Exam 17: Social Psychology

Mrs.Beatty keeps an extremely clean and tidy house.One neighbor says she's compulsive; Mrs.Beatty,though,says that her job forces her to stay organized,and that she wants to set a good example for her children.These contrasting explanations illustrate the difference between _____ and situational attributions.

Sets of cognitions about people and social experiences are called _____.

If you are exhibiting the self-serving bias,which statement would be your most likely explanation for a poor grade on the test?

The social rank held within a group is termed _____.

In determining the causes of others' behavior,we overemphasize _____ factors; this is the _____.

Which alternative correctly names the psychologist often associated with a given social influence concept?

Which of the following potential explanations is correctly paired with the process it reflects?

The likelihood that an individual will help someone in an emergency situation is _____ correlated with the number of other people present.

A petroleum company enacts a plan to stem the flow of oil gushing from a broken rig.The plan is largely unsuccessful.Nevertheless,the company continues to promote and finance the plan.Which of the following concepts is illustrated in this example?

Which of the following is TRUE of factors that determine changes in attitudes?

Identify the correct statement regarding conformity.

_____is a type of thinking in which group members share such a strong motivation to achieve consensus that they lose the ability to critically evaluate alternative points of view.

Define cognitive dissonance.Review Festinger and Carlsmith's (1959)classic demonstration of cognitive dissonance,being sure to identify the independent and dependent variables in their study.Suggest one real-world example potentially involving cognitive dissonance and indicate several ways that dissonance may be reduced in the situation you describe.

One's impression of another individual may be strongly influenced by the presence of especially important characteristics,called _____traits.

Fiona got an e-mail from her manager,Rebecca,asking her to meet to discuss a past project.Unfortunately,Fiona was struggling to complete a project due that afternoon and had to reply that she was too busy to meet today.Rebecca was not pleased with Fiona's refusal to meet her and told another coworker that she thought Fiona was "too busy and important" to meet with her supervisor; thus,she is an unpleasant snob.Rebecca is making a(n)______ attribution of Fiona.

Which of the following attribution biases is correctly matched with its definition?

Define groupthink.Relate how groupthink might have contributed to the 2003 shuttle disaster.Suggest how groupthink and entrapment might have contributed to the decision to send American troops to Iraq in 2003 and to decisions to remain in Iraq.

_____theory considers how we decide,on the basis of samples of a person's behavior,what the specific causes of that behavior are.

The _____ theory suggests that people tend to be ethnocentric,viewing the world from their own perspective and judging others in terms of their group membership.

Behavior that helps others but that involves some self-sacrifice is termed: