Unit 6 Chapter 16

Question 1

. What is the primary focus of social psychology?
a. the way individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are influenced by others
b. mental disorders associated with social problems, like pathological shyness
c. the impact of self-esteem on social interaction and success
d. the way that society is structured and organized, including the study of institutions

Answer 1

a. the way individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are influenced by others

Question 2

Which of the following pairs are topics covered in social psychology?
a. interpersonal attraction and the role of pheromones
b. interpersonal attraction and social phobias
c. person perception and interpersonal attraction
d. person perception and visual perception

Answer 2

c. person perception and interpersonal attraction

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons that social psychologists will study the
behaviour of solitary individuals?
a. The behaviour of individuals who are alone is unaffected by social influences, so it
can be seen as a “pure” behaviour.
b. The contrast between the behaviour of isolated individuals and individuals in
groups is important to consider.
c. The behaviour of an individual, when alone, is still influenced by socialization and
social learning.
d. An individual’s behaviour can be affected by the actual, imagined, or implied
presence of others

Answer 3

a. The behaviour of individuals who are alone is unaffected by social influences, so it
can be seen as a “pure” behaviour

Question 4

What process is called “person perception”?
a. predicting the behaviour of others
b. monitoring the impressions you make on other people
c. developing an implicit personality theory
d. forming impressions of others

Answer 4

d. forming impressions of others

Question 5

Joel and Kirk both work with a stock brokerage firm. Joel is considered to be extremely
attractive, and Kirk is considered to be average in appearance. Based on research that has
investigated the effects of physical appearance in person perception, which of the following
should you predict?
a. Joel will tend to receive better performance evaluations than Kirk, for equivalent
work.
b. Kirk will tend to receive better performance evaluations than Joel, for equivalent
work.
c. Joel will be perceived as having greater integrity and being more honest.
d. Kirk will be perceived as being more submissive and naïve

Answer 5

a. Joel will tend to receive better performance evaluations than Kirk, for equivalent
work.

Question 6

.
What types of attributions do people tend to make about other people, based on attractiveness?
a. We tend to be less trusting of attractive individuals.
b. We equate attractiveness with positive traits.
c. We tend to perceive attractive people as nicer, but less competent.
d. We often impose a behavioural penalty on attractive individuals.

Answer 6

b. We equate attractiveness with positive traits.

Question 7

When we evaluate the correlations between attractiveness and actual traits, which of the
following is found?
a. There is no predictive relationship between attractiveness and personality traits.
b. Attractive people really do have more favourable traits, on average, than
unattractive people.
c. The relationship between income and appearance is likely related to the tendency
for attractive individuals to be somewhat more intelligent.
d. Attractive individuals are more friendly and well-adjusted than unattractive people,
but there are no other significant correlations.

Answer 7

a. There is no predictive relationship between attractiveness and personality traits.

Question 8

What attributions do children tend to make when they are shown photos of other children?
a. They attribute positive traits based on gender rather than attractiveness.
b. They attribute positive traits based on familiarity rather than attractiveness.
c. They attribute positive traits based on attractiveness rather than other factors.
d. They attribute positive traits based on age rather than other factors

Answer 8

c. They attribute positive traits based on attractiveness rather than other factors.

Question 9

Which of the following is often sufficient to accurately determine someone’s sexual
orientation?
a. a ten second video clip
b. a photograph
c. a handshake
d. a personality test

Answer 9

a. a ten second video clip

Question 10

How do we tend to perceive people with baby-faced features (e.g., large eyes, smooth skin)?
a. competent and hardworking
b. intelligent and nonconforming
c. honest and trustworthy
d. dominant and perceptive

Answer 10

c. honest and trustworthy

Question 11

Which of the following people are most likely to be viewed as honest and trustworthy?
a. people who are physically attractive
b. baby-faced people
c. older people
d. people who mimic our own mannerisms

Answer 11

b. baby-faced people

Question 12

What is the term for your unique ideas about how a university class should be run, what a
typical straight “A” student is like, and how a typical professor will act?
a. attitudes
b. social schemas
c. prejudices
d. attributions

Answer 12

b. social schemas

Question 13

What is the term for the organized clusters of ideas about categories of social events and
people?
a. co-variation inferences
b. attributions
c. illusory correlations
d. social schemas

Answer 13

d. social schemas

Question 14

Deanna wore blue jeans and brought some potato salad to the company picnic. She was
surprised to see that all the men were wearing suits and ties, and all the women were wearing
summer dresses. The meal was served on china with crystal drinking glasses. Why was
Deanna so surprised?
a. The event activated the fundamental attribution error.
b. The event triggered a confirmation bias.
c. The event was outside her latitude of acceptance.
d. The event didn’t match her social schema for picnics

Answer 14

d. The event didn’t match her social schema for picnics

Question 15

Dr. Sterling is a psychology professor and she is also part of a lobbying group that is trying to
get the government to devote more money to research in the social sciences. She invites the
MP for her area to her lab at the university, for a tour and a demonstration of the research that
she and her colleagues are developing. She’s hoping that if she can get the politician to agree
to the tour that she’ll later be able to convince him to vote to increase funding when the new
bill gets to parliament.
When the MP arrives at Dr. Sterling’s lab, he is temporarily taken aback. Dr. Sterling is
rather young and attractive, wearing a very stylish suit. The politician had expected a
psychology professor to be a stodgy old man with a beard and a rumpled lab coat! Along
their tour, they stop to watch, through a two-way mirror, the progress of an experiment that is
taking place in one of the lab rooms. A group of seven people are being asked to judge the
length of a line that is shown on a computer screen. One after another, each of the people
makes a judgement that is clearly wrong. The MP chuckles and thinks to himself that the
people in that room are all idiots, or perhaps have vision problems.
After the tour is over, Dr. Sterling takes the politician for lunch. Over lunch she explains to
him that universities need more money in order to fund cutting edge research and make
greater progress into understanding human behaviour. She also stresses that if the schools do
not get an increase in funding, then Canadian students will lag behind the rest of the world in
this area and our government will be a laughingstock of the developed world. The only way
to prevent that from happening is to make sure that there is more funding for research. The
politician leaves, and feels that he really should vote to increase social science funding.
15. Why was the politician surprised at Dr. Sterling’s appearance?
a. He is vulnerable to the “what is beautiful is good” effect.
b. He has a stereotype for women, and she does not fit the stereotype.
c. He is sexist.
d. Her appearance violated his social schema for a psychology professor.

Answer 15

d. Her appearance violated his social schema for a psychology professor.

Question 16

When the MP assumes that the people in the experiment are “idiots,” what does that illustrate?
a. self-serving bias
b. fundamental attribution error
c. external causal attribution
d. discrimination

Answer 16

b. fundamental attribution error

Question 17

When Dr. Sterling tried to demonstrate to the MP how he can avoid bad outcomes by
increasing funding to researchers, which factor in the process of persuasion was Dr. Sterling
manipulating?
a. source
b. channel
c. receiver
d. message

Answer 17

d. message

Question 18

Which famous study is most similar to the one being conducted in Dr. Sterling’s lab?
a. Asch’s conformity study
b. Festinger’s cognitive dissonance study
c. Zimbardo’s prison study
d. Milgram’s obedience study

Answer 18

a. Asch’s conformity study

Question 19

Which persuasion technique is Dr. Sterling using when she gets the MP to agree to the tour, in
hopes of him agreeing to a larger request later?
a. reciprocity norm
b. lowball technique
c. foot-in-the-door technique
d. door-in-the-face technique

Answer 19

c. foot-in-the-door technique

Question 20

What is the term for widely held beliefs about groups of people based on their group
membership?
a. stereotypes
b. schematizing
c. cognitive structuring
d. cultural direction

Answer 20

a. stereotypes

Question 21

Marsha believes that all news reporters are cynical, doubting individuals who would sell their
souls for an exclusive story. In this case, what do Marsha’s beliefs reflect?
a. the fundamental attribution error
b. a confirmation bias
c. a stereotype
d. the matching hypothesis

Answer 21

c. a stereotype

Question 22

Newton believes that all airline pilots are calm, cool individuals who never get excited or
show any strong emotional responses. What do Newton’s beliefs reflect?
a. a confirmation bias
b. a stereotype
c. the fundamental attribution error
d. the matching hypothesis

Answer 22

b. a stereotype

Question 23

You just sat down in class next to a girl who you know is in the drama club. You believe that
people who excel in drama are also very likely to drink a lot of wine, so, to start conversation,
you ask this girl about her favourite wine. She tells you about a chardonnay that she
particularly likes, but she doesn’t mention that she rarely drinks wine (she’s more of a “beer
person”). Once the conversation is over, you have no idea what she prefers and you’re even
more convinced that actors are big wine drinkers. Based on the research of Zanna and Cooper,
what has happened here?
a. You’ve acted in a way that is discriminatory.
b. Your stereotypes led to a self-fulfilling prophesy.
c. You’ve succumbed to the social schema effect.
d. You’ve committed the fundamental attribution erro

Answer 23

b. Your stereotypes led to a self-fulfilling prophesy

Question 24

Which of the following reflects the illusory correlation effect?
a. We see correlations between social traits that really aren’t there, because our
expectations distort our memories.
b. We fail to see true correlations between social traits, because our expectations
distort our memories.
c. We are motivated to accurately estimate the frequency with which some pattern of
social traits occurs.
d. We incorrectly assume that one social trait is the cause of another, simply because
we have observed that they are correlated

Answer 24

a. We see correlations between social traits that really aren’t there, because our
expectations distort our memories.

Question 25

John observed Gracie, an executive for a large accounting firm, behave in an aggressive and
pushy manner with her subordinates. John now believes that most female executives are
basically aggressive and pushy with their subordinates. What is John’s overestimation of the
relationship between female executives and the social traits of “pushy” and “aggressive”
referred to as?
a. a heuristic overbias
b. a contravened stereotype
c. a self-serving attribution
d. an illusory correlation

Answer 25

d. an illusory correlation

Question 26

Sharon has met three musicians who have had full beards, and she has also met three
musicians who were clean-shaven. Still, she believes that most musicians have beards. What
does Sharon’s belief reflect?
a. an illusory correlation
b. the fundamental attribution error
c. an egocentric slant
d. a confirmation bias

Answer 26

a. an illusory correlation

Question 27

You believe that short men have a tendency to be insecure. According to the concept of
illusory correlation, which of the following are you likely to do?
a. underestimate the frequency of insecure short men
b. falsely assume that tall men are naturally secure
c. accurately estimate the frequency of insecure short men
d. overestimate the frequency of insecure short men

Answer 27

d. overestimate the frequency of insecure short men

Question 28

8. Daniel started watching a movie that was half over. He thought the male lead in the movie
   was a private detective; however, the lead character was actually a medical doctor. Later,
   when Daniel is discussing the movie with his friends, he remembers the character’s beat-up
   old car and the fact he ate a lot of fast food. His friends focus more on the character’s logical
   assessment of the facts involved in the case. What might these differences in memory result
   from?
   a. an actor-observer bias
   b. the fundamental attribution error
   c. the matching hypothesis
   d. confirmation biases

Answer 28

d. confirmation biases

Question 29

Which statement best reflects an evolutionary explanation of why we tend to be influenced by
physical attractiveness in our perception of others?
a. We have a tendency to identify with those we perceive as attractive.
b. Physical attractiveness is associated with reproductive potential, so evaluation of
appearance has adaptive value.
c. Being around attractive people tends to make us view ourselves more favourably.
d. Physically attractive individuals are also likely to be intelligent and hard working.

Answer 29

b. Physical attractiveness is associated with reproductive potential, so evaluation of
appearance has adaptive value.

Question 30

What is the term for a group that one belongs to and identifies with?
a. ingroup
b. clan
c. clique
d. family

Answer 30

a. ingroup

Question 31

Harper is 35 years old, and he has just enrolled in his first university course. On the first day
of class he looks over the individuals in the room, and sits next to another male student who
appears to be in his early 30s. In this case, how did Harper classify the other student?
a. as someone who has more university experience than Harper
b. using a self-serving bias
c. as a member of his ingroup
d. as the teaching assistant for the class

Answer 31

c. as a member of his ingroup

Question 32

Parvati is a member of a jury, and she has voted “guilty.” All the other jury members have
voted “not guilty.” At this point in time, how would the other jury members classify Parvati?
a. using a confirmation bias
b. as a member of their outgroup
c. as a member of their ingroup
d. as outside their latitude of acceptance

Answer 32

b. as a member of their outgroup

Question 33

Eric has joined a new fraternity. Based on the research conducted by Krebs and Denton, if the
other fraternity members now consider Eric as part of their ingroup, what are they more likely
to do?
a. pay less attention to his actions and ideas
b. remember things that he does with greater accuracy
c. view him in somewhat negative terms
d. view him in a generally positive light

Answer 33

d. view him in a generally positive light

Question 34

According to evolutionary psychologists, how do we tend to view members of outgroups?
a. as role models
b. as potential mates
c. with deference
d. with negative stereotypes

Answer 34

d. with negative stereotypes

Question 35

According to evolutionary psychologists, what has shaped the cognitive mechanisms that lead
to bias in person perception?
a. childhood experiences
b. natural selection
c. parental attitudes
d. relationships with others

Answer 35

b. natural selection

Question 36

You and your friend Nick are having lunch at a café. As you start describing your last date,
Nick starts making a nasty face. You assume that Nick must have tasted something terrible, so
you ask if there is something wrong with the soup. Why did you ask about the soup?
a. You’re in denial about the effect of your conversation on Nick’s behaviour.
b. You’ve established a schema that relates to Nick’s food preferences and behaviour.
c. You’ve made an error in judgement about the cause of Nick’s grimace.
d. You’ve made an attribution that Nick’s grimace was caused by the food and not
your description of your date

Answer 36

d. You’ve made an attribution that Nick’s grimace was caused by the food and not
your description of your date

Question 37

What do we use attributions for?
a. to understand and predict how we will respond in novel situations
b. to avoid making errors about the causes of others’ behaviour
c. to make discriminatory judgments about others
d. to explain our experiences and influence our social relations

Answer 37

d. to explain our experiences and influence our social relations

Question 38

What is the main reason we tend to make attributions about the causes of events, others’
behaviour, and our own behaviour?
a. We have a strong need to understand our experiences.
b. Attribution making was selected for at some point in our ancestral past.
c. We have an unconscious urge to psychoanalyze the behaviour of others.
d. Having access to information about others tends to fulfill our need for power.

Answer 38

a. We have a strong need to understand our experiences.

Question 39

A father suggests that his son’s low marks in school are due to the child’s laziness. What type
of attribution has the father made?
a. situational attribution
b. internal attribution
c. distinctive attribution
d. external attribution

Answer 39

b. internal attribution

Question 40

Tally just heard that her neighbour, Rupert, was involved in an automobile accident. If Tally
concludes that Rupert’s reckless driving habits caused the accident, what has she done?
a. been influenced by an illusory correlation
b. made a self-serving attribution
c. made an internal attribution
d. made an external attribution

Answer 40

c. made an internal attribution

Question 41

. Dallas watches as Rhoda missteps in the cafeteria and spills coffee on herself and two other
students. If Dallas concludes that Rhoda is an uncoordinated “klutz” who wasn’t paying
attention to what she was doing, what has he done?
a. made an internal attribution
b. made an external attribution
c. made a self-serving attribution
d. been influenced by an illusory correlation

Answer 41

a. made an internal attribution

Question 42

Tina recently lost over half the money she had put away for her retirement. If Webster
concludes that Tina lost the money because the stock market took a significant downturn,
what has he done?
a. made an external attribution
b. made the fundamental attribution error
c. been influenced by an illusory correlation
d. made an internal attribution

Answer 42

a. made an external attribution

Question 43

Celine just heard that her neighbour, Rodney, was involved in an automobile accident. If
Celine concludes that Rodney’s children distracted him for a few seconds, and that was the
reason for the accident, what has she done?
a. made the fundamental attribution error
b. made an external attribution
c. been influenced by an illusory correlation
d. made an internal attribution

Answer 43

b. made an external attribution

Question 44

What type of attribution is blaming your friend’s car accident on the weather conditions an
example of?
a. a dispositional attribution
b. a defensive attribution
c. an external attribution
d. a self-serving attribution

Answer 44

c. an external attribution

Question 45

You’ve just been awarded a full scholarship for next year, which you perceive as confirmation
of your superior intellectual ability. According to Weiner’s model, what type of attribution
have you made about your success?
a. external-stable
b. internal-stable
c. external-unstable
d. internal-unstable

Answer 45

b. internal-stable

Question 46

Martha wins three games of backgammon in a row, even though she has never played before.
If Martha assumes she has “beginner’s luck,” what type of attribution has she made about her
success?
a. internal-unstable
b. external-unstable
c. external-stable
d. internal-stable

Answer 46

b. external-unstable

Question 47

Alphonse failed his geology midterm. According to Weiner’s attributional model, if Alphonse
makes an external-unstable attribution for his failure, what is he most likely to say?
a. “I just can’t seem to catch on in my geology classes, and I don’t think I’ll ever
learn all those terms.”
b. “That professor has impossible exams; if I retake the class with a different
professor I’ll probably do much better.”
c. “It was just bad luck that most of the exam was on the one chapter I didn’t study.”
d. “I was really tired during the exam because I had to work the late shift the night
before the exam.”

Answer 47

c. “It was just bad luck that most of the exam was on the one chapter I didn’t study.”

Question 48

Imagine that you recently obtained a job that you applied for. According to Weiner’s
attributional model, if you state, “I knew I would get the job because I just seemed to do
everything right on the day of the interview,” what type of attribution have you made?
a. internal-unstable attribution
b. external-stable attribution
c. internal-stable attribution
d. external-unstable attribution

Answer 48

a. internal-unstable attribution

Question 49

Skye scored 100 percent on her statistics midterm. According to Weiner’s attributional model,
if Skye makes an internal-stable attribution for her success, what is she most likely to say?
a. “The professor makes the whole course so easy to understand that it is virtually
impossible to do poorly in the class.”
b. “I was calm and relaxed the day of the exam because I was able to get a good
night’s sleep the night before the exam.”
c. “It was just good luck that most of the exam was on the material I had time to
study.”
d. “I have always been good at statistics; I guess I just have a natural ability in that
area.”

Answer 49

d. “I have always been good at statistics; I guess I just have a natural ability in that
area.”

Question 50

Which tendency is explained by the fundamental attribution error?
a. Actors favour internal attributions in explaining the behaviour of others.
b. Observers favour external attributions in explaining the behaviour of others.
c. Actors favour external attributions in explaining the behaviour of others.
d. Observers favour internal attributions in explaining the behaviour of others

Answer 50

d. Observers favour internal attributions in explaining the behaviour of others

Question 51

If you tend to overemphasize internal characteristics in explaining the behaviour of others,
which of the following describes your explanations?
a. fundamental attribution error
b. false consensus effect
c. situational attributional tendency
d. self-serving bias

Answer 51

a. fundamental attribution error

Question 52

Ralph watches as a customer with at least 40 items lines up at his express checkout line. He
decides the customer must be a real “idiot” to miss the sign that indicates Ralph’s checkout
line is an express line with a limit of 10 items. What is illustrated by this example?
a. self-serving bias
b. illusory correlation
c. defensive attribution
d. fundamental attribution error

Answer 52

d. fundamental attribution error

Question 53

Warren tells Corr that he can’t believe it, but he scored 98% on his linear algebra midterm.
Corr decides that Warren must be very bright if he earns such high grades in math courses.
What is illustrated by this example?
a. self-serving bias
b. defensive attribution
c. illusory correlation
d. fundamental attribution error

Answer 53

d. fundamental attribution error

Question 54

As you’re shopping you see a woman yelling at the manager of a clothing store. Given the
actor-observer bias, how is your interpretation of the event most likely to differ from the
interpretation of the yelling woman?
a. The yelling woman is more likely to perceive the situation as being the cause of
her aggressive behaviour.
b. The yelling woman is more likely to be accurate about the cause of her behaviour.
c. You are more likely to be accurate about the cause of the yelling woman’s
behaviour.
d. You are more likely to make an external attribution about the cause of the yelling
woman’s behaviour.

Answer 54

a. The yelling woman is more likely to perceive the situation as being the cause of
her aggressive behaviour.

Question 55

.Why do actors and observers tend to give different explanations for the same instance of
behaviour by an actor?
a. Only outside observers can accurately explain actors’ behaviour.
b. Situational pressures may not be readily apparent to an observer.
c. Observers tend to possess more knowledge than the actors.
d. Only actors themselves can accurately explain their own behaviour.

Answer 55

b. Situational pressures may not be readily apparent to an observer.

Question 56

When you fail a test, which of the following attributions is more likely to be made by your
roommate about your grade?
a. The test was unfair.
b. Most of the class also failed the test.
c. The teacher is ineffective.
d. You didn’t study enough

Answer 56

d. You didn’t study enough

Question 57

When Darren’s classmate earns a “D” on an essay for her history class, Darren figures the
classmate is unmotivated, and should have spent more time working on the paper and less
time socializing. The classmate is disappointed with her grade, but she knows she didn’t have
much time to work on the essay because she had to work double shifts the entire week before
the paper was due. What does this example illustrate?
a. self-serving bias
b. cognitive dissonance
c. defensive attributions
d. actor-observer bias

Answer 57

d. actor-observer bias

Question 58

When you get an A on a test, which of the following attributions is more likely to be made by
you than by your roommate?
a. You studied very hard.
b. The teacher gave a lot of hints.
c. You’re very smart.
d. You have a natural ability in that area.

Answer 58

b. The teacher gave a lot of hints.

Question 59

According to the notion of defensive attribution, what do we use to explain the setbacks that
befall other people?
a. stable causes
b. external causes
c. defensive causes
d. internal causes

Answer 59

d. internal causes

Question 60

Paulo was laid off from his job over six months ago and, even though he has applied for more
than 40 positions since then, he is still out of work. His landlord believes that Paulo must be
lazy because, if he were truly motivated, he would have found a job by now. Which of the
following is illustrated by the landlord’s explanation?
a. defensive attribution
b. self-serving bias
c. cognitive dissonance
d. confirmation bia

Answer 60

a. defensive attribution

Question 61

What is the term for putting group goals ahead of personal goals and defining one’s identity in
terms of the groups one belongs to?
a. attributionism
b. collectivism
c. functionalism
d. individualism

Answer 61

b. collectivism

Question 62

What is the term for putting personal goals ahead of group goals and defining one’s identity in
terms of personal attributes?
a. individualism
b. egocentrism
c. hedonism
d. dispositional attributional bias

Answer 62

a. individualism

Question 63

Carisa was born and raised in a traditional Latin American culture; Olga was born and raised
in an industrialized western city. Based on evidence from cross-cultural studies comparing
individualistic and collectivist cultures, which of the following is likely true of Carisa in
comparison to Olga?
a. Carisa is less likely to experience cognitive dissonance.
b. Carisa is more prone to the fundamental attribution error.
c. Carisa is less prone to the fundamental attribution error.
d. Carisa is more likely to experience cognitive dissonance.

Answer 63

c. Carisa is less prone to the fundamental attribution error.

Question 64

What is the term for attributing one’s successes to dispositional factors and one’s failures to
situational factors?
a. self-serving bias
b. actor-observer bias
c. fundamental attribution error
d. self-enhancing strategy

Answer 64

a. self-serving bias

Question 65

What is the self-serving bias?
a. attributing our successes to external causes and our failures to internal causes
b. attributing our successes to consensus and our failures to uniqueness
c. attributing our successes to dispositional causes and our failures to situational
causes
d. attributing our successes to ego strength and our failures to ego weakness

Answer 65

c. attributing our successes to dispositional causes and our failures to situational
causes

Question 66

Attributing one’s success on an exam to one’s intelligence and one’s failure to the unfairness
of the exam is an example of which of the following?
a. actor-observer bias
b. fundamental attributional error
c. self-serving bias
d. defensive attribution

Answer 66

c. self-serving bias

Question 67

Phyllis is playing in a basketball game, and when she makes a three-point basket she is
ecstatic. She proudly tells her coach that it shows how all her extra practice has paid off.
However, later in the game Phyllis misses an almost identical shot. This time she explains to
her coach that she was distracted by one of the opposing players. What do Phyllis’s
attributions illustrate?
a. actor-observer bias
b. self-serving bias
c. matching hypothesis
d. fundamental attribution error

Answer 67

b. self-serving bias

Question 68

Julian is playing a computer trivia game against some friends. When he wins the first game he
attributes his win to his quick reaction time. However, when Julian loses the second game he
attributes his loss to the fact that his signalling button stopped working correctly. What do
Julian’s attributions illustrate?
a. matching hypothesis
b. fundamental attribution error
c. self-serving bias
d. actor-observer bias

Answer 68

c. self-serving bias

Question 69

Which of the following are individuals from Western societies less likely to use in their causal
attributions, relative to individuals from non-Western societies?
a. actor-observer bias
b. self-effacing bias
c. self-serving bias
d. fundamental attribution error

Answer 69

b. self-effacing bias

Question 70

Which of the following are Japanese subjects more likely to engage in than American
subjects?
a. self-effacing bias
b. self-serving bias
c. fundamental attribution error
d. individualism

Answer 70

a. self-effacing bias

Question 71

Toshi was born and raised in Japan; Otis was born and raised in the United States. Based on
cross-cultural studies comparing individualistic and collectivist cultures, which of the
following is expected of Toshi compared to Otis?
a. Toshi is less likely to exhibit a self-serving bias in explaining success.
b. Toshi is more likely to exhibit a self-serving bias in explaining success.
c. Toshi is less likely to experience cognitive dissonance.
d. Toshi is more likely to experience cognitive dissonance

Answer 71

a. Toshi is less likely to exhibit a self-serving bias in explaining success.

Question 72

Which of the following is true of initial attraction to a person?
a. It is greatly influenced by that person’s physical attractiveness.
b. It is greatly influenced by perceived intellectual similarity.
c. It is more influenced by personality similarity than by physical attractiveness.
d. It is minimally influenced by that person’s physical attractiveness.

Answer 72

a. It is greatly influenced by that person’s physical attractiveness

Question 73

What is the name for the idea that males and females of approximately equal physical
attractiveness are likely to select each other as partners?
a. matching hypothesis
b. attitude-behaviour consistency principle
c. attributional outcome principle
d. propinquity hypothesis

Answer 73

a. matching hypothesis

Question 74

Pierre is a moderately attractive 16-year-old. The high school that he attends is holding a
“Sadie Hawkins” dance where the girls ask the boys to the dance. He is hoping to be asked to
the dance by either Whitney or Tammy. Whitney is moderately attractive; Tammy is
extremely attractive. Which of the following is likely based on the evidence from studies that
have investigated physical attractiveness and dating?
a. Both girls will ask Pierre to the dance, because women are less likely to consider
attractiveness in selecting partners.
b. Tammy will ask Pierre to the dance, because people tend to select partners who are
slightly less attractive.
c. Neither girl will ask Pierre to the dance, because people tend to select partners who
are more attractive.
d. Whitney will ask Pierre to the dance, because people tend to select partners who
match their own level of attractiveness

Answer 74

d. Whitney will ask Pierre to the dance, because people tend to select partners who
match their own level of attractiveness

Question 75

Which of the following statements is most accurate concerning attitudes?
a. People are equally likely to be attracted to people with similar and dissimilar
attitudes.
b. People are more likely to be attracted to someone with similar attitudes.
c. People are more likely to be attracted to someone with dissimilar attitudes.
d. People are not attracted to others based on their attitudes because attitudes and
attraction are independent

Answer 75

b. People are more likely to be attracted to someone with similar attitudes.

Question 76

.Which of the following adages seems to be supported by research on factors contributing to
building relationships?
a. “Similarity breeds liking.”
b. “Similarity builds uncertainty.”
c. “Similarity breeds contempt.”
d. “Similarity builds discrimination.”

Answer 76

a. “Similarity breeds liking

Question 77

Nicole is a 30-year-old lawyer who holds very conservative views. She always votes
Conservative in every election. At a New Year’s Eve party she meets Frank who is also a 30-
year-old lawyer, but who holds very liberal views. He tells Nicole that he would never think
of voting for a Conservative candidate. Based on the research by Rosenbaum, which of the
following should you predict?
a. Nicole will be attracted to Frank because they are both lawyers.
b. Nicole will dislike Frank because he holds opposite political views, and
dissimilarity causes disdain.
c. Nicole will not be attracted to Frank because he isn’t older than she is.
d. Nicole will be attracted to Frank because he holds opposite political views, and
opposites attract.

Answer 77

b. Nicole will dislike Frank because he holds opposite political views, and
dissimilarity causes disdain.

Question 78

Based on data from a longitudinal study of best friends, which of the following predicts
closeness after two decades of friendship?
a. similarity
b. gender
c. attractiveness
d. talkativeness

Answer 78

a. similarity

Question 79

According to Sternberg, which component of love peaks early in a relationship?
a. intimacy
b. passion
c. commitment
d. possessiveness

Answer 79

b. passion

Question 80

According to Sternberg, which component of love shows the most gradual increase over time?
a. passion
b. intimacy
c. commitment
d. infatuation

Answer 80

b. intimacy

Question 81

What type of love involves complete absorption in another that includes tender sexual feelings
and the agony and ecstasy of intense emotion?
a. sexual
b. passionate
c. lustful
d. platonic

Answer 81

b. passionate

Question 82

Joe has been calling Jill each evening and talking with her every day at lunch, but now he is
deeply despondent because she is out of town. Which type of love is Joe experiencing?
a. companionate
b. communal
c. passionate
d. sexual infatuation

Answer 82

c. passionate

Question 83

Whenever Scott sees Diana he can feel his heart start to pound with excitement. Even though
Scott and Diana have dated only a few times, Scott often becomes jealous when Diana talks to
other men. He also finds he can’t get her out of his mind when they are apart. According to
Hatfield and Berscheid, what type of love is Scott experiencing?
a. passionate
b. consummate
c. companionate
d. reciprocal

Answer 83

a. passionate

Question 84

Greer and Neil have been married for 15 years. They have an extremely warm and trusting
relationship, and even though Neil frequently travels on business, Greer never worries about
him seeing other women. According to Hatfield and Berscheid, what type of love is this?
a. companionate
b. reciprocal
c. consummate
d. passionate

Answer 84

a. companionate

Question 85

According to Sternberg, how can companionate love be subdivided?
a. into friendship and sexuality
b. into intimacy and friendship
c. into sexuality and commitment
d. into commitment and intimacy

Answer 85

d. into commitment and intimacy

Question 86

According to Sternberg, what type of love is prevalent in long-term relationships?
a. fatuous and companionate
b. passion and romantic
c. commitment and passion
d. commitment and intimacy

Answer 86

d. commitment and intimacy

Question 87

Natasha has always felt at ease confiding in other people, and she and Boris have described
their relationship as one based on trust. According to Hazan and Shaver, which type of
attachment style did Natasha likely have with her parents?
a. secure attachment
b. avoidant attachment
c. anxious-ambivalent attachment
d. nonattachment

Answer 87

a. secure attachment

Question 88

Keira had parents who were warm and responsive while she was an infant. According to the
theory developed by Hazan and Shaver, what is Keira likely to find as an adult?
a. She has a wide circle of superficial friends, but very few close friends.
b. Her relationships lack intimacy and trust.
c. It is relatively easy for her to form close relationships with others.
d. It is difficult to trust other people or become close to them

Answer 88

c. It is relatively easy for her to form close relationships with others.

Question 89

According to Hazan and Shaver, what type of attachment style is associated with an adult who
reports that his or her love relations are volatile, jealous, and full of expected rejection?
a. secure
b. avoidant
c. anxious-ambivalent
d. tentative

Answer 89

c. anxious-ambivalent

Question 90

Milton has always been “in love with the idea of being in love,” yet his romances have been
threatened by his feelings of jealousy. His current girlfriend, Emilia, often assures him that
she’ll love him forever, but he’s not so sure about that. What term would Hazan and Shaver
use to describe Milton’s relationship style?
a. avoidant
b. secure
c. anxious-ambivalent
d. perfectly normal

Answer 90

c. anxious-ambivalent

Question 91

kashi always seems to become involved in volatile love relationships. He constantly expects
to be rejected by other people, and he is extremely jealous when he actually forms a
relationship with someone. Which of the following would Hazan and Shaver suggest about
Akashi’s infancy?
a. He developed an avoidant attachment with his parents.
b. He developed a secure attachment with his parents.
c. He failed to develop any type of attachment with his parents.
d. He developed an anxious-ambivalent attachment with his parents

Answer 91

d. He developed an anxious-ambivalent attachment with his parents

Question 92

Bonnie is uncomfortable being close to others. She finds it difficult to trust people, and she
feels as if she has never really experienced true intimacy in any of her adult relationships.
According to the theory developed by Hazan and Shaver, what were Bonnie’s parents like
during her infancy?
a. warm and responsive
b. ambivalent and inconsistent
c. cold and rejecting
d. extremely indulgent and permissive

Answer 92

c. cold and rejecting

Question 93

According to Hazan and Shaver’s model of infant attachment and romantic love, adults with
which of the following attachment styles are most likely to report more intense emotional
highs and lows in their romantic relationships?
a. anxious-ambivalent
b. secure
c. insecure
d. avoidant

Answer 93

a. anxious-ambivalent

Question 94

According to Hazan and Shaver’s model of infant attachment and romantic love, adults with
which of the following attachment styles are most likely to feel negative about their
relationships after dealing with conflict?
a. secure
b. avoidant
c. anxious-ambivalent
d. insecure

Answer 94

c. anxious-ambivalent

Question 95

. According to Hazan and Shaver’s model of infant attachment and romantic love, adults with
which of the following attachment styles are most likely to engage in casual sex?
a. secure
b. insecure
c. anxious-ambivalent
d. avoidant

Answer 95

d. avoidant

Question 96

Which of the following varies a great deal across cultures?
a. predominance of heterosexual orientation
b. whether value is placed on female beauty
c. societally-recognized sexual relationships between men and women
d. viewing love as the basis for marriage

Answer 96

d. viewing love as the basis for marriage

Question 97

In which type of culture is marriage more likely to be arranged by families and other gobetweens?
a. heavily industrialized
b. self-monitoring
c. collectivist
d. individualistic

Answer 97

c. collectivist

Question 98

What percentage of people who have used online dating sites have had “mostly positive”
experiences with internet dating?
a. 70 percent
b. 10 percent
c. 50 percent
d. 25 percent

Answer 98

d. 25 percent

Question 99

After two years, how do relationships that began with online dating compare to other
relationships?
a. They are more intimate.
b. They are equally stable.
c. They are less stable.
d. They are less intimate.

Answer 99

b. They are equally stable.

Question 100

Which of the factors that predict good relationships are featured prominently in the algorithms
that online dating websites use to match their clients?
a. reciprocity
b. attractiveness
c. commitment
d. similarity

Answer 100

d. similarity

Question 101

What effect does ovulation (a time of peak fertility) have on female preference for various
types of males?
a. Ovulating women prefer more masculine, dominant men.
b. Ovulating women prefer males who like children.
c. Ovulating women are more competitive with dominant men.
d. Ovulating women prefer males with softer, more trustworthy-looking features

Answer 101

a. Ovulating women prefer more masculine, dominant men.

Question 102

Which of the following facial features is perceived as attractive by both males and females?
a. youthful features
b. symmetry
c. large eyes in relation to the size of the face
d. strong jawline

Answer 102

b. symmetry

Question 103

Which of the following are key elements in judgements of attractiveness, across highly
diverse cultures?
a. female waist-to-hip ratio and facial symmetry
b. facial symmetry and male body mass index
c. male pheromones and body mass index
d. novelty and large female breasts

Answer 103

a. female waist-to-hip ratio and facial symmetry

Question 104

Which of the following orientations is most likely of a psychologist who analyzes romantic
relationships in terms of the adaptive problems they have presented over the course of human
history?
a. evolutionary
b. psychodynamic
c. behavioural
d. humanistic

Answer 104

a. evolutionary

Question 105

Which of the following is NOT one of the major components of an attitude?
a. emotional feelings stimulated by an object of thought
b. predispositions to act in certain ways
c. genetic tendencies toward specific biases
d. beliefs that one holds about the object of an attitude

Answer 105

c. genetic tendencies toward specific biases

Question 106

Virginia has a favourable attitude toward aerobics and working out. Just the thought of her
daily workout is enough to make Virginia feel good, and she finds that when she is at the gym
she feels much more relaxed and much less stressed. What component of Virginia’s attitude
toward working out is reflected by her feelings?
a. physiological
b. affective
c. behavioural
d. cognitive

Answer 106

b. affective

Question 107

Philip has a favourable attitude toward a politician who is currently running for re-election.
Philip knows that the candidate voted in favour of a number of issues that he supports, and
works hard for local residents. What component of Philip’s attitude does this illustrate?
a. behavioural
b. cognitive
c. physiological
d. affective

Answer 107

b. cognitive

Question 108

Lars has a favourable attitude toward the “Twisted Lizards” rock band. He buys every CD
they release, as soon as it is available. He also has both of the band’s music videos, and he has
been to six of the band’s live concerts. What component of Lars’s attitude toward the band is
reflected by his actions?
a. cognitive
b. affective
c. physiological
d. behavioural

Answer 108

d. behavioural

Question 109

Which of the following is NOT one of the crucial dimensions of attitudes?
a. accessibility
b. strength
c. ambivalence
d. distinctiveness

Answer 109

d. distinctiveness

Question 110

Which type of attitudes come to mind easily?
a. highly accessible
b. strong
c. distinctive
d. ambivalent

Answer 110

a. highly accessible

Question 111

Which of the following dimensions of attitudes are most likely to be correlated?
a. accessibility and ambivalence
b. distinctiveness and ambivalence
c. strength and ambivalence
d. accessibility and strength

Answer 111

d. accessibility and strength

Question 112

Maria has strong feelings about a new bylaw because it affects her personally. What aspect of
an attitude does this example reflect?
a. distinctiveness
b. vested interest
c. ambivalence
d. accessibility

Answer 112

b. vested interest

Question 113

A number of studies have shown that attitudes are only mediocre predictors of behaviour.
Which of the following is an explanation for this finding?
a. Researchers failed to operationalize the concept of an attitude.
b. General beliefs and feelings aren’t likely to predict specific behaviours very well.
c. Researchers failed to take variations in attitude strength into account.
d. Subjects often intentionally lie about both their attitudes and their behaviour.

Answer 113

c. Researchers failed to take variations in attitude strength into account.

Question 114

Greg feels that sexist jokes are offensive and cause indirect harm to women. He has made this
point to his family and during discussions in his psychology class, but he doesn’t say anything
to his friends when they tell sexist jokes. In fact, he often laughs at the jokes, even though
they make him uncomfortable. What would Ajzen say about this sort of divide between
attitude and behaviour?
a. It is understandable, because attitudes interact with situational norms to shape our
intentions, and subsequent behaviour.
b. It is unusual, and may reflect a personality disorder in Greg.
c. It is expected, because our behaviour around our friends is often guarded and not
generally sincere.
d. It is rare, because an individual’s attitude usually predicts his behaviour

Answer 114

a. It is understandable, because attitudes interact with situational norms to shape our
intentions, and subsequent behaviour

Question 115

A recent national election resulted in a surprising outcome. Although the pre-election polls
indicated that the population favoured the Blue Party, the Red Party was the victor. According
to research on the relationship between attitudes and behaviour, how could you explain the
election results?
a. People are generally dishonest when they report their attitudes, so the behaviour
appears surprising.
b. Contrary to popular belief, there is essentially no correlation between attitudes and
actual behaviour.
c. Although there is a modest correlation between attitudes and behaviour, the
relationship is not strong enough to be able to use attitude to accurately predict
behaviour.
d. People with the strongest attitudes will voice those attitudes, but tend not to act on
them.

Answer 115

c. Although there is a modest correlation between attitudes and behaviour, the
relationship is not strong enough to be able to use attitude to accurately predict
behaviour.

Question 116

If Stanley holds the implicit attitude that men are smarter than women, what is likely to
happen if he completes the Implicit Association Test?
a. He will respond more quickly to the pairing of a female face with the word smart.
b. He will respond more slowly to the pairing of a female face with the word smart.
c. He will respond more slowly to all pairings that include a female face.
d. He will respond more quickly to all pairings that include a female fac

Answer 116

b. He will respond more slowly to the pairing of a female face with the word smart.

Question 117

If Stanley holds an implicit racist attitude toward people who are Caucasian, what is likely to
happen if he completes the Implicit Association Test?
a. He will respond more quickly to all pairings that include a Caucasian face.
b. He will respond more slowly to all pairings that include a Caucasian face.
c. He will respond more quickly to the pairing of a Caucasian face with the word bad.
d. He will respond more slowly to the pairing of a Caucasian face with the word bad.

Answer 117

c. He will respond more quickly to the pairing of a Caucasian face with the word bad.

Question 118

Which of the following is NOT considered one of the basic elements of the persuasion
process?
a. source
b. receiver
c. intensity
d. channel

Answer 118

c. intensity

Question 119

Barbara’s car has been running poorly lately. Whose advice is Barbara most likely to follow
in order to make her car run better?
a. mechanic
b. physician
c. physics instructor
d. uncle

Answer 119

a. mechanic

Question 120

Which of the following individuals would you find most persuasive if he or she were arguing
that the country needs to reduce taxes on large corporations?
a. PetroCanada’s CEO
b. your favourite uncle
c. a noted economics professor
d. a manufacturer’s representative

Answer 120

c. a noted economics professor

Question 121

Which of the following individuals would be most likely to persuade you to buy stock in
Company X?
a. an attractive actor in an infomercial for Company X
b. the CEO of Company X
c. your favourite uncle
d. a noted economics professor

Answer 121

d. a noted economics professor

Question 122

Which of the following characteristics is most likely to enhance the credibility of the source of
a persuasive message?
a. friendliness
b. trustworthiness
c. height
d. physical attractiveness

Answer 122

b. trustworthiness

Question 123

Which of the following qualities will make the source of persuasive communication
mostlikely to be perceived as credible?
a. redundancy
b. dissimilarity to the receiver
c. vested interest
d. trustworthiness

Answer 123

d. trustworthiness

Question 124

Sean Jones is a basketball player who had been hired by a major cereal manufacturer to
promote one of its brands of cereal. Last week Sean received national coverage when he was
arrested for drunk driving. This week the cereal manufacturer cancelled the remainder of his
contract. Based on the research into factors that influence persuasion, why did the company
cancel Sean’s contract?
a. People will now perceive Sean as being less of an expert on nutrition.
b. Sean’s likeability will probably decrease.
c. People will now perceive Sean as being less physically attractive.
d. Sean will likely lose his job

Answer 124

b. Sean’s likeability will probably decrease.

Question 125

Irving attends a debate concerning term limits for politicians. Two of the speakers argue that
all politicians should be limited to two consecutive terms in office; two of the speakers argue
that there should be no term limits imposed. Based on the research into factors that influence
persuasion, which speaker should Irving find most persuasive?
a. the second-term politician who argued in favour of term limits
b. the concerned citizen who argued in favour of term limits
c. the concerned citizen who argued against term limits
d. the second-term politician who argued against term limits

Answer 125

a. the second-term politician who argued in favour of term limits

Question 126

Laura is planning to buy a new car, and she is trying to decide between a Ford and a Honda.
Based on the research into factors that influence persuasion, who should Laura find most
persuasive?
a. her mother, because family members are more persuasive than strangers
b. a Honda salesperson who recommends buying a Honda
c. her boyfriend, because males are more persuasive than females
d. a Ford salesperson who recommends buying a Honda rather than a Ford

Answer 126

d. a Ford salesperson who recommends buying a Honda rather than a Ford

Question 127

Edith is making a class presentation in which she is trying to convince the other students that a
proposed change in the requirements for an education degree will be beneficial in the long
run. Based on the research into factors that influence persuasion, which of the following will
make Edith’s arguments most persuasive?
a. presenting only the advantages associated with the proposed change
b. presenting only the disadvantages associated with the proposed change
c. presenting both advantages and disadvantages associated with the proposed change
d. arousing cognitive dissonance among her classmates

Answer 127

c. presenting both advantages and disadvantages associated with the proposed change

Question 128

Which of the following statements regarding the use of weak arguments in persuasive
communication is most accurate?
a. The key determinant of the effectiveness of a persuasive message seems to be the
ratio of strong arguments to weak arguments.
b. The more arguments one presents, the more effective the message will be,
regardless of the strength of the arguments.
c. Adding weak arguments to a persuasive message will likely do more harm than
good to one’s case.
d. Weak arguments will enhance the effectiveness of a persuasive communication as
long as they are presented clearly.

Answer 128

c. Adding weak arguments to a persuasive message will likely do more harm than
good to one’s case.

Question 129

Mort is trying to convince his parents that he should enrol at a university in another province,
rather than the local university. He has made five strong points that support his position, but
his parents are not convinced. Based on the research into factors that influence persuasion,
what should Mort do?
a. repeat the arguments that he has already made
b. play some soft background music while he and his parents discuss the issue some
more
c. add additional points that support his position, even if they are weaker arguments
d. ask his parents to think about their decision for a few days

Answer 129

a. repeat the arguments that he has already made

Question 130

Simply repeating a message causes it to be perceived as more true. What is this finding
called?
a. contrast effect
b. exposure effect
c. validity effect
d. reiteration effect

Answer 130

c. validity effect

Question 131

Samantha had not really thought much about who she would vote for in the election, but for
the entire month before the election, she constantly heard messages saying: “Vote for Don
Green. He’s the best person for the job.” On election day, after voting for Don Green, she told
her friends that she believed he truly was the best candidate. What does this example
illustrate?
a. exemplars
b. source effects
c. the validity effect
d. efficacy of one-sided arguments

Answer 131

c. the validity effect

Question 132

If you are trying to persuade others to your point of view on AIDS research, which of the
following would be an effective strategy?
a. Give a two-sided argument, arouse fear, and offer a solution.
b. Emphasize arguments directed at the opposing view.
c. Stress only the personal threat of getting AIDS.
d. Give a one-sided, fear-invoking argument.

Answer 132

a. Give a two-sided argument, arouse fear, and offer a solution.

Question 133

A marketing firm has been hired to develop new advertisements for the “Safe and Sober”
campaign. The goal of the campaign is to persuade people to drive more carefully. The firm is
considering two different television commercials. One commercial shows graphic accidents
with actual accident victims; the other shows controlled collisions with plastic crash dummies.
Based on the research into factors that influence persuasion, what should you predict?
a. Both commercials should arouse equivalent levels of fear, and therefore neither
commercial will be effective.
b. The commercial with the graphic accidents will arouse more fear, and therefore be
more effective.
c. The commercial with the plastic crash dummies will arouse less fear, and therefore
be more effective.
d. The commercial with the plastic crash dummies will arouse more fear, and
therefore be more effective.

Answer 133

b. The commercial with the graphic accidents will arouse more fear, and therefore be
more effective.

Question 134

When is fear arousal likely to be an effective persuasive tactic?
a. when the negative consequences are perceived as unlikely and unavoidable
b. when people are familiar with both sides of the issue
c. when the receiver thinks the source’s advice is reasonable
d. when the negative consequences are extremely unpleasant, probable, but avoidable

Answer 134

d. when the negative consequences are extremely unpleasant, probable, but avoidable

Question 135

Arguments that are in conflict with one’s prior attitudes are scrutinized longer and subjected
to more skeptical analysis than are arguments that are consistent with one’s prior beliefs.
Which of the following concepts is this finding most consistent with?
a. matching hypothesis
b. fundamental attribution error
c. confirmation bias
d. cognitive dissonance

Answer 135

c. confirmation bias

Question 136

As you’re shopping for a car, the car salesperson is attempting many different persuasion
tactics. You’ve been expecting these tactics likely based on your stereotypes of car
salespeople. Which of the following is likely, due to your expectations?
a. You will disconfirm your previous beliefs about cars.
b. You will show cognitive dissonance in response to the persuasive tactics.
c. You will be forewarned about the tactics, and less likely to be persuaded.
d. You will be much easier to persuade, due to forewarning

Answer 136

c. You will be forewarned about the tactics, and less likely to be persuaded

Question 137

A recent anti-smoking campaign on television showed graphic images of the internal effects
of smoking. Twelve-year-old Kandice has seen a number of these ads, and they made her feel
nauseated. Now she finds that she has developed an unfavourable attitude toward smoking.
What does this example illustrate?
a. classical conditioning
b. operant conditioning
c. cognitive dissonance
d. observational learning

Answer 137

a. classical conditioning

Question 138

When advertisers use extremely attractive models to demonstrate their products, what are they
using to change consumers’ attitudes?
a. classical conditioning
b. reinforcement
c. observational learning
d. punishment

Answer 138

a. classical conditioning

Question 139

Travis saw a television advertisement in which a new long-distance telephone service
provider showed a vignette of pleasant family scenes while some relaxing music played in the
background. Later, when Travis is asked about this particular long-distance service provider,
he has a positive attitude toward its service, even though he actually uses a different longdistance service. Which of the following influenced Travis’s attitude?
a. operant conditioning
b. classical conditioning
c. cognitive dissonance
d. observational learning

Answer 139

a. operant conditioning

Question 140

If Matthew’s mother praises his good sense every time he says that money is important, which
of the following is likely strengthening Matthew’s attitude about money?
a. classical conditioning
b. punishment
c. observational learning
d. reinforcement

Answer 140

d. reinforcement

Question 141

Rodney has an unfavourable attitude toward his astronomy professor. In explaining Rodney’s
attitude, what would a psychologist who took an operant conditioning perspective consider?
a. how other students in the class feel about this particular professor
b. how Rodney feels about his other professors
c. the astronomy professor’s personality and general attitude toward Rodney
d. Rodney’s history of reinforcement and punishment in dealing with his astronomy
professor

Answer 141

d. Rodney’s history of reinforcement and punishment in dealing with his astronomy
professor

Question 142

Matthew often hears his parents discussing the importance of making lots of money.
Eventually, Matthew himself begins to value a high income. How was Matthew’s attitude
about money acquired?
a. reinforcement
b. classical conditioning
c. punishment
d. observational learning

Answer 142

d. observational learning

Question 143

Glenda has a favourable attitude toward the independent candidate in the upcoming election
because all her friends say they are planning to vote for him. They have all said he is the best
person for the position. Which of the following influenced Glenda’s attitude?
a. operant conditioning
b. classical conditioning
c. observational learning
d. cognitive dissonance

Answer 143

c. observational learning

Question 144

Who is noted for developing the theory of cognitive dissonance?
a. Daryl Bem
b. Sigmund Freud
c. Leon Festinger
d. Albert Bandura

Answer 144

c. Leon Festinger

Question 145

What is cognitive dissonance?
a. a feeling of guilt produced by engaging in counterattitudinal behaviour
b. a state of confusion when cognitions are unrelated to each other
c. a state of tension produced when related cognitions are inconsistent
d. a feeling of discomfort experienced by receivers of persuasive communications

Answer 145

c. a state of tension produced when related cognitions are inconsistent

Question 146

In the study by Festinger and Carlsmith, which subjects exhibited the greatest attitude change?
a. those who were paid $1 for lying
b. those who were paid $20 for lying
c. those who were paid $1 for honesty
d. those who were paid $20 for honesty

Answer 146

a. those who were paid $1 for lying

Question 147

Which of the following is a cognitive dissonance explanation for results found by Festinger
and Carlsmith?
a. Subjects paid $1 to lie felt little cognitive dissonance.
b. Subjects paid $20 to lie had sufficient justification for their counterattitudinal
behaviour and experienced little dissonance.
c. Subjects paid $1 to lie had sufficient justification for their counterattitudinal
behaviour.
d. Subjects paid $20 to lie felt high cognitive dissonance.

Answer 147

b. Subjects paid $20 to lie had sufficient justification for their counterattitudinal
behaviour and experienced little dissonance.

Question 148

Lewis has agreed to proofread a long legal brief. Lewis knows that he will not receive any
additional pay for his extra work, and he thinks that proofreading is boring. After the job is
finished, Lewis decides that proofreading isn’t such a bad job after all; he feels that at times
he actually enjoyed the exacting work. Which of the following best explains Lewis’s attitude
change?
a. self-serving bias
b. cognitive dissonance theory
c. matching hypothesis
d. fundamental attribution error

Answer 148

b. cognitive dissonance theory

Question 149

. If you minimize the imbalance between inconsistent attitudes, which of the following should
happen?
a. You will resist persuasion.
b. You will reduce the discomfort associated with cognitive dissonance.
c. You will maintain psychological control in situations of extreme pressure.
d. You will counteract self-handicapping

Answer 149

b. You will reduce the discomfort associated with cognitive dissonance.

Question 150

According to Festinger’s cognitive dissonance research, which of the following should result
in the greatest attitudinal change?
a. an offer of extra grade points to lie
b. an offer of one dollar to lie
c. a simple request to lie
d. an offer of $50 to lie

Answer 150

b. an offer of one dollar to lie

Question 151

Scott spent a great deal of time and money on becoming a member of a certain club, yet later
discovered that the members of the club were boring. According to dissonance theory, what is
Scott most likely to do?
a. engage in denial and disengagement as part of his defensive attribution
b. now “bad mouth” the club to his friends
c. try to modify the behaviour of the current club members
d. continue to extol the virtues of the club to his friends

Answer 151

d. continue to extol the virtues of the club to his friends

Question 152

. Kristen scrimped and saved for over a year so that she could afford a trip to the Super Bowl if
her favourite team won the NFC title. She was excited when her team made it to the Super
Bowl; however, the actual game was fairly boring, and in the end Kristen’s favourite team
lost. Still, when Kristen got back home she told all her friends about the great time she had at
the game. Which of the following is the best explanation for Kristen’s attitude about the
game?
a. ingratiation theory
b. effort justification
c. self-serving bias
d. matching hypothesis

Answer 152

b. effort justification

Question 153

Which theory proposes that we often infer our attitudes from observations of our own
behaviour?
a. balance
b. learning
c. self-perception
d. cognitive dissonance

Answer 153

c. self-perception

Question 154

What does self-perception theory suggest?
a. Self-handicapping is a strategy used to deal with the negative outcomes we
experience.
b. We infer attitudes from observing our own behaviours.
c. Our self-concept is tied to the feedback we get from others.
d. We develop attitudes from discerning what others think the attitudes should be

Answer 154

b. We infer attitudes from observing our own behaviours.

Question 155

John notices he’s been eating carrots a lot lately. From this John infers that he must like
carrots. What does this example illustrate?
a. lens model of attitude-behaviour relationships
b. attribution theory
c. actor-observer bias
d. self-perception theory

Answer 155

d. self-perception theory

Question 156

Judd notices that every time he is in a bookstore he spends more time browsing through the
new books in the nonfiction section than looking at the latest novels and best-sellers.
Consequently, Judd decides he must really prefer nonfiction books. What does this example
illustrate?
a. fundamental attribution error
b. cognitive dissonance theory
c. observational learning theory
d. self-perception theory

Answer 156

d. self-perception theory

Question 157

Kara has noticed that every time she eats out on her own she chooses a pizza place over fast
food places that serve burgers and fries. Consequently, Kara decides she must really prefer
pizzas to burgers and fries. What does this example illustrate?
a. self-perception theory
b. observational learning theory
c. cognitive dissonance theory
d. fundamental attribution error

Answer 157

a. self-perception theory

Question 158

You are working with a group of teenagers living in a residential treatment facility. They
share the attitude that it is better to protect yourself than to cooperate with others. This is an
attitude that you wish to change, in order to help them become more contributing members of
society. Which of the following techniques might you use if you were to employ the selfperception theory for the purpose of attitude change?
a. Provide clear reinforcers for every instance of cooperative behaviour that you see.
b. Give each resident an autobiography of a famous athlete who talks about how
teamwork is the key to success.
c. Have each resident write an essay about the dangers of being too independent.
d. Have potential employers come in to talk about how important cooperation is in
the modern workplace, and how they need to learn how to work as members of a
team

Answer 158

c. Have each resident write an essay about the dangers of being too independent.

Question 159

In recent election campaigns, there has been much criticism that campaign ads focus too much
on building attractive images for candidates and too little on substantive issues of genuine
importance. Which of the following explains how both of these strategies can influence
voters?
a. self-perception theory
b. balance model
c. elaboration likelihood model
d. dissonance theory

Answer 159

c. elaboration likelihood model

Question 160

The makers of the new Adobe automobile are sick and tired of TV commercials that rely on
images of sex and “life in the fast lane” to sell cars. Besides, they believe that if their
commercials simply present the true facts about why their car is the best on the market,
potential buyers are more likely to develop a long-lasting preference for the Adobe. Which of
the following is illustrated by a “fact-based” marketing strategy?
a. autonomic route to persuasion
b. peripheral route to persuasion
c. central route to persuasion
d. somatic route to persuasion

Answer 160

c. central route to persuasion

Question 161

According to the elaboration likelihood model, which type of messages are more likely to
produce lasting attitude change?
a. messages that choose the generic path
b. messages that activate the parasympathetic route
c. messages that take the peripheral route
d. messages that take the central route

Answer 161

d. messages that take the central route

Question 162

Julio had planned to buy a national brand computer when one of his friends suggested that he
look into the computers available through a local “no-name” outlet store. Julio carefully
reviewed the relevant reports about the various computer components as well as the statistics
on service reliability, and decided his friend was correct. Julio bought his computer from the
local “no-name” outlet store. In this case, what did Julio use to reach his decision?
a. peripheral route to persuasion
b. central route to persuasion
c. self-serving route to persuasion
d. cognitive dissonance model of persuasion

Answer 162

b. central route to persuasion

Question 163

Maureen was trying to decide which one of two national brand computers to buy. She was
pretty well set on buying the “Brand A” computer when one of her friends mentioned that
Kevin Costner did commercials endorsing “Brand B.” Maureen decides to buy the “Brand B”
computer, based on the assumption that Kevin Costner wouldn’t endorse anything that wasn’t
top quality. In this instance, what did Maureen use to reach her decision?
a. central route to persuasion
b. self-serving route to persuasion
c. cognitive dissonance model of persuasion
d. peripheral route to persuasion

Answer 163

d. peripheral route to persuasion

Question 164

Clara listens carefully to the content of an infomercial for a new software package, but Joyce
focuses on the fact that there are three different celebrity endorsers who are really excited
about the software package. After the infomercial has ended, both Clara and Joyce think the
software is worth purchasing. Which of the following is predicted by the elaboration
likelihood model?
a. Joyce will have a more enduring attitude toward the software than Clara.
b. Clara will have a more enduring attitude toward the software than Joyce.
c. Clara will experience more cognitive dissonance than Joyce.
d. Joyce will experience less social facilitation than Clara

Answer 164

b. Clara will have a more enduring attitude toward the software than Joyce.

Question 165

Elijah listens carefully to the content of an infomercial for a new exercise system. Bob
focuses on the fact that two star athletes are endorsing the exercise system. After the
infomercial has ended, both Elijah and Bob have favourable attitudes toward the exercise
system that was advertised. Which of the following is predicted by the elaboration likelihood
model?
a. Both men are likely to purchase the exercise system that was advertised.
b. Elijah is more likely to actually purchase the exercise system.
c. Neither man is likely to actually purchase the exercise system.
d. Bob is more likely to actually purchase the exercise system

Answer 165

b. Elijah is more likely to actually purchase the exercise system

Question 166

When Jen started her new job at the library, she started dressing more conservatively and also
started wearing her glasses to work instead of using her contact lenses. Her friends say that
she has become quieter and more serious since starting the job. Which of the following has
likely influenced the change in Jen’s behaviour and appearance?
a. her perception of the social role of a librarian
b. her desire to be obedient
c. avoidance of social stigma
d. pressure by her employer to conform

Answer 166

a. her perception of the social role of a librarian

Question 167

Which of the following terms is defined as yielding to real or imagined social pressure?
a. cognitive dissonance
b. conformity
c. obedience
d. groupthink

Answer 167

b. conformity

Question 168

Which of the following results in a behaviour change that is considered to be conformity?
a. negative reinforcement
b. responding to real or imagined social pressure
c. observing a model being reinforced for a particular response
d. positive reinforcement

Answer 168

b. responding to real or imagined social pressure

Question 169

Which psychologist is known for conducting classic research on conformity?
a. Daryl Bem
b. Stanley Milgram
c. Solomon Asch
d. Leon Festinger

Answer 169

c. Solomon Asch

Question 170

What happened to subjects in Asch’s studies of conformity?
a. They indicated which of three lines matched a “standard line” in length.
b. They became the recipients of painful electric shocks delivered by an experimental
accomplice.
c. They were ordered to deliver painful electric shocks to a stranger.
d. They were ordered to give consistently wrong answers to simple questions

Answer 170

a. They indicated which of three lines matched a “standard line” in length

Question 171

In Asch’s studies, what were found to be the key determinants of conformity?
a. task difficulty and group size
b. group size and group unanimity
c. group size and the subjects’ intelligence
d. the group leader’s personality and group unanimity

Answer 171

b. group size and group unanimity

Question 172

What did Asch find in his research on conformity in making perceptual judgments?
a. Both group size and unanimity affected the degree of conformity.
b. Conformity did not change much with group size.
c. Increasing group size reduced conformity.
d. Group size affected conformity, but unanimity did not.

Answer 172

a. Both group size and unanimity affected the degree of conformity.

Question 173

In his studies on conformity, Asch found that if a group of persons espouses an opinion
contradictory to your opinion, what are you most likely to do?
a. show mild symptoms of learned helplessness
b. voice the group’s opinion
c. echo the opinion of the nearest group member
d. voice your own opinion, even though it’s contradictory

Answer 173

b. voice the group’s opinion

Question 174

When did Asch find that group size made little difference on conformity?
a. when the task was easy
b. when the experimenter ridiculed the group’s wrong answers
c. when just one accomplice failed to go along with the rest of the group
d. when the task was difficult

Answer 174

c. when just one accomplice failed to go along with the rest of the group

Question 175

Vanessa is working on a take-home exam with her study group, and she is fairly certain that
the answer to the fourth question should be option “C.” Based on the research by Asch into
the influence of group size on conformity, when would Vanessa be most likely to select an
option other than “C”?
a. if both of the other students believe the correct option is actually “B”
b. if all four of the other students can’t agree on a single correct answer, but all
believe that option “C” is definitely wrong
c. if one other student believes the correct option is actually “B”
d. if all four of the other students all believe the correct option is actually “B

Answer 175

d. if all four of the other students all believe the correct option is actually “B

Question 176

Obedience is a form of compliance in which people change their behaviour in response to
which of the following?
a. implied pressure
b. direct commands
c. requests from others
d. persuasive communications

Answer 176

b. direct commands

Question 177

Maria is driving along her normal route to work when a police officer stops her and directs her
to take a different route. She is not sure why she has to take the detour, but she does what the
police officer tells her to do. What does this example illustrate?
a. conformity
b. ingratiation
c. obedience
d. reciprocity

Answer 177

c. obedience

Question 178

What happened to subjects in Milgram’s study of obedience?
a. They were ordered to deliver painful electric shocks to a stranger.
b. They were ordered to give consistently wrong answers to simple questions.
c. They became the recipients of painful electric shocks delivered by an experimental
accomplice.
d. They indicated which of three lines matched a “standard line” in length.

Answer 178

a. They were ordered to deliver painful electric shocks to a stranger.

Question 179

In Milgram’s research on obedience, what was the teacher’s perception of what would happen
when the learner made a mistake?
a. The experiment would have to be terminated.
b. The learner would receive a shock.
c. The learner would be negatively reinforced.
d. The teacher would be asked to change places with the learner.

Answer 179

b. The learner would receive a shock.

Question 180

In Milgram’s research on obedience, what did the experimenter do to the teacher when the
teacher questioned whether the experiment should continue?
a. The teacher was given verbal prompts to continue.
b. The teacher was shocked.
c. The teacher was verbally abused.
d. The teacher was requested to change places with the learner.

Answer 180

a. The teacher was given verbal prompts to continue

Question 181

In Milgram’s study, what percentage of the subjects fully obeyed the experimenter?
a. 65 percent
b. 5percent
c. 95 percent
d. 35 percent

Answer 181

a. 65 percent

Question 182

In Milgram’s research on obedience, what did the teacher routinely do?
a. resist the authority figure during early trials, but then obey consistently
b. resist the authority figure
c. refuse to continue after shock was delivered
d. obey the authority figure

Answer 182

d. obey the authority figure

Question 183

Jack is working on a farm and his employer has asked him to kill an unwanted litter of
puppies that has just been born. Jack doesn’t want to do it, but he knows that it is his job to
follow orders. Which of the following will make Jack most likely to disobey orders?
a. hearing another employee refusing to do the job
b. seeing someone watching him
c. realizing that he isn’t being very well paid
d. feeling sad for the dogs

Answer 183

b. seeing someone watching him

Question 184

When did Milgram find that subjects’ obedience declined dramatically?
a. when group size was increased beyond seven members
b. when an innocent stranger was harmed by the subjects’ actions
c. when another “teacher” defied the experimenter’s order
d. when the study was conducted in a run-down, dilapidated building

Answer 184

c. when another “teacher” defied the experimenter’s order

Question 185

Which of the following is NOT one of the criticisms directed toward Milgram’s research on
obedience to authority?
a. Subjects were exposed to severe stress that could leave emotional scars.
b. The independent and dependent variables were not clearly defined.
c. Subjects were exposed to extensive deception without prior consent.
d. The findings generalize very poorly to the real world

Answer 185

b. The independent and dependent variables were not clearly defined.

Question 186

In contrast to Milgram’s original studies, what differed in Burger’s recent replication of the
shock obedience studies?
a. Researchers were not perceived as being authority figures.
b. Participants were carefully screened and repeatedly told that they could stop at any
time.
c. Participants were very unlikely to conform to experimenter requests.
d. The experimental procedure only allowed for verbal reprimands, rather than the
provision of shock to the “learners”.

Answer 186

b. Participants were carefully screened and repeatedly told that they could stop at any
time.

Question 187

Which statement regarding the influence of culture on conformity and obedience is most
accurate?
a. Studies of conformity and obedience have yielded virtually identical results across
a variety of cultures.
b. Replications of Milgram’s study in other countries have generally resulted in low
levels of obedience.
c. Collectivistic cultures tend to encourage more conformity than individualistic
cultures.
d. Conformity and obedience appear to be unique to North American culture.

Answer 187

c. Collectivistic cultures tend to encourage more conformity than individualistic
cultures.

Question 188

A recent review of 133 conformity studies drawn from 17 countries was conducted. In which
cultures were the highest levels of conformity found?
a. industrialized cultures rather than nonindustrialized cultures
b. Western cultures rather than Asian cultures
c. collectivistic cultures rather than individualistic cultures
d. individualistic cultures rather than ollectivistic cultures

Answer 188

c. collectivistic cultures rather than individualistic cultures

Question 189

According to social psychologists, what is a group?
a. It exists whenever two or more people are in spatial proximity to each other.
b. It consists of three or more people who interact on a regular basis.
c. It is a unit that controls the behaviour of its members.
d. It consists of two or more people who interact and are interdependent

Answer 189

d. It consists of two or more people who interact and are interdependent

Question 190

Which of the following would definitely be categorized as a group?
a. 5 people in different cities who work collaboratively on a book
b. 15 people who live in the same neighbourhood
c. 5 people sitting in a doctor’s waiting room
d. 15 people who belong to the same international fan club

Answer 190

a. 5 people in different cities who work collaboratively on a book

Question 191

Which statement reflects the bystander effect?
a. The probability that a witness to an emergency will help decreases as the number
of bystanders increases.
b. A group of witnesses to an emergency will all tend to cooperate to provide help.
c. Bystanders’ willingness to help depends on the seriousness of the emergency.
d. The probability that a witness to an emergency will help increases as the number
of bystanders increases

Answer 191

a. The probability that a witness to an emergency will help decreases as the number
of bystanders increases.

Question 192

Jeff, Greg, Dan, and Ray all watched as the building across the street burned to the ground.
They kept waiting for the fire trucks to show up, even though none of them had called 911. In
this case, the fact that none of the four friends phoned to report the fire illustrates which
phenomenon?
a. social loafing
b. self-fulfilling prophecy
c. bystander effect
d. group polarization

Answer 192

c. bystander effect

Question 193

Phoebe saw the passenger in the seat across the aisle suddenly slump forward in her seat.
While the other passengers looked around for a flight attendant, Phoebe immediately started
to administer CPR. What factor explains the absence of the bystander effect in this situation?
a. Passengers on a plane cannot be defined as a “group.”
b. Phoebe perceived the other passenger to be in obvious physical danger.
c. Women are not vulnerable to the bystander effect.
d. There were so many people on the plane that the effect was diluted

Answer 193

b. Phoebe perceived the other passenger to be in obvious physical danger.

Question 194

Which of the following is true of the bystander effect?
a. It is weaker when there are more people in the group.
b. It is unaffected by the size of the group.
c. It is stronger when there are more people in the group.
d. It is greatest when the observer is the only one present.

Answer 194

c. It is stronger when there are more people in the group.

Question 195

Which statement is supported by evidence from numerous studies of the bystander effect?
a. It is a widespread phenomenon.
b. It occurs only in urban impoverished areas.
c. It is limited to contrived laboratory situations.
d. There is much truth to the old saying that “there is safety in numbers.”

Answer 195

a. It is a widespread phenomenon.

Question 196

When should the bystander effect be strongest?
a. in a large group when need for help is unambiguous
b. in a smaller group when need for help is unambiguous
c. in a large group when need for help is ambiguous
d. in a smaller group when need for help is ambiguous

Answer 196

c. in a large group when need for help is ambiguous

Question 197

What is diffusion of responsibility?
a. basis for performing prosocial behaviour
b. loss of identity one experiences in mob violence/aggression
c. cause of halo effect in aggression
d. tendency to assume that someone else will take responsibility

Answer 197

d. tendency to assume that someone else will take responsibility

Question 198

Frasier felt his life was hopeless and climbed out onto a bridge deck, planning to commit
suicide. Initially, about 40 people stood and pointed at him as he clung to the railing on the
bridge, but after 30 minutes most of the crowd had dispersed. When only three people
remained, one of the onlookers decided to call for help. Why did someone help when the
crowd was small, rather than when the crowd was large?
a. Cognitive dissonance decreases as the size of a group is decreased.
b. Group polarization is less likely to occur in small groups.
c. Diffusion of responsibility is less likely to occur in a small group.
d. Small groups tend to be less cohesive than larger groups.

Answer 198

c. Diffusion of responsibility is less likely to occur in a small group.

Question 199

What happens to the productivity of individuals when they are in larger groups?
a. It declines due to the loss of coordination among group members’ efforts.
b. It declines due to reinforcement from other group members for reduced
productivity.
c. It increases due to concern about being evaluated by other group members.
d. It increases due to enforced commitment to the group’s goals.

Answer 199

a. It declines due to the loss of coordination among group members’ efforts.

Question 200

Which of the following is generally NOT considered a factor in explaining why individuals’
performance in groups declines?
a. social loafing
b. loss of coordination between members
c. duplication of effort by group members
d. unequal numbers of male and female members

Answer 200

d. unequal numbers of male and female members

Question 201

What does social loafing refer to?
a. the reduction of effort by individuals when they work in groups
b. increases in socializing among members of larger groups
c. a tendency to blame others for the group’s poor performance
d. the loss of coordination among group members’ efforts

Answer 201

a. the reduction of effort by individuals when they work in groups

Question 202

When Jerry thought he was the only person who was assigned the job of contacting alumni for
a 15-year reunion, he spent several hours on the phone each evening trying to reach members
of his graduating class. When he learned that eight other people were also working on
contacting the alumni, he spent only 30 minutes each night making phone calls. Which
process best explains the reduction in Jerry’s effort?
a. bystander effect
b. social loafing
c. social dissonance
d. social interference

Answer 202

b. social loafing

Question 203

Maya has always preferred individual assignments to group projects, because she finds that
she can accomplish more when she works on her own. Which process would best explain why
Maya accomplishes less when she works as part of a group?
a. social loafing
b. bystander effect
c. social dissonance
d. social interference

Answer 203

a. social loafing

Question 204

When Stoner (1961) compared the average decision of a group’s individual members against
their group decision generated through group discussion, what did he find?
a. The longer the discussion continued, the riskier the group’s decisions.
b. Groups arrived at riskier decisions than individuals.
c. Individuals arrived at riskier decisions than groups.
d. Group members ignored the discussion and maintained their original decision.

Answer 204

b. Groups arrived at riskier decisions than individuals.

Question 205

What is the term for the tendency for group discussion to result in a strengthening of the
group’s dominant view and shifting it to a greater extreme?
a. reinforcement
b. group polarization
c. group diffusion
d. groupthink

Answer 205

b. group polarization

Question 206

What is implied by the group polarization effect?
a. When most of the group members initially favour a cautious decision, discussion
will cause the group to adopt a risky decision.
b. The gap between two opposing factions will be narrowed after group discussion.
c. Group decisions will always be better than individual decisions.
d. When most of the group members initially favour a cautious decision, discussion
will cause the group to adopt an even more cautious decision

Answer 206

d. When most of the group members initially favour a cautious decision, discussion
will cause the group to adopt an even more cautious decision

Question 207

When the jury entered the jury room most of the jurors thought that the defendant in the case
was probably innocent, but some weren’t certain. After discussing the case for four hours, all
twelve jurors are now firmly convinced that the defendant did not commit the crime. Which of
the following processes is the strengthening of the jurors’ opinions following group discussion
consistent with?
a. groupthink
b. bystander effect
c. group polarization
d. reciprocity

Answer 207

c. group polarization

Question 208

David, Roger, Ian, and Keith were debating whether the Hoopsters or the Dunkers were the
better basketball team. When they started their debate all four friends thought the Hoopsters
were slightly better, but after an hour they have now come to the conclusion that the
Hoopsters are so much better that they will probably take the division title. What is illustrated
by this example?
a. group polarization
b. bystander effect
c. groupthink
d. self-serving bias

Answer 208

a. group polarization

Question 209

Censoring dissent, pressuring to conform, omitting contradictory evidence, and polarizing
ingroups and outgroups are basic features of which of the following?
a. social loafing
b. group polarization
c. groupthink
d. social diffusion

Answer 209

c. groupthink

Question 210

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of groupthink?
a. censoring information that contradicts the group’s views
b. gathering all the relevant information before making a decision
c. dividing the world into the ingroup and the outgroup
d. censoring dissent from group members

Answer 210

b. gathering all the relevant information before making a decision

Question 211

The NASA personnel who were in charge of the space shuttle launch had clear evidence that
freezing temperatures could pose a problem for the shuttle, but they chose to ignore the
evidence and proceeded with the launch anyway. Which process best explains this decision?
a. group polarization
b. groupthink
c. reciprocity
d. collectivism

Answer 211

b. groupthink

Question 212

Kirstie’s boss asks for input about ways the company can improve its current advertising
campaign. However, every time an employee offers a suggestion that differs from the plan the
boss has sketched out, the suggestion is ignored completely. In this case, what will the group
likely experience?
a. conformity
b. groupthink
c. ingratiation
d. social interference

Answer 212

b. groupthink

Question 213

What does group cohesiveness refer to?
a. the tendency of groups to make more cautious decisions than individuals
b. the strength of the liking relationships linking group members to each other and to
the group itself
c. the degree to which group members agree about an issue
d. the extent of polarization that occurs after group discussion

Answer 213

b. the strength of the liking relationships linking group members to each other and to
the group itself

Question 214

When is groupthink more likely to occur?
a. when the group does not have a designated leader
b. when the individuals in the group are individualistic
c. when the group is under pressure to make a major decision
d. when the group must justify its decision to other groups in the same organization

Answer 214

c. when the group is under pressure to make a major decision

Question 215

Which of the following is an example of social neuroscience?
a. conducting twin studies to determine whether sociality has a strong genetic
component
b. evaluating the effectiveness of a drug treatment for social phobia
c. using imaging technology to determine which areas of the brain are active when
participants are using stereotypes
d. comparing brainwaves of individuals who are high, and low, in extraversion

Answer 215

c. using imaging technology to determine which areas of the brain are active when
participants are using stereotypes

Question 216

Based on results of a study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), when
people are presented with photos of people from other races, what tends to occur?
a. the amygdala is activated, especially in those who hold racist views
b. cortical activity seems to be suppressed in most people
c. the frontal lobes are activated in older individuals
d. the hippocampus and visual cortex are more active than usual

Answer 216

a. the amygdala is activated, especially in those who hold racist views

Question 217

There are differences in likelihood of conformity between individualist and collectivist
groups. Which of the following themes from the textbook are highlighted by these robust
effects?
a. Our experience is highly subjective.
b. Our experience is affected by cultural factors.
c. There is value in theoretical diversity.
d. Psychology is an empirical discipline.

Answer 217

b. Our experience is affected by cultural factors

Question 218

It is possible to alter our perception of the length of a line, the validity of an argument, or the
value of a consumer product based on social influences. What unifying theme from the
textbook does this highlight?
a. There is value in theoretical diversity.
b. Psychology is an empirical discipline.
c. Our experience is highly subjective.
d. Our experience is affected by cultural factors.

Answer 218

c. Our experience is highly subjective

Question 219

Psychology is committed to the reliance on systematic observation through research to arrive
at conclusions. That is, psychology is committed to which of the following?
a. functionalism
b. empiricism
c. subjectivity
d. objectivity

Answer 219

b. empiricism

Question 220

What is the term for harbouring negative thoughts and feelings about a person simply because
of his or her membership in a particular group?
a. prejudice
b. discrimination
c. chauvinism
d. social judgment

Answer 220

a. prejudice

Question 221

What is the term for denying a person equal social treatment based on his or her group
membership?
a. prejudice
b. social scaling
c. chauvinism
d. discrimination

Answer 221

d. discrimination

Question 222

Complete the following analogy: Prejudice is to discrimination as ________
a. attitude is to action.
b. behaviour is to motive.
c. feeling is to thinking.
d. thought is to perception.

Answer 222

a. attitude is to action.

Question 223

Kevin is the human resource manager for a large company. He has a favourable attitude
toward individuals with disabilities, in general. However, he hasn’t hired anyone who has a
visible disability for any position that has come open in the company because his boss told
him not to consider applicants who are disabled. Which of the following is true of Kevin?
a. He is showing neither prejudice nor discrimination.
b. He shows evidence of prejudice, but not discrimination.
c. He is displaying both prejudice and discrimination.
d. He shows evidence of discrimination, but not prejudice.

Answer 223

d. He shows evidence of discrimination, but not prejudice.

Question 224

A man who believes that “women just don’t make good leaders” may dwell on his female
supervisor’s mistakes and quickly forget about her achievements. Which of the following
concepts is illustrated by this scenario?
a. defensive attribution
b. bystander effect
c. bias in attribution
d. fundamental attribution error

Answer 224

c. bias in attribution

Question 225

Which of the following is true about observers’ attributional tendencies regarding success by
males and females?
a. Success is typically attributed to external causes for both sexes.
b. Success is typically attributed to internal causes for both sexes.
c. Male success is attributed to external causes and female success to internal causes.
d. Male success is attributed to internal causes and female success to external causes.

Answer 225

d. Male success is attributed to internal causes and female success to external causes.

Question 226

When a member of an ethnic minority is successful, which of the following are people least
likely to attribute that success to?
a. ease of the task
b. ability or intelligence
c. luck or opportunity
d. sheer effort

Answer 226

b. ability or intelligence

Question 227

What does the fundamental attribution error lead observers to attribute the crime and poverty
of urban ethnic neighbourhoods to?
a. job discrimination experienced by the residents
b. poor police protection in such areas
c. crowded living conditions in these neighbourhoods
d. personal qualities of the residents

Answer 227

d. personal qualities of the residents

Question 228

In trying to understand why some ethnic neighbourhoods are dominated by poverty, people
often infer that the residents are lazy and unmotivated. What does this type of inference
illustrate?
a. stable global attribution
b. inverse discrimination
c. stable external attribution
d. fundamental attribution error

Answer 228

d. fundamental attribution error

Question 229

After repeatedly hearing her parents say that “all fat people are slobs,” Cindy begins to
express the same belief. How was Cindy’s prejudice acquired?
a. punishment
b. observational learning
c. reinforcement
d. classical conditioning

Answer 229

b. observational learning

Question 230

Although Maxine has never met anybody who is Russian, she is convinced that all Russians
are sneaky individuals who can’t be trusted. She has heard her mother and her three uncles
make these types of statements for as long as she can remember. How was Maxine’s prejudice
acquired?
a. cognitive dissonance
b. classical conditioning
c. observational learning
d. operant conditioning

Answer 230

c. observational learning

Question 231

What is the tendency called ethnocentrism?
a. focusing on one’s own needs as opposed to what is best for the group
b. evaluating people in one’s own group as superior to others
c. modelling the attitudes of members of one’s immediate family
d. identifying with members of a popular outgroup

Answer 231

b. evaluating people in one’s own group as superior to others

Question 232

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of ethnocentric thinking?
a. tendency to think simplistically about outgroups
b. tendency to overestimate the similarity of outgroup members
c. tendency to evaluate outgroup members less favourably than ingroup members
d. tendency to evaluate people in an outgroup from the perspective of a member of
that outgroup

Answer 232

d. tendency to evaluate people in an outgroup from the perspective of a member of
that outgroup

Question 233

The purveyors of miracle tonics and psychic advice tend to rely on which of the following
forms of evidence?
a. results from laboratory experiments
b. findings from surveys and questionnaires
c. anecdotal evidence
d. findings from observational research

Answer 233

c. anecdotal evidence

Question 234

Which of the following social influence techniques involves getting people to agree to a small
request to increase the chances that they will agree to a larger request later?
a. highball technique
b. reciprocity norm
c. lowball technique
d. foot-in-the-door technique

Answer 234

d. foot-in-the-door technique

Question 235

Groups seeking donations often ask people to simply sign a petition first. Which of the
following social influence techniques is illustrated by this approach?
a. highball technique
b. foot-in-the-door technique
c. reciprocity norm
d. lowball technique

Answer 235

b. foot-in-the-door technique

Question 236

What is the name for the societal “rule” that we should pay back in kind what we receive from
others?
a. law of cognitive dissonance
b. reciprocity norm
c. display rule
d. principle of collectivism

Answer 236

b. reciprocity norm

Question 237

Groups seeking donations routinely send address labels and other small gifts with their pleas.
Which of the following social influence techniques is illustrated by this approach?
a. foot-in-the-door technique
b. lowball technique
c. reciprocity norm
d. highball technique

Answer 237

c. reciprocity norm

Question 238

Which of the following social influence techniques involves getting someone to commit to an
attractive proposition before its hidden costs are revealed?
a. reciprocity norm
b. lowball technique
c. highball technique
d. foot-in-the-door technique

Answer 238

b. lowball technique

Question 239

. A car dealer may offer a customer a terrific deal on a car, but once the customer commits to
buying the car, the dealer reveals that there are some hidden costs. Which of the following
social influence techniques is illustrated by this approach?
a. foot-in-the-door technique
b. lowball technique
c. feigned scarcity
d. reciprocity norm

Answer 239

b. lowball technique

Question 240

Advertisements that include phrases like “limited supply available” or “for a limited time
only” are making use of which of the following social influence techniques?
a. foot-in-the-door technique
b. feigned scarcity
c. lowball technique
d. reciprocity norm

Answer 240

b. feigned scarcity

Question 241

Which of the following tended to reduce conformity in Asch’s studies and obedience in
Milgram’s studies?
a. group cohesiveness
b. centralized communication
c. the presence of a dissenter
d. group polarization

Answer 241

c. the presence of a dissenter

Question 242

In terms of underlying causes, which of the following share the most similarity?
a. bystander effect and social loafing
b. group polarization and cognitive dissonance
c. social loafing and the illusory correlation effect
d. discrimination and ingratiation

Answer 242

a. bystander effect and social loafing

Question 243

Evidence suggests that women tend to be more self-disclosing (telling another person private
information about oneself) than men. Explain how self-disclosure might help or hinder the
development of interpersonal attraction. Which theorist(s) investigating love would be most
likely to consider self-disclosure as an important element in love?

Answer 243

Self-disclosure may help by signalling trust. Trust and liking tend to go together, so if
someone trusts us, they probably like us and we will probably reciprocate by liking them.
Through self-disclosure, persons may learn about ways in which they’re similar, and the more
similar people feel to each other, the more likely they are to be attracted to each other.
Hatfield and Berscheid would probably see self-disclosure playing more of a role in
companionate rather than passionate love. Sternberg would include self-disclosure as an
element in intimacy, and therefore more important in relationships in which intimacy is strong
(romantic, liking, companionate).

Question 244

How could you explain the matching hypothesis in terms of operant conditioning?

Answer 244

A simple explanation is that if someone pursues a relationship with another who is more
attractive, he or she is more likely to be rebuffed and thereby punished for the attempt. The
likelihood of this kind of behaviour would then decrease. Presumably we’re more likely to
approach someone who is relatively more attractive because of the rewards that come with
being around attractive people. If, however, we pursue a relationship with another whom we,
and others, believe matches our level of attractiveness, we are more likely to be rewarded by
the other’s encouragement and by the approval of our peers

Question 245

Daryl Bem’s self-perception theory suggests that behaviour determines attitudes. This
counterintuitive notion is reminiscent of the James-Lange theory of emotion. How are the two
theories similar yet different from each other?

Answer 245

Obviously, Bem’s theory purports to explain the origins of attitudes, and the James-Lange
theory tries to do the same for emotions. Interestingly, though, attitudes are considered to
contain an affective component, which suggests a closer tie to James-Lange than might at first
be expected. Bem suggests that we observe our behaviour in a situation and infer our attitude
about the situation, including its affective component, from the observed behaviour. Similarly,
the James-Lange theory suggests that our behaviour in an emotion-arousing situation,
especially our autonomic behaviour, leads to inferences about the emotion we’re
experiencing. We could elaborate on the James-Lange view by assuming that as we “choose”
an emotion on the basis of autonomic arousal pattern, with it come certain associated ideas
and beliefs (a cognitive component) and certain predispositions to act (a behavioural
component). Put them all together and you’ve got an attitude. So it may not be too great a
stretch to suggest that the James-Lange theory is, like Bem’s theory, a self-perception theory
of attitude formation

Question 246

It’s commonly believed that most political elections are determined by the public’s
impressions of the candidates rather than the candidates’ views on the issues. What are some
possible reasons for this irrational voting behaviour? If the public were more knowledgeable
about factors that affect person perception and attitudes, how might that knowledge influence
voting behaviour?

Answer 246

Answers should reflect students’ understanding of factors that influence person perception and
attitude formation and change. With regard to person perception, students should discuss such
things as the effects of physical appearance, stereotypes, and illusory correlation. With regard
to attitudes, students should discuss source, message, and receiver factors in persuasion, as
well as what various theoretical approaches have to say about attitude change. Presumably if
voters were aware of these ways in which their voting decisions can be influenced, they’d be
on guard against undue influences of this type, and would attend more to substantive issues
when choosing whom to vote for.

Question 247

Why do you think so many of the “”teachers” in Milgram’s “shocking” experiment on
obedience administered the highest levels of shock to their “learners”? In answering this
question you undoubtedly made some sort of attributions of the teachers’ behaviour. Analyze
the attributions you made in terms of what you’ve learned about attribution theory from your
textbook.

Answer 247

The task here is to analyze one’ own attributions or explanations for the behaviour of
Milgram’s “teachers.” Answers should reflect an understanding of attribution processes,
especially the dimensions of internal versus external, consistency, distinctiveness, consensus,
and stability.