Social Psychology Chapter 13

Which branch of psychology is most directly concerned with the study of how people think about, influence, and
relate to one another?

B. social psychology

Attribution theory was designed to account for

D. how people explain others’ behavior

Fritz Heider concluded that people tend to attribute others’ behavior either to their

D. dispositions or their situations

Ksana insists that her boyfriend’s car accident resulted from his carelessness. Her explanation for the accident
provides an example of

D. a dispositional attribution.

The fundamental attribution error refers to our tendency to underestimate the impact of ________ and to
overestimate the impact of ________ in explaining the behavior of others.

D. situational influences; personal dispositions

Freire did very poorly on his last arithmetic test. The tendency to make the fundamental attribution error might lead his sixth-grade teacher to conclude that Freire did poorly because

A. he is unmotivated to do well in school

Compared with people from East Asian cultures, those from individualistic Western countries are more likely to
demonstrate

D. the fundamental attribution error.

The fundamental attribution error is illustrated in our tendency to underestimate the extent to which others’ behavior
is influenced by

B. assigned roles.

We have a tendency to explain the behavior of strangers we have observed in only one type of situation in terms of
________ and to explain our own behavior in terms of ________.

D. personality traits; situational constraints

The fundamental attribution error is likely to be restrained by observing someone

A. in a variety of situations.

Our explanations of our own admirable actions are ________ likely to involve situational attributions than our explanations of our own shameful actions. Our explanations of our own actions performed long ago are ________ likely to involve dispositional attributions than our explanations of our own very recent actions.

C. less; more

Observing yourself on a videotape is most likely to increase your tendency to attribute your behavior to

C. personality traits.

Carol is restless during class because her professor’s distressed facial expressions lead her to believe that he dislikes teaching. The professor, on the other hand, is distressed because he sees Carol’s restlessness as an indication that she lacks any motivation to learn. At this point, both student and professor should be informed of the dangers of

D. the fundamental attribution error.

The fundamental attribution error is likely to lead observers to attribute a stranger’s

B. act of kindness to a compassionate personality.

Poverty and unemployment are likely to be explained in terms of personal dispositions by ________ and in terms
of situational influences by ________.

D. political conservatives; political liberals

Attitudes are ________ that guide behavior.

C. belief-based feelings

Opinion change resulting from a thoughtful focus on the content of arguments illustrates

A. the central route to persuasion

Compared with the central route to persuasion, the peripheral route to persuasion tends to

B. occur more rapidly.

Instead of providing arguments in favor of a political candidate, ads may build political support by associating
pictures of the candidate with emotion-evoking music and images. This strategy best illustrates

C. the peripheral route to persuasion

Politicians who publicly oppose a tax increase that they privately favor best illustrate that

C. actions may sometimes be inconsistent with attitudes.

A person’s behavior is most likely to be consistent with his or her attitudes when

B. external influences on behavior are minimal.

anna is tempted to shoplift a gold necklace even though she has negative feelings about shoplifting. Vanna is
LEAST likely to steal the merchandise if

C. she easily recalls her negative feelings about shoplifting.

The impact of our actions on our attitudes is best illustrated by the

B. foot-in-the-door

The foot-in-the-door phenomenon refers to the tendency to

C. comply with a large request if one has previously complied with a small request.

When a salesperson visits your home and asks you to try a free sample of a cleaning fluid, you agree. When he returns the following week and asks you to purchase an assortment of expensive cleaning products, you make the purchase. The salesperson appears to have made effective use of

C. the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.

After they had first agreed to display a 3-inch "Be a Safe Driver" sign, California home owners were highly likely to permit the installation of a very large and unattractive "Drive Carefully" sign in their front yards. This best illustrates

B. the foot-in-the-door

Aleksis has recently begun to bully and hurt his younger brother. If this behavior continues, it is likely that
Aleksis will

B. develop an increasing dislike for his brother.

The set of prescribed behaviors associated with a particular social position is best described as a(n)

D. role.

After she was promoted to a high-level executive position in the large company for which she worked, Jorana
developed more pro-business political attitudes. This best illustrates the impact of ________ on attitudes.

C. role-playing

Philip Zimbardo devised a simulated prison and randomly assigned college students to serve as prisoners or
guards. This experiment best illustrated the impact of

D. role-playing on attitudes.

Having observed participants in his simulated prison study, Philip Zimbardo offered an explanation for the
destructive behavior of U.S. military guards at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib Prison. Zimbardo’s explanation best exemplified

C. a situational attribution.

The discomfort we feel when two thoughts are inconsistent is called

A. cognitive dissonance

Which theory best explains why our actions can lead us to modify our attitudes?

B. cognitive dissonance theory

We are most likely to experience cognitive dissonance if we feel

C. a great sense of responsibility for engaging in behaviors of which we personally disapprove.

Fernando’s favorable attitude toward capital punishment began to change when he was asked to offer arguments
opposing it in a university debate class. His attitude change is best explained by ________ theory.

A. cognitive dissonance

Unconsciously mimicking those around us is known as

B. the chameleon effect.

If a cluster of people stand gazing upward, passersby will often pause to do likewise. This best illustrates

D. the chameleon effect.

Which of the following is most likely to help us empathize with others?

B. the chameleon effect

We tend to feel cheerful around happy people and sad around depressed people. This illustrates

B. mood linkage.

Adjusting one’s behavior or thinking toward a group standard is called

D. conformity.

Research participants believed that the Asch conformity test involved a study of

B. visual perception

Solomon Asch reported that individuals conformed to a group’s judgment of the lengths of lines

B. even when the group judgment was clearly incorrect.

Alex thinks smoking is addictive but other players on his hockey team insist that it’s not. Alex is likely to conform
to their opinion if

C. he feels insecure in his role as a new member of the team.

Professor Jones is a member of the faculty committee on academic standards. He personally disagrees with the other committee members’ proposed plan to begin accepting students with below-average grades. Professor Jones is most likely to vote in favor of their plan if

A. the other committee members are unanimous in their opinion.

Normative social influence results from peoples’ desire to

C. gain social approval.

Kentaro hates to wear ties but wears one to his sister’s wedding to avoid his family’s disapproval. Kentaro’s
behavior exemplifies the importance of

C. normative social influence.

Luella publicly agrees with her seventh-grade classmates that parents should allow 13-year-olds to date. Later that day, she writes in her diary that she actually believes parents should prohibit kids from dating until they are at least 15 years old. Luella’s public conformity to her classmates’ opinion best illustrates the power of

B. normative social influence.

Accepting others’ opinions about reality is to ________ as the desire to gain approval is to ________.

C. informational social influence; normative social influence

After hearing respected medical authorities lecture about the value of regular exercise, Raul, who has rarely
exercised, begins to jog regularly. The change in Raul’s behavior best illustrates the impact of

D. informational social influence.

When the task of correctly identifying an individual in a slide of a four-person lineup was both difficult and important, participants in an experiment were especially likely to conform to others’ wrong answers. This best illustrates the impact of

A. informational social influence.

A culture that promotes individualism is most likely to encourage

A. nonconformity.

Participants in the Milgram obedience studies were ordered to

C. deliver electric shocks to a learner for giving incorrect answers.

Most people are likely to be surprised by the results of Milgram’s initial obedience experiment because

C. the "teachers" were more obedient than most people would have predicted.

The Milgram obedience experiments were controversial because the

D. "teachers" were deceived and frequently subjected to stress.

In Milgram’s obedience experiments, "teachers" were MOST likely to deliver high levels of shock when

B. the "learner" was placed in a different room from the "teacher."

In Milgram’s obedience experiments, "teachers" exhibited a somewhat lower level of compliance with an experimenter’s orders when

A. the experiment was not associated with a prestigious institution like Yale University.

In 1942, reserve police officers obeyed orders to kill some 1500 Jews in the village of Jozefow, Poland. This
incident illustrated that people are most likely to be destructively obedient when

C. they perceive their orders to come from legitimate authority figures.

According to Milgram, the most fundamental lesson to be learned from his study of obedience is that

B. even ordinary people, who are not usually hostile, can become agents of destruction.

The impact of the foot-in-the-door phenomenon is most clearly illustrated by

D. the destructive obedience of participants in the Milgram experiments.

Social facilitation refers to the tendency to

B. perform well-learned tasks more effectively in the presence of others.

The presence of others does not always lead to social facilitation because

C. arousal inhibits the correct performance of difficult tasks.

Expert pool players were observed to make 71 percent of their shots when alone. When four people watched
them, they made 80 percent of their shots. This best illustrates

A. social facilitation.

On which of the following tasks would the presence of others be MOST likely to lead to improved performance?

C. counting backward from 10 to 1

Comedy routines that are mildly amusing to people in an uncrowded room seem funnier in a densely packed
room. This is best explained in terms of

B. social facilitation.

Social loafing refers to the tendency for people to

B. exert less effort when they are pooling their efforts toward a common goal.

University students were observed to pull harder on a rope when they thought they were pulling alone than when
they thought three others were pulling with them on the same rope. This best illustrates

A. social loafing.

Social loafing has been found to be especially noticeable among

D. men in cultures that value individualism.

Social loafing is MOST likely to occur among

A. audience members who are asked to applaud after a speaker is introduced.

Deindividuation refers to

C. a loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.

When New York University women were dressed in Ku Klux Klan-style hoods, they demonstrated significantly
more aggression. This finding is best explained in terms of

C. deindividuation.

After an exciting football game in which the home team loses by one point, angry fans throw bottles and begin to
tear up the field. This behavior is best understood in terms of

B. deindividuation.

The enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through group discussion is called

A. group polarization.

Group polarization is most likely to occur in a group in which

B. individuals share a similar opinion.

Nora, Ko, Ian, and May each think that Ms. Akey may be a slightly better teacher than Mr. Schwenke. After discussing why each of them believes this to be so, they all conclude that Ms. Akey is definitely a much better teacher than Mr. Schwenke. This episode provides an example of

C. group polarization.

Groups of citizens from liberal Boulder, Colorado, and groups of citizens from conservative Colorado Springs, Colorado, were asked to discuss socially relevant issues such as affirmative action and same-sex unions. After group discussion, the groups from Boulder expressed increasingly ________ positions and the groups from Colorado Springs expressed increasingly ________ positions.

D. liberal; conservative

Individuals who believe that the death penalty should be abolished meet to discuss the issue. Research on group
interaction suggests that after discussion the individuals will be

A. even more convinced that the death penalty should be abolished.

A terrorist mentality that becomes increasingly extreme among people who interact without outside moderating
influences best illustrates

C. group polarization.

The ill-fated decision of President John F. Kennedy and his advisors to invade Cuba best illustrates the dangers of

D. groupthink.

Which of the following processes most obviously operates in groupthink?

C. group polarization

Which of the following comments is most likely to be made in a group characterized by groupthink?

B. "We all seem to be in basic agreement, so there’s no sense in continuing our discussion of this issue."

A business leader who welcomes a variety of opinions from subordinates and invites experts’ critiques of her
company’s developing plans is most likely to inhibit

A. groupthink.

Those who feel socially pressured sometimes assert their freedom by doing the opposite of what is socially
expected. This best illustrates

D. personal control.

Anton is the only juror to favor acquittal of the defendant in a murder trial. To influence the majority he should

B. be self-confident and consistent in expressing his viewpoint.

Prejudice is best defined as

B. an unjustifiable attitude toward a group and its members.

Overgeneralized beliefs about a group of people that often underlie prejudicial emotions are called

C. stereotypes.

Which of the following describes a stereotype?

C. Robin is convinced that university professors are usually impractical and forgetful.

A store owner charges Black customers more than Hispanic customers for the very same merchandise. The owner
is most clearly engaging in

D. discrimination

Prejudice is a(n) ________; discrimination is a(n) ________.

D. attitude; behavior

On the basis of what Americans say, in the last half-century

C. gender prejudice has decreased and racial prejudice has decreased.

Studies of implicit attitudes indicate that prejudice is often

C. unconscious.

Prejudice can be not only subtle but also automatic and unconscious. This is best illustrated in studies of

B. implicit attitudes.

At a conscious level, Aaron doesn’t think he’s prejudiced. Yet he automatically feels uncomfortable in situations where he has to interact with people of different races from his own. Aaron’s experience best illustrates the distinction between

C. explicit and implicit attitudes.

In one experiment, White respondents typically took longer to identify words such as peace and paradise as "good" when the words were associated with Black-sounding names rather than White-sounding names. This best illustrated

D. implicit prejudice.

Priming people with a flashed Black face rather than a flashed White face makes them more likely to misperceive
a flashed tool as a gun. This best illustrates the subtle character of

C. implicit racial associations.

In one study, researchers found that police officers judge Black faces that appear more typical of their race to be
more

D. criminal.

When Americans were surveyed about their gender preferences if they could have only one child, a ________ reported having a gender preference. Of those who had a gender preference, the _______ said they would prefer a girl.

C. majority; minority

When shown computer-generated faces that are slightly feminized or slightly masculinized, people prefer the slightly ________ faces. Women are most likely to perceive a man with a slightly ________ face as having placed a personal ad seeking a "special lady to love and cherish."

B. feminized; feminized

Prejudice is most likely to develop as a way of justifying

D. social inequalities.

If poverty causes high rates of crime, the high crime rates can be used to justify discrimination against those who
live in poverty. This best illustrates

C. the blame-the-victim

Compared with numerical majorities, numerical minorities, such as the Scots in Britain, are especially conscious
of their

D. social identities.

Ingroup bias best illustrates the impact of our ________ on prejudice.

B. social identities

Placing people into groups based on the arbitrary outcome of a coin toss leads people to show favoritism to their
own group when dividing any rewards. This best illustrates

D. ingroup bias.

Most children believe their school is better than the other schools in town. This best illustrates

B. ingroup bias.

According to the scapegoat theory, prejudice is likely to result from

D. frustration.

Montel, a White university student, is on academic probation for poor grades. Ever since he received notice of
his probation, Montel has become increasingly hostile toward racial minority students and staff on campus. His increasing hostility can best be explained in terms of

C. the scapegoat theory.

Disparaging or belittling a despised outgroup provides people with a heightened sense of

C. self-esteem.

People tend to perceive the members of an outgroup as ________ each other and the members of an ingroup as
________ each other.

B. similar to; different from

The tendency to categorize people on the basis of their gender is most likely to lead Jack to believe that

A. women all have pretty much the same attitudes about sex

The tendency to recall faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races is called

B. the other-race effect

The longer Chinese people have resided in a Western country, the less they exhibit

C. the other-race effect.

Twenty Wallonians were arrested for nonviolent crimes, whereas 20 Pireaneans were arrested for violent crimes. The tendency to judge that more crimes were committed by Pireaneans than by Wallonians best illustrates the power of

D. vivid cases.

In laboratory experiments, merely observing someone receive painful electric shocks leads viewers to think less
of the victim. This reaction is best explained in terms of

A. the just-world phenomenon.

An eagerness to believe that victims of a natural disaster are being punished by God for their sins best illustrates
a potential consequence of

D. the just-world phenomenon.

Only when experimental participants were informed that a woman was raped did they perceive the woman’s
behavior as inviting rape. This best illustrates that victim blaming is fueled by

C. hindsight bias.

According to the text, aggression always involves

C. the intent to hurt.

Which of the following persons is most clearly acting aggressively?

B. a child who tries to hit another child with a rock

The fact that human aggression varies widely from culture to culture most strongly suggests that it is NOT

C. an unlearned instinct

Comparisons of identical and fraternal twins highlight the impact of ________ on aggression.

C. genetic influences

the Y chromosome is the most well-known genetic marker identifying those who are most likely to?

B. engage in aggression.

When a mild-mannered woman had an electrode implanted in her amygdala, she

A. developed more aggressive tendencies.

Testosterone levels of male college basketball fans were observed to be the highest

B. just after a big game that was won by their team.

Aggressive behavior is most likely to be ________ by injections of testosterone and ________ by consumption
of alcohol.

C. increased; increased

The frustration-aggression principle suggests that anger results when
.

B. an attempt to achieve some goal is blocked

After Manny’s father refused to let him use the family car on Friday night, Manny let all the air out of the tires.
His action is best explained in terms of the

D.frustration-aggression principle.

Stress often generates a readiness to be aggressive that is associated with

D. the fight-or-flight reaction

Animals that have successfully fought to get food or mates become increasingly ferocious. This best illustrates
that aggression is influenced by

D. reinforcement.

Ostracism has been observed to intensify

B. aggression.

High violence rates among White Americans in southern U.S. towns settled by Scots-Irish herders illustrate the
impact of ________ on aggression.

B. social influence

Minimal levels of father care are associated with high levels of

D. aggression.

Which of the following would be the best advice to give parents who are concerned about the frequent
aggressive outbursts of their 6-year-old son?

A. "Make a point of rewarding and praising your son whenever he is socially cooperative and altruistic."

Aggression-replacement programs are most likely to advise parents to avoid

C. modeling violence

Violent pornographic movies often perpetuate the myth that

A. many women enjoy aggressive sexual encounters.

After watching a large number of violent pornographic movies, Ollie will probably be

B. less likely to believe that women are seriously harmed by rape.

Repeated exposure to pornographic films causes viewers to

C. see their partners as less attractive and to be more accepting of short prison sentences for convicted rapists.

People heavily exposed to violent pornography are likely to engage in sexually aggressive behaviors that reflect
a misleading

B. social script.

Culturally modeled guides for how to act in various situations are called

A. social scripts.

Although the effect dissipates within an hour or so, one violent TV program is most likely to ________ in its
viewer.

D. prime aggressive thoughts

Experimental studies indicate that college men who are randomly assigned to play a violent video game

A. experience increasing levels of arousal and become increasingly likely to hurt a fellow student.

In contrast to watching violence on television, participating in violent video games involves

B. role-playing aggression.

Joel’s sexually violent behavior is influenced by his unrealistic sexual scripts, his repeated experience of ostracism, and his persistent abuse of alcohol. An integrated understanding of Joel’s behavior within the framework of multiple levels of analysis is most clearly provided by

C. a biopsychosocial approach.

Vince, an extraverted university freshman, has just moved into a dormitory. Vince is most likely to become
friends with

D. Bill, his assigned roommate who is majoring in computer science.

On average, Internet-formed friendships and romantic relationships are ________ likely than relationships formed in person to last beyond two years. When conversing online with someone for 20 minutes, participants in one study felt ________ liking for that person than they did for someone they talked with face to face.

C. more; more

The mere exposure effect refers to the fact that people

D. experience increasing attraction to novel stimuli that become more familiar.

Four equally attractive women silently attended a 200-student class for zero, 5, 10, or 15 class sessions. When shown slides of each woman, students in the class rated the women who had attended ________ class sessions as the most attractive.

D. 15

After three months of riding the 8:30 bus to work, Cindy has actually started to feel affection for the gruff and
scowling old bus driver. Cindy’s reaction best illustrates

B. the mere exposure effect.

People’s preference for mirror-image photographs of themselves illustrates the impact of

C. the mere exposure effect.

Participants in a voter preference study favored the presidential candidate whose face blended some of their own
facial features with those of the candidate. This best illustrates the impact of

A. the mere exposure effect.

What determined whether college freshmen who had been randomly paired for a Welcome Week dance liked
each other?

C. physical attractiveness

Svetlana, a 20-year-old undergraduate, is beautiful. Research suggests that she is likely to ________ than less
attractive women.

A. be perceived as more socially skilled

Makato, a 21-year-old college junior, is physically unattractive. Compared with good-looking students, Makato
is more likely to

B. have difficulty making a favorable impression on potential employers.

People’s physical attractiveness is unrelated to their
A. feelings of popularity.

D. self-esteem.

Women are attracted to healthy-looking men, but especially to those who seem to be

C. mature.

College students judged an averaged, composite face as

B. more attractive than most individual faces because the averaged face was more symmetrical.

Felippe, a 19-year-old university freshman, is very talkative, intelligent, assertive, and politically conservative.
Research suggests that he would be most likely to develop a close friendship with

A. Toren, who is talkative and assertive.

Which of the following is most clearly supported by research on social attraction?

B. Birds of a feather flock together.

The two-factor theory of emotion has been used to explain

A. passionate love.

Casandra, who is attractive and likable, has just telephoned Mike and asked him for a date. According to the two-factor theory of emotion, Mike is likely to experience the most intense romantic feelings for Casandra during their telephone conversation if he has just

C. completed a series of aerobic exercises.

In an experiment by Dutton and Aron, one group of men were asked by an attractive woman to complete a short questionnaire immediately after they had crossed a swaying footbridge suspended 230 feet above the Capilano River. This experiment was designed to study the factors that contribute to

C. passionate love.

The affectionate attachment that keeps a relationship going after passionate feelings cool is known as

C. companionate love.

Which of the following is true of non-Western cultures, as compared with Western cultures? They have

C. lower divorce rates and consider passionate love as less important for marriage.

Sharing household chores ranks high on a list of things people associate with successful marriages. This best
illustrates the perceived value of

A. equity.

Ellie is unusually attractive and intelligent, and she works hard to please her husband. He displays little affection for her, however, and spends most of the family’s resources on his own interests. Ellie’s relationship with her husband is best characterized as

C. inequitable.

Natasha and Dimitri have a fulfilling marital relationship because they readily confide their deepest hopes and
fears to each other. This best illustrates the value of

C. self-disclosure.

Following the 9/11 terrorist attack on New York, people across the country donated their time and money to
assist the devastated community. This behavior best illustrates

A. altruism.

The tragic murder of Kitty Genovese outside her New York apartment stimulated social-psychological research
on

A. altruism.

Darley and Latané observed that most university students failed to help a person having an epileptic seizure when they thought there were four other witnesses to the emergency. The students’ failure to help is best explained in terms of

D. a diffusion of responsibility.

When 12-year-old Jamilah saw an old man lying on the sidewalk, he prepared to offer help. But when he noticed several adults walk past the man, he concluded that the man did not need any help. His reaction most clearly illustrates one of the dynamics involved in

D. the bystander effect.

Social psychologists have arranged for people to drop coins or pencils in elevators in order to study the

D. bystander effect.

The bystander effect refers to the tendency for an observer of an emergency to withhold aid if the

C. emergency is being observed by a number of other people.

When 68-year-old Mrs. Blake had a flat tire on a fairly isolated highway, she received help from a passerby in less than 10 minutes. One year later, she had a flat tire on a busy freeway, when an hour elapsed before someone finally stopped to offer assistance. Mrs. Blake’s experience best illustrates

D. the bystander effect.

Which of the following people would be most likely to help Gita study for her history exam?

B. Gita’s mother, who is excited about the unexpected bonus she just received from her employer

According to social exchange theory, altruistic behavior is guided by

A. calculations of costs and benefits.

Two classmates ask you to spend a couple of hours helping them prepare for a chemistry test. According to
social exchange theory, you would be most likely to help them if

B. you know you would feel terribly guilty for refusing their request

Employees who receive a windfall bonus are later happier if they have done something for other people with it.
This suggests that altruism is

B. intrinsically rewarding.

After she received a free hand-painted Christmas ornament from a religious organization, Mrs. Montevecchi felt
obligated to mail a cash donation to the organization. Her response to the free gift best illustrates the impact of

D. the reciprocity norm.

An expectation that people will help those who depend on them is known as the

D. social-responsibility norm.

Gallup surveys indicate that Americans who frequently attend religious services are more likely than those who
do not attend religious services to

A. report that they are currently aiding the poor and infirm.

To a social psychologist, a perceived incompatibility of goals is indicative of

C. conflict.

A social trap is a situation in which

D. the pursuit of self-interest leads to collective harm.

To help people avoid social traps, psychologists should promote an increased awareness of

D. the social-responsibility norm.

Continuing to operate a fuel-inefficient car despite warnings about the effect of greenhouse gases best illustrates
the dynamics of

B. a social trap

Despite government warnings of a severe shortage of heating fuels, most citizens continue to turn up their home thermostats in the belief that their personal fuel consumption will have little effect on the country’s total fuel reserves. This reaction best illustrates the dynamics of

D. a social trap

Two conflicting groups who share the same negative views of one another demonstrate

D. mirror-image perceptions

Haley thinks Keith’s silence indicates that he’s angry, so she avoids talking to him. Unfortunately, Keith thinks
Haley’s quietness signifies that she’s angry and wants to be left alone. This situation best illustrates

A. mirror-image perceptions

University College London volunteers used a mechanical device to press on another volunteer’s finger, after
feeling pressure on their own finger. They typically responded to the pressure on their finger

B. with more pressure than they had just experienced.

Noncompetitive contact between members of two different ethnic groups is likely to reduce prejudice when the
contact is between individuals with

C. equal status.

An increase in ________ has been followed by more positive attitudes between South African Whites and Blacks.

D. interracial contact

Sherif’s study of conflict in a Boy Scout camp indicated that conflict between two groups of boys could be
reduced most effectively by

D. exposing the groups to tasks that required their joint cooperation.

Psychologists describe shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation as

D. superordinate.

Sherif planned a disruption of the water supply in a Boy Scout camp in order to observe how social relationships
are influenced by

C. superordinate goals.

If one were to generalize from Sherif’s study of conflict resolution between two groups of campers, the best way
for the United States and China to improve their relationship would be to

C. conduct a joint space program designed to land humans on Mars.

In one experiment, White Americans read a newspaper article about a foreign terrorist threat against all Americans. They subsequently expressed

D. reduced prejudice against African-Americans.

Pablo and Sabina argued bitterly about which of them should have use of the family car that night. Neither realized, however, that Sabina needed the car only in the early evening and that Pablo needed it only in the late evening. Pablo and Sabina’s failure to resolve their argument for their mutual benefit illustrates a failure to develop

C. a win-win solution.

GRIT attempts to reduce conflict through

C. conciliation.

Which of the following would be most consistent with a GRIT strategy?

B. announcing that defense expenditures will be cut by 5 percent and inviting the enemy to do likewise

The text defines social psychology as the scientific study of how people ________ one another.

B. think about, influence, and relate to

To analyze how people explain others’ behavior, Fritz Heider developed

C. attribution theory.

Caitlin concluded that her husband was late for dinner because he was caught in heavy traffic. Her conclusion
best illustrates

C. a situational attribution

The tendency for observers to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of
personal dispositions on another’s behavior is called

B. the fundamental attribution error.

A tendency to overestimate the extent to which a stranger’s violent behavior stems from his or her aggressive
personality best illustrates

C. the fundamental attribution error.

Recognizing the powerful impact of social influence on others’ behaviors is most likely to minimize
A. passionate love.

D. the fundamental attribution error.

Students who were told that a young woman had been instructed to act in a very unfriendly way for the purposes
of the experiment concluded that her behavior

A. reflected her personal disposition.

A dispositional attribution is to ________ as a situational attribution is to ________.

C. personality traits; assigned roles

Rhonda has just learned that her neighbor Patricia was involved in an automobile accident at a nearby
intersection. The tendency to make the fundamental attribution error may lead Rhonda to conclude

B. "Patricia’s recklessness has finally gotten her into trouble."

People are especially likely to demonstrate the fundamental attribution error in cultures that value

A. individualism.

In explaining our own behavior or the behavior of those we know well, we often resort to

D. situational attributions.

You would probably be LEAST likely to commit the fundamental attribution error in explaining why

A. you failed a college test.

One explanation for the fundamental attribution error involves observers’

B. limited visual perspective.

The fundamental attribution error is most likely to lead observers to conclude that unemployed people

B. are irresponsible and unmotivated.

Poverty and unemployment are likely to be explained in terms of ________ by political liberals and in terms of
________ by political conservatives.

C. situational constraints; personal dispositions

Feelings, often based on our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in particular ways to objects, people, and
events are called

C. attitudes.

Opinion change resulting from incidental cues such as a speaker’s attractiveness illustrates

B. the peripheral route to persuasion.

The central route to persuasion is most likely when people

A. are naturally analytical.

Magazine computer ads seldom feature endorsements from Hollywood stars or great athletes. Instead, they offer
detailed information for consumers to develop more positive opinions about the company’s products. This advertising strategy best illustrates

B. the central route to persuasion.

Which of the following individuals is LEAST likely to cheat on his income tax returns?

C. Mikhail, who positively values paying his full income tax

Our attitudes are more likely to guide our actions when we

C. can easily recall our attitudes.

The tendency for initial compliance with a small request to facilitate subsequent compliance with a larger request
is known as the

D. foot-in-the-door phenomenon.

To "brainwash" captured American soldiers during the Korean War, Chinese communists made effective use of

D. the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.

After giving in to her friends’ request that she drink alcohol with them, 16-year-old Jessica found that she
couldn’t resist the pressure they exerted on her to try heroin. Her experience best illustrates

C. the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.

A life insurance salesperson who takes advantage of the foot-in-the-door phenomenon would be most likely to

C. ask customers to respond to a brief survey of their attitudes regarding life insurance.

In the years immediately following the introduction of school desegregation in the United States and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, White Americans expressed diminishing racial prejudice. According to the text author, this best illustrated the impact of

B. actions on attitudes.

Studies of role-playing most directly highlight the effects of

D. actions on attitudes.

The participants in Philip Zimbardo’s simulated prison study

C. were so endangered by their role-playing experience that the study was discontinued.

Feeling responsible for behavior that violates our conscience is most likely to contribute to

B. cognitive dissonance.

Cognitive dissonance theory is most helpful for understanding the

C. foot-in-the-door phenomenon.

When no weapons of mass destruction were found following the U.S. invasion of Iraq, some Americans revised their memories of the main rationale for going to war. The text author suggests that we can best explain why people changed their memories in terms of

D. cognitive dissonance theory.

During a test, Abe impulsively copied several answers from a nearby student’s paper. He felt very uncomfortable about having done this until he convinced himself that copying answers is not wrong if classmates are careless enough to expose their test sheets. Which theory best explains why Abe adopted this new attitude?

D. cognitive dissonance theory

student in a classroom begins to cough, others are likely to do the same. This best illustrates A. ingroup bias.
B. the mere exposure effect. C. the bystander effect.
D. the chameleon effect.

…

The chameleon effect involves

B. automatic mimicry.

Just hearing someone reading a neutral text in a sad voice creates "mood contagion" in listeners. This best
illustrates

C. the chameleon effect.

The text indicates that the clusters of suicides that sometimes follow a highly publicized suicide may be the result
of

A. suggestibility.

Conformity is best described as

B. adjusting one’s behavior or thinking toward a group standard.

Solomon Asch asked people to identify which of three comparison lines was identical to a standard line. His
research was designed to study

D. conformity.

Naseeb disagrees with his classmates on an issue. During a class discussion of the issue, Naseeb is MOST likely
to conform to his classmates’ opinion if he

C. believes the rest of the class is unanimous in their position.

Conformity resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval is said to be a response to

C. normative social influence.

Professor Maslova attends faculty meetings simply to gain the approval of the college dean. Professor Maslova’s behavior exemplifies the importance of

C. normative social influence.

Toby publicly agrees with his fraternity brothers that Ahmed, a senior, would make the best student senate president. On the secret ballot, however, he actually votes for Yoram. Toby’s public conformity to his fraternity brothers’ opinion best illustrates the power of

C. normative social influence.

Conformity resulting from the acceptance of others’ opinions about reality is said to be a response to

C. informational social influence.

Yuri decided to delay his road trip after hearing a weather forecaster warn that a severe snowstorm would pass
through the area within several hours. Yuri’s decision best illustrates the impact of

B. informational social influence.

Participants in an experiment were asked to judge which individual in a slide of a four-person lineup had been presented alone in a slide they had just seen. They were most likely to Topic: onform to the wrong answers of two confederates when the task was

C. difficult and important.

The value of social conformity is most likely to be emphasized in

C. Japan.

In Milgram’s first study of obedience, the majority of "teachers" who were ordered to shock a "learner"

D. complied fully and delivered the highest level of shock.

When the participants in Milgram’s study were later surveyed about taking part in the research, most reported
that they

C. did not regret taking part in the experiment.

In all of Milgram’s obedience experiments, participants were deceived about

D. the amount of shock the victim actually received.

The level of obedience in the Milgram experiments was highest when the "teacher" was ________ the
experimenter and ________ the "learner."

D. close to; at a distance from

In Milgram’s obedience experiments, "teachers" were LEAST likely to deliver the highest levels of shock when

C. the "teachers" observed other participants refuse to obey the experimenter’s orders.

In Milgram’s experiments, participants were torn between whether they should respond to the pleas of the
______ or the demands of the ______.

D. "learner"; experimenter

The gradually escalating levels of destructive obedience in the Milgram experiments best illustrate one of the
potential dangers of

D. the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.

Norman Triplett observed that adolescents wound a fishing reel faster in the presence of someone working
simultaneously on the same task. This best illustrates

C. social facilitation.

After a light turns green, drivers take about 15 percent less time to travel the first 100 yards when another car is
beside them at the intersection than when they are alone. This best illustrates

D. social facilitation.

Social facilitation is most likely to occur in the performance of ________ tasks.

D. simple

The presence of others ________ a person’s performance on well-learned tasks and ________ a person’s performance on unmastered tasks.

D. improves; hinders

On which of the following tasks would the presence of observers be LEAST likely to lead to better and faster
performance?

D. solving a crossword puzzle

Job applicants are interviewed by either friendly or unfriendly employers who sit either very close to or at a normal distance from the applicants. Research suggests that applicants will like best the friendly employers who sit at a ________ distance and will like least the unfriendly employers who sit at a ________ distance.

B. very close; very close

The tendency for people to exert less effort when they are pooling their efforts toward a common goal is known
as

C. social loafing.

Social Influence

Efforts by one or more individuals to change the attitudes or behavior of one or more others.

3 Types of Social Influence

1. Conformity 2. Obedience 3. Compliance

Conformity

Changes in perceptions, opinions, or behaviors in ways that are consistent with group norms.

2 Reasons why people conform

1. Due to normative social influence 2. Due to informational social influence

Normative social influence

conformity motivated by a fear of social rejection.

Informational social influence

conformity motivated by the belief that others are correct.

Obedience

When behavior is influenced due to the direct commands of an authority figure.

Compliance

A form of social influence in which one or more persons accepts direct requests from one or more others.

Mechanism of Compliance

Reciprocation

Compliance Techniques

1. Foot-in-the-door 2. Low ball technique (cost concealed until commitment)

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Inconsistency between attitudes & behaviors motivates attitude change.

Justifying Attitude-Discrepant Behavior

Individuals tend to change their attitudes if they have acted in a way that goes against that attitude

Bart complied with his friends’ request to join them in smashing decorative pumpkins early one Halloween evening. Later that night he was surprised by his own failure to resist their pressures to throw eggs at passing police cars. Bart’s experience best illustrates the:

B. foot-in-the-door phenomenon.

Professor Stewart wrote a very positive letter of recommendation for a student despite his having doubts about her competence. Which theory best explains why he subsequently began to develop more favorable attitudes about the student’s abilities?

A. Cognitive dissonance theory

Since everyone in her dorm watched American Idol and The Apprentice, Tyra decided she better do the same. She didn’t particularly like those shows, but she wanted everyone to accept her. This example best illustrates:

D. normative social influence.

In Stanley Milgram’s experiments, obedience was lowest when:

C. other participants were seen disobeying the experimenter.

ABC’s of attitudes

A= Affective judgment (prejudice) 2 B= Behavior (discrimination) 3 C= Cognitive generalization (stereotypes) 1

Attitudes

Positive or negative feelings influenced by beliefs that predispose us to respond in certain ways to people, events, objects.

Categorization

The tendency to group similar things together – allows schema formation

Out-Group Homogeneity Effect

Tendency to perceive more variability among in-groups than out-groups.

Cross-race effect

We have difficulty recognizing faces from another race

Social Identity Theory (Tajfel)

-We want to be members of the best group in order to boost our self-esteem. -To achieve this we can enhance our own group (in-group love) or derogate other groups (out-group bias) or both.

Fundamental attribution error

We tend to attribute the cause of behavior to a person’s traits and ignore situational influences

Illusory Correlation

we perceive them to be related to each other when they aren’t

Actor-Observer Bias

-Me = situational influence -Not me = dispositional influence

Subtyping

accommodating individuals who deviate from one’s stereotype by thinking of them as "exceptions to the rule"

Scapegoating

displace anger & aggression onto groups that one dislikes

Explicit prejudice

-Overt, within our awareness & control (do you like…?) -E.g. self-reported attitudes, calling someone a racial slur, choosing to discriminate

Implicit prejudice

-Covert, automatic, outside our awareness (don’t just answer) -Manifests as increased amygdala activity during interactions with outgroup members, nonverbal behaviors

Superordinate goals

-A common goal for both groups helps make everyone equal. -Creates a new group, through re-categorization, and in-group favoritism then occurs.

Justin and Shane believe their team is better than the other teams in town. This illustrates:

B. the in-group bias.

Early in the day, you see a fellow student in the cafeteria spill a whole tray of food as she trips over something on the floor. You think to yourself, "Wow, she sure is clumsy!" Later on in the day, you also trip in the cafeteria and spill your tray. You think to yourself, "Wow, this floor is uneven and dangerous, someone should fix it!" This illustrates the psychological concept called:

C. fundamental attribution error.

Linda, a third grade teacher, has been observing that hostility is growing between some of the children in her class. The best way for her to decrease the conflict between the children would be to:

B. have the children cooperate to reach a shared goal.

Marilyn judges her professor’s strict class attendance policy to be an indication of his overcontrolling personality rather than a necessity dictated by the limited number of class sessions in a course that meets only once a week. Her judgment best illustrates:

the fundamental attribution error

Bart complied with his friends’ request to join them in smashing decorative pumpkins early one Halloween evening. Later that night he was surprised by his own failure to resist their pressures to throw eggs at passing police cars. Bart’s experience best illustrates the:

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

Cognitive dissonance theory is most helpful for understanding the impact of:

role-playing on attitude change

In making wedding preparations, Jason conforms to the expectations of his future bride’s family simply to win their favor. His behavior illustrates the importance of:

normative social influence

The level of obedience in the Milgram experiments was highest when the "teacher" was ________ the experimenter and ________ the "learner."

close to; far from

Bonnie pedals an exercise bike at her health club much faster when other patrons happen to be working out on nearby equipment. This best illustrates:

Social facilitation

When a group of racially prejudiced high school students discussed racial issues, their attitudes became even more prejudiced. This best illustrates:

group polarization

Kelly, a Republican, and Carlos, a Democrat, both believe that members of their own political party are more fair-minded and trustworthy than members of other parties. Their beliefs best illustrate:

ingroup bias

When visiting the Bergin-Belsen concentration camp shortly after World War II, one German civilian was said to have remarked, "What terrible criminals these prisoners must have been to receive such treatment." This reaction is best explained in terms of:

the just-world phenomenon

After extensive exposure to X-rated sexual films, men are subsequently ________ accepting of women’s sexual submission to men and _______ likely to perceive a woman’s friendliness as sexual interest.

more; more

Max fails to recycle his glass, metal, and plastic garbage because he thinks it’s personally inconvenient and likely to have minimal impact on the city’s already overflowing landfills. His reaction best illustrates the dynamics of:

social trap

When buying groceries, many shoppers prefer certain products simply because they have a familiar brand name. This preference best illustrates the importance of:

the mere exposure effect

Which theory best explains why the excitement that lingers after a frightening event can facilitate passionate love?

the two-factor theory

Mr. Hughes heard what sounded like cries for help from a swimmer located 30 yards from the ocean shoreline. He continued walking along the beach, however, because he figured that one of the many swimmers in the vicinity would provide help if it was needed. His reaction best illustrates the dynamics involved in:

the bystander effect

The hostilities between two racial subgroups of a riverfront community were dramatically reduced when the threat of their river flooding its banks required that they work together to save their town. This best illustrates the impact of:

superordinate goals

The fundamental attribution error involves:

underestimating situational constraints on another’s behavior

Professor Stewart wrote a very positive letter of recommendation for a student despite his having doubts about her competence. Which theory best explains why he subsequently began to develop more favorable attitudes about the student’s abilities?

cognitive dissonance theory

Research participants who worked alongside someone who rubbed his or her face or shook his or her foot were observed to do the same thing themselves. This best illustrated:

the chameleon effect

Using the Asch procedure, conformity to group judgments would be least likely when:

participants are not observed by other group members when giving their answers

In a study of social loafing, blindfolded students were asked to pull on a rope as hard as they could. The students tugged hardest when they thought

no others were pulling with them

Although Frieda is typically very reserved, as part of a huge rock concert crowd she lost her inhibitions and behaved in a very sexually provocative way. Frieda’s unusual behavior is best understood in terms of:

deindividuation

Groupthink is fueled by a desire for:

harmony

Evidence that people exhibit heightened levels of prejudice when they are economically frustrated offers support for:

the scapegoat theory

Shortly after Alex learned that he had failed to make the high school football team, he vandalized the team’s locker room and broke several classroom windows. His behavior is best explained in terms of:

the frustarion-aggression principle

Although the leaders of two enemy nations admit to a buildup of their own military forces, each sees the other country’s actions as unreasonable and motivated by evil intentions. This situation best illustrates:

mirror-image perceptions

When asked how much they like various letters of the alphabet, people tend to prefer those that happen to be found in their own names. This best illustrates the impact of:

the mere exposure effect

People’s physical attractiveness is a good predictor of their:

frequency of dating

Although Natalie receives somewhat greater rewards from her marriage than does her husband, both are satisfied with the relationship because they each benefit in proportion to what they put into it. This best illustrates the significance of:

equity

The neighbors’ failure to call the police in time to save the life of Kitty Genovese best illustrated:

the bystander effect

After Mrs. Chanski and her children had helped themselves to free samples of the cookies being promoted in the grocery store, she felt obligated to buy some, even though they seemed unreasonably expensive. Her reaction best illustrates the significance of:

the reciprocity nrom

True

Compared with people in Western countries, those in East Asian cultures are more sensitive to situational influences on behavior.

true

To change people’s racist behaviors, we first need to change their racist attitudes.

true

Chimps are more likely to yawn after observing another chimp yawn.

false

Most people would refuse to obey an authority figure who told them to hurt an innocent person.

true

Studies of college and professional athletic events indicate that home teams win about 6 in 10 games.

false

Individuals pull harder in a team tug-of-war than when they pull in a one-on-one tug-of-war.

false

The higher the morale and harmony of a social group, the more likely are its members to make a good decision.

Personality Psychologists

study the traits that might make one person more likely than another to speak,

Social Psychologists

examine aspects of the classroom situation that would influence any student’s decision about speaking.

attribution

a conclusion about the cause of an observed behavior/event

Attribution theory

We explain others’ behavior with two types of attributions: situational attribution and dispositional attrubution

situational attribution

(factors outside the person doing the action, such as peer pressure

dispositional attribution

(the person’s stable, enduring traits, personality, ability, emotions)

Fundamental Attribution Error

When we go too far in assuming that a person’s behavior is caused by their personality.

dispositional, situational

We tend to overemphasize __________ attribution and underemphasize __________ attribution.

collectivist cultures

(those which emphasize group unity, allegiance, and purpose over the wishes of the individual),

Attitude

Feelings, ideas, and beliefs that affect how we approach and react to other people, objects, and events.

Central Route Persuasion

Going directly through the rational mind, influencing attitudes with evidence and logic.

Peripheral Route Persuasion

Changing attitudes by going around the rational mind and appealing to fears, desires, associations

three social-cognitive mechanisms

The Foot in the Door Phenomenon The Effects of Playing a Role, and Cognitive Dissonance

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

the tendency to be more likely to agree to a large request after agreeing to a small one

Affect on attitudes

People adjust their attitudes along with their actions, liking the people they agreed to help, disliking the people they agreed to harm.

foot-in-the-door phenomenon.

Bart complied with his friends’ request to join them in smashing decorative pumpkins early one Halloween evening. Later that night he was surprised by his own failure to resist their pressures to throw eggs at passing police cars. Bart’s experience best illustrates the:

Cognitive Dissonance

When our actions are not in harmony with our attitudes.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

the observation that we tend to resolve this dissonance by changing our attitudes to fit our actions.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Professor Stewart wrote a very positive letter of recommendation for a student despite his having doubts about her competence. Which theory best explains why he subsequently began to develop more favorable attitudes about the student’s abilities?

Conformity

refers to adjusting our behavior or thinking to fit in with a group standard

Automatic Mimicry

affecting behavior

Social Norms

affecting our thinking

Automatic Mimicry

Contagious Yawning Adopting regional accents, Empathetic shifts in mood Adopting coping styles

Normative Social Influence:

Going along with others in pursuit of social approval or belonging (and to avoid disapproval/rejection) The Asch conformity studies; clothing choices.

Informational Social Influence:

Going along with others because their ideas and behavior make sense, the evidence in our social environment changes our minds. Deciding which side of the road to drive on.

normative social influence

Since everyone in her dorm watched American Idol and The Apprentice, Tyra decided she better do the same. She didn’t particularly like those shows, but she wanted everyone to accept her. This example best illustrates

other participants were seen disobeying the experimenter

In Stanley Milgram’s experiements, obedience was lowest when

Social Facilitation

A funny movie seems even more amusing when you watch it with a group of friends.

Social loafing

the tendency of people in a group to show less effort when not held individually accountable.

deindividuation.

Although Frieda is typically very reserved, as part of a huge rock concert crowd she lost her inhibitions and behaved in a very sexually provocative way. Frieda’s unusual behavior is best understood in terms of:

your level of intelligence

Conformity is when we adjust our thinking and behavior to go along with a group standard. Which of the following is NOT likely to influence whether or not we conform?

Social Psychology

The study of how we think about, influence, and relate to each other

situational attribution

we relate the person’s behavior to the situation

Fundamental attribution error

Tendency to underestimate the impact of the situation and overestimating the impact of the personal disposition

dispositional attribution

We relate the person’s behavior to the enduring traits

Attitudes

Feelings that are often influenced by beliefs that predispose our reactions to objects, people, and events

Peripheral persuasion

occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues such as a speaker’s attractiveness

Central persuasion

occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request

Stanford prison experiment

"situations win. people lose"

Cognitive dissonance

when one becomes aware that their attitudes and actions don’t coincide

Conformity

adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard

Automatic mimicry

allows us to feel what others are feeling

Asch conformity experiment

Intelligent students were willing to call "white black" by going along with the group

social facilitation

stronger responses on simple tasks in the presence of others

social loafing

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable

deindividuation

the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal

group polarization

the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group

aggression

any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy

Genetic Influences

genes influence aggression. Identical twins will admit to both having a violent temper.

Neural Influences

If the frontal lobes are damaged or inactive aggression might be more likely.

Biochemical Influences

alcohol, testosterone, serotonin

frustration-aggression principle

Frustration creates anger, which can generate aggression

social script

culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations

altruism

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

bystander effect

the tendency for any given bystander to less likely give aid if other bystanders are present

social exchange theory

the theory that strives to reach maximal benefits and minimal costs

reciprocity norm

an expectation that people will help, not hurt those who have helped them

social-responsibility norm

The expectation that people will help those dependent upon them

Bart is compiled with his friends request to join them in smashing decorative pumpkins early one Halloween evening. Later that night he was surprised by his own failure to resist their pressure to throw eggs at passing police cars. Bart’s experiences best illustrates the…?

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

Professor Stewart wrote a very positive letter of recommendation for a student despite having doubts about her competence. Which theory best explains why he subsequently began to develop more favorable attitudes about the student’s abilities?

Cognitive dissonance

since everyone in her dorm watched American Idol and The Apprentice, Tyra decided she better do the same. she didn’t particularly like those shows, but she wanted everyone to accept her. This best illustrates….?

Normative social influence

Although Frieda is typically very reserved, as part of a huge rock concert crowd she lost er inhibitions and behaved in a very sexually proactive way. This behavior illustrates…?

deindividuation

Early in the day, you see a fellow student in the cafeteria spill a whole tray of food as she trips over something on the floor. You think to yourself "Wow, she sure is clumsy!" Later on in the day, you also trip and spill your tray. You think to yourself, "Wow, this floor is uneven and dangerous, someone should fix it!" This illustrates the psychological concept called….?

fundamental attribution error

Which of the following is an example of social facilitation?

A funny movie seems even more amusing when you watch it with a group of friends

Conformity is when we adjust our thinking and behavior to go along with a group standard. Which of the following is NOT likely to influence whether or not we conform?

Your level of intelligence

When buying groceries, many shoppers prefer certain products simply because they have a familiar brand name. This preference best illustrates the importance of….?

The mere exposure effect

After Mrs. Chanski and her children had helped themselves to free sample of the cookies being promoted in the grocery store, she felt obligated to buy some, even though they seem unreasonably expensive. Her reaction best illustrates the significance of…..?

The reciprocity norm

Aggression and violence have been linked to all of the following except…..?

Families that have a father present

Social Psychology

– How we think in relation to other people – How other people influence not only our thinking but our actions – How we treat each other, relate to each other

Conformity

refers to adjusting our behavior or thinking to fit in with a group standard.

components of conformity

– Automatic Mimicry: affecting behavior – Social Norms: affecting our thinking – Normative and Informational Social Influence

Automatic Mimicry

– affecting behavior – Unintentionally mirror the people around us – Ex: gestures and moods and actions

Social Norms

– affecting our thinking – standard of behavior; what’s considered appropriate

What did the Asch conformity studies find?

about one-third of people will agree with obvious mistruths to go along with the group

Since everyone in her dorm watched American Idol and The Apprentice, Tyra decided she better do the same. She didn’t particularly like those shows, but she wanted everyone to accept her. This example best illustrates:

normative social influence

what did Milgram’s Obedience Study find?

people are more willing to do something they don’t like if they are ordered to do it

Deindividuation

loss of self-awareness and self-restraint

Deindividuation happens when people are in group situations involving

– Anonymity – Arousal

what does the bystander effect state?

the more people present in a situation, the less likely people are to help

components of Group Behavior

– Social Facilitation – Social Loafing – Group Polarization – Groupthink

In Stanley Milgram’s experiements, obedience was lowest when

other participants were seen disobeying the experimenter

Although Frieda is typically very reserved, as part of a huge rock concert crowd she lost her inhibitions and behaved in a very sexually provocative way. Frieda’s unusual behavior is best understood in terms of

deindividualization

Components of attitudes

– Affective – Emotions – Behaviors – Cognitive – Beliefs

what are the two cognitive pathways to affect attitudes

– Central Route Persuasion – Peripheral Route Persuasion

Attitudes affect our actions when

– External influences are minimal – The attitude is stable – The attitude is specific to the behavior – The attitude is easily recalled

actions that affect our attitudes

– The Foot in the Door Phenomenon – The Effects of Playing a Role – Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive Dissonance

awareness that attitude and behavior are inconsistent

Bart complied with his friends’ request to join them in smashing decorative pumpkins early one Halloween evening. Later that night he was surprised by his own failure to resist their pressures to throw eggs at passing police cars. Bart’s experience best illustrates the:

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

Professor Stewart wrote a very positive letter of recommendation for a student despite his having doubts about her competence. Which theory best explains why he subsequently began to develop more favorable attitudes about the student’s abilities?

cognitive dissonance theory

The Foot in the Door Phenomenon

Making a small request first, and once it is agreed to, following it up with a second larger request.

The Effects of Playing a Role

– prisoner experiment

3 Variables Explain why the Bystander Effect Occurs

1. Diffusion of Responsibility 2. Cohesiveness 3. Ambiguity

Diffusion of Responsibility

In the case of an emergency, when people believe there are other people around they are less likely or slower to help

Cohesiveness

– Cohesiveness refers to the established relationship (friends, acquaintances) between 2 or more people – The more cohesive a group, the more likely they will act

Ambiguity

– Ability to have more than one interpretation – In situations in which the bystanders are not sure if the person requires assistance (high ambiguity), reaction time is slow

How to overcome the Bystander Effect

– Make that person feel responsible so they will act – Assign roles

What attracts us to others?

– Physical attractiveness – Proximity – Similarity

Prejudice

An unjustified (usually negative) attitude toward a group (and its members).

Discrimination

Unjustified behavior selectively applied to members of a group

Stereotype

A generalized belief about a group, applied to every member of a group.

Components of Prejudice

– Beliefs (stereotypes) – Emotions (hostility, envy, fear) – Predisposition to act (to discriminate)

Fundamental Attribution Error

When we go too far in assuming that a person’s behavior is caused by their personality.

Justin and Shane believe their team is better than the other teams in town. This illustrates

in-group bias

Early in the day, you see a fellow student in the cafeteria spill a whole tray of food as she trips over something on the floor. You think to yourself, "Wow, she sure is clumsy!" Later on in the day, you also trip in the cafeteria and spill your tray. You think to yourself, "Wow, this floor is uneven and dangerous, someone should fix it!" This illustrates the psychological concept called:

fundamental attribution error

Factors in aggression and altruism

– Genetics – Norms – Reinforcement and modelling – Self-definition

who was the woman that made the experimenter of the Stanford prison experiment realize his experiment was unethical ?

Christina Maslach

Social facilitation

improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others

Social loafing

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable

Group polarization

the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group

Groupthink

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives