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Social Psych Test 1 Assignments

Terms in this set (181)

The way an individual understands his or her own social word is called:
social cognition
The best way to understand social behavior is to use the _____ method.
scientific method
The _____ perspective is a view that focuses on the influence of culture on thought, feeling, and behavior.
cultural
Social _____ is an example of how behavior depends on a socially constructed view of reality.
comparison
The _____ perspective is a view that focuses on the influence of one's social network on thought, feeling, and behavior.
cultural
Since people are cognitive misers, we have a tendency to prefer mental efficiency at the potential cost of :
B processing. [[This can actually make us process information faster.]]
accuracy
The field of _____ psychology is defined as the scientific study of the causes and consequences of people's thoughts, feelings, and actions regarding themselves and other people.
social
Jake and Mary read the same two news stories which take opposite positions on global warming. Jake found the article in support of global warming to be more persuasive and Mary found the article against global warming to be more persuasive. What would be expected about Jake and Mary's personal opinions?
Jake believes in global warming; Mary does not believe in global warming.
Someone from the _____ perspective would be MOST likely to say human behavior is due to repressed desires for sex and aggression.
psycoanalytic
What term refers to the tendency of humans to avoid expending effort and cognitive resources when thinking and to prefer seizing on quick and easy answers to questions?
cognitive misers
Dr. Brown begins his social psychology class by drawing the metaphor of human beings as information processors. Which social psychological perspective does Dr. Brown MOST likely follow?
cognitive
Guinevere conducts research using brain scans and heart rate monitors. Which psychological perspective does Guinevere MOST likely come from?
neuroscience
Jamar realizes that he avoids an intersection because he previously got into an accident at that location. This would be evidence of which perspective?
behaviorism
Jordan MOST likely comes from the _____ perspective. She focuses on the cognitive, affective, and behavioral consequences of basic aspects of the human condition such as the knowledge of mortality, the desire for meaning, and the precarious nature of identity.
existential
Eddie grew up in an environment where disparaging comments were regularly made about people from certain backgrounds. As Eddie meets people from these backgrounds, he rarely thinks these individuals are worth talking to or developing a friendship with. This is an example of which core social psychological assumption?
Behavior depends on a socially constructed view of reality.
The core assumption that behavior is strongly influence by social _____ is evidenced by Fritz Heider's observation that people's causal explanations of others' actions play a significant role in determining their behavior.
cognitions
Technological advances have been particularly beneficial to which field of social psychology?
neuroscience
Joan believes human behaviors are a result of the basic nature of the self and the core human motives. Joan most likely prescribes to which major social psychology perspective?
existential
People are more likely to scrutinize the environment around them if events are important to them or if an event is:
unexpected
Maria argues that humans are only social creatures because it is an adaptation that increased the species chances of survival. Maria MOST likely adheres to the _____ perspective.
evolutionary
_____ assignment is a procedure in which participants are assigned to conditions in such a way that each person has an equal chance of being in any condition of an experiment.
random
A theory should generate new _____.
questions
Ensuring findings generalize to other populations, settings, and context relates to _____ validity.
external
The practice of not providing a participant with all information or procedures in an experiment is known as:
deception
A procedure in which participants are assigned to conditions in such a way that each person has an equal chance of being in any condition of an experiment is known as:
random assignment
A benefit of a theory is that it helps organize and _____ observations.
explain
Which statement is true of social psychology?
It can never hold all answers to social dynamics
A demand characteristic could be:
an experimenter's expectations about how participants should behave.
What term refers to the possibility that two variables may be correlated but do not exert a causal influence on one another? Instead, both are caused by some additional variable.
third variable problem
Which statement is true of social psychology?
Human beings can never be truly objective as they conduct research.
What are aspects of a study that give away its purpose or communicate expectations about how the participant is likely to behave known as?
demand characteristics
What does the numerical value of a correlation coefficient tell about the relationship between the two variables?
the strength of the relationship
A theory must specify clear relationships between variables that help us understand the processes through which particular events in the world occur. This best explains which strength of a good theory?
It organizes observations.
The repetition of a study with different operationalizations of the crucial variable but yielding similar results is known as _____ replication.
conceptual
Which statement is NOT true regarding the use of deceit in an experiment?
Deceit is prohibited in American research.
Which correlation coefficient shows the strongest relationship between two variables?
-.62
There are many reasons a social psychologist might need to use deception in a research study. However, which of argument would NOT be a good reason for deception?
*A It is convenient.
B. It is necessary to test a hypothesis. [[This is a reason for deception.]]
C. It is needed to obtain natural participant responses. [[This is a reason for deception.]]
D. To keep responses unbiased by the true aims of the research. [[This is a reason for deception.]]
undefined
What is the method of research where two or more variables are measured and compared to determine to what extent, if any, they are associated?
correlational
Paulo notices race researchers have discrepant findings regarding race and academic achievement. He creates a theory that brings all of these findings together into a meaningful framework. This shows which strength of a theory?
It organizes observations.
Which statement is true regarding an exact replication the classic Milgram shock study in America today?
It is not allowed by the American Psychological Association.
The variable manipulated by the researcher in an experiment is the _____ variable.
independent
The ultimate goal of a good theory is to be _____.
useful
Dr. Mitry is unable to study the effects of out-of-country adoption because she cannot find the funding. This demonstrates how human _____ influence(s) the questions researchers ask.
values
_____ design refers to research in which random assignment of participants is NOT used.
Quasi-experimental
A study by Spencer and colleagues (1999) showed that stereotype threat could also apply to women. This is an example of _____ validity.
external
Jacy participated in a research experiment as a part of her class. She did not fully understand the risks or that she would not be financially compensated for her time. The process of _____ consent was supposed to be used to make sure she understood all study procedures.
informed
The ______ variable is manipulated by the researcher in an experiment.
independent
If a theory can add relevant insight into how a social phenomenon can be improved, then it is said to be:
practical
Janelle is a highly ethical researcher who tries her best to remain objective. However, all humans are _____, and their personal feelings and opinions impact their research.
biased
Even though all social psychology textbooks discuss the Milgram study, the American Psychological Association does not allow exact _____ of it in American universities.
replication
_____ assignment is a critical aspect of all research in which participants are put into different conditions.
random
The reason for dreams has long been debated. Greta has developed a theory that dreams function as a source of stress release. This provides a functional description of the purpose of dreams. This demonstrates which strength of a good theory?
it explains observations
Which action by the researcher is NOT normally a part of the debriefing process?
stating research was approved by an ethics board and they have no reason to be upset
A(n) _____ is an "if-then" statement that specifies how certain variables should be related together if the theory is correct.
hypothesis
A new theory must immediately be:
practical
A(n) _____ is an explanation for how and why variables are related to each other.
theory
Tyrone is conducting a study on stress in the workplace. Instead of only using a college student sample, Tyrone also worked with industry to conduct a study of actual workers. This greatly improved the _____ validity of his study.
external
_____ research occurs outside of the laboratory.
field
The judgment that for a particular experiment it is possible to conclude that the manipulated independent variable caused the change in the measured dependent variable is called _____ validity.
internal
A theory is only scientifically useful to the extent that it creates _____ that can be tested for its fit with reality.
hypotheses
Research that occurs outside of the laboratory is known as:
field research
In an experiment, outside of the dependent and independent variables, all other variables must be held _____.
constant
Which term refers to a study in which a researcher manipulates a variable to measure possible effects on another variable while holding all other variables constant?
experimental method
Sierra has been studying the effects of stigmatization on job performance for a number of years. She has recently developed a theory that integrates all of these findings. This demonstrates which strength of a good theory?
It organizes observations
In which type of research is random assignment NOT used because of practical or ethical reasons.
quasi-experimental research
Which method is a way to assure that individuals in the experimental and control groups are not naturally different on the dependent variables?
random assignment
Georgia is designing a study the effect of religiosity on the quality of one's friendships. She is trying to imagine all other variables that might indirectly influence this relationship so she can account for them in her study design. Georgia is worried about:
cofunds?????
Brandon is about to take his first standardized test. He comes from a stigmatized group that is stereotyped to perform poorly on standardized tests. This extra stress is likely to negatively impact Brandon's performance according to which theory?
stereotype threat
Multiple operational definitions of the same concept should be _____ correlated.
highly
A new theory does NOT need to be immediately _____. In fact, technology is often developed based on this condition not being met.
testable
Jamal is studying the impact of belonging on school performance. He coordinates with several teachers to study belonging within several classrooms. This is an example of _____ research.
field
The famous Milgram experiment had participants go to the campus of Yale University to complete the shock experiment. This is an example of _____ research.
laboratory
Dr. Baku developed a theory that relates personality to fear of seeking medical and psychiatric treatment. Her theory was applied to help racial minorities seek treatment when in need. This demonstrates which strength of a good theory?
It has practical value.
After developing a relevant theory, a researcher will next develop a(n) _____ that describes the expected relationship between the variables of the study.
hypothesis
Dr. Schewel is examining the effect of race on academic performance. He designs a research study that looks at how people from different racial backgrounds perform on an end-of-college exit exam. This is an example of _____ research.
quasi-experimental
Within a species, some members have attributes that increase their prospects for survival, reproduction, and survival of their offspring and are more successful in passing along their genes, which, in turn, leads to the widespread representation of those attributes in future generations. These attributes are known as:
adaptations
Being able to _____ enables people to mentally simulate future events and to imagine various possibilities for their lives.
think about the self symbolically
_____ processes get involved as people consider memories, cultural influences, and future ramifications.
Secondary appraisal
Sexual reproduction between two members of a species causes _____, which the textbook refers to as the first ingredient in the recipe for evolution by natural selection.
variability
Humans are thought to have two mental systems that generally operate simultaneously. These systems are classified as:
experiential and rational.
_____ can lead to a very different emotional experienced than was produced from the initial _____ process.
Secondary appraisal; primary appraisal
When an offspring does not have the exact same genetic makeup as either of its parents but instead has a mixture of its parents' genes it is known as:
sexual recombination
Automatic processing is _____ whereas controlled processing is _____.
nonconscious; conscious
What is an internal state that drive action that is necessary to survive or thrive?
a need
Evolution suggests that all living things, including human beings, are the product of a(n) _____ process.
natural and random
_____ evolved to meet a particular challenge but are not particularly useful when dealing with other types of challenges.
Domain-specific adaptations
The social emotions are considered to be:
secondary emotions.
Leroy and Jethro share the same biological parents, but only Jethro was born with Type 1 Diabetes. What is the BEST explanation for this difference between the brothers?
sexual recombination
Why is having a sense of self adaptive?
It allows people to modify their thoughts and behaviors to meet their personal standards.
What brain structure plays a crucial role in fear?
the amygdala
Which statement BEST characterizes the process of evolution?
Human attributes such as brain and jaw size continue to gradually change over time
In the text, evolutionary psychologists are described as having the tendency to focus on domain-specific attributes. Based on this, what topic would an evolutionary psychologist most likely be interested in?
The evolutionary basis of sex differences in human mate selection.
Which person is experiencing a need?
Margie, who is feeling thirsty.
Because certain attributes are more successful in a particular environment, they become more represented in future generations. This process in known as:
natural selection.
Imagine you see a person approaching you in an otherwise empty parking structure at night but you do not experience fear. Based on a social domain-general adaptation, your lack of fear is likely because:
the fusiform face area in your brain allowed you to quickly recognize the person as your friend.
Davide is with some friends when he gets a notice that the grade for his social psychology exam is posted. He immediately goes online to check how he did on the exam while his friends watch. When he sees his grade, he looks up at his friends and smiles broadly without saying a word. In this example, what basic function did Davide's smile serve?
It conveyed that Davide was pleased with his grade, so his friends could respond appropriately and congratulate him.
Even infinitesimally small variations in attributes might give some individuals an advantage in their ability to gain resources relative to others in the same environment. This example illustrates which ingredient in the recipe for natural selection?
competition
_____occur(s) specifically when random mistakes in DNA replication cause variations.
Mutations
One of your peers in social psychology has the goal of getting into a PhD program in psychology. With that goal in mind, she is answering these practice questions so she will do well in this course. When she first started answering the questions, however, she focused more on understanding the Learning Curve system than getting the question answers correct. This example illustrates:
being more or less concrete or abstract.
a hierarchy of goals.
Humans use the ability to think abstractly in many situations every day. For example, one can think abstractly when preparing food, learning social psychology material, avoiding risky behaviors, and setting goals. The many benefits of abstract thinking suggest that it is a(n):
domain-general adaptation.
People rarely smile when they get a strike in bowling while they face down the alley at the pins. They smile frequently, however, when they turn around to face the individuals sitting behind them. This finding suggests what about emotions?
Emotions give others cues about a person's current mental state so they can plan an appropriate response.
If, while you are taking this practice test, you have sufficient time, motivation, and cognitive resources to think carefully about your answers, you are likely drawing on your _____ system(s).
rational
If Laurie is feeling gloomy and Mario is feeling sad, Laurie is feeling a(n) _____ emotion and Mario is feeling a(n) _____ emotion.
secondary; primary
While out walking at night, Marcie and her dog are startled by the sound of footsteps quickly approaching them from behind. Both Marcie and her dog tense for a moment. Almost immediately, Marcie realizes she doesn't need to be afraid because she is in a busy area with lots of people around. She then presumes that the person behind her is probably just someone in a hurry. The dog responds differently, however, and turns to growl menacingly at the person. The distinction between Marcie's and her dog's response can be attributed to:
Marcie, but not her dog, having a sense of self.
Within the process of reproduction, variations that are adaptive:
improve the resulting organism's chances of surviving and reproducing.
Hyun gets excited when she first opens an invitation to a movie premiere. After, thinking more about the date, her excitement changes to disappointment as she realizes it is the same day as her best friend's wedding, which she cannot miss. Hyun's emotional change from excitement to disappointment would likely be due to _____ appraisal.
secondary
The skeleton of a whale has tiny, useless bones inside the rear portion of the body that are very similar to the bones found in vertebrate legs. The existence of these bones indicates that an adaptation has emerged in whales. What concept does this fact MOST strongly support?
evolution
Beliefs are:
generally taken on faith and based on learning from parents, teachers, and other cultural authorities.
_____ simultaneously help people adapt to the physical, social, and metaphysical environment in which they live.
Cultures
Schwartz and Sagie (2000) examined the socioeconomic development, cultural values, and political characteristics of 42 countries from 1988 to 1994. These researchers found that after cultures _____, they increasingly prioritized new ideas, individual initiative, personal worth, equality, and status judgments based on achievement rather than on tradition.
modernized or embraced democracy
Cultural _____ are human-constructed shared symbolic conceptions of reality that imbue life with meaning, order, and permanence.
worldviews
Attitudes differ from beliefs in that they refer more specifically to:
what becomes evaluated as good or bad within a culture.
What momentous developments marked the earliest beginnings of human history as the cultural animal?
stone tools, hand axes, control of fire, and rudimentary shelters
In what important way does culture help humans adapt to their social environment?
Culture reduces the uncertainty of how to behave in certain situations
_____ immortality results from "peak experiences," described by Abraham Maslow (1964) as quasi-mystical experiences characterized by sudden feelings of intense well-being, a heightened sense of control over the body and emotions, and a wider sense of awareness that fills the individual with a timeless sense of wonder and awe.
Experiential
Autonomy morals concern:
harm to other individuals or infringement of rights and freedoms.
Why does culture play an especially important role in helping humans adapt to their environments?
Culture evolves quickly and links the efforts of many people over many generations.
According to Michael Hogg's (2007) uncertainty identity theory, people are more likely to identify with culturally defined groups that have clear guidelines for behavior:
when they feel uncertain about who they are.
The idea that people rely on others to help them verify the validity of their own perceptions and beliefs is MOST central to _____ theory.
Festinger's (1954) social comparison
Cultures around the world recognize 10 core values. These values can be viewed as stemming from the two basic motivational orientations:
security and growth
During their first few months at school, children quickly learn both their roles and the teacher's role in the classroom. This is an example of how:
culture helps humans adapt to their social environment.
A collectivistic culture would be one that emphasizes:
interdependence, cooperation, and the welfare of the group over that of the individual.
_____ mortality is afforded by aspects of the cultural worldview that reassure a person that physical death is not the end of life and promise some form of life after death to those who are worthy.
Literal
Cultural evolution is:
the process whereby cultures develop and propagate according to systems of belief or behavior that contribute to the success of a society.
In 1845, Sir John Franklin, a Britain explorer, led a large expedition to find the Northwest Passage. Unfortunately, the well-equipped expedition ships became ice-bound for two winters. During that time, all of the 129 crewmen died of starvation, hypothermia, and other ailments. The Central Inuit had, however, successfully survived in that same region for over 700 years. What is a plausible explanation for the British crew dying despite the Inuit's ability to survive on the same land?
Unlike the primarily British crew, the Inuit's culture had prepared them to adapt to the physical environment of the region.
Candace works in an insurance office, there are clear distinctions of each employee's place in the organizational hierarchy. Consequently, within her department, there is little room for her or other employees to offer suggestions or consider different ideas. Rather, Candace's boss gives the orders and everyone else in the department follows them. Candace's boss gets his orders from his own manager. According to the text, this relationship pattern would be BEST characterized as:
authority ranking
According to the text, the experiences of individuals who have been stripped of their culture make a strong case:
for the positive psychological value of an intact, functioning culture.
Community morals concern:
social role obligations, respect for authority, and loyalty to the group
Which example BEST represents cultural adaptation to the metaphysical environment?
Fasting, or self-denial of food, as a means to develop spiritual discipline.
Hio-Tong has moved to the USA from Macau (which is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China). She is currently looking to purchase a condominium and her real estate agent has recently taken a social psychology course. Based on the agent's knowledge of interdependent self-construals, which types of places would she take Hio-Tong to see?
Ones with architecture styles that blend in with surrounding buildings.
According to the text, self-esteem is one of the most basic psychological mechanisms by which:
culture fulfills its anxiety-managing function
Every individual has three primary psychological dimensions. The universal dimension is:
the evolved characteristics shared by all human beings.
From a broad perspective, what does culture do for individuals and groups?
It helps them adapt to their environment.
Which behavior reflects an expectation of people in individualistic cultures?
focusing on the interests of self and immediate family
Ernest Becker's ideas that the awareness of mortality would render humans as frightened ineffectual beings unless they learned to control their fears were synthesized by Sheldon Solomon, Tom Pyszczynski, and Jeff Greenberg into:
terror management theory.
If Margot has an interdependent self-construal, what description would you MOST expect her to give if she was asked to describe herself?
I'm a member of a cheerleading squad."
Humans occupy a vast range of terrestrial habitat, ranging from bleak arid desert to tropical rain forest to sub-zero arctic tundra. The ability for humans to survive on such extremely disparate terrains is possible because:
culture helps humans adapt to their physical environment.
Based on what you learned in Chapter 2 about independent and interdependent self-construal's, what would you expect to find in a study in which Chinese and American participants are asked to describe a picture of a single fish swimming away from a larger group of fish?
Chinese participants would more likely discuss the actions of the group of fish; whereas, American participants would more likely discuss the individual choices of the single fish.
_____ represent either the culture as a whole or beliefs or values prevalent in that culture.
Cultural symbols
Which behavior does NOT reflect an expectation of people in collectivistic cultures?
focusing on the interests of self and immediate family
_____ are preferences, likes and dislikes, and opinions about what is good and bad.
Attitudes
_____ is the desire for a just, meaningful, and peaceful world.
Universalism
Based on the notion of cultural diffusion, which regions of the world would have been historically advantaged in terms of opportunities to experience cultural adaptation?
Countries that were located on large waterways that allowed easy travel and commerce.
Married people who have clearly defined expectations of what each person brings to and takes from the relationship, would be BEST characterized as:
market pricing.
_____ are examples of collectivistic cultures and _____ are examples of individualistic cultures.
Korea, Japan, and Pakistan; Britain, France, and Canada
Every individual has three primary psychological dimensions. The cultural dimension includes:
the aspects of individuals that have been shaped by the socialization process.
Across over 50 different cultures there is _____ in the importance people give each of the ten value types.
remarkable agreement
Which statement BEST illustrates an adaptive quality of culture?
Culture can be like a library: it amasses all the previous generations of human knowledge and efforts.
Which statement about culture is NOT true?
human evolution occurred independently from culture.
The social anthropologist W. Lloyd Warner (1959) proposed that culture helps people adapt to which three aspects of their environment?
the physical, social and metaphysical
According to the text, people from hunter-gatherer cultures might be especially strong in visual and spatial abilities because:
they must be able to visually organize and recall the vast amounts of natural territory they explore.
Emanuel has an extremely close knit group of friends. They find it important to ensure that everyone in the group is treated equally and has the same rights. According to the textbook, this relationship pattern would be an example of:
equality matching.
Cross-cultural research shows that the more a culture relies on the cultural innovation of carpentry (with extensive use of straight edges and right angles), the:
more likely its members will fall prey to the Müller-Lyer illusion.
How a given culture adapts to its physical surroundings has a _____ influence on people's _____.
profound; basic perceptions and thought processes
According to the text, why do different groups of people that occupy the same physical environment often have different and sometimes incompatible ways of making a living from it?
Their unique histories and traditions differently affect their way of living.
Schwartz and Sagie's (2000) findings that modernization, democratization, and socioeconomic development in a culture are strongly associated with a change in cultural values suggest that the
economic and political features of a culture relate quite strongly to the psychological values that will be embraced by that culture.
_____ are positions within a group that entail specific ways of acting and dividing labor, responsibility, and resources.
Social roles
What momentous developments marked the earliest beginnings of human history as the cultural animal?
stone tools, hand axes, control of fire, and rudimentary shelters
The idea that people's outcomes in life are the product of effort and ability is a(n):
belief
Violations of community morals usually evoke feelings of:
contempt
_____ is the desire for personal freedom
self direction
In a culture that values benevolence, citizens likely appreciate which qualities?
helpfulness, honesty, forgiveness, and responsibility
Why does culture play an especially important role in helping humans adapt to their environments?
Culture evolves quickly and links the efforts of many people over many generations.
In judgments of emotional displays, Chinese individuals tend to judge _____ to be less desirable and _____ more desirable.
pride; guilt
Which behavior does NOT reflect an expectation of people in collectivistic cultures?
?
This is activated when prior beliefs and values are brought to mind, central to one's sense of meaning in life or personal worth, or threatened by contradictory information.
the need for specific closure
Which of the following has occurred for behaviors one can perform without devoting much attention.
automatization
Which of the following statements is NOT a way the unconscious is smart according to the text?
Irrational behavior does not exist
This is an unconscious, intuitive, and automatic system of thinking.
experiential system
High mental demand would MOST interfere with which necessary condition for the cognitive system to override the experiential system?
ability
Many of one's choices and behaviors may actually be made at an unconscious level. Which of the five ways that the unconscious is smart relates to this point?
Intuition can facilitate sound decisions.
Although it has become disputed, this technique supposedly allowed individuals with severe forms of autism to spell out their internal thoughts with the help of an assistant.
facilitated communication
Mental distraction would MOST interfere with which necessary condition for the cognitive system to override the experiential system?
ability
Jen helped individuals with severe forms of autism express their feelings through a variety of techniques. Although it has become an outdated and refuted strategy, Jen probably specialized in:
facilitated communication
Researchers are measuring participants' feelings about dogs and cats. What would be a likely hypothesis for the correlation between people's explicit and implicit attitudes towards these two animals?
positively correlated
Surprisingly, many beneficial health decisions are actually:
unconscious
Mikhail is teaching Gestalt psychology to his social psychology class. Which of the following might he say about this psychological perspective?
It understands the person plays an active role in how she or he perceives reality.
Even though many behaviors would be less risky if they went through the cognitive system, they often go through the experiential system. This means that it is often one's _____ to engage in certain behaviors through the experiential system that wins out.
willingness
Burt is reading a pamphlet on quitting smoking. This might not be effective because _____ appeals may not be incredibly effective for health behaviors.
conscious
Luke hears sirens while he is driving and, without his conscious awareness, emotionally reacts. He quickly pulls over to the side of the road. Which of the five ways that the unconscious is smart relates to this point?
Unconscious emotional associations can promote beneficial decisions.
Raul has been debating about which of two job offers he will accept. Both offers are very similar, and he is getting stressed and tired going over the pros and cons of each position. Which motive does this relate to if Raul wants to make a decision just to be done thinking and worrying?
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