,PSYC 101 Module 6 | General Psychology Exam Q&A |
Portage Learning
1. Which of the following best defines social psychology?
A) The study of mental disorders and their treatment
B) The study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real or
imagined presence of others
C) The study of personality traits and individual differences
D) The study of cognitive processes such as memory and problem-solving
Correct Answer: The study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced
by the real or imagined presence of others
Rationale: Social psychology focuses on how individuals think about, influence, and relate
to one another. It examines topics such as attribution, conformity, obedience, prejudice, and
group dynamics. This definition distinguishes social psychology from clinical, personality,
and cognitive psychology.
2. What is attribution in social psychology?
A) The process of forming attitudes about others
B) The process by which we explain the causes of our own and others' behavior
C) The tendency to conform to group norms
D) The process of persuading others to change their beliefs
Correct Answer: The process by which we explain the causes of our own and others'
behavior
Rationale: Attribution theory examines how we explain the causes of behavior, attributing
them to internal dispositions (personality, traits) or external situations. This process
influences our judgments, emotions, and interactions with others. Attitude formation,
conformity, and persuasion are related but distinct concepts.
,3. According to the fundamental attribution error, we tend to:
A) Overestimate the role of situational factors in others' behavior
B) Overestimate the role of dispositional factors in others' behavior
C) Underestimate the role of dispositional factors in our own behavior
D) Overestimate the role of situational factors in our own behavior
Correct Answer: Overestimate the role of dispositional factors in others' behavior
Rationale: The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overestimate the influence of
personal traits and underestimate the influence of situations when judging others' behavior.
This bias is more common in individualistic cultures. The other options describe related but
distinct attributional biases.
4. What is the self-serving bias?
A) The tendency to attribute our successes to external factors and our failures to internal
factors
B) The tendency to attribute our successes to internal factors and our failures to external
factors
C) The tendency to believe that the world is fair and people get what they deserve
D) The tendency to conform to group pressure
Correct Answer: The tendency to attribute our successes to internal factors and our failures
to external factors
Rationale: The self-serving bias protects self-esteem by allowing us to take credit for
successes while blaming external factors for failures. This is a common attributional pattern
in individualistic cultures. The just-world hypothesis is a related but different belief.
5. The just-world hypothesis is the belief that:
A) People get what they deserve and deserve what they get
B) The world is inherently unfair and chaotic
C) Good things happen to good people only
, D) People can control their own fate through hard work
Correct Answer: People get what they deserve and deserve what they get
Rationale: The just-world hypothesis is the cognitive bias that assumes the world is fair,
leading people to believe that good things happen to good people and bad things to bad
people. This belief can lead to victim-blaming. It is a common belief in many cultures.
6. What is the mere exposure effect?
A) The tendency to like people who are similar to us
B) The tendency to develop a preference for things merely because we are familiar with them
C) The tendency to conform to group norms
D) The tendency to obey authority figures
Correct Answer: The tendency to develop a preference for things merely because we are
familiar with them
Rationale: The mere exposure effect describes the phenomenon where repeated exposure to
a stimulus increases liking for it. This effect occurs even without conscious awareness of the
exposure. It is a robust finding in social psychology.
7. What is cognitive dissonance?
A) The discomfort experienced when holding two conflicting beliefs or when behavior
contradicts beliefs
B) The tendency to conform to group pressure
C) The process of persuading others to change their attitudes
D) The tendency to attribute our successes to internal factors
Correct Answer: The discomfort experienced when holding two conflicting beliefs or when
behavior contradicts beliefs
Portage Learning
1. Which of the following best defines social psychology?
A) The study of mental disorders and their treatment
B) The study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real or
imagined presence of others
C) The study of personality traits and individual differences
D) The study of cognitive processes such as memory and problem-solving
Correct Answer: The study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced
by the real or imagined presence of others
Rationale: Social psychology focuses on how individuals think about, influence, and relate
to one another. It examines topics such as attribution, conformity, obedience, prejudice, and
group dynamics. This definition distinguishes social psychology from clinical, personality,
and cognitive psychology.
2. What is attribution in social psychology?
A) The process of forming attitudes about others
B) The process by which we explain the causes of our own and others' behavior
C) The tendency to conform to group norms
D) The process of persuading others to change their beliefs
Correct Answer: The process by which we explain the causes of our own and others'
behavior
Rationale: Attribution theory examines how we explain the causes of behavior, attributing
them to internal dispositions (personality, traits) or external situations. This process
influences our judgments, emotions, and interactions with others. Attitude formation,
conformity, and persuasion are related but distinct concepts.
,3. According to the fundamental attribution error, we tend to:
A) Overestimate the role of situational factors in others' behavior
B) Overestimate the role of dispositional factors in others' behavior
C) Underestimate the role of dispositional factors in our own behavior
D) Overestimate the role of situational factors in our own behavior
Correct Answer: Overestimate the role of dispositional factors in others' behavior
Rationale: The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overestimate the influence of
personal traits and underestimate the influence of situations when judging others' behavior.
This bias is more common in individualistic cultures. The other options describe related but
distinct attributional biases.
4. What is the self-serving bias?
A) The tendency to attribute our successes to external factors and our failures to internal
factors
B) The tendency to attribute our successes to internal factors and our failures to external
factors
C) The tendency to believe that the world is fair and people get what they deserve
D) The tendency to conform to group pressure
Correct Answer: The tendency to attribute our successes to internal factors and our failures
to external factors
Rationale: The self-serving bias protects self-esteem by allowing us to take credit for
successes while blaming external factors for failures. This is a common attributional pattern
in individualistic cultures. The just-world hypothesis is a related but different belief.
5. The just-world hypothesis is the belief that:
A) People get what they deserve and deserve what they get
B) The world is inherently unfair and chaotic
C) Good things happen to good people only
, D) People can control their own fate through hard work
Correct Answer: People get what they deserve and deserve what they get
Rationale: The just-world hypothesis is the cognitive bias that assumes the world is fair,
leading people to believe that good things happen to good people and bad things to bad
people. This belief can lead to victim-blaming. It is a common belief in many cultures.
6. What is the mere exposure effect?
A) The tendency to like people who are similar to us
B) The tendency to develop a preference for things merely because we are familiar with them
C) The tendency to conform to group norms
D) The tendency to obey authority figures
Correct Answer: The tendency to develop a preference for things merely because we are
familiar with them
Rationale: The mere exposure effect describes the phenomenon where repeated exposure to
a stimulus increases liking for it. This effect occurs even without conscious awareness of the
exposure. It is a robust finding in social psychology.
7. What is cognitive dissonance?
A) The discomfort experienced when holding two conflicting beliefs or when behavior
contradicts beliefs
B) The tendency to conform to group pressure
C) The process of persuading others to change their attitudes
D) The tendency to attribute our successes to internal factors
Correct Answer: The discomfort experienced when holding two conflicting beliefs or when
behavior contradicts beliefs
