PSYC 1F90 FINAL EXAM UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Question: social psychology
Correct Answer: the study of how people think and behave in social situations. understanding how being
around other people impacts our psychology and behavior
Question: culture
Correct Answer: an ongoing pattern of life, characterizing a society at a given point in history
Question: ingroup
Correct Answer: group with which you feel a sense of belonging. Defined by nationality, gender, religion
Question: outgroup
Correct Answer: any group to which you do not belong
Question: ingroup favoritism
Correct Answer: we attribute positive attributes to our ingroup and negative attributes to our outgroup
Question: social role
Correct Answer: position within a group that has specific expectations about how one should behave
Question: social norms
Correct Answer: widely accepted standards for appropriate behavior within the group
Question: social cognition
Correct Answer: process of thinking about ourselves and others in social context
Question: characteristics of groups
Correct Answer: group structure, group cohesion, norms
Question: characteristics of individuals within groups
Correct Answer: social role, social status, social power
Question: social comparison
Correct Answer: making judgements about ourselves through comparisons with others
Question: three motives for engaging in social comparison
Correct Answer: provide information, meet a need for self protection, prompt self improvement
Question: attribution
Correct Answer: determining why people act as they do. can be internal or external
Question: internal attribution
Correct Answer: explaining a persons behavior as being the product of their personality
Question: external attribution
Correct Answer: explaining a persons behavior as being a product of their situation
,Question: situational demands
Correct Answer: pressures of norms that influence behavior in particular setting and social situations
Question: fundamental attribution error
Correct Answer: the tendency to attribute the behavior of others to internal causes without regard to
external influences
Question: actor observer bias
Correct Answer: we are more likely to ascribe our own behavior to external causes and the behavior of
others to internal causes
Question: self serving attributions
Correct Answer: a positive outcome will be explained in terms of internal causes. Negative outcome will
be explained in terms of external causes
Question: self handicapping
Correct Answer: placing obstacles in the way of your success to protect your self esteem from future
failure. Excuse for poor performance
Question: attitude
Correct Answer: positive or negative perception of people, objects, or issues.
Question: three components if an attitude
Correct Answer: beliefs, emotions, and actions
Question: cognitive dissonance
Correct Answer: state of psychological discomfort resulting from inconsistency between our beliefs and
behaviors
Question: Four ways attitudes can be formed
Correct Answer: direct contact with the object, chance conditioning, interactions with others, media
Question: three ways to measure attitudes
Correct Answer: 1. open ended interview 2. social distance scale 3. attitude scales
Question: Two factors that help explain attitude change
Correct Answer: 1. reference group: a group that the individuals used as a standard 2. cognitive
dissonance: states or attitudes contradict one another
Question: social influence
Correct Answer: changes in a persons behavior induced by the presence of actions of other
Question: social facilitation
Correct Answer: the presence of others improves performance
Question: social interference
Correct Answer: tendency to perform more poorly in the presence of others
Question: mere presence
, Correct Answer: people change behavior because others are nearby
Question: social loafing
Correct Answer: tendency to exert less effort when part of a group than when alone
Question: conformity
Correct Answer: when we change our behavior or opinions to be in agreement with other people
Question: Sherif's Autokinetic study
Correct Answer: members were asked to publicly estimate how much light moved. the group converged
on their estimates. similar answers were given when group was tested individually. suggests that
participants felt no pressure to conform
Question: group sanctions
Correct Answer: rewards and punishments administered by groups to enforce conformity
Question: five factors that contribute to likelihood that people will be susceptible to group pressures
Correct Answer: personal traits, culture, group membership, size of group, size of majority
Question: groupthink
Correct Answer: flawed decision making in which a collection of individuals favor conformity over
critical analysis
Question: Solomon Aschs (1956) study of conformity
Correct Answer: 75% of participants conformed and gave the wrong answer at least once
Question: compliance
Correct Answer: bending to the requests of another person who has little to no authority
Question: persuasion
Correct Answer: deliberate attempt to change beliefs or behavior with information
Question: three factors that influence persuasiveness
Correct Answer: the communicator, the message, the audience
Question: foot in the door effect
Correct Answer: when someone agrees to a small request they are more likely to comply with a larger
demand
Question: door in the face effect
Correct Answer: person who refused major request is more likely to agree to smaller request
Question: lowball technique
Correct Answer: get a person committed, then make less desirable demands
Question: obedience
Correct Answer: comply with request of someone in authority
Question: coercion
CORRECT Answers
Question: social psychology
Correct Answer: the study of how people think and behave in social situations. understanding how being
around other people impacts our psychology and behavior
Question: culture
Correct Answer: an ongoing pattern of life, characterizing a society at a given point in history
Question: ingroup
Correct Answer: group with which you feel a sense of belonging. Defined by nationality, gender, religion
Question: outgroup
Correct Answer: any group to which you do not belong
Question: ingroup favoritism
Correct Answer: we attribute positive attributes to our ingroup and negative attributes to our outgroup
Question: social role
Correct Answer: position within a group that has specific expectations about how one should behave
Question: social norms
Correct Answer: widely accepted standards for appropriate behavior within the group
Question: social cognition
Correct Answer: process of thinking about ourselves and others in social context
Question: characteristics of groups
Correct Answer: group structure, group cohesion, norms
Question: characteristics of individuals within groups
Correct Answer: social role, social status, social power
Question: social comparison
Correct Answer: making judgements about ourselves through comparisons with others
Question: three motives for engaging in social comparison
Correct Answer: provide information, meet a need for self protection, prompt self improvement
Question: attribution
Correct Answer: determining why people act as they do. can be internal or external
Question: internal attribution
Correct Answer: explaining a persons behavior as being the product of their personality
Question: external attribution
Correct Answer: explaining a persons behavior as being a product of their situation
,Question: situational demands
Correct Answer: pressures of norms that influence behavior in particular setting and social situations
Question: fundamental attribution error
Correct Answer: the tendency to attribute the behavior of others to internal causes without regard to
external influences
Question: actor observer bias
Correct Answer: we are more likely to ascribe our own behavior to external causes and the behavior of
others to internal causes
Question: self serving attributions
Correct Answer: a positive outcome will be explained in terms of internal causes. Negative outcome will
be explained in terms of external causes
Question: self handicapping
Correct Answer: placing obstacles in the way of your success to protect your self esteem from future
failure. Excuse for poor performance
Question: attitude
Correct Answer: positive or negative perception of people, objects, or issues.
Question: three components if an attitude
Correct Answer: beliefs, emotions, and actions
Question: cognitive dissonance
Correct Answer: state of psychological discomfort resulting from inconsistency between our beliefs and
behaviors
Question: Four ways attitudes can be formed
Correct Answer: direct contact with the object, chance conditioning, interactions with others, media
Question: three ways to measure attitudes
Correct Answer: 1. open ended interview 2. social distance scale 3. attitude scales
Question: Two factors that help explain attitude change
Correct Answer: 1. reference group: a group that the individuals used as a standard 2. cognitive
dissonance: states or attitudes contradict one another
Question: social influence
Correct Answer: changes in a persons behavior induced by the presence of actions of other
Question: social facilitation
Correct Answer: the presence of others improves performance
Question: social interference
Correct Answer: tendency to perform more poorly in the presence of others
Question: mere presence
, Correct Answer: people change behavior because others are nearby
Question: social loafing
Correct Answer: tendency to exert less effort when part of a group than when alone
Question: conformity
Correct Answer: when we change our behavior or opinions to be in agreement with other people
Question: Sherif's Autokinetic study
Correct Answer: members were asked to publicly estimate how much light moved. the group converged
on their estimates. similar answers were given when group was tested individually. suggests that
participants felt no pressure to conform
Question: group sanctions
Correct Answer: rewards and punishments administered by groups to enforce conformity
Question: five factors that contribute to likelihood that people will be susceptible to group pressures
Correct Answer: personal traits, culture, group membership, size of group, size of majority
Question: groupthink
Correct Answer: flawed decision making in which a collection of individuals favor conformity over
critical analysis
Question: Solomon Aschs (1956) study of conformity
Correct Answer: 75% of participants conformed and gave the wrong answer at least once
Question: compliance
Correct Answer: bending to the requests of another person who has little to no authority
Question: persuasion
Correct Answer: deliberate attempt to change beliefs or behavior with information
Question: three factors that influence persuasiveness
Correct Answer: the communicator, the message, the audience
Question: foot in the door effect
Correct Answer: when someone agrees to a small request they are more likely to comply with a larger
demand
Question: door in the face effect
Correct Answer: person who refused major request is more likely to agree to smaller request
Question: lowball technique
Correct Answer: get a person committed, then make less desirable demands
Question: obedience
Correct Answer: comply with request of someone in authority
Question: coercion
