Social Psychology Practice Test!

The mere-exposure effect refers to the phenomenon where people tend to develop a preference for things or people that they are repeatedly exposed to. In this scenario, Jimmy initially did not like his teacher, but after spending several weeks in their class, he started to like them. This change in perception can be attributed to the mere-exposure effect, as Jimmy's repeated exposure to his teacher's teaching style and personality led to a shift in his feelings towards them.

Working together to solve a problem can reduce prejudice behavior because it promotes cooperation and interdependence among individuals. When people from different backgrounds come together to achieve a common goal, they develop a sense of unity and empathy towards each other. This shared experience helps break down stereotypes and fosters understanding and acceptance. By focusing on a shared objective, individuals are more likely to see each other as equals and work towards a common solution, thus reducing prejudice behavior.

The foot-in-the-door technique is a persuasive strategy where a person is more likely to comply with a larger request after first agreeing to a smaller, more manageable request. In this scenario, asking the friend to help move just one item in the room is the small request, which increases the likelihood of them eventually agreeing to help clean the entire room. This technique works by gradually escalating the size of the requests, making it easier for the person to justify their actions and reduce cognitive dissonance.

Social Facilitation occurs when the presence of other people watching improves a person's performance. This phenomenon suggests that individuals are more likely to perform better on tasks or activities when they are being observed by others. The presence of an audience can enhance motivation, increase arousal levels, and improve focus and concentration, leading to improved performance. This effect is commonly seen in situations such as sports competitions or public speaking, where individuals tend to perform better when there is an audience present.

Cognitive dissonance refers to the psychological discomfort that arises when a person holds conflicting beliefs or attitudes, or when their behavior contradicts their beliefs. In this scenario, the person feels guilty or uncomfortable because they are aware that they are not being truthful with their friends, which creates a conflict between their behavior and their belief in honesty. This discomfort can lead to cognitive dissonance, as the person may experience internal tension and seek to resolve it by either changing their behavior or rationalizing their actions.

Groupthink is a phenomenon where individuals prioritize maintaining harmony within a group over expressing their own opinions or disagreeing with the group consensus. This can lead to a lack of critical thinking and independent decision-making, as individuals may conform to the dominant group opinion to avoid conflict or maintain social cohesion. Groupthink can hinder creativity, innovation, and effective problem-solving within a group setting.

In-group bias refers to the tendency of individuals to favor and support their own group over other groups. This bias leads individuals to perceive their own group as superior and correct. It can manifest in various forms such as favoritism, loyalty, and prejudice towards out-group members. In-group bias can influence decision-making, behavior, and attitudes, often leading to discrimination and exclusion of individuals from other groups. This bias can arise due to a sense of identity, belonging, and the desire to maintain a positive social identity.

Diffusion of responsibility is the tendency for individuals to feel less personally responsible for taking action or helping others when they are in a group. In this scenario, people are less likely to help someone because they assume that someone else in the group will take responsibility. This phenomenon occurs because the presence of others creates a sense of shared responsibility and reduces individual accountability.

The fundamental attribution error occurs when a person underestimates or does not consider situational attributes and focuses too much on dispositional attributes or personal factors. This means that individuals tend to attribute someone's behavior to their internal characteristics or personality traits, rather than considering the external circumstances or situational factors that may have influenced their behavior.

Jimmy's belief that he is not a good student is reinforced by constantly hearing it from others. As a result, he starts to act in a way that aligns with this perception, which ultimately fulfills the prophecy that he is not a good student. This scenario exemplifies a self-fulfilling prophecy, where a person's belief about themselves or others influences their behavior and ultimately becomes true.

Deindividuation refers to a psychological phenomenon where an individual loses their sense of self-awareness and personal identity when they are part of a group or crowd. In this scenario, Jimmy's behavior at the party is unexpected and contrasts with his quiet demeanor at school. This sudden change in behavior can be attributed to deindividuation, as Jimmy may feel less self-conscious and more inclined to engage in uninhibited actions when surrounded by a larger group of people at the party.

Philip Zimbardo set up the Stanford Prison experiment to observe if the authority position of being a prison guard would cause people to act differently.

In Soloman Ache's experiment on conformity, 76% of the subjects gave the wrong answer because the group unanimously also gave the wrong answer. This suggests that individuals are more likely to conform to the group consensus, even if they know the correct answer. The influence of the group can be strong enough to override one's own judgment or knowledge, leading to a high percentage of participants giving an incorrect response.

Believing that all homeless people are responsible for their outcomes or got what they deserved would be an example of blaming the victim. This attribution process involves attributing negative outcomes or circumstances to the individual's own actions or characteristics, rather than considering external factors or systemic issues that may have contributed to their situation. It often involves overlooking the complex factors that can lead to homelessness, such as economic inequality, mental health issues, or lack of social support.

According to the elaboration likelihood model, there are two routes of persuasion: the central route and the peripheral route. The central route involves careful evaluation of the arguments and evidence presented, while the peripheral route relies on peripheral cues such as the attractiveness or credibility of the source. In this scenario, getting caught up in the salesperson's life story and personal triumphs and setbacks indicates that the individual is focusing on peripheral cues rather than evaluating the actual arguments or evidence related to the stereo. Therefore, the correct answer is the peripheral route of persuasion.

In Stanley Milgram's experiment on the role of obedience, the experimenter was the person who worked with Milgram and played the part of an authority figure. The experimenter was responsible for giving instructions to the participants and overseeing the entire experiment. They were the ones who enforced obedience and encouraged the participants to continue administering electric shocks to the learner, even when they expressed discomfort or resistance. The experimenter's role was crucial in shaping the behavior of the participants and testing the limits of their obedience.

Information social influence refers to the phenomenon where individuals are influenced by the expertise and credibility of the person presenting the information. When someone is perceived as an expert, it increases the likelihood that others will listen to them and conform to their ideas. This can happen in various situations, such as when a doctor provides medical advice or when a teacher imparts knowledge in a classroom setting. The expertise and perceived credibility of the person presenting the information play a significant role in shaping the attitudes and behaviors of others.

In Stanley Milgram's experiment on obedience, the "teacher" was the subject who was being observed and did not know the purpose or details of the experiment. The teacher was instructed to administer electric shocks to the learner whenever they answered a question incorrectly. The experiment aimed to study the extent to which individuals would obey authority figures, even if it meant causing harm to others. The teacher's role was crucial in understanding the dynamics of obedience and the potential for individuals to act against their own moral judgment.

The scapegoat theory refers to the tendency of individuals or groups to blame a specific person or group for their own problems or misfortunes. This theory suggests that people often look for someone to hold responsible for their difficulties, and this can lead to prejudice and negative behavior towards the scapegoated individuals or groups. In this case, the given answer correctly identifies the scapegoat theory as the explanation for the behavior of blaming others and responding with negativity towards them.

The actor-observer discrepancy refers to the tendency to attribute one's own behavior to external factors (such as the difficulty of the test) while attributing others' behavior to internal factors (such as their lack of studying). In this scenario, the person failing the test is making an external attribution for their own failure (the test was too hard), but an internal attribution for their friend's failure (they did not study enough). This demonstrates the actor-observer discrepancy.