Question 12.38

If we encounter a person who appears to be high on drugs, and we make the fundamental attribution error, we will probably attribute the person’s behavior to

• a. moral weakness or an addictive personality.
• b. peer pressure.
• c. the easy availability of drugs on city streets.
• d. society’s acceptance of drug use.

a

Question 12.39

We tend to agree to a larger request more readily if we have already agreed to a small request. This tendency is called the __________-__________-__________-__________phenomenon.

foot-in-the-door

Question 12.40

Jamal’s therapist has suggested that Jamal should “act as if” he is confident, even though he feels insecure and shy. Which social psychological theory would best support this suggestion, and what might the therapist be hoping to achieve?

Cognitive dissonance theory best supports this suggestion. If Jamal acts confident, his behavior will contradict his negative self-thoughts, creating cognitive dissonance. To relieve the tension, Jamal may realign his attitudes with his actions by viewing himself as more outgoing and confident.

Question 12.41

Researchers have found that a person is most likely to conform to a group if

• a. the group members have diverse opinions.
• b. the person feels competent and secure.
• c. the person admires the group’s status.
• d. no one else will observe the person’s behavior.

c

Question 12.42

In Milgram’s experiments, the rate of obedience was highest when

• a. the “learner” was at a distance from the “teacher.”
• b. the “learner” was close at hand.
• c. other “teachers” refused to go along with the experimenter.
• d. the “teacher” disliked the “learner.”

a

Question 12.43

Dr. Huang, a popular music professor, delivers fascinating lectures on music history but gets nervous and makes mistakes when describing exam statistics in front of the class. Why does his performance vary by task?

The presence of a large audience generates arousal and strengthens Dr. Huang’s most likely response: enhanced performance on a task he has mastered (teaching music history) and impaired performance on a task he finds difficult (statistics).

Question 12.44

In a group situation that fosters arousal and anonymity, a person sometimes loses self-consciousness and self-control. This phenomenon is called __________.

deindividuation

Question 12.45

Sharing our opinions with like-minded others tends to strengthen our views, a phenomenon referred to as __________.

group polarization

Question 12.46

Prejudice toward a group involves negative feelings, a tendency to discriminate, and overly generalized beliefs referred to as __________.

stereotypes

Question 12.47

If several well-publicized murders are committed by members of a particular group, we may tend to react with fear and suspicion toward all members of that group. In other words, we

• a. blame the victim.
• b. overgeneralize from vivid, memorable cases.
• c. view the world as just.
• d. rationalize inequality.

b

369

Question 12.48

The other-race effect occurs when we assume that other groups are __________ (more/less) homogeneous than our own group.

more

Question 12.49

Evidence of a biochemical influence on aggression is the finding that

• a. aggressive behavior varies widely from culture to culture.
• b. animals can be bred for aggressiveness.
• c. stimulation of an area of the brain’s limbic system produces aggressive behavior.
• d. a higher-than-average level of the hormone testosterone is associated with violent behavior in males.

d

Question 12.50

Studies show that parents of delinquent young people tend to use beatings to enforce discipline. This suggests that aggression can be

• a. learned through direct rewards.
• b. triggered by exposure to violent media.
• c. learned through observation of aggressive models.
• d. caused by hormone changes at puberty.

c

Question 12.51

A statement by 21 social scientists studying the effects of pornography noted that violent pornography

• a. has little effect on most viewers.
• b. is the primary cause of reported and unreported rapes.
• c. leads viewers to be more accepting of coercion in sexual relations.
• d. has no effect, other than short-term arousal and entertainment.

c

Question 12.52

The aspect of X-rated films that most directly influences men’s aggression toward women seems to be the

• a. length of the film.
• b. eroticism portrayed.
• c. depictions of sexual violence.
• d. attractiveness of the actors.

c

Question 12.53

The more familiar a stimulus becomes, the more we tend to like it. This exemplifies the __________ __________ effect.

mere exposure

Question 12.54

A happy couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary is likely to experience deep ___________ love, even though their ____________ love has probably decreased over the years.

companionate; passionate

Question 12.55

After vigorous exercise, you meet an attractive person, and you are suddenly seized by romantic feelings for that person. This response supports the two-factor theory of emotion, which assumes that emotions, such as passionate love, consist of physical arousal plus

• a. a reward.
• b. proximity.
• c. companionate love.
• d. our interpretation of that arousal.

d

Question 12.56

Due to the bystander effect, a particular bystander is less likely to give aid if

• a. the victim is similar to the bystander in appearance.
• b. no one else is present.
• c. other people are present.
• d. the incident occurs in a deserted or rural area.

c

Question 12.57

Our enemies often have many of the same negative impressions of us as we have of them. This exemplifies the concept of __________-__________ perceptions.

mirror-image

Question 12.58

One way of resolving conflicts and fostering cooperation is by giving rival groups shared goals that help them override their differences. These are called __________ goals.

superordinate