Question 1

Which of the following is NOT supported by the "what is beautiful is good" stereotype?

Accepted Answer

The "what is beautiful is good" stereotype is concerned with judgments about personality traits, such as friendliness or intelligence, and competence, rather than morality.

Question 2

Researchers provided men with photographs of either attractive women or unattractive women and told the men that their conversation partner was the woman in the photograph. They found that men who believed they were talking with an attractive woman __________ than did men who thought they were talking with an unattractive woman.

Accepted Answer

Men who believed they were talking with an attractive woman behaved in a warmer way than did men who thought they were talking with an unattractive woman.

Question 3

An evolutionary psychologist would be most likely to base theories on __________.

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary psychology is concerned with how evolutionary adaptations have shaped psychological processes, and therefore theories in this field are based on the concept of natural selection.

Question 4

Of the following statements regarding attraction, which one is correct?

Accepted Answer

Several studies have shown that physical attractiveness affects how both men and women are treated. People rated as more physically attractive receive more positive social interactions, such as more smiles, better customer service, and higher ratings for job applications. Both men and women are also more likely to be given preferential treatment in hiring decisions.

Question 5

In all likelihood, there is a kernel of truth to the "what is beautiful is good" stereotype; that is, attractive people are often more warm and socially skilled than less attractive people. According to the authors, this is probably because attractive people __________.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that attractive people are often treated more positively by others, which may lead them to have more positive self-perceptions and higher social skills. This means that the "what is beautiful is good" stereotype likely has some truth to it, as attractiveness can lead to more positive outcomes in social interactions.

Question 6

Research examining the "what is beautiful is good" stereotype cross-culturally has found that __________.

Accepted Answer

According to the research mentioned in the question, both Americans and Koreans believe that more attractive people are more sociable, friendly, popular, and likable. Therefore, option A is the correct answer. Option B, C, and D are not supported by the given information.

Question 7

Researchers (Wheeler & Kim, 1997) asked American, Canadian, and Korean students to rate the attractiveness of people in yearbook photographs, and to rate the people in the photographs on a number of personality dimensions. Whereas Koreans associated "beautiful" with integrity and concern for others, North Americans associated "beautiful" with personal strength. These differences suggest that __________.

Accepted Answer

The study's findings indicate that cultural values shape stereotypes about beauty, with individualistic cultures emphasizing personal strength as a defining feature of beauty, while collectivistic cultures prioritize integrity and concern for others.

Question 8

Researchers provided men with photographs of either attractive women or unattractive women and told the men that their conversation partner was the woman in the photograph. They found that when independent raters evaluated the women's side of the conversation, women who were believed to be attractive actually behaved in a more confident, animated, and warm manner than did women who were believed to be unattractive. These results demonstrate that the __________ might explain why there is a kernel of truth to the "what is beautiful is good" stereotype.

Accepted Answer

The self-fulfilling prophecy is demonstrated in this study because the men's belief that they were conversing with an attractive or unattractive woman influenced the women's behavior during the conversation, leading attractive women to behave in a more confident, animated, and warm manner. This shows that the men's initial beliefs influenced the outcome of the interaction, supporting the idea that one's beliefs can create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 9

From the study by Buss and his colleagues, which of the following statements is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

From the study by Buss and his colleagues, it was found that men prefer potential mates who are younger than they are, but there is no evidence to suggest that women also prefer younger mates. Therefore, statement B is false. Statements A, C, and D are all supported by the study.

Question 10

Advocates of which of the following approaches believe that men and women have different agendas in their relationships with each other?

Accepted Answer

Advocates of evolutionary psychology believe that men and women have different agendas in their relationships with each other due to differences in their evolutionary history and biological makeup. This theory suggests that men have evolved to prioritize physical attractiveness and fertility in their partners, while women prioritize resources and protection for themselves and their offspring. This view contrasts with theories such as equity theory and social exchange theory, which focus more on the concept of fairness and equal treatment in relationships regardless of gender. Social attachment theory also does not specifically address the differences in agendas between men and women.

Question 11

The reproductive success of __________ is measured by the quantity of their offspring, whereas the reproductive success of __________ is measured by raising their offspring to maturity.

Accepted Answer

Men's reproductive success is often measured by the quantity of offspring they can produce, while women's reproductive success is typically measured by their ability to raise offspring to maturity, due to differing biological investments in reproduction.

Question 12

According to an evolutionary approach to love, why do women prefer men with resources, whereas men prefer women who are attractive?

Accepted Answer

According to evolutionary psychology, women prefer men with resources because such resources (such as wealth, status, or intelligence) signal competence, the ability to provide for them and their offspring, and thus potential stability for the family. On the other hand, men are attracted to women who are physically attractive because such features signal reproductive fitness, or the ability to bear healthy offspring. These preferences are seen as adaptive because they enhance reproductive success and hence have been selected for over evolutionary time.

Question 13

Researchers (Wheeler & Kim, 1997) asked American, Canadian, and Korean students to rate the attractiveness of people in yearbook photographs, and to rate the people in the photographs on a number of personality dimensions. They found that __________ students were likely to associate attractiveness with __________.

Accepted Answer

According to the study, all students (American, Canadian, and Korean) were likely to associate attractiveness with friendliness.

Question 14

According to the tenets of evolutionary theory, reproduction is more costly (in terms of time, energy, and effort) for females than it is for males. Thus, it is advantageous for males to __________ and for females to __________.

Accepted Answer

This is the classic strategy of sexual selection in many species, where males attempt to mate with as many females as possible in order to maximize their reproductive success, while females are more selective and choose carefully the males they will mate with, often only with a single male.

Question 15

Physical beauty confers only limited advantages. Researchers have found that people are MOST likely to associate physical attractiveness with __________.

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that people are most likely to associate physical attractiveness with social competence. This includes traits such as confidence, likability, and social skills. Intelligence, integrity, and self-esteem are not consistently associated with physical attractiveness.

Question 16

Brian does not know anything about Sally except that she is very attractive. Based on research presented in the text, Brian is MOST likely to make the attribution that Sally is __________.

Accepted Answer

The "halo effect" is a psychological phenomenon where an individual's overall impression of a person influences how they feel and think about that person's character. In this case, because Brian finds Sally very attractive, he is more likely to attribute positive social qualities to her, such as being sociable and extroverted, due to the halo effect.

Question 17

Evolutionary theory suggests that __________ should be attracted to __________.

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary theory posits that women are generally attracted to older, more financially stable men due to the perceived ability of these men to provide resources and stability for offspring, aligning with evolutionary pressures for reproductive success and survival.

Question 18

Michelle is online looking for a date to an upcoming event. She notices one very attractive individual who has posted interest in attending the event as well. She thinks he is likely to be very sociable, but her roommate who is from Korea thinks he will also be a good match because he will be __________.

Accepted Answer

This question is based on the stereotype that attractive individuals are perceived to be more sociable and also more generous, among other positive traits. This phenomenon is known as the "halo effect," where one positive characteristic of a person (such as physical attractiveness) leads people to make blanket assumptions about them in other positive ways.

Question 19

Researchers (Wheeler & Kim, 1997) asked American, Canadian, and Korean students to rate the attractiveness of people in yearbook photographs, and to rate the people in the photographs on a number of personality dimensions. Which of the following traits did ALL participants associate with physical attractiveness?

Accepted Answer

Physical attractiveness is often associated with positive attributes due to the "halo effect," where one positive characteristic of a person (like their looks) leads people to make generalized positive evaluations of them, including better social skills.

Question 20

Andersen and Bem (1981) conducted a variation of the getting-acquainted telephone study by Snyder, Elizabeth Tanke, and Berscheid (1977). Andersen and Bem provided attractive and unattractive photos of men to women who interacted with men at the other end of a telephone. What would you expect happened when the women thought that the men with whom they were speaking were the men in the photos?

Accepted Answer

It is likely that the results were similar to studies in which men were provided the photos, meaning that the women in the study may have fallen prey to the self-fulfilling prophecy, treating the attractive men more warmly and positively, and vice versa for the unattractive men.

Quiz 10: Attraction and Relationships: From Initial Impressions to Long-Term Intimacy