GRE Psychology Subject Test Questions with
Verified Correct Answers
Attitudes
An opinion or general feeling about cognitions, beliefs, feelings, or behavioral predisposition.
Consistency Theories
Theoretical perspectives from social psychology that hold that people prefer consistency
between attitudes and behaviors, and that people will change or resist changing attitudes
based upon this preference.
balance theory
theory that is concerned with the way 3 elements are related: the person whom we're talking
about (symbolized as P), some other person (symbolized as O), and a thing, idea, or some
other person (symbolized by X). Balance exists when all three fit together harmoniously.
When there isn't balance, there will be stress, and a tendency to remove this stress by
achieving balance; Fritz Heider
cognitive dissonance theory
theory that the conflict or inconsistency between internal attitudes and external behaviors
which may result in a change of attitude; Leon Fistinger
What does increased dissonance lead to?
Increased pressure to decrease dissonance.
free choice & forced compliance
two types of dissonance
free choice dissonance
,dissonance where a person decides between several desirable outcomes
forced compliance dissonance
dissonance where a person is forced into behaving in an inconsistent manner from their
beliefs
post-decision dissonance
dissonance where a person has a feeling of anxiety over whether the correct decision was
made
spreading of alternatives
when alternatives are seen as different after choice is made (the one we chose as better, the
one we rejected as worse)
minimal justification effect
effect studied by Participants who did a boring task, then were asked to tell next person it was
fun for $1 or $20
- Results: $1 participants reported enjoying task more than $20 participants
- Explanation: $20 participants could attribute behavior (saying it was fun) to the $20 they
received, but $1 isn't enough to justify the dissonant behavior. So, $1 participants instead
changed their attitudes about the task
- Festinger and Carlsmith (1959)
self-perception theory
The theory that when our attitudes and feelings are uncertain or ambiguous, we infer these
states by observing our behavior and the situation in which it occurs; Daryl Bem
overjustification effect
, the effect of bribing people to do what they already like doing; they may then see their
actions as externally controlled rather than intrinsically appealing
Model of persuasion
model described by an attitude change as a process of communicating a message with the
intent to persuade someone; Carl Hovland
communicator, communication, and situation
Hovland's model of persuasion components
sleeper effect
effect where persuasive communication from a source of low credibility may become more
acceptable later while communication from high credibility source may decrease; source
credibility study on era controversial topics (one written by an American physicist & another
by a Russian newspaper)
Russain newspaper persuaded 0%, American physicist persuaded 36%; Hovland & Weiss
(1951)
two sided messages
arguments for and against a position; often used for persuasion since such seems to be
"balanced" communication. (News reporting)
Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion
model that suggests 2 routes of persuasion; central & peripheral; Petty & Cacioppo
central route persuasion
Verified Correct Answers
Attitudes
An opinion or general feeling about cognitions, beliefs, feelings, or behavioral predisposition.
Consistency Theories
Theoretical perspectives from social psychology that hold that people prefer consistency
between attitudes and behaviors, and that people will change or resist changing attitudes
based upon this preference.
balance theory
theory that is concerned with the way 3 elements are related: the person whom we're talking
about (symbolized as P), some other person (symbolized as O), and a thing, idea, or some
other person (symbolized by X). Balance exists when all three fit together harmoniously.
When there isn't balance, there will be stress, and a tendency to remove this stress by
achieving balance; Fritz Heider
cognitive dissonance theory
theory that the conflict or inconsistency between internal attitudes and external behaviors
which may result in a change of attitude; Leon Fistinger
What does increased dissonance lead to?
Increased pressure to decrease dissonance.
free choice & forced compliance
two types of dissonance
free choice dissonance
,dissonance where a person decides between several desirable outcomes
forced compliance dissonance
dissonance where a person is forced into behaving in an inconsistent manner from their
beliefs
post-decision dissonance
dissonance where a person has a feeling of anxiety over whether the correct decision was
made
spreading of alternatives
when alternatives are seen as different after choice is made (the one we chose as better, the
one we rejected as worse)
minimal justification effect
effect studied by Participants who did a boring task, then were asked to tell next person it was
fun for $1 or $20
- Results: $1 participants reported enjoying task more than $20 participants
- Explanation: $20 participants could attribute behavior (saying it was fun) to the $20 they
received, but $1 isn't enough to justify the dissonant behavior. So, $1 participants instead
changed their attitudes about the task
- Festinger and Carlsmith (1959)
self-perception theory
The theory that when our attitudes and feelings are uncertain or ambiguous, we infer these
states by observing our behavior and the situation in which it occurs; Daryl Bem
overjustification effect
, the effect of bribing people to do what they already like doing; they may then see their
actions as externally controlled rather than intrinsically appealing
Model of persuasion
model described by an attitude change as a process of communicating a message with the
intent to persuade someone; Carl Hovland
communicator, communication, and situation
Hovland's model of persuasion components
sleeper effect
effect where persuasive communication from a source of low credibility may become more
acceptable later while communication from high credibility source may decrease; source
credibility study on era controversial topics (one written by an American physicist & another
by a Russian newspaper)
Russain newspaper persuaded 0%, American physicist persuaded 36%; Hovland & Weiss
(1951)
two sided messages
arguments for and against a position; often used for persuasion since such seems to be
"balanced" communication. (News reporting)
Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion
model that suggests 2 routes of persuasion; central & peripheral; Petty & Cacioppo
central route persuasion
