Question 1

In terms of the kinds of predictions that it makes, research on cognitive dissonance theory is most at odds with research on ____.
A)belief perseverance
B)the A-B problem
C)balance theory
D)effort justification

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory and belief perseverance are at odds because cognitive dissonance involves changing beliefs to reduce discomfort, while belief perseverance involves maintaining beliefs despite contradictory evidence.

Question 2

Which of the following is the BEST example of belief perseverance?
A)Terrence supports the war in Iraq. He does not like to watch any TV programming that is critical of the war.
B)Charlie believes his MP3 player is in the medicine cabinet. Even after he has looked absolutely everywhere in the cabinet and found no evidence whatsoever of the player, he continues to believe this.
C)Krista believes in ghosts. She says that she has seen them, and refuses to listen to anyone who wants to tell her otherwise.
D)Although her chances of winning are extremely slim, Eve continues to hope that one day she will win the lottery.

Accepted Answer

Belief perseverance is the phenomenon where people hold on to their beliefs even when faced with overwhelming evidence to the contrary. In choice B, Charlie continues to believe his MP3 player is in the medicine cabinet despite having thoroughly searched it and found no evidence to support his belief. This is a clear example of belief perseverance.

Question 3

Social psychology as a science can ____. ​
A)help refute most religious beliefs
B)speak to which religious beliefs are true and which are false ​
C)explain why some people accept or reject certain religious beliefs ​
D)determine which religion is the correct one ​

Accepted Answer

Social psychology can explain why individuals might accept or reject certain religious beliefs based on psychological principles, social influences, and cognitive processes. It does not aim to refute, validate, or determine the correctness of religious beliefs.

Question 4

The tendency for people to hold on to their beliefs-even when their beliefs are discredited by compelling evidence-is known as ____. ​
A)cognitive dissonance
B)belief perseverance ​
C)the A-B problem ​
D)cognitive stickiness ​

Accepted Answer

Belief perseverance is the phenomenon where people maintain their beliefs even after those beliefs have been proven wrong or discredited by new evidence.

Question 5

Research on post-trauma coping indicates that one of the worst possible things-in terms of predicting post-trauma recovery-is for people to ____. ​
A)blame themselves for the trauma
B)feel like there is no explanation at all for the trauma ​
C)feel like the trauma was fated, or predestined ​
D)believe that many other people have experienced similar traumas ​

Accepted Answer

Feeling like there is no explanation at all for the trauma can lead to feelings of helplessness and lack of control, which are detrimental to recovery.

Question 6

Suppose that Anandi was mugged at gunpoint and that it was an extremely traumatic experience. Which of the following cognitive reactions is MOST likely to help her recover?
A)"I should have never gone into that neighborhood alone, especially not with my fancy car. It's clear why this happened. I made myself an obvious target."
B)"The event was totally random. It could have happened to anyone, at any time, in any place."
C)"Why was I attacked? Why me? Why now? What did I do to deserve this?"
D)"The world is just an unpredictable, dangerous place. I just need to accept that and move on."

Accepted Answer

The answer of Suppose that Anandi was mugged at gunpoint...

Question 7

Social psychologists use the word ____ to refer to how people deal with traumas and return, post-trauma, to healthy, effective functioning.
A)recalibrating
B)transitioning
C)monitoring
D)coping

Accepted Answer

Coping is the term used by social psychologists to describe how individuals manage and deal with traumas, aiming to return to a state of healthy and effective functioning after experiencing such events.

Question 8

You are trying to persuade your mother to lend you some money. You decide to make your attack in the evening, when she will be tired and distracted. This evening strategy is likely to be effective (assuming your mother is not in a bad mood)because in the evening she will be more likely than usual to rely on the ____ system, which will in turn ____.
A)automatic; encourage an emotional response
B)automatic; prevent her from questioning the reasons for your request
C)deliberate; encourage an emotional response
D)deliberate; prevent her from questioning the reasons for your request

Accepted Answer

The automatic system is more likely to be engaged when a person is tired and distracted, leading to less scrutiny and questioning of decisions or requests, such as lending money.

Question 9

Ingrid believes there is a dog in the car. Even after she has looked absolutely everywhere in the car and found no evidence whatsoever of a dog, she continues to believe this. This scenario best exemplifies ____.
A)attitude polarization
B)belief perseverance
C)the A-B problem
D)cognitive dissonance

Accepted Answer

Belief perseverance is the phenomenon where people hold onto their beliefs even after receiving new information that contradicts or disconfirms the basis of those beliefs. In this scenario, Ingrid's continued belief in the presence of a dog in the car, despite having found no evidence to support it, exemplifies belief perseverance.

Question 10

Research on post-trauma coping suggests that-contrary to what many people think-blaming oneself for a trauma can, in some cases, help people recover. This seems to be because self-blame causes people to ____. ​
A)minimize the magnitude of the trauma
B)seek out social support ​
C)reflect on their life priorities ​
D)feel a greater sense of control and empowerment ​

Accepted Answer

Self-blame can lead individuals to feel a greater sense of control over their lives and circumstances, which can be empowering and aid in the recovery process from trauma. This is because believing one could have done something differently may imply that they can prevent future traumas, thus providing a sense of control.

Question 11

The term ____ is used to refer to the idea that people live and function in the social universe based on certain beliefs about reality. ​
A)accessibility
B)assumptive worlds ​
C)unit relationships ​
D)coping ​

Accepted Answer

The term "assumptive worlds" refers to the concept that individuals navigate and interpret their social environment based on a set of beliefs or assumptions about the world and reality. These assumptions help people make sense of their experiences and guide their behavior.

Question 12

Kelly's first pregnancy was a disaster by most people's standards. Her water broke 24 weeks into the pregnancy, she delivered the baby 15 weeks premature, and he survived but with multiple physical and behavioral health problems that take enormous resources to tackle. Yet every time Kelly takes the baby to the doctor, she notices other families with worse situations-children with terminal illnesses or more profound disabilities. Kelly is using ____ to cope with her baby's complications.
A)assumptive worlds
B)downward comparisons
C)presumptive reasoning
D)stigmatization

Accepted Answer

Kelly is using downward comparisons, a coping mechanism where individuals compare themselves to others in worse situations to feel better about their own circumstances.

Question 13

Usually there are three types of beliefs that help people to function effectively in the social world and that are often cast into doubt when people experience violent crimes or other traumas. Which statement is one of these beliefs?
A)"The world is just random."
B)"Life is without meaning."
C)"I deserve what I get."
D)"I am a good person."

Accepted Answer

One of the beliefs that help people function effectively is the belief in their own goodness, which can be challenged by traumatic events.

Question 14

The tendency to engage in belief perseverance can be reduced or eliminated by ____.
A)attempting to make one's behaviors and attitudes more consistent
B)making an effort to persuade others of one's beliefs
C)coming up with personal examples to support one's beliefs
D)coming up with counterarguments (i.e., arguments for "the other side")

Accepted Answer

Coming up with counterarguments encourages individuals to consider perspectives different from their own, which can challenge and potentially change their existing beliefs, reducing belief perseverance.

Question 15

When advertisers need to help sell a low-quality product, they often make ads that use loud music and distracting images (as opposed to ads that explicitly and straightforwardly discuss the features of the product). This is probably a good strategy because it is likely to foster ____ processing of the ad's claims and in turn to ____.
A)automatic; encourage emotional attachment to the product
B)automatic; prevent people from doubting the validity of the claims
C)deliberate; encourage emotional attachment to the product
D)deliberate; prevent people from doubting the validity of the claims

Accepted Answer

Using loud music and distracting images in advertisements for low-quality products is likely to encourage automatic processing, which can prevent people from critically evaluating and doubting the validity of the ad's claims.

Question 16

The idea that beliefs play a central role in helping people cope and recover from misfortunes is called ____. ​
A)balance theory
B)dual attitude theory ​
C)belief perseverance ​
D)cognitive coping ​

Accepted Answer

Cognitive coping is the concept that emphasizes the role of beliefs and thoughts (cognitions) in helping individuals manage and recover from stress, adversity, or trauma.

Question 17

The act of comparing oneself to people who are worse off is called a(n)____.
A)downward comparison
B)upward comparison
C)post-decision dissonance
D)effort justification

Accepted Answer

Downward comparison is the process of comparing oneself to others who are less fortunate or in a worse situation, often to make oneself feel better about one's own circumstances.

Question 18

Wei-Shin was mugged while he was walking across campus alone one evening. The event left him with his wallet and identity stolen, and a broken nose and rib. Wei-Shin thinks to himself, "What kind of world is this, where someone will mug a poor college student?" Wei-Shin is having trouble coping because this traumatic event has challenged his ____.
A)attitude accessibility
B)downward comparisons
C)assumptive worlds
D)attitude-behavior consistency

Accepted Answer

Wei-Shin is struggling because the mugging incident has challenged his assumptive worlds, which are the fundamental beliefs and assumptions about the world that help individuals make sense of their experiences. The traumatic event has disrupted his belief in a just and safe world, causing him difficulty in coping.

Question 19

Research suggests that if you are half-asleep on the sofa watching an infomercial, such that you are processing the contents of the infomercial solely via the automatic system, then your automatic system is likely to take in the ____.
A)images of the infomercial, but none of the claims
B)claims of the infomercial, but not evaluate them
C)claims of the infomercial as "true"
D)claims of the infomercial as "false"

Accepted Answer

The answer of Research suggests that if you are half-asleep...

Question 20

Research by Shelley Taylor and her colleagues on effective coping among cancer patients has suggested that all of the following are important in promoting recovery EXCEPT ____.
A)making downward comparisons with other cancer patients
B)making upward comparisons with other cancer patients
C)feeling that there is a "higher purpose" for one's cancer
D)feeling that one can control one's cancer

Accepted Answer

Shelley Taylor's research on coping among cancer patients suggests that making upward comparisons with other cancer patients (i.e., comparing oneself to those who are worse off) does not promote recovery. Instead, strategies like making downward comparisons (comparing oneself to those who are doing better), feeling a sense of higher purpose, and feeling in control of one's cancer are considered beneficial.

Quiz 7: Attitudes, Beliefs, and Consistency

In terms of the kinds of predictions that it makes, research on cognitive dissonance theory is most at odds with research on ____.

Which of the following is the BEST example of belief perseverance?

Social psychology as a science can ____.

The tendency for people to hold on to their beliefs-even when their beliefs are discredited by compelling evidence-is known as ____.

Research on post-trauma coping indicates that one of the worst possible things-in terms of predicting post-trauma recovery-is for people to ____.

Suppose that Anandi was mugged at gunpoint and that it was an extremely traumatic experience. Which of the following cognitive reactions is MOST likely to help her recover?

Social psychologists use the word ____ to refer to how people deal with traumas and return, post-trauma, to healthy, effective functioning.

Ingrid believes there is a dog in the car. Even after she has looked absolutely everywhere in the car and found no evidence whatsoever of a dog, she continues to believe this. This scenario best exemplifies ____.

Research on post-trauma coping suggests that-contrary to what many people think-blaming oneself for a trauma can, in some cases, help people recover. This seems to be because self-blame causes people to ____.

The term ____ is used to refer to the idea that people live and function in the social universe based on certain beliefs about reality.

Usually there are three types of beliefs that help people to function effectively in the social world and that are often cast into doubt when people experience violent crimes or other traumas. Which statement is one of these beliefs?

The tendency to engage in belief perseverance can be reduced or eliminated by ____.

The idea that beliefs play a central role in helping people cope and recover from misfortunes is called ____.

The act of comparing oneself to people who are worse off is called a(n) ____.

Research suggests that if you are half-asleep on the sofa watching an infomercial, such that you are processing the contents of the infomercial solely via the automatic system, then your automatic system is likely to take in the ____.

Research by Shelley Taylor and her colleagues on effective coping among cancer patients has suggested that all of the following are important in promoting recovery EXCEPT ____.