Chapter 9 Practice Questions

B

According to evolutionary theory, kin selection is MOST adaptive in terms of A. children helping their parents. B. parents helping their children. C. brothers and sisters helping one another. D. husbands and wives helping one another.

B

According to the empathy-altruism hypothesis, A. all altruistic behavior is motivated by empathy. B. empathy motivates people to reduce others' distress. C. people who routinely engage in altruistic behavior gradually become less and less empathetic to others. D. people who routinely engage in altruistic behavior gradually become more and more empathetic to others.

A

Before conducting his classic research on obedience to authority, Milgram conducted a survey in which he asked a number of psychiatrists to predict what percentage of people would "go all the way" and administer the highest levels of shocks. The psychiatrists in his survey predicted that __________ would do so. A. only .01% (1 in 1000) B. only about 5% C. about 25% D. about 35%

B

Compared to non-human animals, humans are MOST notably A. more likely to help kin. B. more likely to help non-kin. C. less likely to help kin. D. less likely to help non-kin.

B

Compared to people who do not have a strong belief in a just world, people who do have a strong belief in a just world are MORE likely to A. show a tendency to help attractive victims more than unattractive victims. B. blame victims for their plight. C. help others in emergency situations. D. help others in both emergency situations and non-emergency situations.

B

If Marioara helps another person with the sole goal of increasing his or her welfare, and expects nothing from the other person in return, then she is said to be engaging in A. egoistic helping. B. altruistic helping. C. zero-sum helping. D. non-zero-sum helping.

C

In total, Batson's research the empathy-specific-punishment hypothesis. A. supports B. partially supports C. does not support D. does not speak to

C

Much of the time, people engage in altruistic behavior because doing so makes them feel good. Is it correct to conclude, then, that altruistic acts are fundamentally selfish? Or should such acts be considered altruistic despite their seemingly selfish motives? What do the textbook authors conclude about this? A. Such acts are best thought of as selfish (ego-driven). B. Such acts are best thought of as helpful (driven by social conscience). C. Such acts are best thought of as selfish AND helpful. Indeed, it is incorrect to pit these drives against one another, as they have evolved in harmony. D. Such acts are best thought of as selfish (ego-driven) UNLESS they involve clear self-sacrifices.

A

Research demonstrates that people are more likely to engage in kin selection A. in life-or-death situations as opposed to everyday situations. B. in everyday situations as opposed to life-or-death situations. C. when they are in a good mood rather than a bad mood. D. when they are in a bad mood rather than a good mood.

C

Suppose that Eli has a strong belief in a just world, and that he is just like other people who have a strong belief in a just world. How should we expect him to respond when he is asked what he thinks about a new social welfare program to benefit the elderly? A. "That sounds great; I support anything that helps others!" B. "That sounds great; when I am old I want to have those benefits!" C. "That sounds terrible and I do not support it; if the elderly need help right now it is their own fault!" D. "That sounds great; the more laws we can implement to help others, the better!"

B

What percent of women wash their hands after using the restroom if they believe no one else is in the restroom? A. 10% B. 39% C. 54% D. 77%

F

When Milgram surveyed psychiatrists prior to conducting his famous "obedience to authority" studies, the psychiatrists predicted that about 60% of participants would deliver the most severe shocks. T/F

B

A series of studies conducted in restaurants indicates that when people dine in groups, they tend to order __________. This finding can be explained by the fact that __________. A. a variety of different items—more variety than expected by chance, people tend to conform to one another's orders. B. a variety of different items—more variety than expected by chance, people don't like to order the same items that others are ordering. C. a very narrow selection of items—more narrow than expected by chance, people tend to conform to one another's orders. D. a very narrow selection of items—more narrow than expected by chance, people don't like to order the same items that others are ordering.

D

According to evolutionary theory, people are more likely to help siblings (with whom they share roughly half of their genes) than cousins (with whom they share roughly one-eighth of their genes), and more likely to help cousins than strangers. Research demonstrates that, in reality, A. people are more likely to help family members than non-family members, but no more likely to help siblings than cousins. B. people are more likely to help siblings than cousins, but no more likely to help cousins than strangers. C. people are no more likely to help family members than non-family members. D. this pattern by and large holds true.

C

According to the textbook authors, social psychologists have long viewed conformity as __________; newer research __________. A. having positive consequences, indicates that it is usually antisocial. B. having positive consequences, confirms this. C. having negative consequences, indicates that it is usually prosocial. D. having negative consequences, confirms this.

B

According to the textbook, the opposite of prosocial behavior is A. conformity. B. antisocial behavior. C. altruistic helping. D. ego-benefiting behavior.

C

As discussed in the textbook, the sociologist Phil Kunz once performed a study in which he sent 578 Christmas cards to a sample of complete strangers living in Chicago, Illinois. What happened? A. Almost none of them sent him a card in return, since they didn't know who he was. However, a small but significant minority (~8%) were apparently very upset with the researcher. B. The vast majority of them (~95%) actually sent him a card in return or telephoned him to try to find out who he was. C. A significant minority of them (~20%) actually acted as though they knew who he was and sent him a card in return. D. Essentially, nothing—although he did receive a handful of cards (3 or 4) from people who probably mistakenly thought they knew who he was.

D

In one well-known study on empathy, participants had to watch a confederate ("Elaine") receive electric shocks. They were told either that they had to watch 10 full trials of shocks, or that they could leave after watching the first 2 trials only. They were also told that their values and interests were similar to those of the confederate (similarity group), or that their values and interests were different from those of the confederate (non-similarity group). After the first two trials had been completed, participants were asked whether they would switch places with the confederate—she was apparently very upset by the shocks due to a negative childhood experience with electricity. Which group almost never agreed to switch places? A. The 10-trial high-similarity group B. The 10-trial low-similarity group C. The 2-trial high-similarity group D. Correct The 2-trial low-similarity group

B

In general, which of the following statements is FALSE? A. Identical twins help one another more than fraternal twins do. B. Fraternal twins help one another more than regular siblings do. C. Siblings help one another more than cousins do. D. Cousins help one another more than (unrelated) friends do.

B

In one well-known study of helping behavior, researchers examined helping among a sample of theology students. Students were either (a) put under time pressure or not put under time pressure and (b) expecting to give a speech about the parable of the (very helpful) Good Samaritan or expecting to give a speech about something else. What did the researchers find? A. In this study, helping was not affected by time pressure. B. In this study, helping was not affected by the speech manipulation. C. In this study, helping was not affected by time pressure or by the speech manipulation. D. Helping was highest among the low-time-pressure, Good Samaritan group.

B

In social psychology, the tendency for people to be less likely to offer help when they are in the presence of others than when they aren't is known as A. the Good Samaritan effect. B. the bystander effect. C. diffusion of responsibility. D. pluralistic ignorance.

A

Last weekend Victor helped his sister move into her new apartment. He didn't really feel like helping her, but he wanted to put her "in his debt," because he is planning to ask her if he can stay at her place for a couple of weeks. By helping his sister move, Victor was thus apparently engaging in A. egoistic helping. B. altruistic helping. C. zero-sum helping. D. non-zero-sum helping.

C

Research on gender and helping indicates that male helpers tend to __________; and that female helpers tend to __________. A. help males more than females, help females more than males B. help males and females equally, help females more than males C. help females more than males, do the same D. help females more than males, help males more than females

F

Research on helping indicates that, once people are educated about phenomena such as the bystander effect, diffusion of responsibility, and pluralistic ignorance, they are less likely to fall prey to them themselves. T/F

C

Research on who helps whom indicates that A. dissimilar people are motivated to help each other. B. similar people are motivated to help each other. C. similar people, especially when the similarities are outwardly obvious, are motivated to help each other. D. similarity does not impact helping motivation.

A

Research suggests that some people are more forgiving than others. In particular, __________ tend to be especially forgiving. Correct religious people young children highly educated people people with high self-esteem

C

Research has generally concluded that the negative state relief hypothesis is A. very accurate in its account of what motivates helping behavior. B. somewhat accurate in its account of helping behavior motivation. C. not well supported. D. strongly supported by empirical data.

A

Research indicates that in societies where there is an intact rule of law, people A. are happier. B. are less creative. C. are more aggressive. D. are less likely to help one another in times of hardship.

A

Research indicates that reciprocity norms are found in __________ human cultures; and that reciprocity norms are found in __________ non-human animals. A. all, some (but not all) B. all, no C. some (but not all), some (but not all) D. some (but not all), no

C

Research with humans and monkeys on fairness—and the concepts of being overbenefited versus underbenefited—indicates that A. humans worry primarily about the former, while monkeys worry primarily about the latter. B. humans worry primarily about the latter, while monkeys worry primarily about the former. C. humans worry about both, while monkeys worry primarily about the latter. D. humans worry about both, while monkeys worry primarily worry about the former.

C

Someone who is high on the dimension of belief in a just world would be MOST likely to agree with a statement like A. "Without strict laws and regulations, society would be chaotic." B. "Unless our justice system begins to treat people more fairly, society as a whole is going to lose faith in it and begin to deteriorate." C. "People who are in jail right now deserve to be there." D. "It is important to treat others how you yourself would want to be treated by them."

B

Suppose that you are in an emergency situation and need help. Social psychological research suggests that your BEST bet is to A. try to move to a more crowded area where many people will see you. B. identify a particular person, tell him or her that you need help, and tell him or her precisely what to do. C. repeatedly say the words "help" or "I need help" so that there is no ambiguity about the nature of the situation. D. simply scream at the top of your lungs until someone helps you.

F

The empathy-altruism hypothesis suggests that people who routinely engage in altruistic behavior gradually become more and more empathetic to others. T/F

B

The notion that "feeling another's pain" motivates us to help others is called the A. negative state relief hypothesis. B. empathy-altruism hypothesis. C. reciprocity hypothesis. D. volunteering hypothesis.

B

The notion that empathy triggers fears of guilt, censure, and shame, which in turn motivates helping behavior, is called the A. empathy-altruism hypothesis. B. empathy-specific-punishment hypothesis. C. empathy-specific-reward hypothesis. D. negative state relief hypothesis.

B

The prisoner's dilemma is best described as A. a zero-sum game. B. a non-zero-sum game. C. a commons dilemma. D. an equity game.

A

Uli has done a number of things to annoy her boyfriend recently—she crashed his car, is repeatedly late for dates, and was rude to his mother—and she feels a bit bad. However, Uli's boyfriend has forgiven her for each of her offenses. As a result, Uli is likely to A. feel less guilty and possibly behave better in the future. B. feel less guilty but behave even more mischievously in the future (now that she knows, at some level, that she can "get away with it"). C. feel more guilty (now that she sees how kind and forgiving her boyfriend is) but possibly behave better in the future. D. feel more guilty (now that she sees how kind and forgiving her boyfriend is) but behave even more mischievously in the future (now that she knows, at some level, that she can "get away with it").

D

When each person in a group does his or her part, and together they work toward a common goal, the group is said to be A. engaging in the equality group. B. engaging in the equity norm. C. engaging in a zero-sum game. D. cooperating.

B

When two people play prisoner's dilemma games against one another, they tend to end up competing A. almost always—even if both players begin by cooperating. B. when one or both of the players begin by competing. C. only when both of the players begin by competing. D. almost never—even if both of the players begin by competing.

A

Which couple is most likely to survive an isolated incident of sexual infidelity in which one partner cheats but the other partner remains faithful? A. Linda and Richard, who are good at seeing other people's points of view. B. Laura, who focuses on internal consequences and Jake, who focuses on external factors explaining the infidelity. C. Meredith, who focuses on external factors explaining the infidelity and Jim, who focuses on internal consequences. D. Nicole and Pete, who both focus on the external factors explaining the infidelity.

A

According to the textbook, altruism, as a personality characteristic, appears to A. have a genetic component. B. develop starting at around age 6 (but be completely absent before). C. be completely absent in non-human animals (i.e., all non-human animals show more or less equal levels of altruism). D. develop starting at around age 12 (but be completely absent before).

C

According to the textbook, the outcome of a prisoner's dilemma game (whether people end up cooperating of competing) depends MOST on how the players initially approach the game and on A. how old they are. B. whether they are male or female. C. whether they communicate with one another during the game. D. whether others are observing them as they play the game.

D

According to the textbook, when it comes to helping others, females tend to be more helpful than males A. in emergency situations. B. in situations that require repeated contact over long periods of time. C. when the victim is a stranger. D. when the victim is a child.

B

Geraldine feels empathy for her neighbor who is going through a medical crisis. She worries that the other people in the neighborhood will think she is not doing enough to help, so she tries to organize a fund-raiser to offset the medical bills for this individual. Which hypothesis BEST explains Geraldine's motives for helping? A. empathy-altruism hypothesis B. empathy-specific-punishment hypothesis C. empathy-specific-reward hypothesis D. negative state relief hypothesis

A.

In one well-known study on empathy, participants had to watch a confederate ("Elaine") receive electric shocks. They were told either that they had to watch 10 full trials of shocks, or that they could leave after watching the first 2 trials only. They were also told that their values and interests were similar to those of the confederate (similarity group), or that their values and interests were different from those of the confederate (non-similarity group). After the first two trials had been completed, participants were asked whether they would switch places with the confederate—she was apparently very upset by the shocks due to a negative childhood experience with electricity. The researchers found that, in the similarity group, __________ agreed to switch places. A. virtually everyone B. virtually everyone in the 10-trial group but only some in the 2-trial group C. virtually everyone in the 10-trial group but virtually no one in the 2-trial group D. equal numbers of people (a little more than half) in both the 2-trial group and the 10-trial group

A

In one well-known study on empathy, participants had to watch a confederate receive electric shocks. They were told either that they had to watch 10 full trials of shocks, or that they could leave after watching the first 2 trials only. They were also told that their values and interests were similar to those of the confederate, or that their values and interests were different from those of the confederate. After the first two trials had been conducted, participants were then asked whether they would switch places with the confederate, as she was apparently very upset by the shocks due to a negative childhood experience with electricity. The researchers found that, in the 10-trial group, __________ agreed to switch places. A. virtually everyone in the similarity group and most of the people in the non-similarity group B. most of the people in the similarity group but almost none of the people in the non-similarity group C. virtually everyone in the similarity group and virtually everyone in the non-similarity group D. virtually no one in the similarity group and virtually no one in the non-similarity group

B

Suppose that, one day, a fierce and crazy lion broke loose from the zoo. Instead of running around wildly, however, the lion calmed himself down rather quickly, walked through the crowds at the zoo, exited the facility, and made his way to a local park; here he stretched out to do some child-watching. People in the park were confused by the sudden presence of the lion. They thought to themselves: "Isn't that a lion?" "Um, is it really dangerous to have a lion right here?" However, none of them voiced their concerns, and as a result there was no communication about the lion; the park-goers ultimately assumed that there was a reason for the lion to be there ("otherwise," they thought, "someone would have said something"). And the lion ended up staying at the park for several hours. In this example, __________ was clearly at play. A. the bystander effect. B. pluralistic ignorance. C. diffusion of responsibility. D. the commons dilemma

D

What do the textbook authors say about the kind of willingness to obey authority that Milgram witnessed in his research? A. Milgram's research seems to have been an anomaly; people are not usually so obedient to authority in any kind of situation. B. Milgram's research seems to have been an anomaly; people usually are quite obedient when it comes to trivial or innocuous orders, but they are almost never so obedient when it comes to dangerous orders. C. People usually are quite obedient to authority, and Milgram's research demonstrates just how dangerous obedience is. D. People usually are quite obedient to authority, but most of the time this obedience has prosocial consequences; the situation that Milgram created in his research is very unique.