based on a single trait or behavior. Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out and favor information that confirms our preexisting beliefs. The framing effect refers to the way in which information is presented or "framed" influencing our perception and decision making. The impact bias refers to our tendency to overestimate the intensity and duration of our emotional reactions to future events.

Question 2

It was Marisol's first day at work. At first she was very nervous, but when she was introduced to her cubicle neighbor, Hanna, she was reassured by Hanna's soothing smile. Marisol thought that a person with such a beautiful smile could not be bad, and that she would enjoy having her in such close proximity. Which of the following concepts best describes this example?

Accepted Answer

The Halo effect is the tendency to judge someone based on our overall impression of them. In this example, Marisol is assuming that because Hanna has a beautiful smile, she must also be a good person to work with.

Question 3

________ indicates the tendency of an individual to attribute his own successes to internal factors while putting the blame for failures on external factors.

Accepted Answer

The described tendency is known as self-serving bias, where individuals attribute their own successes to internal factors (such as their own abilities and efforts), but externalize failures by blaming outside factors (such as bad luck or the actions of others). Option A refers to the tendency to overemphasize dispositional factors and downplay situational factors when explaining the behavior of others, while option C and D refer to other cognitive biases. Option E refers to assuming certain characteristics or attributes of a group based solely on stereotypes.

Question 4

Jennifer has already presented two excellent reports. The third report she has just presented is clearly not as good as the first two reports, yet she is given the same high grade as before. What shortcut has the teacher used in this case?

Accepted Answer

The teacher is using the halo effect, which is when someone's overall positive impression of a person influences their judgment of specific traits or abilities, in this case giving Jennifer the same high grade as before despite a decrease in quality of work.

Question 5

You have heard that the teacher believes that men perform better in oral presentations than women. What shortcut has the teacher used in this case?

Accepted Answer

The teacher has used stereotyping, which is the shortcut of attributing certain characteristics to a group of individuals based on their gender, ethnicity, or other demographic characteristics, without considering individual differences. In this case, the teacher has assumed that all men perform better in oral presentations than all women, which is a biased and unfounded generalization.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is true regarding a contrast effect?

Accepted Answer

The contrast effect refers to the phenomenon where a person's evaluation of a trait is influenced by their perception of the comparison group. In this case, a person may seem more attractive or appealing when compared to a person of less appeal, which is consistent with statement C. A is incorrect because that is a bias known as the self-serving bias. B is incorrect because that pertains to the halo effect. D is incorrect because that refers to stereotyping, and E is incorrect because that pertains to anchoring bias.

Question 7

Arian dresses very nicely, has great hair, and a winning smile. According to the Halo Effect, which of the following are we most likely to ascribe to Arian?

Accepted Answer

The Halo Effect is a cognitive bias in which one's positive physical attributes or behaviors are assumed to be indicative of positive character traits. Arian's appearance and smile are positive physical attributes, therefore, we are most likely to ascribe positive character traits to him, such as kindness or friendliness (option C). It is not necessarily true that he is a good student (option A), gets a lot of dates (option B), highly narcissistic (option D), or has low self-esteem (option E) solely based on his appearance and smile.

Question 8

Whenever Jane is successful she takes full credit for her success, but whenever she is unsuccessful she attributes her failure to bad luck or blames one of her fellow employees. She is guilty of the ________.

Accepted Answer

Jane is exhibiting self-serving bias, which is the tendency to attribute one's successes to internal factors (such as one's own abilities) and one's failures to external factors (such as bad luck or other people's actions). Option A, fundamental attribution error, refers to the tendency to overemphasize dispositional (internal) explanations for others' behavior while overlooking situational (external) factors. Option B, attribution bias, is a general term referring to any type of bias in the attribution process. Option C, confirmation bias, refers to the tendency to seek out information that confirms one's existing beliefs or hypotheses. Option D, distinction bias, is not a recognized term in psychology.

Question 9

According to the attribution theory, if a behavior scores ________, we tend to attribute it to internal causes.

Accepted Answer

According to the attribution theory, if a behavior scores low on distinctiveness, we tend to attribute it to internal causes. This means that the behavior is not unique to the situation or context and is more likely due to the person's internal disposition or personality.

Question 10

Samantha's rating in a job interview is high in contrast to the candidate who was interviewed directly before her, who was rated extremely low. In this case, Samantha's high rating can be partially attributed to the ________.

Accepted Answer

The contrast effect occurs when people evaluate an individual's characteristics in comparison to the characteristics of those who came before or after them. In this case, Samantha's high rating can be influenced by the low rating that the previous candidate received. Therefore, the best choice is B - contrast effect.

Question 11

Your boss never gives you the benefit of the doubt. When you arrived late from lunch, he assumed that you had simply taken too much time. He never considered that the elevators were not working that day and the fact that you had to walk up 10 flights of stairs. Your boss is guilty of ________.

Accepted Answer

The boss is exhibiting the fundamental attribution error by making a negative judgement based on internal factors (assumptions about the employee's behavior) rather than considering external factors (elevator not working).

Question 12

Allison has just presented her paper and has done a really good job. Why should you not want to present your own paper directly after she does?

Accepted Answer

Presenting your own paper directly after Allison may lead to the contrast effect, where the audience may unconsciously compare your presentation to Allison's, and find your performance lacking in comparison. It is better to give the audience some time to reset their expectations before presenting your own paper.

Question 13

You are more likely to notice cars like your own due to ________.

Accepted Answer

Selective perception refers to the tendency to selectively notice information and stimuli that are consistent with our beliefs, attitudes, and values. In this case, seeing cars that are like our own is consistent with our identity and preference, so we are more likely to pay attention to them. Stereotyping (A) is more about assigning traits or characteristics to a group of people based on their perceived membership in that group. Self-serving bias (B) refers to the tendency to attribute positive outcomes to oneself and negative outcomes to external factors. Halo effect (D) is the tendency to form a global impression of a person based on a single trait or feature, such as physical attractiveness. Contrast effect (E) is the tendency to perceive things as more different than they actually are when they are presented together.

Question 14

We use a number of shortcuts when we judge others. All of the following are shortcuts that we use to judge others except ________.

Accepted Answer

The self-serving bias is a cognitive bias that affects our perception of our own performance and behavior, but it is not a shortcut that we use to judge others. The other options (stereotyping, the halo effect, the contrast effect, and selective perception) are all shortcuts that we use to judge others.

Question 15

William believes Ronnie is a hardworking individual because Ronnie always dresses nicely and wears well-tailored suits. Which short-cut is William using to judge Ronnie?

Accepted Answer

William is using the halo effect to judge Ronnie, which is the tendency to generalize positive attributes about a person based on a single trait or characteristic. In this case, Ronnie's well-tailored suits are perceived as a sign of hard work and competence, even though there may be no actual correlation between his clothing and work ethic.

Question 16

Which of the following terms best describes the tendency to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the behavior of others?

Accepted Answer

The term that best describes the tendency to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the behavior of others is fundamental attribution error. The halo effect refers to the tendency to form an overall positive impression of someone based on one trait or characteristic. Selective perception refers to the tendency to selectively interpret and remember information based on preexisting beliefs and attitudes. Overconfidence refers to unwarranted confidence in one's own abilities or judgment. Randomness error refers to errors that occur due to chance.

Question 17

Because it is impossible for us to assimilate everything we see, we engage in ________.

Accepted Answer

Selective perception is the tendency for people to filter out information that conflicts with their pre-existing beliefs, values, or attitudes. It allows us to prioritize and focus on what is most relevant to us while ignoring other stimuli.

Question 18

Many of our perceptions are formed by ________ and small ________ that have little supporting evidence.

Accepted Answer

First impressions and cues are often influential in forming perceptions, even if they are based on limited evidence or information. Directives and stereotypes also play a role in shaping perceptions, but the question specifically mentions small pieces of evidence and cues, making choice C the best fit.

Question 19

Which of the following statements is not an example of stereotyping?

Accepted Answer

Although this statement assumes that past performance predicts future performance, it does not rely on generalizations or assumptions about a particular group. The other statements make generalizations or assumptions about men, older workers, women, or individuals based on gender.

Question 20

When we judge someone on the basis of our perception of the group to which he/she belongs, it is called ________.

Accepted Answer

Stereotyping is the act of making assumptions about an individual based on the characteristics or traits of the group to which they belong. This can lead to biased judgments and unfair treatment of individuals. Confirmation bias is when we seek out information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs, framing effect is when the way information is presented influences our decision-making, distinction bias is when we see differences between similar things as being more significant than they actually are, and bandwagon effect is the tendency to conform to the opinions or actions of a group.

Quiz 6: Perception and Individual Decision Making