Question 1

Suppose that Peter hates his job as a medical assistant. Research on the panic button effect would suggest that Peter would hate his job less if ____.
A)he felt that he could quit at any time and get a different job
B)he thought about how much unhappier he would be if he lost his job and became homeless
C)he considered how much his job helped to relieve people's stress and discomfort
D)he thought about how he would feel if he were rushed to the hospital and there was no one there to help him

Accepted Answer

The panic button effect suggests that people feel less stress and discomfort in a situation if they know they can escape it. Therefore, if Peter felt he could quit his job at any time and get a different job, he would likely hate his current job less.

Question 2

Does having goals actually help people achieve things? Does it matter if the goals are broad (e.g., "getting a good education")rather than narrow (e.g., "getting a good grade on a specific assignment")?
A)In general, people who have goals do not perform any better than people who don't-regardless of whether the goals are broad or narrow.
B)In general, people who have goals perform better than people who don't-regardless of whether the goals are broad or narrow.
C)In general, people who have goals perform better than people who don't-especially if the goals are broad.
D)In general, people who have goals perform better than people who don't-especially if the goals are narrow.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Does having goals actually help people achieve...

Question 3

The so-called Zeigarnik effect helps us to ____.
A)remember unfinished tasks and thus return to complete them
B)learn when we have set unrealistic goals for ourselves and set more realistic goals in the future
C)recognize when tasks are too easy or too hard (and therefore a bad match for our ability levels)and seek out tasks that are more appropriate
D)assess the pros and cons of a given situation and make decisions based on this assessment

Accepted Answer

The Zeigarnik effect is a psychological phenomenon that suggests people remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed tasks. This helps individuals to return and complete those tasks.

Question 4

Suppose that you are out on a date. Although your date is somewhat entertaining, you keep having intrusive thoughts about the paper that you need to finish writing when you get home. These thoughts are evidence of the ____.
A)omission bias
B)panic button effect
C)Zeigarnik effect
D)capacity to delay gratification

Accepted Answer

The Zeigarnik effect refers to the psychological phenomenon where people remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed tasks. In this scenario, the intrusive thoughts about the unfinished paper are a classic example of the Zeigarnik effect, as your mind is preoccupied with a task that you've started but haven't yet completed.

Question 5

Suppose that an annoying co-worker is always trying to get you involved in the company's athletic activities-bowling, softball, corporate Olympics, even fantasy football leagues and March Madness betting pools. Research on the panic button effect suggests that you would be less troubled by this person if ____.
A)you thought about how much worse the situation could be
B)you thought about the fact that your co-worker is just trying to be nice
C)you felt that you could simply tell the person to stop if you wanted to
D)you felt that, if you wanted to get involved in recreational athletics, spending time with this person would probably be a good way to start

Accepted Answer

The panic button effect suggests that people feel less stress and anxiety when they believe they have an escape or an out, such as the ability to tell someone to stop if they want to. This sense of control over the situation can significantly reduce discomfort.

Question 6

Research indicates that when people are setting goals, they tend to think in a(n)____ way, and when they are pursuing or striving for goals, they to think in a(n)____ way.
A)realistic; realistic
B)realistic; optimistic
C)optimistic; realistic
D)optimistic; optimistic

Accepted Answer

When setting goals, people tend to think in a realistic way, considering the constraints and challenges they may face. However, when pursuing or striving for goals, they tend to think in an optimistic way, believing in their ability to overcome obstacles and achieve their desired outcomes.

Question 7

The panic button effect refers to the tendency for people ____.
A)to experience automatic, intrusive thoughts about a goal when pursuit of that goal has been interrupted
B)to perceive negative things that happen to them as more stressful or painful than negative things that happen to other people
C)to feel relatively less stress or suffering when they think that they have the option of escaping from a situation
D)to give greater weight to potential losses than to potential gains,  panicking when the losses become unacceptable

Accepted Answer

The panic button effect describes the phenomenon where individuals feel less stress when they believe they have an option to escape or control a situation, even if they don't use it.

Question 8

Goal pursuit is characterized by ____.
A)open-mindedness
B)optimistic thinking
C)a focus on desirability
D)realistic thinking

Accepted Answer

The answer of Goal pursuit is characterized by ____.
A)open-mindedness
B)optimistic thinking
C)a...

Question 9

When young adults are asked to list their goals and personal projects, the average list contains ____.
A)no items (most people do not have well-formulated goals at any given time)
B)one or two items
C)roughly four to seven items
D)about 15 items

Accepted Answer

The answer of When young adults are asked to list...

Question 10

Research on positive illusions and goal-setting indicates that ____.
A)when setting goals, most people set aside positive illusions and are (at least temporarily)realistic
B)most people are overly optimistic and ambitious when setting goals
C)because most people have positive illusions about themselves and their lives, they usually fail to set goals at all (and just assume that things will turn out well)
D)because most people have positive illusions about themselves and their lives, they tend to set goals for the distant future, but not goals for the present or immediate future

Accepted Answer

The answer of Research on positive illusions and goal-setting indicates...

Question 11

Research suggests that goals are MOST helpful in facilitating achievement when they are ____.
A)specific and somewhat difficult to achieve
B)specific and very easy to achieve
C)broad and somewhat difficult to achieve
D)broad and very easy to achieve

Accepted Answer

Goals that are specific and somewhat difficult to achieve are most effective because they provide clear direction and an optimal level of challenge that motivates individuals to stretch their abilities, leading to higher performance.

Question 12

Do people usually think in optimistic or overly ambitious ways when they are setting goals or when they are  striving to achieve goals?
A)Yes, they tend to be overly optimistic in both cases.
B)No, they tend to think in realistic ways in both cases.
C)They tend to be overly optimistic when setting goals but more or less realistic when pursuing goals.
D)They tend to be more or less realistic when setting goals but optimistic when pursuing goals.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Do people usually think in optimistic or...

Question 13

The so-called Zeigarnik effect refers to the tendency for people ____.
A)to experience automatic, intrusive thoughts about a goal when pursuit of that goal has been interrupted
B)to make overly optimistic plans, failing to make allowances for unexpected events or problems
C)to feel relatively less stress or suffering when they think that they have the option of escaping from a situation (compared to when they think they do not have the option of escaping)
D)to give greater weight to potential losses than to potential gains when making decisions

Accepted Answer

The Zeigarnik effect is the psychological tendency to remember an uncompleted task rather than a completed one. It suggests that interruption during a task that requires focus can lead to intrusive thoughts about the unfinished task.

Question 14

Research indicates that people who believe that they are acting autonomously, based on intrinsic motivations, are ____ compared to people who believe that their behavior is guided by external forces and extrinsic motivations.
A)happier and often perform better
B)happier but often perform worse
C)not happier but often perform better
D)not happier and no more (or less)likely to perform well

Accepted Answer

Research shows that intrinsic motivation, which is linked to autonomy, tends to make people happier and enhances their performance because they feel a sense of personal satisfaction and control over their actions.

Question 15

Assume that all of the students below have similar track records. According to research on goal setting and achievement, which of them should we expect to perform BEST in school in the coming month?
A)Student A, who states, "I want to be the #1 student in my state in every subject for the next two years."
B)Student B, who states, "I want to at least pass all of my classes."
C)Student C, who states, "I want to get at least an A- on each of my exams and assignments this month."
D)Student D, who states, "I want to get the best grades that I can."

Accepted Answer

Student C's goal is specific and challenging yet achievable, which aligns with research on goal setting that suggests such goals are most effective in enhancing performance.

Question 16

Personal projects or personal strivings are also known as ____.
A)levels of meaning
B)fallacies
C)goals
D)forms of self-reference

Accepted Answer

Personal projects or personal strivings are often referred to as goals, which are objectives or targets that individuals aim to achieve through their actions and behaviors.

Question 17

Thanh despises his job. His co-workers are, at best, annoying and more often, obnoxious and offensive. His supervisor is a narcissistic bully, and the pay does not begin to make up for how terrible the workplace conditions are. Thanh is comforted by the fact that he can quit this job and work as a freelance website designer if he wants to. This scenario is consistent with ____.
A)self-determination theory
B)the status quo bias
C)the panic button effect
D)intrinsic motivation

Accepted Answer

The scenario is consistent with the panic button effect, which suggests that knowing one has an escape option (in this case, Thanh can quit and work as a freelance website designer) can make a current intolerable situation more bearable. This is because the individual feels a sense of control over their situation.

Question 18

Which statement MOST accurately describes how humans differ from other animals in terms of goals?
A)Humans are able to stop a given activity in order to resume pursuit of a previously pursued goal.
B)Humans have goals, while other animals do not.
C)Humans are intrinsically motivated to strive for specific goals, while other animals strive for goals only because of extrinsic motivations.
D)Humans have fewer goals but more well-defined ones.

Accepted Answer

Humans are unique in their ability to interrupt an ongoing activity to return to a previously pursued goal, showcasing a level of cognitive flexibility and planning not observed in the same way in other animals.

Question 19

According to self-determination theory, people who act based on ____ are freer than others.
A)intrinsic motivations
B)extrinsic motivations
C)low behavioral flexibility
D)automatic processes

Accepted Answer

Self-determination theory suggests that people are more autonomous or free when they act based on intrinsic motivations (motivations that come from within, such as personal interest or enjoyment in the task itself) rather than extrinsic motivations (motivations that come from external sources, such as rewards or pressures from others).

Question 20

Angelo has mild autism spectrum disorder and participates in an applied behavioral analysis program. Each day in school, he is allowed to decide the order in which he will work on his tasks-although the day's tasks have been selected for him- and which of several possible rewards he would like when he has completed each task. This approach is MOST consistent with ____.
A)self-determination theory
B)error management theory
C)learned helplessness
D)cognitive dissonance

Accepted Answer

Self-determination theory emphasizes the importance of autonomy and the ability to make choices in fostering motivation and psychological growth. Allowing Angelo to decide the order of his tasks and choose his rewards aligns with this theory by supporting his autonomy and competence.

Quiz 4: Choices and Actions: The Self in Control

Suppose that Peter hates his job as a medical assistant. Research on the panic button effect would suggest that Peter would hate his job less if ____.

Does having goals actually help people achieve things? Does it matter if the goals are broad (e.g., "getting a good education") rather than narrow (e.g., "getting a good grade on a specific assignment") ?

The so-called Zeigarnik effect helps us to ____.

Suppose that you are out on a date. Although your date is somewhat entertaining, you keep having intrusive thoughts about the paper that you need to finish writing when you get home. These thoughts are evidence of the ____.

Research indicates that when people are setting goals, they tend to think in a(n) way, and when they are pursuing or striving for goals, they to think in a(n) way.

The panic button effect refers to the tendency for people ____.

Goal pursuit is characterized by ____.

When young adults are asked to list their goals and personal projects, the average list contains ____.

Research on positive illusions and goal-setting indicates that ____.

Research suggests that goals are MOST helpful in facilitating achievement when they are ____.

Do people usually think in optimistic or overly ambitious ways when they are setting goals or when they are striving to achieve goals?

The so-called Zeigarnik effect refers to the tendency for people ____.

Research indicates that people who believe that they are acting autonomously, based on intrinsic motivations, are ____ compared to people who believe that their behavior is guided by external forces and extrinsic motivations.

Assume that all of the students below have similar track records. According to research on goal setting and achievement, which of them should we expect to perform BEST in school in the coming month?

Personal projects or personal strivings are also known as ____.

Which statement MOST accurately describes how humans differ from other animals in terms of goals?

According to self-determination theory, people who act based on ____ are freer than others.