Question 1

Mike has just decided to go to the formal with Chris instead of Margaret.He's thinking about how attractive Chris is,and how Margaret has a really annoying laugh.This is an example of
A)upgrading the chosen alternative.
B)upgrading the rejected alternative.
C)Mike feels obliged to take Chris to the formal.
D)Chris wasn't going to ask Margaret to the formal anyways.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of upgrading the chosen alternative because Mike is focusing on the positive aspects of his choice (Chris's attractiveness) and the negative aspects of the option he did not choose (Margaret's annoying laugh), which is a common decision-making behavior to reduce cognitive dissonance.

Question 2

If you want to improve your ability to empathize with others,self-perception theory recommends
A)self-perceptiveness training.
B)overjustification of the other's behaviour.
C)sitting in front of a mirror while talking with others.
D)letting your face mirror the expressions of the person you're trying to empathize with.

Accepted Answer

Letting your face mirror the expressions of the person you're trying to empathize with is recommended by self-perception theory as a way to improve empathy. This technique can help you better understand the emotional state of the other person and feel more connected to them.

Question 3

Milford has always strongly believed that it is wrong to cheat.But after he himself cheats on a chemistry quiz,his attitude toward cheating becomes significantly less harsh.What best accounts for this attitude shift?
A)cognitive dissonance theory
B)self-perception theory
C)reinforcement theory
D)role-playing theory

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory best accounts for this attitude shift. It suggests that Milford is experiencing discomfort from holding two conflicting beliefs (believing cheating is wrong but cheating himself), leading him to change his attitude to reduce the dissonance.

Question 4

According to the research by Burns Vaughan and John Lanzetta,you will feel more empathy for someone with whom you are interacting in person than for someone with whom you are interacting over the telephone because
A)imitating others' expressions help us feel what they are feeling.
B)telephone connections are sometimes unclear.
C)you will be tempted to overjustify yourself.
D)we are more focused on the person while having a telephonic conversation with that person.

Accepted Answer

The research by Burns Vaughan and John Lanzetta suggests that imitating others' expressions helps us feel what they are feeling. When interacting in person, we are able to see and mimic their facial expressions which builds empathy. This is not possible while interacting over the telephone, where we cannot see the person's expressions as clearly.

Question 5

When Laird and colleagues had students frown and contract their facial muscles in their brow,the students reported
A)feeling happy.
B)feeling indifferent.
C)feeling angry.
D)no changes in their feelings.

Accepted Answer

Laird and colleagues found that when students frowned and contracted their facial muscles in their brow, they reported feeling angry. This suggests that facial expressions can influence our emotional state.

Question 6

Brian and Kate are both watching a movie as part of a psychology experiment.Brian is instructed to keep his facial expressions neutral,whereas Kate is told to mimic or "act out" the expressions displayed in the movie.When monitored for changes in emotional arousal,Kate showed greater responses corresponding to emotional scenes in the movie.What is the best explanation for this result?
A)Brian's neutral facial expressions led to a non-emotional attitude about the content of the movie which,in turn,negatively influenced his level of physiological arousal.
B)Brian felt more dissonance at not being able to respond to the movie and suppressed his emotional arousal more than Kate.
C)Kate experienced a form of emotional contagion due to the fact that imitating others' expressions influences our own feelings.
D)Kate is more emotional than Brian,independent of facial expressions,because of gender differences in emotional expression.

Accepted Answer

The best explanation for Kate's greater emotional arousal is that she experienced emotional contagion, where mimicking the facial expressions of the movie characters influenced her own feelings. This is a phenomenon that occurs because of the mirror neuron system, which is responsible for our ability to imitate others' behavior. Brian's neutral facial expressions or gender differences in emotional expression are not relevant to this explanation.

Question 7

The attitudes-follow-behaviour effect is greatest when
A)there is insufficient justification for the behaviour.
B)there is overjustification for the behaviour.
C)there is no choice over the behaviour.
D)there are others engaged in the same behaviour.

Accepted Answer

The attitudes-follow-behaviour effect refers to the phenomenon of how people tend to align their beliefs and attitudes with their behaviors. This effect is greatest when there is insufficient justification for the behavior, meaning that the behavior does not align with the person's prior beliefs or attitudes. This creates cognitive dissonance, which is uncomfortable, and so the person changes their beliefs or attitudes to match their behavior in order to reduce the dissonance. Therefore, choice A is the best answer.

Question 8

Mussweiler conducted a study where participants were instructed to move and act like how they believed someone who was obese would move,including wearing extra weights,and then give their impression about a target person.This study found that participants whose movements simulated obesity rated a described target person as
A)having the traits of a stereotyped obese person.
B)having traits opposite to those of a stereotyped obese person.
C)no differently than the control group who did not simulate these movements.
D)more like themselves than having traits of a stereotyped obese person.

Accepted Answer

The study found that participants who simulated obesity tended to rate the described target person as having traits of a stereotyped obese person. This suggests that embodying certain physical characteristics can influence one's perception and judgment of others.

Question 9

Research indicates that after making important decisions that involve choosing between equally attractive alternatives,we
A)experience very little cognitive dissonance once the choice is made.
B)reduce dissonance by trying to think about something else.
C)reduce dissonance by downgrading the rejected alternative.
D)reduce dissonance by verbalizing the weaknesses of the chosen alternative.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that individuals tend to reduce dissonance by downgrading the rejected alternative after making decisions that involve choosing between equally attractive alternatives. This helps to justify the chosen alternative and reduce uncomfortable feelings of cognitive dissonance.

Question 10

In which of the following situations would cognitive dissonance theorists predict that the person is experiencing dissonance?
A)Dan is trying to decide whether to buy a new or used bicycle.
B)Just as Mike finishes mowing the lawn,it begins to rain.
C)Sara has just been accepted into law school.
D)Nancy has just chosen to attend City College rather than State University,even after receiving equally attractive scholarship offers from both.

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theorists predict that people experience dissonance when they have to make a difficult decision between equally attractive alternatives. Nancy's situation fits this description because she had to choose between two equally attractive options (City College and State University) and her decision may cause her to feel some discomfort or dissonance.

Question 11

Deciding-becomes-believing causes voters to indicate more esteem and confidence in a candidate
A)long before they vote.
B)just before they vote.
C)just after they vote.
D)just after the results are known.

Accepted Answer

Deciding-becomes-believing causes voters to indicate more esteem and confidence in a candidate just after they vote. This phenomenon occurs because making a choice often leads individuals to justify their decision and view their choice in a more favorable light.

Question 12

William James,the self-perception theory,and research findings do NOT suggest that
A)your gait cannot influence how you feel.
B)your posture cannot influence how you feel.
C)your facial expressions can influence how you feel.
D)your facial expressions cannot influence how you feel.

Accepted Answer

The answer of William James,the self-perception theory,and research findings do...

Question 13

Which of the following statements is true?
A)People feel more confident just after betting on a horse than just before betting.
B)Contestants at a carnival game feel more confident of winning before agreeing to play than just after agreeing to play.
C)Voters are more confident in a candidate just before voting than just after voting.
D)Voters are less confident in a candidate just after voting than before voting.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is related to the concept of cognitive dissonance and commitment. Once people make a decision, such as placing a bet, they tend to feel more confident in the outcome. This is because making a choice often leads to a psychological need to justify that choice, thereby increasing confidence in the decision made.

Question 14

Kristine and her brother Ed have a friendly bet about which team,the Pittsburgh Penguins versus the Detroit Red Wings,is going to win the NHL playoffs.Kristine places her bet on the Penguins,and Ed on the Red Wings.Right after making their bet,both Kristine and Ed become overconfident that their team is going to win.This is an example of
A)the seeing-is-believing effect.
B)the deciding-becomes-believing effect.
C)the door-in-the-face phenomenon.
D)the believing-is-acting effect.

Accepted Answer

The deciding-becomes-believing effect is when we become overconfident in our beliefs or decisions after making them. In this case, Kristine and Ed become overconfident in their respective team's chances of winning the playoffs after placing their bet.

Question 15

Wells and Petty asked students to listen to a tape-recorded radio editorial while testing the fit of earphone headsets.The students later said that they would have agreed more with the editorial they had heard on the tape if they had been
A)distracted and unable to listen carefully.
B)wearing the lightest,most comfortable headsets.
C)given the choice of which editorial they would hear.
D)instructed to test the headsets by nodding.

Accepted Answer

The nodding motion while testing the headsets could subconsciously influence the students to agree more with the content they were hearing, as nodding is a physical action associated with agreement.

Question 16

Carol is in a bad mood and has been moping around all day.Her friend Jessica convinces her to come out to a club and dance away her depression.Although Carol is skeptical,she goes and after a while,starts to feel in a more positive and energetic mood.This example demonstrates that
A)emotion and behaviour are unrelated.
B)there is only a weak relationship between behaviour and attitudes.
C)going through the motions can trigger the emotions.
D)affiliation with others is a good cure for "the blues."

Accepted Answer

Carol's experience suggests that going through the motions of dancing and being around others can trigger a change in emotions, indicating that there is a relationship between behaviour and emotions.

Question 17

Beth is torn between buying a Toyota Camry and a Honda Accord-two equally attractive options.After finally deciding on the Toyota,Beth will likely
A)regret her decision for as long as she owns the car.
B)think about all the positive features of the Honda.
C)dwell on the negative features of the Toyota.
D)think about and even upgrade all the positive features of the Toyota.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of post-decision dissonance, where after we make a decision, we tend to amplify the positive aspects of our chosen option and downplay the positive aspects of the rejected option to justify our decision. Therefore, Beth is likely to focus on and even upgrade all the positive features of the Toyota Camry she has chosen.

Question 18

Researcher Jack Brehm had women rate the desirability of various appliances before and after they had chosen one to keep for themselves.Brehm found that after the women had chosen a particular appliance,they
A)decreased their rating of its desirability.
B)expressed increased interest in learning about the others.
C)increased their rating of its desirability.
D)increased their rating of how desirable the others were.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is explained by cognitive dissonance theory. After making a choice, individuals tend to increase their liking or desirability rating of the chosen option to reduce the dissonance (mental discomfort) experienced from rejecting the other options.

Question 19

In applying the principle of cognitive dissonance to have others develop their own internal standards for new behaviour,managers,teachers,and parents should use _________ to elicit the desired behaviour.
A)reminders of their legitimate authority
B)only social punishments and rewards
C)promises rather than threats
D)the smallest possible incentive

Accepted Answer

The principle of cognitive dissonance suggests that when there is a discrepancy between beliefs and behaviors, individuals will feel an uncomfortable tension (dissonance) and will be motivated to reduce this discomfort by changing their beliefs or behaviors to make them consistent. Using the smallest possible incentive to elicit the desired behavior encourages individuals to internally justify their actions, leading to the development of their own internal standards for the new behavior. This is because when the external incentive is minimal, individuals cannot attribute their action to the incentive, thus they are more likely to change their internal beliefs to align with their actions.

Question 20

Based on the findings of James Laird's research on self-perception,if you want to feel happier you should
A)compare yourself to those who are worse off.
B)act happy by smiling.
C)assume an unhappy expression like frowning.
D)reward yourself after you have met your goals.

Accepted Answer

According to James Laird's research, acting happy by smiling can actually make a person feel happier. This is because our bodily actions and expressions can influence our emotions and attitudes. Therefore, choosing to act happy by smiling can be an effective way to feel happier.

Quiz 4: Behaviour and Attitudes

Mike has just decided to go to the formal with Chris instead of Margaret.He's thinking about how attractive Chris is,and how Margaret has a really annoying laugh.This is an example of

If you want to improve your ability to empathize with others,self-perception theory recommends

Milford has always strongly believed that it is wrong to cheat.But after he himself cheats on a chemistry quiz,his attitude toward cheating becomes significantly less harsh.What best accounts for this attitude shift?

According to the research by Burns Vaughan and John Lanzetta,you will feel more empathy for someone with whom you are interacting in person than for someone with whom you are interacting over the telephone because

When Laird and colleagues had students frown and contract their facial muscles in their brow,the students reported

The attitudes-follow-behaviour effect is greatest when

Research indicates that after making important decisions that involve choosing between equally attractive alternatives,we

In which of the following situations would cognitive dissonance theorists predict that the person is experiencing dissonance?

Deciding-becomes-believing causes voters to indicate more esteem and confidence in a candidate

William James,the self-perception theory,and research findings do NOT suggest that

Which of the following statements is true?

Wells and Petty asked students to listen to a tape-recorded radio editorial while testing the fit of earphone headsets.The students later said that they would have agreed more with the editorial they had heard on the tape if they had been

Carol is in a bad mood and has been moping around all day.Her friend Jessica convinces her to come out to a club and dance away her depression.Although Carol is skeptical,she goes and after a while,starts to feel in a more positive and energetic mood.This example demonstrates that

Beth is torn between buying a Toyota Camry and a Honda Accord-two equally attractive options.After finally deciding on the Toyota,Beth will likely

Researcher Jack Brehm had women rate the desirability of various appliances before and after they had chosen one to keep for themselves.Brehm found that after the women had chosen a particular appliance,they

In applying the principle of cognitive dissonance to have others develop their own internal standards for new behaviour,managers,teachers,and parents should use _________ to elicit the desired behaviour.

Based on the findings of James Laird's research on self-perception,if you want to feel happier you should