Week 1 Quiz

Question 1

Social psychology is social because it:
A) incorporates evolutionary social psychology
B) deals with how people are affected by other people
C) is a branch of general psychology
D) is based on group dynamics

Answer 1

B) deals with how people are affected by other people

Question 2

Cognitive psychology's influence on social psychology is evident in the area of
A) cognitive ethology
B) sociolinguistics
C) social cognition
D) cognitive dissonance

Answer 2

C) social cognition

Question 3

One problem with defining social psychology solely in terms of the topics it studies is that
A) this does not properly differentiate it from other disciplines
B) it’s too closely related to sociology
C) it covers the study of too large a range of topics
D) there is no problem; social psychology is always defined solely in terms of the topics social
psychologists study

Answer 3

A) this does not properly differentiate it from other disciplines

Question 4

At a broad level, research in social psychology can be said to use two types of methods
A) correlational and multivariate
B) discursive and narrative
C) quantitative and statistical
D) experimental and non-experimental

Answer 4

D) experimental and non-experimental

Question 5

One way to avoid confounding results in an experiment is to
A) ensure the hypotheses are phrased as testable predictions
B) test all participants in rooms with blue walls, regardless of their condition
C) ensure all conditions are identical except for the independent variable of interest
D) only ever test a maximum of six participants at a time, to allow ease of recording data

Answer 5

C) ensure all conditions are identical except for the independent variable of interest

Question 6

Social cognition is a field of social psychology dealing with how
A) attitudes need to be cognitively consistent
B) genes influence our thinking
C) we construct a self-image
D) thought processes are linked to social contexts and social behaviour

Answer 6

D) thought processes are linked to social contexts and social behaviour

Question 7

Which concept has NOT played a role in the development of modern social cognition?
A) Group mind
B) Attribution
C) Cognitive miser
D) Motivated tactician

Answer 7

A) Group mind

Question 8

The model in which people are motivated to reduce perceived discrepancies between their
various cognitions, because such discrepancies are aversive or unpleasant, is called
A) cognitive balance
B) cognitive harmony
C) cognitive similarity
D) cognitive consistency

Answer 8

D) cognitive consistency

Question 9

What characterises ‘naïve scientists’ is that they
A) are generally of average rather than superior intelligence
B) fail to understand that their inventions can make money
C) are often isolated from the real world
D) use cause-effect interpretations of events around them

Answer 9

D) use cause-effect interpretations of events around them

Question 10

Following Asch (1946), which model do people use to form first impressions of others?
A) A cognitive model
B) A configural model
C) A behavioural model
D) A tangential model

Answer 10

B) A configural model

Question 11

Asch (1946) found that some traits (central traits) perceived in others strongly affect how we
decide if other traits also apply. For example, we are more likely to judge Mary as ‘generous’ if we
also believe that she is
A) ‘warm’
B) ‘cold’
C) ‘polite’
D) both A and B

Answer 11

A) ‘warm’

Question 12

Stephanie is a firm believer in ‘not judging a book by its cover’. In her Introduction to Psychology
class, Stephanie has been partnered up with Chris for a group assignment. When she looks across
the room to see her new partner, Stephanie finds Chris very physically attractive. Based on her first
impressions, Stephanie is likely to judge Chris as:

A) dumb, incompetent, unreliable and boring
B) average, mediocre and middle of the range
C) nothing yet, she cannot make a judgement based solely on his looks
D) intelligent, interesting, capable and a good worker

Answer 12

D) intelligent, interesting, capable and a good worker

Question 13

When we perform mental calculations using summation, averaging and weighted averaging, we
are actually using

A) coordinate geometry
B) cluster analysis
C) cognitive algebra
D) trigonometry

Answer 13

C) cognitive algebra

Question 14

You met Sarah in your very first Introduction to Psychology lecture. Throughout the semester,
you have discovered that Sarah is intelligent, humorous, generous, and really social. However, you
have also noticed she is quite lazy and bossy. Using your knowledge of cognitive algebra, you have
worked out that your final impression of Sarah as a potential friend is quite high at +3.60. However,
your final impression of Sarah as a partner for an assignment is -1.70. This is an example of

A) averaging
B) stereotyping
C) summation
D) weighted averaging

Answer 14

D) weighted averaging

Question 15

The best definition of a schema is that it is:

A) a cognitive structure that represents knowledge about a concept or type of stimulus

B) a cognitive representation of the typical or ideal defining features of a category

C) a collection of instances that have a family resemblance

D) a cognitive structure specific to a social group and is widely shared

Answer 15

A) a cognitive structure that represents knowledge about a concept or type of stimulus

Question 16

Your friend claims that guys in rock bands ‘snort drugs, stub out cigarettes on the carpet and
steal people’s knickers’. Your studies suggest that these descriptions are

A) associative networks
B) stereotypes
C) content-free schemas
D) all of the above

Answer 16

B) stereotypes

Question 17

When you started your degree perhaps you were confident of graduating because you are
hardworking, at least as intelligent as the average student and otherwise a determined person. Such
traits are aspects of your

A) self-schema
B) genes
C) ideal self
D) ego

Answer 17

A) self-schema

Question 18

Alyson, Cara and Hilda agree that Prince Harry is the perfect male. They

A) are using a prototype
B) are creating a stereotype
C) have clarified a fuzzy set
D) need counselling

Answer 18

A) are using a prototype

Question 19

People use schemas to process information. Schemas function to
A) interpret new information
B) encode old information
C) fill in gaps in what we know
D) all of the above

Answer 19

D) all of the above

Question 20

Who was the most influential person of the 20th century? Europeans may refer to Hitler, Indians
to Gandhi and Americans to Kennedy. These are different responses, so that the category ‘influential
person’ is a(n)

A) stereotype
B) fuzzy set
C) prototype
D) exemplar

Answer 20

B) fuzzy set

Question 21

Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?

A) Negative stereotypes become more hostile during times of intergroup conflict.
B) Once formed, stereotypes change very slowly.
C) Stereotypes are acquired through contact with members of outgroups.
D) Stereotypes make sense of intergroup relations.

Answer 21

C) Stereotypes are acquired through contact with members of outgroups.

Question 22

When categorising stimuli, the accentuation effect is enhanced when:

A) the categorisation has importance, relevance or value to the person

B) it is easy to categorise the stimuli based on differing attributes

C) the categorisation is based on easily observable, physical characteristics

D) the categorisation is not important or relevant to the person

Answer 22

A) the categorisation has importance, relevance or value to the person