Social Section of GRE study set
the corresponding bias is
When people blame others' behaviors on their disposition
What is the self-serving bias?
When people make internal attributions for success and external attributions for failure
What is cognitive dissonance?
When people's behaviors and beliefs don't align, they experience discomfort
Freud's theory of personality included all of the following except _____________? a) Unconscious b) Superego c) Ego d) Id
a
Psychological researchers have proposed an explanation(s) for the Flynn Effect. Their results point to which of the following?: a) All of these b) Improved nutrition c) Increased years of schooling d) Decreases in infectious diseases
a
What motor movement is an infant expected to be able to do around the same time the child develops a social smile? a)Lift head up while lying on his or her back (prone) b) Sit without assistance c)Walk without assistance d) Crawl
a
When communicating with others around us, which cues are typically necessary? a) Visual and auditory b) Visual c)Auditory d)Auditory or somatosensory e) Visual and olfaction
a
Why were Solomon Asch's experiments on conformity so important? a) They clearly demonstrated the power of conformity b) They pointed toward the absence of a cultural role in conformity c) They clearly demonstrated the absence of herd behavior in 1950s America d) They pointed toward a gender difference in personal interests that impacted conformity e) They clearly demonstrated the limitations of conformity
a
Why would Freudian psychoanalysis fall outside of the major themes of social psychology? a) it deals with the way we view ourselves in the world around us and how that affects us b) It does not include society as a major influence on individual behavior c) It focuses on introspection and how we control the way others view us
a
According to inoculation theory, which of the following would be the best protection against a persuasive attack? a) Anticipating and discrediting the points of the argument prior to the attack b) Anticipating and discrediting the character of the attacker c) Anticipating and supporting the points of the argument prior to the attack d) Providing arguments to support the initial belief prior to the attack
a)
At what age does a child develop a sense of self as a male or a female? a) 3 years b) 2 years c) 1 year d) years
a)
Jung began as a Freudian psychoanalyst but eventually broke away from Freud's theories. Jung's criticism of his mentor was mostly aimed at which of the following Freudian concepts? a) Freud's focus on sexual drives as the root cause of neuroses b) The concept of the ego c) All of these d) The idea of coping mechanisms e) Biological determinism
a)
People tend to believe that shark attacks kill more people than asthma, even though the reverse is true. Which of the following social-psychological concepts could help to explain this phenomenon? a) The availability heuristic b) The representativeness heuristic c) Group polarization d) Social facilitation
a)
Which of the following is not a component of Sternberg's "Triangular Theory of Love?" a) Communication b) Commitment c) Passion d) Intimacy
a)
Which social psychologist is not correctly matched with his/her most famous finding? a) Ashe: door in the face b) Sheriff: social judgement c) Zimbardo: role playing d) Milgram: obedience e) Festinger: cognitive dissonance
a)
A choir is headed for a state competition to perform 5 pieces of music. The choir is very strong on some songs (i.e. performs well) and weaker on some songs (i.e. performs less well). If the director wants to order the songs in a strategic way, what might you suggest? a) Alternating between stronger songs and weaker songs B) Placing the strongest songs as the first and last pieces c) Placing the strongest songs in the middle d) Using random assignment for the songs
b
According to Erik Erikson, the parent's role in stimulating curiosity and reinforcing a sense of accomplishment in intellectual success so that the child develops a sense of competence occurs during which developmental stage? a) Toddler (age 1 to 2 years) b) Grade school years (age 6 to 12 years) c) Infancy (age 0 to 1 year) d) Early childhood (age 2 to 6 years) e) Adolescence (age 12 to 18 years)
b
An infant can show separation anxiety at the same time period they are expected to be able to: a) say 5 or more words b) draw a square c) walk unassisted d) throw unassisted
b
At 4-6 months of age, an infant is expected to be able to do/exhibit all of the following except: a) Sit unassisted b) Crawl on hands and knees c) Recognize familiar people d) Smile socially
b
At what age is a child expected to be able to catch a ball with both hands? a) 3 years b) 5 years c) 2 years d) 4 years
b
At what age is an infant expected to say their first words? a) 4-6 months b) 12-15 months c) 7-11 months d) 16-18 months
b
Groupthink refers to which of the following? a) Tendency for decision-making groups to separate and form sub-groups with homogenous opinions b) Tendency of decision-making groups to strive for consensus by not considering discordant information C) Tendency of decision-making groups to get caught up in different opinions of group members and delay decision making d) Tendency for decision-making groups to consider all sides of the matter rather than one perspective (multiple heads are better than one)
b
Reflexes occur after particular parts of the body are stimulated. Which of the following body parts and infant reflexes is correctly matched? a) Moro and hands b) Rooting and cheeks c) Babinski and ears d) Grasping and toes
b
Consider the following scenario: A study group of five students is meeting for a math review before a big test. On the first problem, the students work the problem separately and then share their answers. The first four students give the same answer. When it is the fifth student's turn to share, he decides to say what the other students said even though he got a different answer to the math problem. Which classic social psychology study is illustrated best through the scenario? a) Stanley Milgram's Obedience Experiment b) Soloman Asch's Conformity Study c) Phillip Zimbardo's Prison Experiment d) Clark and Clark's Doll Preference Experiment
b)
The diathesis-stress model offers a theoretical explanation for which of the following diagnoses? a) Substance abuse b) Major depressive disorder c) Autism spectrum disorder d) Broca's aphasia
b)
Which level of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives describes a student's ability to compare and discriminate between ideas as well as make judgements as to the purpose of those ideas? a) Analysis b) Evaluation c) Application d) Synthesis
b)
Which of the following correctly identifies the sequence of group formation, according to psychologist Bruce Tuckman? a) Forming, storming, performing, and norming b) Forming, storming, norming, and performing c) Storming, forming, norming, and performing d) Norming, storming, performing, and forming
b)
Which of the following is an example of reaction formation? a) Forcing all anger toward your parents out of your mind b) Being loving and warm toward a person you are angry with c) Attributing your own anger to someone else d) Distancing yourself from your feelings by focusing on logical facts e) Feeling angry toward a family member instead of your boss
b)
Which of the following is not a correct statement regarding temperament and personality? a) Temperament is observable in infancy; whereas personality is not b) Temperament develops after personality c) Temperament is the central aspect to personality d) Temperament is a broader set of tendencies compared to personality
b)
Which of the following is not one of areas tested by the Stanford-Binet intelligence test? a) Crystallized Intelligence b) Perceptual Speed c) Working Memoory d) Fluid Intelligence
b)
__________ attached people report the highest rate of happy and trusting relationships. a) Anxious b) Securely c) Ambivalent d) Avoidant
b)
A child says to her mother, "I goed to the store today." Using "goed" instead of "went" is known as which of the following? a) Pragmatics b) Phonology c) Error of growth d) Babbling
c
A worker receives evaluations from her supervisor every four months. According to Aronson's gain-loss principle, which of the following scenarios would result in the worker having the strongest attraction toward the supervisor at the end of the year? a) Positive evaluation, positive evaluation, and negative evaluation b) Positive evaluation, negative evaluation, and negative evaluation c) Negative evaluation, negative evaluation, and positive evaluation d) Positive evaluation, positive evaluation, and positive evaluation
c
At what age is an infant expected to imitate sounds and respond to their own name? a) 4-6 months b) 1-3 months c) 7-11 months d) 12-15 months
c
Which of the following terms refers to the masculinity found in women? a) Inner self b) Anima C) Animus
c
Which of the following types of intelligence derived from Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences theory is concerned with the ability to solve problems? a) Interpersonal b) Spatial c) Logical-mathematical d) Linguistic
c
Who developed social judgment theory? a) Einstein b)Shift, Shape Neoanderthal c) Sherif, Sherif Nebergall d) The National Institute of Health
c
A client takes a personality test because their therapist suggested it might help them find a career more suitable to their preferences. Their results yielded a personality profile labeled as INTP. Which of the following personality tests did the client take? a) The Big Five Test b) The Signature Strengths Test c) Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator Test d) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Test II
c)
According to Erikson, which of the following is the central crisis of emerging adulthood? a) Identity vs. role confusion b) Trust vs. mistrust c) Intimacy vs. isolation d) Industry vs. inferiority
c)
According to Freud, fixation during the oral psychosexual stage of development can lead to which of the following? a) Excessive libido b) Excessive orderliness c) Excessive dependency d) Excessive messiness
c)
Consider the following scenario: Nancy shows up to school wearing a brand new outfit that she really likes. When she arrives at school, Nancy notices that Susan (who Nancy has disliked for a long time) is wearing the exact same outfit as Nancy. Nancy decides that Susan isn't so bad after all. This scenario best reflects which social psychological construct? a) Diffusion of responsibility b) Fundamental attribution error C) Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory d) Gain-Loss principle
c)
Tony used to believe that studying for exams was a waste of time, but now that he is using Varsity Tutors and other online resources, he is beginning to think they have value. Tony is most likely experiencing... a) Social Loafing b) Role playing c) Cognitive dissonance d) Foot in the door phenomenon e) Social judgement theory
c)
When it comes to physical attraction between people of the opposite sex, the "matching hypothesis" implies which of the following? a) Females seek males who match their parents' images b) We are attracted to people who reciprocate our liking of them c) We seek people who are about as attractive as we are d) Males seek females like their mothers, and females seek males like their fathers
c)
Which of the following factors does not promote coping during stressful situations? a) Support from peers b) Faith or spiritual practice c) Perceived lack of control
c)
Which of the following is not an example of a projective test? a) Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) b) Blacky pictures c) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) d) Rorschach Inkblot test
c)
Which of the following social psychological phenomena occurs when individuals are less likely to intervene in a given social situation when more people are present? a) Social exchange b) Social loafing c) Bystander effect d) Reciprocity norm
c)
A parent is warm and loving to their child. They are very affectionate, and rarely punish their offspring. In fact, they almost never set limits or boundaries, and never dole out punishments. This parent is exhibiting which of Baumrind's parenting styles? a) Authoritative b) Permissive-Uninvolved c) None of these answers d) Permissive-Indulgent e) Authoritarian
d
A parent sets rigid rules and demands obedience. They may use physical force, verbal insults or withdrawal of attention or love as motivators. They lack the warmth of other parents. According to Baumrind, this parent is using which parenting style? a) Permissive-Uninvolved b) Authoritative c) None of these answers d) Authoritarian e) Permissive-Indulgent
d
Consider the following scenario: Heidi is walking down the street when she sees a man on the street covered in blood yelling, "help me!" According to Darley and Latane's bystander intervention research, then under which of the following circumstances would Heidi be most likely to demonstrate helping behavior? a) Heidi is walking down the street by herself, but there are a few other people on the street b) Heidi is walking down the street and it is very crowded with many people around c) Heidi is walking down the street with a group of her friends d) Heidi is walking down a street with no one else around
d
Gigi met two nice-looking guys: one is currently unemployed while the other is a successful attorney. Based on the evolutionary theory of love, which man will Gigi be more attracted to and why? a) The attorney because he is more handsome B) The unemployed guy because women want a man who they can take care of C) The unemployed guy because he is more handsome d) The attorney because he has the most resources
d
Which level of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives requires students to identify patterns and/or meanings? a) Synthesis b) Application c) Evaluation d) Analysis
d
Which of these contributes to people's sense of self? a) their job b) their thoughts c) their relationships d) all answers are correct
d
child is expected to have imaginary companions at the same age they are expected to be able to: a) Read b) Copy a square c) Tie their shoelaces d) Hop on one foot
d
A group of biologists at a university appreciate the diversity of their peers' research in regard to subject matters ranging from oncology to environmental studies; however, they assume that a group of English majors study the same subjects in literature. Which of the following psychological terms best explains the biases that the biologists have to other majors at their university? a) Out-group heterogeneity b) In-group homogeneity c) None of these d) Out-group homogeneity e) In-group heterogeneity
d)
According to Freud, libidinal energy is present from __________. a) puberty b) phallic stage c) anal stage d) birth
d)
According to Gordon Allport's trait theory, a __________ trait is a significant part of a person's personality and others almost always associate these traits with these individuals. Allport also believed that this type of trait was rare, and that most people's personality instead included a combination of several traits. a) Secondary trait b) Primary trait c) Central trait d) Cardinal trait
d)
According to the bystander effect, a person would be most likely to receive help during a medical emergency under which of the following circumstances? a) He is a doctor b) He is in a large crowd c) The medical emergency is common d) There is only one or two other people present e) He is elderly
d)
Cindy pledges to join a sorority and goes through a series of difficult and challenging events, until she is finally accepted into the sorority. According to Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory, what will happen to Cindy's beliefs about the sorority? a) Her beliefs will not change. b) She will like the sorority less. c) She will quit the sorority. d) She will like the sorority more.
d)
Consider the following scenario: Jake failed a math test last Friday. His schoolmates accuse him of being dumb and unintelligent, and Jake responds by stating that he had slept very poorly and not been able to study as much as he had wanted. This scenario best reflects which social psychological construct? a) Diffusion of responsibility b) Gain-loss principle c) Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory d) Fundamental attribution error
d)
It has been observed that, over time, the persuasive power of a highly credible source (i.e. a physicist) decreases, while the persuasive power of a low-credibility source (i.e. a supermarket tabloid) increases. Which of the following identifies the term used by social psychologists to describe this odd phenomenon? a) Social loafing b) Delayed-persuasion effect c) Social learning d) Sleeper effect e) Low credibility effect
d)
People from individualist cultures are least likely to do which of the following? a) Focus on internal attributes b) Express themselves directly and clearly c) Develop a wide circle of acquaintances d) Define themselves in relation to others
d)
What can combat the correspondence bias and the actor-observer difference?
knowing the other person well
The actor-observer difference occurs when:
A person gives dispositional attributions for others' behaviors but situational attributions for their own
Festinger's famous study of bribing subjects to lie demonstrates which concept?
Counterattitudinal Advocacy
Politicians are often:
High in self-monitoring
Brehm's study on post-decision dissonance found that:
People will believe that they like the thing they chose more than the thing they didn't choose
Ingratiation does not work if:
The person you're trying to impress realizes what you're doing
Impression management is:
The way we present ourselves to others in order to control the way they view us
Which of the following are considered tenants of personality according to trait theorists? a) Traits change based on situations and exposure, traits are affected by behavior, and traits do not affect each other (friendly and unfriendly at once) b) There are only five personality traits, people are born with and retain the same traits throughout their life, and traits are entirely based on nature c) Traits influence marketable intelligence and success, all people with the same traits respond similarly in certain situations, and traits hierarchically build upon and influence each other d) Traits are relatively stable over time, traits influence behavior, and traits are bipolar (friendly vs. unfriendly) e) Traits are entirely influenced by genotypes, traits can be used to predict a person's behavior, and all people have the same definable traits
d)
Which of the following best describes a diathesis? a) A cluster of depressive symptoms b) None of these c) An early diagnosis of a mental illness d) A predisposition towards developing a certain mental disorder e) A traumatic life event
d)
Which of the following is not one of the Big 5 personality traits? a) Agreeableness b) Openness to new experiences c) Neuroticism d) Locus of control e) Conscientiousness
d)
Which of the following types of stress has beneficial consequences rather than harmful effects? a) Hyperstress b) Hypostress c) Distress d) Eustress
d)
According to the Denver Developmental Screening Test, a child should develop which of the following motor skills at approximately eight months old? a) Kick a ball b) Walk c) Make a tower of two cubes d) Scribble e) Grasp a piece of cereal in thumb and finger
e
Which of the following cognitive psychologists is associated with the field of structuralism? a) Sigmund Freud b) None of these c) Noam Chomsky d) Abraham Maslow e) Edward Titchener
e
A traditional Russian saying states, "Once per month, the Moon tears herself to shreds and scatters, to replace the fallen stars." This Russian proverb is an example of which of the following psychological principles? a) Ethnocentrism b) Attribution error c) Overextension d) Object sexuality e) Animism
e)
Gary passes an accident on the road while driving. He sees that one car has hit another. If he is committing the fundamental attribution error, then he would be most likely to say which of the following? a) Everyone makes mistakes b) I'm a much safer driver c) The bad weather is responsible for the accident d) The driver has bad luck e) The driver must have been inattentive
e)
Generally speaking, a person is not likely to be attracted to a prospective love interest who possesses which of the following traits? a) Opinions similar to his or her own b) Physically attractive c) Also is attracted to him or her d) Near to him or her e) Emotionally reserved
e)
Holland Occupational Themes is a personality test that measures vocational codes and corresponding personality traits. An individual is assigned three traits out of six based upon their corresponding scores on the test. Which of the following sets of three traits are least likely to appear on this test? a) Investigative, artistic, and social b) Realistic, investigative, and artistic c) Social, enterprising, and conventional d) None of these e) Realistic, artistic, and conventional
e)
