PS253 Midterm Questions

_____ is the ease with which people can bring an idea into consciousness, while _____ is the process where something in the environment elevates the activation of a schema. A) Salience; association B) Association; salience C) Priming; accessibility D) Accessibility; priming

Accessibility; priming

Attributes that improve an individual's prospects for survival are called: A) instincts. B) mutations. C) adaptations. D) social tendencies.

Adaptations

The BEST definition of a schema is: A) a category of objects or people. B) a long-term memory of a unique and personally significant event or interaction with another person. C) any mental structure containing information, rooted in memory, about how to interact with an object or type of person and what its basic properties will be. D) a person's beliefs about the likely behavior of the people whom he or she knows well (e.g., friends and family).

Any mental structure containing information; rooted in memory, about how to interact with an object or type of person and what its basic properties will be

Locus of causality refers to: A) attribution of a behavior to either an aspect of the actor or the situation. B) the person in one's environment whom one sees as having the most control over one's life. C) the dimension of an attribution that the individual perceives to be most central. D) the extent to which a person thinks they are capable of performing a future action.

Attribution of a behavior to either an aspect of the actor or the situation

Victorio belongs to a community in which people are very aware of status differences. People are born into a particular status and remain there for life. Everyone follows strong norms to ensure that status differences are respected. What is the best way of characterizing this community? A) community sharing B) market pricing C) equality matching D) authority ranking

Authority ranking

Kanye read several newspaper articles about shark attacks, and he is now convinced that shark attacks are common. When Kanye went on vacation, he refused to go swimming because of his belief about the high probability of a shark attack. This is an example of the: A) fundamental attribution error. B) representativeness heuristic. C) availability heuristic. D) false consensus effect

Availability heuristic

In a typical game of what Williams and colleagues called cyberball, participants: A) begin playing an electronic game of "catch" with two avatars, and the avatars gradually increase the extent to which they include the participant. B) begin playing an electronic game of "catch" with two avatars, and the avatars eventually stop including the participant in the game. C) engage in a dialogue with a computerized avatar that they believe is a participant in another room on a different computer. D) engage in a dialogue with a participant in another room, whom they believe to be only a computerized avatar.

Begin playing an electronic game of "catch" with two avatars, and the avatars eventually stop including the participant in the game

When faced with a daunting situation, if a person believes their resources are adequate they experience _____, but if a person believes their resources are inadequate they experience _____. A) challenge; threat B) threat; challenge C) flow; growth D) growth; flow

Challenge; threat

7. Ulrich is a member of a community where everyone's view is "What I have, you can have." What is the best way of characterizing this community? A) community sharing B) market pricing C) equality matching D) authority ranking

Community sharing

The tendency to process information to conform to what we desire and expect is referred to as: A) confirmation bias. B) causal attribution. C) demand characteristics. D) an interaction.

Confirmation bias

A variable other than the variable intended to be manipulated that may be responsible for an observed effect is called a(n): A) independent variable. B) confound. C) reverse causal variable. D) artifact.

Confound

Dispositions are defined as: A) preferences that people have for certain political points of view—i.e., party preferences. B) statements that scientists make about the relationship between two variables, which should be observable if a theory is true. C) moods that the individual enters into in certain situations. D) consistent preferences, ways of thinking, and behavioral tendencies that manifest across different situations and over time.

Consistent preferences, ways of thinking, and behavioral tendencies that manifest across different situations and over time

Olympic bronze medalists often express more happiness than silver medal winners. Which of the following is the BEST explanation for this? A) overconfidence B) transference C) the primacy effect D) counterfactual thinking

Counterfactual thinking

_____ is the process through which members of a culture instruct other members in beliefs and behaviors considered appropriate in that culture, while _____ is the process through which inventions and ideas transfer from one culture to another. A) Cultural evolution; cultural transmission B) Cultural transmission; cultural evolution C) Cultural transmission; cultural diffusion D) Cultural diffusion; cultural transmission

Cultural transmission; cultural diffusion

Uri is in the process of investigating the relationship between physical attractiveness in students and their GPAs. He is repeating a previous study exactly as it was conducted by previous researchers. Uri is engaging in: A) direct replication. B) conceptual replication. C) meta-analysis. D) construct validity.

Direct Replication

Samona is a student who just earned a "C" on an exam. She compared herself with a group of students who failed the exam. Samona engaged in: A) self-perception. B) reflected appraisal. C) upward social comparison. D) downward social comparison.

Downward social comparison

What is the central concept behind the idea of ego depletion? A) People are unable to focus on a task when they are trying to keep distracting thoughts out of consciousness. B) Ego strength can be depleted by extensive use of self-control. C) Over time across the lifespan, people lose the majority of their cognitive faculties. D) When people are in a state of high self-awareness, they become less focused on their own goals and attitudes.

Ego strength can be depleted by extensive use of self-control

Researchers observe the number of people who go to a bar alone on the days before and after Valentine's Day. They find that the number of people increases leading up to Valentine's Day, drops significantly on Valentine's Day, and then rises quickly back up again on the day after. This is best conceptualized as an example of: A) pilot research. B) experimental research. C) longitudinal research. D) field research.

Field Research

We are more likely to feel _____ when we focus on a bad behavior we have committed, and to feel _____ when we think that we are a bad person. A) guilt; shame B) shame; guilt C) angry; dejected D) dejected; angry

Guilt; shame

Mental shortcuts used automatically for making decisions are called: A) impressions. B) somatic markers. C) heuristics. D) experiential associations.

Heuristics

In the framework of self-discrepancy theory, the _____ is our vision for what we would most like to become through our actions. A) ideal self B) ought self C) actual self D) looking-glass self

Ideal self

. If people are given the opportunity to choose a lottery ticket, they often believe they have a greater chance of winning compared with people who were handed a lottery ticket and not allowed to choose. This illustrates the: A) discounting principle. B) false consensus effect. C) theory of mind. D) illusion of control.

Illusion of control

Your representation of your psychology professor is called a(n): A) script. B) category. C) impression. D) heuristic.

Impression

. The phenomenon of a self-fulfilling prophecy primarily involves: A) interpretation of information in a way that confirms existing schemas. B) initially false expectations leading to the fulfilment of those expectations. C) accessibility of information leading to assimilation of that information. D) a psychiatric disorder giving certain individuals a different perspective on reality.

Initially false expectations leading to the fulfillment of those expectations

Compared to other early approaches to human behavior in psychology, social psychology has always tended to emphasize the: A) motivational force of unconscious drives that are repressed by the individual because they threaten social functioning. B) role of instincts in human behavior. C) interaction between situational forces and an individual's understanding of those forces based on personal characteristics. D) role of learning experience over the life span in determining all forms of behavior

Interaction between situational forces and an individual's understanding of those forces based on personal characteristics

The idea that the more we try not to think about something, the more those thoughts enter our mind and distract us from other things is referred to as: A) affective forecasting. B) ego depletion. C) ironic processing. D) self-regulation.

Ironic processing

All of the following are true about confirmation bias EXCEPT which statement? A) It helps people expand their worldview. B) It often leads to inaccurate interpretations of new information. C) It enables people to maintain a consistent set of beliefs about the world. D) It allows people to seek new information that supports their worldview.

It helps people expand their worldview

Kaguya needs a study guide for an upcoming exam but cannot afford to buy one. She is about to steal one from the university bookstore, even though in general she feels petty theft is wrong. As she is about to walk out of the store with the book, she approaches the glass doors at the entrance, where she sees her reflection. What does research suggest is likely to happen? A) Kaguya will steal the book. B) Kaguya will not steal the book. C) Kaguya will do better on the test after proving to herself how badly she wanted to do well. D) Kaguya will do worse on the test than if she had not attempted to steal the book.

Kaguya will not steal the book

1. According to social comparison theory, people are most likely to compare themselves with others on a particular ability when they: A) are the only person belonging to a particular social identity in a group of people. B) are feeling depressed. C) are feeling confident about their ability. D) lack objective standards to assess their standing on that ability.

Lack objective standards to assess their standing on that ability

Pablo often thinks about the change in moral values in his country as a type of virus. For example, he thinks that loose moral values spread through the community in a contagious fashion. It is MOST appropriate to say that Pablo is using a(n) _____ to understand morality. A) metaphor B) experiential association C) schema D) semantic association

Metaphor

Which of the following conditions must be met for the cognitive system to override the experiential system? A) motivation to exert higher-level control over the behavior B) diminished capacity for attention C) a sense that automatic behaviors are functioning routinely D) a harmonic synthesis between the cognitive and experiential systems

Motivation to exert higher-level control over the behavior

Ari is interested in studying how the brain processes information as people engage in aggressive acts. Ari's work is conducted from the _____ perspective. A) neuroscience B) evolutionary C) existential D) cultural

Neuroscience

_____ has been identified by research as a technique that helps individuals preserve a sense of self-continuity and meaning, even in the face of reminders of mortality. A) Self-evaluation maintenance B) Self-compassion C) Nostalgia D) Self-monitoring

Nostalgia

Reflected appraisals refer to: A) other people's beliefs about us. B) our beliefs about what other people believe about us. C) the attributions people make about their looking-glass selves. D) opinions that arise in conversation between two people.

Our beliefs about what other people believe about us

All of the following are true about moods EXCEPT which statement? A) Moods may provide information about their surroundings. B) People rely on their moods for forming judgments. C) People in positive moods rely on heuristics. D) People in negative moods rely on heuristics.

People in negative moods rely on heuristics

According to self-affirmation theory: A) people do well in life if they continually praise themselves. B) people seek out views of themselves which are consistent with what they already believe about themselves. C) people respond less defensively to threats to one aspect of themselves if they can think about another valued aspect of themselves. D) while some people require a sense of self-esteem, others can function without it.

People respond less defensively to threats to one aspect of themselves if they can think about another valued aspect of themselves

What is the central proposition of self-perception theory? A) The aspects of people's personalities which they perceive to be most important have the strongest influence on their behavior. B) People are not capable of accurately perceiving their own characteristics. C) People's perceptions of how others view them are a major determinant of how they treat others. D) People sometimes infer their own attitudes and attributes by observing their behavior and the situation in which it occurs.

People sometimes infer their own attitudes and attributes by observing their behavior and the situation in which it occurs

Primary emotions do NOT include: A) Happiness B) Sadness C) Fear D) Pride

Pride

When participants are assigned to experimental conditions in such a way that they each have the same chance of being in any given condition, this is called: A) experimental control. B) quasi-experimental design. C) random assignment. D) random sampling.

Random assignment

Gita hears a description of a person who sounds very much like an engineer. Even if Gita knows that the person goes to a college where engineering is a very unpopular degree, he is still likely to believe that the person is an engineer. This is an example of the: A) representativeness heuristic. B) availability heuristic. C) primacy effect. D) ease of retrieval effect.

Representative heuristic

Zachary is about to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah, which in the Jewish tradition marks his entrance into manhood. This is MOST CLEARLY an example of what aspect of culture? A) custom B) ritual C) symbol D) socialization

Ritual

Putting the key in your car's ignition, buckling your seat belt, and starting the engine are all parts of a type of schema called a(n): A) impression. B) saliency. C) script. D) category.

Script

Simone is 18 and lives with her single mother and younger siblings. Now that she is of college age, she is struggling to make a decision: on the one hand, she wants to go to college, but on the other hand, she wants to stay with her mother and her siblings. According to Rank's theory of motivation, Simone's desire to stay with her family reflects her _____ motivation, while her desire to go to college reflects her _____ motivation. A) security; growth B) growth; security C) competence; autonomy D) autonomy; competence

Security; growth

. People feel self-determined in their actions when all of the following basic needs are met EXCEPT: A) relatedness B) competence C) self-evaluation D) autonomy

Self-evaluation

_____ is the process of learning from parents and others what is desirable behavior in a culture. A) Social influence B) Socialization C) Cultural diffusion D) Acculturation

Socialization

. If Jorge believes he performed poorly on a test because he is unintelligent, he is making a(n) _____ attribution about his behavior. A) unstable external B) stable internal C) unstable internal D) stable external

Stable internal

An experiment is a study in which a researcher: A) records dependent measures among members of naturally occurring groups (e.g., gender) and looks for systematic differences. B) observes the development of one or more variables in a group of individuals over time at regular intervals. C) measures the degree and direction of association between two variables. D) takes active control of an independent variable, manipulates it, and observes its effect on a dependent variable.

Takes active control of an independent variable, manipulates it, and observes its effect on a dependent variable

Tasks which require a child to wait 20 minutes for two cookies or to ring a bell if they would like to have one cookie sooner are designed to measure: A) the ability to delay gratification. B) the independence of the "hot" and "cool" systems. C) the extent to which children have high self-awareness. D) the amount of hunger a child is experiencing.

The ability to delay gratification

The tendency to make internal attributions for the behavior of others and external attributions for our own behavior is referred to as: A) the actor-observer effect. B) the fundamental attribution error. C) locus of causality. D) the misinformation effect.

The actor-observer effect

Social psychology is defined as the study of: A) the causes and consequences of people's thoughts, feelings, and actions regarding themselves and other people. B) the interaction between culture and biology in determining human patterns of cognition. C) how people relate to romantic partners and to the societies they live in. D) cultural differences in psychology across a variety of groups of people.

The causes and consequences of people's thoughts, feelings, and actions regarding themselves and other people

The tendency to attribute behavior to internal qualities of an actor and to underestimate situational factors is referred to as: A) causal attribution. B) the fundamental attribution error. C) the availability heuristic. D) the representativeness heuristic.

The fundamental attribution error

In a famous experiment, all subjects viewed the same video of an automobile accident. Later one group of subjects was asked, "How fast were the cars going when they bumped into each other?" The other group of subjects was asked, "How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?" Which group reported seeing more broken glass? A) the group that was asked about cars that "bumped" into each other B) the group that was asked about cars that "smashed" into each other C) Both groups reported seeing equal amounts of broken glass. D) Neither group reported seeing any broken glass, because there was no broken glass.

The group that was asked about cars that "smashed" into each other

A researcher finds a positive correlation between a measure of community involvement and a measure of life satisfaction. How should we interpret the relationship between these variables? A) There is no relationship between involvement and life satisfaction. B) The higher a person scores on involvement, the higher they tend to score on life satisfaction. C) The higher a person scores on involvement, the lower they tend to score on life satisfaction. D) Involvement and life satisfaction are probably the same variable.

The higher a person scores on involvement, the higher they tend to score on life satisfaction

A study demonstrated that people holding a heavier clipboard evaluated an issue as more important than people holding a lighter clipboard. What phenomenon in social cognition does this study BEST clarify? A) people's need for accuracy closure B) the metaphoric element of social cognition C) people's tendency to form semantic associations D) the importance of contrast effects in social cognition

The metaphoric element of social cognition

Salem is studying aggression and television viewing in children. One group of children watches aggressive cartoons, and the other group watches non-aggressive cartoons. The children then go to a playroom to play with a variety of toys as Salem counts the number of aggressive acts. In this example the dependent variable is: A) the number of aggressive acts. B) the children who watch aggressive cartoons. C) the children who watch non-aggressive cartoons. D) the type of cartoons being watched.

The number of aggressive acts

Chuan decides to go to a bar on a Friday night. Chuan is very happy to spend a night out. However, at the bar, he accidentally bumps into another man and spills his drink. This man becomes very angry, because he infers that Chuan intentionally knocked into him in order to spill his drink. In this scenario, what is the best example of a causal attribution? A) Chuan's act of bumping into the man B) Chuan's decision to go out for the night C) the other man's inference that Chuan deliberately knocked him over D) the happiness Chuan feels at the beginning of the night

The other man's inference that Chuan deliberately knocked him over

The misinformation effect is: A) the tendency for people to believe an object belongs to a category if it clearly has features of that category. B) the tendency for people to believe a behavior is common if they can easily recall past instances of that behavior. C) individuals' tendency to be more confident of the accuracy of their self-relevant memories than other individuals who were also present. D) the process by which cues that are given after an event can plant false information into memory.

The process by which cues that are given after an event can plant false information into memory

The tendency to make external attributions for bad things one does, and internal attributions for good things one does, is referred to as: A) the self-serving bias. B) the actor-observer effect. C) compensation. D) self-affirmation.

The self-serving bias

Aylin is convinced that everyone is staring at her new haircut. Aylin's belief is an example of: A) the transparency effect B) the spotlight effect C) self-monitoring D) self-verification

The spotlight effect

The issue of _____ refers to the possibility that the association between two variables is driven by their mutual association with another variable, whereas _____ refers to the difficulty in determining which variable influences the other in a correlation. A) reverse causality; the third variable B) the third variable; reverse causality C) confirmation bias; a priori causal theory D) a priori causal theory; confirmation bias

The third variable; reverse causality

Around the age of four, children realize that their own beliefs and desires are separate from other people's beliefs and desires. This is the beginning of what is called: A) a theory of mind. B) the fusiform face area. C) mirror neurons. D) magical thinking.

Theory of mind

. According to self-awareness theory, a person will try to escape self-awareness under which of the following circumstances? A) They perceive a negative self-related discrepancy and feel that the discrepancy can easily be reduced. B) They perceive a negative self-related discrepancy and feel that the discrepancy will be difficult to reduce. C) They are socializing in a public setting. D) They are low in the trait of self-consciousness

They perceive a negative self-related discrepancy and feel that the discrepancy will be difficult to reduce

People often experience the phenomenon of false consensus in part because: A) they typically expose themselves to diverse forms of news media. B) they have a narcissistic tendency to believe that they are the only ones who have a certain opinion. C) their own opinions are typically not very cognitively salient to them. D) they tend to associate with others who share their opinions and lifestyle

They tend to associate with others who share their opinions and lifestyle

Aronson and Mills (1959) conducted a classic study in which female college students were recruited for a discussion group. In one condition participants were put through a difficult initiation into the group. In a second condition participants were put through a mild initiation into the group. Finally, in the control condition they were simply admitted to the group. The discussion that they actually listened to was quite boring. Which group stated they liked the group and were committed to the group? A) those who did not have an initiation prior to listening to the discussion B) those who had a mild initiation C) those who had a difficult initiation D) those who were already committed to being in the discussion group

Those who had a difficult initiation

Comparing oneself with those who are better off is making a(n) _____ comparison; comparing oneself with those who are worse off is making a(n) _____ comparison. A) downward; upward B) upward; downward C) abstract; concrete D) concrete; abstract

Upward; downward

When is it most helpful to generate upward counterfactuals? A) when a negative event is likely to reoccur, and will be under our control B) when a negative event is not likely to reoccur, and will be under our control C) when a negative event is likely to reoccur, and will not be under our control D) when a negative event is not likely to reoccur, and will not be under our control

When a negative event is likely to reoccur, and will be under our control

. People want to reach closure quickly in all of the following EXCEPT which situation? A) when thinking involves a lot of effort B) if they are preoccupied with other things C) if they are tired D) when beliefs that are central to their personal worth are challenged

When beliefs that are central to their personal worth are challenged

Internal validity refers to _____, whereas external validity refers to _____. A) whether the findings of a study match the beliefs of the participants; whether the findings of a study match the theories of scientists B) whether the findings of a study match the theories of scientists; whether the findings of a study match the beliefs of the participants C) whether an independent variable actually caused changes in a dependent variable; whether a study resembles the way the phenomenon occurs out in the world D) whether a study resembles the way the phenomenon occurs out in the world; whether an independent variable actually caused changes in a dependent variable

Whether an independent variable actually caused changes in a dependent variable; whether a study resembles the way the phenomenon occurs out in the world

A self-schema is defined as: A) an integrated set of memories, beliefs, and generalizations about an attribute that is part of one's self-concept. B) a set of expectations that a person possesses about how someone else is going to behave. C) the part of the self that controls and directs behavior. D) a belief that is variable across people about whether or not the self is stable or flexible.

an integrated set of memories, beliefs, and generalizations about an attribute that is part of one's self-concept

Failures to live up to the ought self elicit _____, while failures to live up to the ideal self elicit _____. A) hostility and frustration; a sense of challenge and determination B) anxiety and guilt; dejection and sadness C) dejection and sadness; anxiety and guilt D) a sense of challenge and determination; hostility and frustration

anxiety and guilt; dejection and sadness

Research suggest that if people have unstable self-esteem, they: A) behave no differently than those with stable self-esteem. B) are equally sensitive to potential self-esteem threats than those with stable self-esteem. C) are less sensitive to potential self-esteem threats than those with stable self-esteem. D) are more sensitive to potential self-esteem threats than those with stable self-esteem.

are more sensitive to potential self-esteem threats than those with stable self-esteem

A study by Cialdini (1976) and colleagues on people's reactions to their college sports team showed that students were more likely to wear school apparel when the football team had recently won a game. This study BEST demonstrates: A) self-affirmation. B) compensation. C) symbolic self-completion. D) basking in reflected glory.

basking in reflected glory

. Janessa is very interested in people's physical appearance. She is more likely to notice a friend's weight gain because of this. This type of schema is called: A) priming. B) an associative network. C) an impression. D) chronically accessible

chronically accessible

Uri has always believed that cheating is wrong. After he cheats on a biology quiz, his attitude becomes much less critical. The _____ theory best accounts for his attitudinal shift. A) cognitive dissonance B) self-presentation C) self-perception D) self-affirmation

cognitive dissonance

Specific styles of dress or patterns of speech are called: A) norms. B) rules. C) customs. D) symbols.

customs

. If you work hard for your grade, then you tend to value that grade more. This is because of: A) minimal deterrence. B) overjustification. C) effort justification. D) self-complexity.

effort justification

Yamir attends sociology class because he would feel guilty if he didn't attend. However, he doesn't really feel that sociology connects to his sense of what he wants to do with his life. Yamir attends the class because of: A) intrinsic motivation. B) extrinsic motivation. C) self-presentation. D) symbolic self-completion

extrinsic motivation

Automatic associations based on previous learning through the experiential system are referred to as: A) explicit attitudes. B) implicit attitudes. C) semantic associations. D) impressions

implicit attitudes

Kalina rarely ever thinks about Halloween except when she bites into a Braeburn apple. For Kalina, Braeburn apples and Halloween are: A) part of a single "eating an apple" script. B) chronically accessible schemas. C) in the same associative network. D) typically salient.

in the same associative network

Internal states driving action are called _____, and cognitions representing outcomes are called _____. A) motivations; needs B) goals; needs C) needs; goals D) needs; motivation

needs; goals

A life story in which a set of obstacles are overcome and ultimately lead to positive experiences is referred to as a _____, while a life story in which a state of good fortune is transformed into a state of failure or tragedy is referred to as a _____. A) contamination story; redemption story B) redemption story; contamination story C) positive self-view; negative self-view D) negative self-view; positive self-view

redemption story; contamination story

The _____ theory states that one's attitudes, values, and goals will be most likely to influence behavior when the focus is on the self. A) symbolic interaction B) self-awareness C) self-perception D) social identity

self-awareness

According to W. Lloyd Warner, culture helps people adapt to which three aspects of their environment? A) the physical, social, and metaphysical B) the physical, social, and internal C) the social, existential, and social cognitive D) grasslands, desert, and arctic

the physical, social, and metaphysical

In the scientific method, _____ generate _____, which are proposed relationships between variables that should be observable. A) hypotheses; theories B) theories; hypotheses C) experiments; hypotheses D) hypotheses; experiments

theories; hypotheses

Which of the following elements are essential for evolution by natural selection? A) individualism and diffusion B) mutation and progress C) variability and competition D) mutation and instinct

variability and competition

In Festinger and Carlsmith's classic study on cognitive dissonance, subjects paid $1.00 tended to have more attitude change than individuals paid $20.00. This was due to: A) commitment. B) choice. C) weak external justification. D) foreseeable aversive consequences

weak external justification