Question 1

This theory says that people are motivated to make attitudinal changes when they experience tension after becoming aware of inconsistencies between their attitudes or between their attitudes and their behaviors.

Accepted Answer

Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory proposes that people experience tension or discomfort when they encounter inconsistencies or discrepancies between their attitudes or between their attitudes and their behaviors. This discomfort motivates them to make changes to reduce the dissonance and restore consistency. This theory has applied to domains ranging from decision making and persuasion to conformity and social influence.

Question 2

_____ is a learned, generally negative, attitude toward members of a group.

Accepted Answer

Prejudice refers to a negative attitude or belief about a person or group that is based on preconceived notions and stereotypes rather than actual experience and facts. Discrimination is the unfair treatment of people based on their race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or other characteristics, while stereotyping is the act of making assumptions about a person based on their membership in a particular group. Cognitive biasing refers to the tendency of the mind to process information in a biased or distorted way.

Question 3

With regard to Ina's attitude toward her homeland of Greece, which of the following illustrates the affective component?

Accepted Answer

The affective component of attitude refers to the emotional response or feelings toward a particular object, person, or situation. Option B ("I feel much happier when I am at home in Greece") reflects Ina's emotional connection to Greece, thus illustrating the affective component of her attitude toward her homeland. Options A and C express more of a cognitive evaluation or behavioral intention, respectively. Therefore, option B is the best choice.

Question 4

The REASON a person is being paid $1 to lie changes her or his attitude more than the person who is being paid $50 to lie is that _____.

Accepted Answer

According to cognitive dissonance theory, insufficient justification for an action leads to greater attitude change because the person experiences more discomfort and tension between their behavior and their beliefs. Therefore, being paid only $1 to lie provided insufficient justification for going against their true attitude, resulting in more attitude change.

Question 5

A set of beliefs about the characteristics of people in a group that is generalized to all group members is called a _____.

Accepted Answer

A set of beliefs about the characteristics of people in a group that is generalized to all group members is called a stereotype. A cognitive bias refers to a systematic error in thinking that influences our judgments and decisions. Cognitive resonance is a phenomenon where information that is consistent with our beliefs or attitudes is more easily processed and remembered. A negative schema refers to a set of negative beliefs or perceptions about oneself, others, or the world that can lead to biased information processing.

Question 6

Cross-cultural research suggests that cognitive dissonance may be a result of placing a high value on _____.

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance often arises in cultures that place a high value on independence and individualism, as individuals in these cultures are more likely to experience tension when their actions conflict with their personal beliefs or values.

Question 7

Louise is so disillusioned by the actions of politicians from both political parties that she plans to vote for independent candidates in the next election. This is an example of which component of Louise's attitude about politicians?

Accepted Answer

Louise's decision to vote for independent candidates reflects the behavioral component of her attitude, as it involves her actions and intentions in response to her disillusionment with politicians.

Question 8

Negative behavior directed at members of a group is known as _____.

Accepted Answer

Discrimination is the negative behavior directed at members of a group. Prejudice refers to a preconceived negative attitude or feeling toward members of a group, while stereotyping refers to the generalization of characteristics to all members of a group. Harassment involves unwanted and offensive behavior based on a protected characteristic such as race, gender, or religion.

Question 9

Mr. Bundy believes that women make poor shoe salespersons, but hires a woman to sell his shoes anyway. Based on this information, which of the following is TRUE regarding Mr. Bundy?

Accepted Answer

Mr. Bundy's belief that women make poor shoe salespersons is a form of prejudice or bias. However, since he still hires a woman to sell his shoes, he is not discriminating against women based on his belief. Therefore, choice A is the correct answer. Choice B would be incorrect because Mr. Bundy's belief is a form of discrimination, but he is not acting on it. Choice C would be incorrect because Mr. Bundy is not actively discriminating against women. Choice D is not mentioned in the information given.

Question 10

Charlton says that "handguns should be registered, and owners should be required to keep a trigger lock on them." This is an example of which component of Charlton's attitude about guns?

Accepted Answer

Charlton's statement is a cognitive component of his attitude, as it reflects his beliefs and ideas about how firearms should be regulated. It does not reflect an emotional response or a specific behavior towards guns.

Question 11

This is a cognitive process in which members of an outgroup are judged as less diverse than members of an ingroup.

Accepted Answer

Outgroup homogeneity refers to the tendency to perceive members of an outgroup as more similar to each other than members of an ingroup. This can lead to stereotyping and discrimination against outgroup members, as they are seen as a uniform and monolithic group.

Question 12

The mental shortcut explanation for the initiation and maintenance of prejudice suggests that _____.

Accepted Answer

The mental shortcut explanation suggests that stereotypes allow us to make quick judgments and free mental resources for other activities. This is a common mental shortcut that can lead to prejudice.

Question 13

Prejudice is an attitude, and its cognitive component is called _____.

Accepted Answer

A stereotype is a preconceived idea that attributes certain characteristics or traits to a group of people. Stereotypes are a cognitive component of prejudice, which is an attitude that involves negative feelings towards a particular group of people. Discrimination refers to the behavior or actions that result from prejudice. Cognitive bias is a broader term that refers to various ways in which our thinking can be distorted or biased, including but not limited to prejudice. Negative schema is a related concept that refers to a persistent pattern of negative thinking or beliefs about oneself, others, or the world. While negative schema may contribute to prejudice and discrimination, it is not synonymous with prejudice itself.

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of a prejudice?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is an example...

Question 15

According to cognitive dissonance theory, which of the following advocates of managed care services for mental health is MOST likely to change his or her attitude?

Accepted Answer

Jeanette, who is paid only $1, experiences more cognitive dissonance because the reward is insufficient to justify her behavior, leading her to change her attitude to reduce dissonance.

Question 16

In the classic dissonance experiment, which group had more attitude change?

Accepted Answer

In the classic dissonance experiment, participants were asked to perform a boring task and then were either paid $1 or $20 to tell the next participant that the task was enjoyable. The group that was paid $1 had more attitude change because they experienced more cognitive dissonance. They were paid very little for lying, which created dissonance between their beliefs that lying is wrong and their behavior of lying. To reduce this dissonance, they had to change their attitude to align with their behavior, resulting in more attitude change compared to the group that was paid $20, who had less dissonance to resolve. The control group did not perform the task and did not have to resolve any dissonance.

Question 17

Prejudice is _____; discrimination is _____.

Accepted Answer

Prejudice refers to an attitude or a belief that a person holds about another group, while discrimination refers to the behavior or actions that result from holding such beliefs. Discrimination is often illegal, but prejudice is not necessarily so. Therefore, option A and B are not correct. Option D is incorrect because both prejudice and discrimination can be learned or unlearned.

Question 18

According to cognitive dissonance theory, which is easier?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to cognitive dissonance theory, which is...

Question 19

This is a cognitive process in which members of an ingroup are viewed more positively than members of an outgroup.

Accepted Answer

Ingroup favoritism is the specific cognitive process of viewing members of one's own group more positively than members of a different group (outgroup). Reciprocity of liking refers to the tendency to like someone because they like us. Positive familiarity refers to the tendency to like someone because we are familiar with them. Outgroup prejudice refers to the negative attitudes and feelings towards members of a different group.

Question 20

Who is MOST likely to learn a prejudice against a new group of people?

Accepted Answer

All of these children are exposed to different forms of prejudice, which can contribute to learning and internalizing prejudiced attitudes.

Quiz 16: Social Psychology