Test 1 Quiz Questions social

In one of the first social psychological experiments ever conducted, researcher Max Ringlemann observed men as they pulled on a rope either alone, as part of a small group, or as part of a large group. He found that as the size of the group increased, A) each individual put in more effort. B) each individual put in less effort. C) the task seemed increasingly difficult. D) the task seemed increasingly easy.

B) Each individual put in less effort

"Applied researchers" are BEST defined as social scientists who A) work in "real life" settings—such as in workplaces, schools, or zoos. B) focus on concrete problems—such as how to boost literacy rates or how to increase water conservation. C) seek to "test out," or apply, others' theories rather than develop their own theories. D) study the process of research itself—how researchers go about selecting research questions, conducting studies, and reporting findings.

B) focus on concrete problems- such as how to boost literacy rates or how to increase water conservation

When participant's in Bazerman et al.'s (1992) study predicted their reaction to one of two options presented to them for resolving a financial dispute with a neighbor, which option was generally preferred across participants? A) The option that paid them $600 and their neighbor $800. B) The option that paid them $800 and their neighbor $600. C) The option that paid both their neighbor and themselves $500. D) The option that paid them $500 and their neighbor nothing.

C) The option that paid both their neighbor and themselves $500.

When it comes to intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation, research on humans and other species has found that A) both forms of motivation are common in humans and other species. B) both forms of motivation are common in humans but completely unheard of in other species. C) both forms of motivation are common in humans but other species seem to mainly be driven by intrinsic motivation. D) both forms of motivation are common in humans but other species seem to mainly be driven by extrinsic motivation.

C) both forms of motivation are common in humans but other species seem to mainly be driven by intrinsic motivation.

Dr. Zink and Dr. Vasquez are designing a new study. They have come up with a good hypothesis for the study, but they are having trouble thinking of operational definitions for their variables. In other words, they are concerned that their research might be low in A) internal validity. B) external validity. C) construct validity. D) face validity.

C) construct validity

In one of the first social psychological experiments ever conducted, researcher Norman Triplett examined the records of teams of cyclists. He found that cyclists who raced against each other _____ than those who raced alone (against the clock). A) were more aggressive after the race B) got into more accidents C) cycled more quickly D) enjoyed the race less

C) cycled more quickly

In the 1980s, there was an anti-drug television commercial that showed a businessman in a seedy public restroom getting prepared to snort cocaine. The man drops the cocaine on the floor and needs to bend down to try to retrieve it. He then catches a glimpse of himself in the restroom mirror, and appears—having seen himself in this act—to feel suddenly shocked by himself, and ashamed of what he is doing, Seeing himself in the mirror seems to heighten the man's _____. A) interdependent self-construal B) self-presentation C) self-awareness D) independent self-construal

C) self-awareness

Dara is a junior in college. She has done very well there academically, making the Dean's List each semester. She also is a leader in her sorority, and a good swimmer on the women's swim team. Which of the following self-enhancing claims is Dara LEAST likely to make? A) She is applying to several really good graduate schools, with reasonable hope of admission. B) She is applying to win a national award for her sorority. C) She is likely going to qualify for the regional semi-finals in swimming. D) She has a good chance of making the Olympic swim team.

D) She has a good chance of making the Olympic swim team.

When social psychology began to come into its own as a field in the 1950s and 1960s, mainstream psychology was divided between two main theoretical camps. These were A) trait theory and behaviorism. B) Freudian psychoanalysis and humanism. C) humanism and trait theory. D) behaviorism and Freudian psychoanalysis.

D) behaviorism and Freudian psychoanalysis

Ursule believes that traits and abilities as fixed at birth and remain the same no matter what. By contrast, Yuri believes that people develop their traits and abilities across time, and that they can become better and better with practice. Social psychologists would say that Ursule is a(n) _____ while Yuri is a(n) _____. A) collectivist, individualist B) individualist, collectivist C) incremental theorist, entity theorist D) entity theorist, incremental theorist

D) entity theorist, incremental theorist

There is a slight tendency in the U.S. for boys and men to have higher self-esteem than girls and women. Research suggests that this disparity is probably MOSTLY due to the fact that A) females tend to be more modest (try not to boast) when filling out surveys. B) many existing self-esteem surveys are heavily gender-biased. C) females tend to be more critical of their interpersonal and relationship skills. D) females tend to be more critical of their bodies.

D) females tend to be more critical of their bodies.

People try to make impressions on others by explicitly telling other people things about themselves ("I have a lot of experience with this"), by wearing certain brands (e.g., Birkenstock, Stussy, Nike, Prada), and by using certain body language (e.g., strutting or crossing one's legs). These are all examples of A) the looking-glass self. B) self as institution. C) narcissism. D) self-presentation.

D) self-presentation.

The social psychological theory known as "social exchange theory" is based MOST obviously on which of the following other social sciences? A) Economics B) History C) Political science D) Anthropology

A) Economics

Recent research has demonstrated that men and women perceive certain behaviors differently: Men are more likely than women to assume that an innocent smile is a sign of flirtation, while women are more likely than men to assume that blatant flirtation is merely a sign of friendliness. These research findings are most consistent with A) error management theory. B) self-determination theory. C) reactance theory. D) action identification theory.

A) error management theory

Research indicates that people who believe that they are acting autonomously, based on intrinsic motivations, are _____ compared people who believe that their behavior is guided by external forces and extrinsic motivations. A) happier and often perform better B) happier but often perform worse C) no happier but often perform better D) no happier and no more (or less) likely to perform well

A) happier and often perform better

Research on suicide among humans and non-human animals has shown that A) humans are apparently the only animals who engage in suicide. B) aside from humans, chimpanzees are the only other animals who occasionally engage in suicide. C) suicide occurs in all known primate species, but not in any other animals. D) suicide is known to occur in a number of different animal species, but it is more common among humans than it is among any other species.

A) humans are apparently the only animals who engage in suicide.

According to the textbook, people typically study social psychology because A) it is fun and interesting, and can help make the world a better place. B) it is an important foundation for understanding clinical psychology. C) it helps them with their personal problems. D) they think it will be easy.

A) it is fun and interesting, and can help make the world a better place

Both parts of the duplex mind play a role in navigating through a hierarchy of goals; the automatic system helps to _____, while the conscious system _____. A) keep track of and initiate specific goals, revises plans when goals are blocked. B) maintain optimism and motivation, more rationally assesses progress and anticipates risks. C) identify opportunities that are in line with goals, evaluates these opportunities and decides whether or not to act upon them. D) monitor whether or not progress through the hierarchy is satisfactory, is freed up to move on and establish new goals.

A) keep track of and initiate specific goals, revises plans when goals are blocked.

In a classic article by sociologist Ralph Turner, it was noted that different cultures, at different times, have defined the true self by placing emphasis on either of two main approaches. These approaches are A) self as impulse and self as institution. B) public self-awareness and private self-awareness. C) looking-glass self and generalized other. D) implicit self and explicit self.

A) self as impulse and self as institution

Suppose that you are trying to quit smoking, but that you are having trouble doing so. When you stop to think about why you might be having so much trouble (i.e., when you try to analyze what your resistance might be to quitting), you are relying on A) self-knowledge. B) the interpersonal self. C) the agent self. D) the self-concept.

A) self-knowledge

Suppose that Sergej has just asked Georgia whether she would like to study with him for an upcoming English exam. Georgia is struggling in the class, and she knows that Sergej is an excellent English student, so she enthusiastically agrees and says that she is excited to study with him. According to error management theory, it is likely that Sergej will view Georgia's enthusiasm as a sign that A) she has a crush on him. B) she must be a bad student. C) she must be a good student. D) she is probably being insincere.

A) she has a crush on him.

According to the textbook, _____ is/are the most important ingredient(s) for facilitating self-concept change. A) the interpersonal context and how other people see you B) introspection C) commitment to change D) physically changing your behavior

A) the interpersonal context and how other people see you

According to the textbook, the two main drawbacks of plans are that _____ and _____. A) they can be discouraging if they are too rigid and detailed, they tend to be overly optimistic. B) they can be discouraging if they are too rigid and detailed, they tend to be anxiety-provoking. C) they tend to distract people from actually completing the tasks at hand, they tend to be overly optimistic. D) they tend to distract people from actually completing the tasks at hand, they often fail to prioritize the most important things.

A) they can be discouraging if they are too rigid and detailed, they tend to be overly optimistic.

Many people do not invest in 401K plans or other retirement plans—even though they are not broke, and could afford to put money aside. One explanation for this is the fact that people tend to engage in _____ when making decisions about how to manage their money. A) reactance B) the Zeigarnik effect C) risk aversion D) temporal discounting

D) temporal discounting

Research suggests that when athletes who are preparing for a big game visualize themselves training really hard for the game, they _____; when they visualize themselves actually winning the game, they _____. A) tend to actually train less than usual and thus perform worse, in fact perform better. B) tend to actually train less than usual and thus perform worse, also actually tend to perform worse. C) tend to train harder than usual and thus perform better, in fact tend to perform worse. D) tend to train harder than usual and thus perform better, also tend to perform a little better.

D) tend to train harder than usual and thus perform better, also tend to perform a little better.

Maureen thinks that her abilities are fluid and capable of changing and developing over time. She decides to try to learn to garden. Her first year of planting is a complete failure--nearly every plant dies. She only harvests a few tomatoes. Given what you know about Maureen, what can you predict about her interest in gardening? A) She will try again the next year and plan to learn from her mistakes. B) She will probably experience learned helplessness and lose interest in gardening. C) She will probaby be risk averse and not want to garden next year. D) She will probably plant only the tomatoes because those are what she had success with this year.

A) She will try again the next year and plan to learn from her mistakes.

One of the topics that has been of key interest to social psychologists during the last 30 years has been A) social cognition—concerned with how people think about other people and how people think about the social world in general. B) behaviorism—concerned with basic principles of learning such as reward and punishment. C) the idea that modern life makes people vulnerable to alienation and exploitation. D) the idea that people act less on the basis of firm moral principles than they do on the basis of conformity, or "following the crowd."

A) Social cognition- concerned with how people think about other people and how people think about the social world in general

Milgram's famous studies of obedience to authority were motivated by which historical event? A) The Holocaust B) The fall of Communism C) Psychological problems of soldiers during Desert Storm D) The Great Depression

A) The Holocaust

William James, the father of American psychology, once wrote: "Thinking is for doing." What did he mean by this? A) The human brain probably developed its current cognitive abilities in large part to enable effective decision-making and to facilitate behavior. B) People typically engage in conscious thought only when engaged in a task (e.g., only when solving a puzzle, trying to construct an argument, or making a decision about something). C) Every behavior that a person engages in implies a particular thought or set of thoughts; researchers can therefore infer thoughts from behaviors. D) Because the primary role of thoughts is simply to plan behaviors, the proper focus of study for psychologists is behaviors themselves (and not thoughts).

A) The human brain probably developed its current cognitive abilities in large part to enable effective decision-making and to facilitate behavior.

How are social psychologists generally similar to behaviorists? A) They both tend to favor experiments and the scientific method. B) They are both interested in the mind, thoughts, and emotions. C) They are both originally rooted in psychoanalytic theory. D) They are both interested in the unconscious mind.

A) They both tend to favor experiments and the scientific method

Suppose that you want your brother to remember the word "conniving." Would he remember the word better if you asked him if he was ever conniving? A) Yes, because of the self-reference effect; regardless of how he answered, your brother would probably remember the word better after associating it with himself. B) Yes, because of the self-reference effect—but ONLY IF he answered that he was conniving. His memory for the word would only be enhanced if he actually did think of himself as (at least sometimes) conniving. C) No—even if he did answer that he was conniving. The self-reference effect typically works only with positive words (and not with negative words) since most people are driven by the self-enhancement motive. D) No—even if he did answer that he was conniving. In fact, thinking about the self tends to be distracting, and would most likely make your brother LESS likely to remember the word.

A) Yes, because of the self-reference effect; regardless of how he answered, your brother would probably remember the word better after associating it with himself.

According to the textbook, psychology can be thought of as a kind of "experimental philosophy" because psychology _____, but psychology relies on the experimental method. A) addresses many of the same questions that interest philosophers B) is as popular today as philosophy was in ancient times C) also grew out of the mathematical sciences D) is also a highly controversial field

A) addresses the same questions that interest philosophers

In which of the following situations would Igor be MOST likely to experience reactance? A) He is out on a first date with an attractive person and trying to make a good impression. B) He comes home and finds his older brother reading his journal—where he has written deep, dark secrets that he does not want anyone to see. C) He sleeps through an important job interview, and only has himself to blame. D) He finds out that his mother has cancer, but that she has been hiding it from him for several years because she didn't want him to worry about her.

B) He comes home and finds his older brother reading his journal—where he has written deep, dark secrets that he does not want anyone to see.

Suppose that Dr. Brown conducts an experiment to examine the effects of mentorship programs on children's academic achievement. She finds that children who are given mentors receive significantly higher grades than children who aren't. The result is statistically significant at the .05 level. What does this mean? A) The finding probably occurred by chance; mentorship programs probably DON'T really improve academic achievement. B) The finding probably did NOT occur by chance; mentorship programs probably DO really boost academic achievement. C) The finding was larger than expected; mentorship programs appear to be even more effective than Dr. Brown thought they were. D) The finding was smaller than expected; mentorship programs appear to be less effective than Dr. Brown thought they were.

B) The finding probably did NOT occur by chance; mentorship programs probably DO really boost academic achievement.

As discussed in the text, one of the gymnasts who competed in the 1976 Olympics broke his leg midway through the competition but actually hid his injury from his teammates (because he did not want them to be distracted or concerned during the competition) and continued to compete (and help his team win the medal). This story is used to illustrate the notion of A) intrinsic rewards. B) an interdependent self-construal. C) social comparison. D) the looking-glass self.

B) an interdependent self-construal.

Research on the planning fallacy indicates that we tend to _____ when making predictions about ourselves and we tend to _____ when making predictions about other people. A) be overly optimistic, be overly optimistic also B) be overly optimistic, be realistic C) be overly optimistic, be overly pessimistic D) be realistic, be overly pessimistic

B) be overly optimistic, be realistic

In terms of getting along with other people, compared to people with low self-esteem, people with high self-esteem _____. In fact _____. A) believe they are well-liked, people with high self-esteem are perceived more favorably than people with low self-esteem B) believe they are well-liked., people with high and low self-esteem are perceived about equally favorably C) do not necessarily believe they are well-liked, people with high and low self-esteem are perceived about equally favorably D) do not necessarily believe they are well-liked, people with low self-esteem are perceived more favorably than people with high self-esteem

B) believe they are well-liked., people with high and low self-esteem are perceived about equally favorably

Suppose that you went out on two dates with someone from one of your classes. You were not crazy about the person, but you did not dislike the person either. You thought that you would just wait and see how things turned out. Surprisingly, however, the person sent you an e-mail after your second date and wrote: "I just don't think we have good chemistry, but it was nice meeting you! Sayonara!" All of a sudden, the person becomes much more attractive to you. You wonder what you did wrong, and you strategize about how to get another chance. It appears as though you are experiencing _____. A) temporal discounting B) reactance C) the reciprocity bias D) the omission bias

B) reactance

Research indicates that when people are setting goals, they tend to think in a(n) _____ way, and when they are pursuing or striving for goals, they to think in a(n) _____ way. A) realistic, realistic B) realistic, optimistic C) optimistic, realistic D) optimistic, optimistic

B) realistic, optimistic

According to the textbook, the three main parts of the self are A) self-esteem, self-understanding, and self-action. B) self-knowledge, agent self, and interpersonal self. C) the real self, the ideal self, and the ought self. D) the conscious self, the preconscious self, and the unconscious self.

B) self-knowledge, agent self, and interpersonal self.

Tyra is preparing to take a big standardized exam that contains an English portion and a Mathematics portion. Tyra is convinced that she is strong in English, and that she will perform well on the English part of the exam. But she is equally convinced that she is bad at math, and that she will bomb the Mathematics portion. If Tyra has a strong consistency motive, then A) she will probably try especially hard on the Mathematics portion so that her English and Mathematics scores will end up being as similar as possible. B) she will probably spend most of her time practicing the English portion, and may not even try that hard on the Mathematics portion so that her expectations will be confirmed. C) she will probably spend most of her time practicing the English portion in order to feel good about her score and herself. D) she will probably practice both portions of the exam under strict time limits so that she can get as accurate a sense as possible of what her true score will be.

B) she will probably spend most of her time practicing the English portion, and may not even try that hard on the Mathematics portion so that her expectations will be confirmed.

As discussed in the textbook, when purchasing a car, people end up paying a bit more attention than they intend to on to things like color and engine size, and a bit less attention than they intend to on things like the chances of fatalities should there be an accident with the car. This pattern can be taken as evidence for A) the status quo bias. B) the certainty effect. C) risk aversion. D) the Zeigarnik effect.

B) the certainty effect.

In Nisbett and Wilson's (1977) studies, when people made choices about which stockings to buy, the people said that they made their choice based on . A) whether the stocking was presented first or last. B) the color or softness of the stocking. C) how much the stocking cost. D) the stocking size.

B) the color or softness of the stocking.

Although sociologists and social psychologists are both interested in group behavior, sociologists tend to focus on _____, whereas social psychologists tend to focus on _____. A) individual members within the group, the group as a single unit B) the group as a single unit, individual members within the group C) how group are unique, how various groups are similar to one another D) how various groups are similar to one another, how groups are unique

B) the group as a single unit, individual members within a group

Dr. Tsuei is studying the effects of sleep deprivation on interpersonal skills. He is testing the interpersonal skills of 20-25 year-old males who have been sleep deprived for 24 hours, 36 hours, or 48 hours. In this study the dependent variable is A) the age of the research participants. B) the interpersonal skills of the research participants. C) the length of time that the research participants are deprived of sleep. D) the type of interpersonal skills test used in the study.

B) the interpersonal skills of the research participants.

Suppose that you are a terrible athlete, you were born with asthma, and you are a fantastic poker player. Research suggests that, if you have the same tendencies as most people, you would probably A) think that asthma is even rarer than it really is. B) think that your gift for poker is rarer than it really is. C) think that most people are even better athletes than they really are. D) think that asthma is even rarer than it really is and that most people are even better athletes than they really are.

B) think that your gift for poker is rarer than it really is.

According to the textbook, why is it usually a doomed idea to try to diet when you are under stress? A) Because dieting tends to temporarily deplete cognitive resources, which are needed for successfully coping with stressors B) Because cortisol, the hormone released during times of stress, affects metabolism in such a way that it is almost impossible to diet successfully C) Because people's capacity for willpower is limited, and can be depleted by attending to stressors (such that little willpower is left for dieting) D) Because people require a greater caloric intake than usual in order to successfully cope with stressors

C) Because people's capacity for willpower is limited, and can be depleted by attending to stressors (such that little willpower is left for dieting)

Which of the following topics would a cognitive psychologist be MOST likely to study? A) The heritability of depression B) Male-female differences in sexual behavior C) How people learn to memorize complex musical compositions D) Altruistic behavior among chimpanzees

C) How people learn to memorize complex musical compositions

According to the research on goal setting and achievement, if all of the students below had similar track records, which of them should we expect to perform BEST in school in the coming month? A) Student A, who states: "I want to be the #1 student in my state in every subject for the next two years." B) Student B, who states: "I want to at least pass all of my classes." C) Student C, who states: "I want to get at least an A- on each of my exams and assignments this month." D) Student D, who states: "I want to get the best grades that I can."

C) Student C, who states: "I want to get at least an A- on each of my exams and assignments this month."

Dr. Taylor is conducting a study to test the effect of a new drug on people's ability to concentrate at work. His research sample consists of 100 US adults. During a 14-week period, half of the sample is administered the drug and the other half is administered a placebo, and participants' concentration abilities are continually tracked. In the context of this study, if Dr. Taylor uses random assignment, it means that A) his study will be high in external validity. B) the 100 adults in his study are likely to be representative of the larger population of interest. C) each research participant has an equal chance of being assigned to each level of the independent variable (e.g., the placebo group or the drug group). D) his research findings are likely to be statistically significant.

C) each research participant has an equal chance of being assigned to each level of the independent variable (e.g., the placebo group or the drug group).

Research on entity and incremental theorists has shown that, compared to Japanese athletes, American athletes are more likely to be _____ theorists, and thus more likely to view their athletic skills as _____. A) incremental, inborn and fixed B) incremental, flexible and changeable C) entity, inborn and fixed D) entity, flexible and changeable

C) entity, inborn and fixed

Research has shown that children are less likely to steal Halloween candy if there is a big mirror in front of them than if there is no mirror. This finding illustrates the fact that A) the looking-glass self is similar to public self-consciousness. B) the looking-glass self invokes the generalized other. C) high self-awareness tends to increase moral behavior. D) moral behavior is primarily guided by the conscious part of the duplex mind.

C) high self-awareness tends to increase moral behavior.

Suppose that, for a period of one month, you are given $20 every time that you work on a fun and interesting word game. Research suggests that, as a consequence, A) the word game will be easier for you (than for someone who had not been rewarded). B) the word game will be harder for you (than for someone who had not been rewarded). C) later, when the month is up and you are no longer given $20 to work on the word game, you will be less likely to work on it (than would someone who had not been rewarded). D) later, when the month is up and you are no longer given $20 to work on the word game, you will be more likely to work on it (than would someone who had not been rewarded).

C) later, when the month is up and you are no longer given $20 to work on the word game, you will be less likely to work on it (than would someone who had not been rewarded).

According to the textbook, the key distinction between philosophy and psychology is the fact that psychology A) is concerned with observable phenomena (e.g., behaviors) rather than unobservable phenomena (e.g., thoughts). B) is concerned with unobservable phenomena (e.g., thoughts) rather than observable phenomena (e.g., behaviors). C) primarily relies on the scientific method. D) primarily relies on the case study method.

C) primarily relies on the scientific method

Ted tends to think of himself as a workaholic and perfectionist. When he thinks back on college years, he remembers studying hard for exams and getting good grades (and tends to forget about the time he nearly failed a class, and disregard the many nights he spent partying). The way that Ted thinks about his college years illustrates the fact that people A) believe that they have more control over their lives than they really do. B) tend to have a poor understanding of how they are viewed by others. C) revise or distort their memories to fit their current self-concepts. D) see the world as a fair, just place.

C) revise or distort their memories to fit their current self-concepts.

When Jason starts college, he comes from a very conservative religious background. He strongly feels that homosexuality is "wrong" and "immoral", although he has never actually met anyone who is a homosexual. At college, he meets lots of new friends, a few of whom are homosexual. He really enjoys them, and as he spends more time with them he decides, "I must not really think homosexuality is wrong. After all, several of my best friends are gay and I don't think they are immoral." Which theory can BEST explain Jason's change in attitude about homosexuality? A) social comparison theory B) the self-reference effect C) self-perception theory D) self-handicapping theory

C) self-perception theory

Suppose that you are conducting an experiment to see whether receiving negative feedback from an authority figure will increase eating behavior. After writing an essay, half of your research participants are given negative feedback from a professor, and half are given encouraging feedback. All participants are then placed in a room with a large container of cookies and their eating behavior is observed. In this study, an operational definition for the dependent variable might be A) whether participants received critical or encouraging feedback. B) the number of words in each participant's essay. C) the number of cookies each participant ate. D) how many minutes the professor spent giving each participant feedback.

C) the number of cookies each participant ate.

Kendall was always the class clown. When he goes to university far from home, though, he really changes who he is. He becomes very studious and interested in research, and starts to run around with "smart" kids instead of kids who party all the time (like he did in high school). Kendall's experience at university BEST illustrates A) stability in self-knowledge. B) the role of family in revising self-knowledge. C) the role of social world in revising self-knowlege. D) how a person can just decide to change.

C) the role of social world in revising self-knowledge.

When trying to explain a person's behavior, the first place social psychologists tend to look is to A) the person's unconscious motivations. B) the person's personality. C) the situation the person is in. D) the person's relationships with family members as a child.

C) the situation the person is in

Suppose that an annoying co-worker is always making passes at you and trying to ask you out on dates. Research on the panic button effect suggests that you would be less troubled by this person if A) you thought about how much worse the situation could be. B) you thought about the fact that other people would be flattered by this. C) you felt that you could simply tell the person to stop if you wanted to. D) you felt that this person could be a good "backup" if you ever needed a last-minute date.

C) you felt that you could simply tell the person to stop if you wanted to.