Question 1

Which of the following is the weakest explanation for the fundamental attribution error?

Accepted Answer

A)   Behavior is more noticeable than situational factors.
B)   People are cognitive misers and internal attributions are easier.
C)   Situational factors are not reliable indicators.
D)   People assign insufficient weight to situational causes even when they are aware of them. C

Question 2

The so-called illusory correlation can most directly help explain ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   why people tend to think that they are "better than average" on most traits and abilities
B)   why people tend to overestimate the degree to which members of minority groups engage in criminal behaviors
C)   why people tend to continue to gamble even when they have hit an "unlucky streak"
D)   why people tend to assume that it is more common for people to die from plane crashes than from lung cancer B

Question 3

Recent research suggests that the basic distinction people make in attribution processes is between _________________ and _________________ behavior.

Accepted Answer

intentional unintentional,unintentional intentional

Question 4

Research indicates that ____ and ____ are two main motivations underlying the self-serving bias.

Accepted Answer

A)   self-enhancement; self-presentation
B)   self-enhancement; consistency
C)   self-presentation; social comparison
D)   consistency; social comparison

Question 5

The field of social cognition first emerged in the ____ as ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   1920s; a discipline that predated and helped to spur the development of cognitive psychology
B)   1920s; a discipline that predated and helped to spur the development of, social psychology
C)   1970s; a movement within social psychology
D)   1970s; a discipline that is replacing social psychology

Question 6

The tendency to judge the frequency or likelihood of an event by the ease with which relevant instances come to mind is called the ________________ heuristic.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The tendency to judge the frequency or...

Question 7

People tend to attribute their own behaviors to situational factors, but to attribute others' behaviors to dispositional factors. This pattern is known as the ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   fundamental attribution error
B)   heuristic effect
C)   self-serving bias
D)   actor-observer effect

Question 8

Research indicates that ____ engage in counterfactual thinking; and that ____ engage in meta-cognition.

Accepted Answer

A)   both humans and other animals; both humans and other animals
B)   both humans and other animals; only humans
C)   only humans; both humans and other animals
D)   only humans; only humans

Question 9

Kelly runs by the bank to check her balance and get cash before visiting her grandparents. Normally when she visits her grandparents, she walks with them slowly, at their pace. Today, though, after her earlier visit to the bank, she finds herself walking faster than them. This is because the visit to the bank probably produced a(n) ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   dissimilarity mindset
B)   availability bias
C)   anchoring bias
D)   similarity mindset

Question 10

The unconscious mind would struggle most with the meaning of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)   dead enemy
B)   happy children
C)   sad tears
D)   loving home

Question 11

Suppose that Greg and Marsha both apply for a prestigious scholarship program, and both get rejected. Greg finds out that his application was flat out rejected (he never had a chance), while Marsha finds out that she was the first runner up (she nearly won). Who is likely to be more disappointed? Why?

Accepted Answer

A)   Greg-because of the simulation heuristic
B)   Greg-because of the confirmation bias
C)   Marsha-because of the simulation heuristic
D)   Marsha-because of the confirmation bias

Question 12

Wing Tung is reading his textbook for history class. At the end of each paragraph, he stops and asks himself what the paragraph was about. Once he feels like he knows that, he goes on. Wing Tung is using ____ to improve his thinking.

Accepted Answer

A)   meta-cognition
B)   contamination
C)   conjunction
D)   attribution

Question 13

When William James spoke of "wakening the associations," he was referring to ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   knowledge structures
B)   priming
C)   framing
D)   simulation

Question 14

The tendency for people to judge the frequency or likelihood of an event by the ease with which they can imagine or mentally visualize it is known as the ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   representativeness heuristic
B)   anchoring and adjustment heuristic
C)   simulation heuristic
D)   confirmation bias

Question 15

Suppose that you are trying to guess how much money a co-worker of yours makes. You have no idea how much she makes off-hand. To try to guess, you start with your own salary and then add on a few dollars since she has been at your workplace longer than you have. That is, you make use of the ________________ heuristic.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Suppose that you are trying to guess...

Question 16

Research shows that people tend to engage in fewer cognitive errors and biases in everyday thinking ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   as a result of having had graduate training involving statistical reasoning, but not when they are simply encouraged to carefully consider different alternatives
B)   when they are encouraged to carefully consider different alternatives, but not as a result of having had graduate training involving statistical reasoning
C)   both as a result of graduate training involving statistical reasoning, and when they are encouraged to carefully consider different alternatives
D)   neither as a result of having had graduate training involving statistical reasoning, nor when they are encouraged to carefully consider different alternatives

Question 17

The tendency to overestimate the link between variables that are related only slightly or not at all after just one exposure to a group member performing a behavior illustrates the ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   illusory correlation
B)   one-shot illusory correlation
C)   hot hand
D)   magical thinking

Question 18

Recall the "Castro study" conducted by Jones and Harris. In this study, participants were asked to read an essay that was supposedly written by another student. The essay was always about Castro, but it was either pro-Castro or anti-Castro. Also, participants were told either (a) that the essay-writer got to choose which side to take (pro- or anti-), or (b) that the essay-writer was ASSIGNED to one side or the other. The researchers found that ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   participants made the fundamental attribution error-but only for the pro-Castro essays
B)   participants made the fundamental attribution error-but only for the anti-Castro essays
C)   participants made the fundamental attribution error for both types of essays
D)   participants only made the fundamental attribution error when they themselves had strong views about Castro

Question 19

Suppose that you meet an old man named Al. You have no idea how old he is. To try to guess his age you start with your grandfather's age (80), and then add on a few years since Al seems to be a little older. That is, you make use of ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   priming
B)   counterfactual thinking
C)   the anchoring and adjustment heuristic
D)   the simulation heuristic

Question 20

Isabelle is exhausted from staying up too late and doesn't perform very well at her swim meet as a result. Isabelle will probably describe her poor performance as ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   unintentional and due to exhaustion
B)   unintentional and due to staying up too late
C)   intentional and due to exhaustion
D)   intentional and due to staying up too late

Exam 5: Social Cognition

Which of the following is the weakest explanation for the fundamental attribution error?

The so-called illusory correlation can most directly help explain ____.

Recent research suggests that the basic distinction people make in attribution processes is between _ and _ behavior.

Research indicates that and are two main motivations underlying the self-serving bias.

The field of social cognition first emerged in the as .