Exam 16: Applying Social Psychology to the Classroom

Self-handicapping is the term that refers to when people act in ways that may undermine their subsequent performances,thereby having anticipatory excuses for potential failures.

It is quite common for students with low grade point averages to predict they will receive considerably higher grades in the approaching term.The text cites this as an example of ______.

Chapter 16 ("Classroom")discusses three cognitive errors.Explain how two of the three cognitive errors may affect students in the classroom environment.

Growing up in an individualistic culture predisposes people to look for personal internal explanations for behavior.

In collectivistic cultures,community cooperation is valued more than individual distinction,and people from those countries tend to favor external rather than internal attributions.

Explain what is meant by the overjustification effect.

Define belief perseverance.

The author of Chapter 16 ("Classroom")and possibly your course instructor may find the focus of the chapter (i.e.,applying social psychology to the classroom)to be very interesting.On the other hand,as you read the chapter for your course,you may not find it all that interesting.Which cognitive process may,in particular,contribute to your lower interest level?

The author of Chapter 16 ("Classroom")advises that if your instructor introduces evidence to support a position about an issue that conflicts with your own views on the issue,you should try to think of reasons why the position supported by the instructor might be correct and reasons why your position might be wrong.This advice is aimed,in particular,at minimizing problems associated with ______.

Describe Smith and Whitehead's (1984)study of how individualism and collectivism influence the fundamental attribution error.

Siegel,Scillitoe,and Parks-Yancy (2005)found that students who engaged in a high self-affirming task (writing about values important to them)were

Lepper,Ross,and Lau (1986)conducted a study in which students solved math problems after viewing a films that provided effective or ineffective instructions on how to solve the problems.This study demonstrated

Suppose that you end up getting a very good grade on this test.Which pattern of attributions most clearly reflects the operation of the self-serving bias?

The major reason that people self-handicap seems to be to

Explain social categorization,and identify two forms of bias associated with this cognitive error.

The overjustification effect is an example of a cognitive error.

Sometimes instructors play the devil's advocate by introducing ideas they do not personally endorse.When this occurs,students may be especially vulnerable to ______.

Suppose an instructor is unhappy with the performance of a student who has received Ds on the first two tests of the course and has missed several classes.The instructor is forming the impression that the student has low interest in the course but decides to speak with the student to ascertain if there are extenuating circumstances.In taking this last step,the instructor (wittingly or unwittingly)is guarding,in particular,against the influence of ______.

Which statement is true of the fundamental attribution error?

Explain what is meant by cognitive errors,and list two types.