Question 1

In research conducted by Geoffrey Cohen and colleagues (2009), minority students were asked to write about their most important values at the beginning of middle school. What was the result of this intervention?
A) The students began to show an entity theory of intelligence.
B) The students whose values were unrelated to academics saw their grades decline.
C) The students' grades improved over two years.
D) The students reported better social relationships but not improved grades.

Accepted Answer

The intervention of having minority students write about their most important values at the beginning of middle school resulted in improved grades over two years.

Question 2

Which of the following may account for the above-average performance on academic tasks by many people from Asian cultures?
A) Asians are genetically smarter than Europeans and Americans.
B) Asians are less likely to be affected by stereotype threat than Europeans and Americans.
C) Asian culture emphasizes an incremental view of intelligence, leading people to work harder to succeed.
D) Asian culture emphasizes an entity view of intelligence, leading people to be more confident in their strengths.

Accepted Answer

Asian culture tends to emphasize an incremental view of intelligence, where individuals believe that intelligence can be developed through effort and hard work. This belief leads to a strong work ethic and motivation to succeed academically. Additionally, the cultural emphasis on group harmony and respect for authority figures may also play a role in motivating individuals to perform well in academic tasks. Genes do play a role in intelligence, but attributing it solely to genetics is a reductionist view. Moreover, stereotypes affect individuals from all cultures, and there is no evidence that suggests Asians are less susceptible to stereotype threat. The entity view of intelligence emphasizes that intelligence is fixed, and such a view would not promote the hard work and effort needed to perform well in academic tasks.

Question 3

Mr. McLean, a fourth grade teacher, finds that the students whom he expects to perform well generally do perform well. Which of the following are possible explanations for this correlation?
A) Mr. McLean's expectations lead him to treat certain students differently than others.
B) Mr. McLean's perception of his students' abilities is accurate.
C) Mr. McLean's expectations are biased in favor of white middle-class children.
D) All of the above are true.

Accepted Answer

Mr. McLean's expectations could influence his behavior towards students (A), his perceptions might be accurate (B), or his expectations could be biased (C). All these factors could contribute to the observed correlation.

Question 4

Bob is from a working-class family and is the first in his family to attend college. He receives a welcome letter that emphasizes how he will be able to explore his personal interests and participate in independent research. According to the research discussed in the text, how is Bob likely to respond to this letter?
A) Bob is likely to be excited about attending college and taking advantage of these opportunities.
B) Bob is likely to focus on how he can impress his professors and do well in his classes.
C) Bob is likely to become more stressed about college and worried about making social connections.
D) This particular letter will not influence Bob's thoughts about attending college.

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that first-generation college students, like Bob, may feel more stress and concern about fitting in and making social connections, rather than being excited about personal exploration and independent research opportunities.

Question 5

Which of the following best summarizes the effects of airing telenovelas?
A) The programs changed people's attitudes but not their behaviors.
B) The programs did not influence people's attitudes or behaviors.
C) The programs changed behaviors only in people who already agreed with the values being portrayed.
D) The programs changed people's attitudes and behaviors.

Accepted Answer

The article states that airing telenovelas resulted in changes in attitudes and also behaviors, such as increased contraception use and decreased acceptance of domestic violence. These changes were observed even among viewers who did not initially agree with the values portrayed in the programs.

Question 6

Darrin Lehman and Richard Nisbett (1990) studied the effects of different college majors on students' ability to use statistical and methodological principles in their reasoning. What did they find?
A) Students who majored in the humanities improved their reasoning abilities the most.
B) College major did not influence students' reasoning abilities.
C) Students majoring in psychology and other social sciences improved their reasoning abilities the most.
D) Students majoring in the natural sciences improved their reasoning abilities the most.

Accepted Answer

Lehman and Nisbett found that students majoring in psychology and other social sciences showed the most improvement in their ability to use statistical and methodological principles in reasoning.

Question 7

The belief that intelligence is something one is born with and cannot change is referred to as the
A) entity theory of intelligence.
B) evolutionary theory of intelligence.
C) incremental theory of intelligence.
D) attributional fallacy.

Accepted Answer

The belief that intelligence is fixed and cannot be changed is referred to as the entity theory of intelligence. The other options are not relevant to this belief.

Question 8

Alicia is an African American high school senior who will be attending a prestigious private university in the fall. Imagine that you are Alicia's guidance counselor and she has approached you about her concerns about fitting in socially. Based on the findings from Gregory Walton and Geoffrey Cohen's (2007) study, which of the following statements would be most likely to help Alicia with her adjustment to college?
A) "Worries about social acceptance are common for students of all ethnicities."
B) "Worries about social acceptance are common for African American students in particular."
C) "Don't worry-you'll make friends easily because you are a woman."
D) "Maybe you should consider attending a college where you'll fit in better."

Accepted Answer

Walton and Cohen's study found that normalizing concerns about social acceptance as common among all students can help minority students feel more at ease and improve their adjustment to college.

Question 9

Yael holds an incremental theory of intelligence. This means that she is likely to
A) spend more time working toward improving her abilities.
B) avoid challenging experiences.
C) believe that failures are due to lack of intelligence rather than lack of effort.
D) earn lower grades.

Accepted Answer

Individuals who hold an incremental theory of intelligence believe that intelligence can be developed and improved through effort and learning, and are therefore more likely to spend more time working towards improving their abilities. They are also more likely to view failures as opportunities for growth and improvement, rather than a reflection of their innate abilities. Avoiding challenging experiences and earning lower grades are not necessarily associated with holding an incremental theory of intelligence.

Question 10

In a study conducted by Joshua Aronson and colleagues (2003), a group of students were taught by college student mentors that intelligence was changeable and under their control. Compared to students in a control condition, how did these students perform on a subsequent statewide academic achievement test?
A) Students in the experimental condition performed significantly better than those in the control condition, and this was especially true for female students on the reading skills portion of the test.
B) Students in the experimental condition performed significantly better than those in the control condition, and this was especially true for female students on the math portion of the test.
C) Female students in the experimental condition but not the control condition performed significantly better than males on both portions of the test.
D) Male students in the experimental condition but not the control condition performed significantly better than females on both portions of the test.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a study conducted by Joshua Aronson...

Question 11

In Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson's (1968) "Pygmalion in the Classroom" study, students whose teachers were told that they were expected to show substantial IQ growth over the course of the year showed ________ during a brief time period.
A) substantial increases in IQ scores
B) substantial decreases in IQ scores
C) no change in IQ scores
D) substantial increases in psychological adjustment, but not IQ scores

Accepted Answer

In the study, students whose teachers were told that they were expected to show substantial IQ growth over the course of the year showed substantial increases in IQ scores during a brief time period. This phenomenon is referred to as the "Pygmalion effect," where higher expectations lead to higher performance.

Question 12

As the smartest kid in his class, Caleb believes that his intelligence is innate, permanent, and relatively unchangeable. His classmate, Brian, believes that with effort and many hours of studying, he can increase his intelligence. Which of the following statements about Caleb and Brian is accurate?
A) Caleb has an incremental theory of intelligence; Brian has an entity theory of intelligence.
B) Caleb has an entity theory of intelligence; Brian has an incremental theory of intelligence.
C) Caleb is more likely than Brian to work hard at school and to seek out new learning opportunities.
D) Caleb and Brian are not likely to behave differently from one another.

Accepted Answer

Caleb's belief that intelligence is innate and unchangeable is consistent with an entity theory of intelligence. Brian's belief that intelligence can be increased with effort is consistent with an incremental theory of intelligence.

Question 13

According to the textbook, there is ________ evidence that people of Asian heritage are genetically ________ intelligent.
A) strong; more
B) modest; more
C) no good; more
D) modest; less

Accepted Answer

There is no good evidence to support the claim that people of Asian heritage are genetically more intelligent than others. Genetic intelligence is a complex trait influenced by many factors, and attributing intelligence to genetics based on heritage lacks scientific backing.

Question 14

Which of the following statements about the effects of teacher expectations on student performance is accurate?
A) Teacher expectation effects are strongest for older students and weakest for first and second graders.
B) Teacher expectation effects are strongest when manipulated later in the school year.
C) There is no evidence for teacher expectation effects.
D) Teacher expectation effects are large for lower-achieving, lower-SES, and African American students.

Accepted Answer

Research has consistently shown that teacher expectations can have a significant impact on student performance, particularly for lower-achieving, lower-SES, and African American students. Other factors such as age or timing of the manipulation may also play a role, but the evidence for the influence of teacher expectations on student performance is strong.

Question 15

A radio soap opera in Tanzania is designed to combat the spread of HIV. This is an example of
A) incremental intelligence.
B) entertainment-education.
C) value-based education.
D) teaching principles.

Accepted Answer

The radio soap opera is designed to both entertain and educate listeners on HIV prevention, which falls under the category of entertainment-education.

Question 16

Javier and Greg have always abstained from alcohol on moral grounds. One day they read about research showing that people who drink a moderate amount of alcohol have a lower risk of heart disease. If Javier is majoring in psychology, and Greg is majoring in engineering, how might their responses to this research differ?
A) Javier is more likely than Greg to recognize that the research findings are correlational and therefore do not establish causation.
B) Javier is more likely than Greg to be concerned that the research findings suggest they may be at risk for heart disease.
C) Javier is more likely than Greg to discount the results as pseudoscience.
D) Javier is more likely than Greg to start drinking in moderation.

Accepted Answer

As a psychology major, Javier is likely to have a better understanding of research methods and statistics, and therefore more likely to recognize the limitations of correlational research. Greg's engineering major may not provide as much training in these areas.

Question 17

Entertainment-education is based on the work of the learning theorist
A) B. F. Skinner.
B) Nathan Aaronson.
C) Albert Bandura.
D) Philip Zimbardo.

Accepted Answer

Entertainment-education is based on the work of the social learning theorist Albert Bandura, who emphasized the role of observation and modeling in learning and behavior change.

Question 18

The textbook describes research conducted by Gregory Walton and Geoffrey Cohen (2007) on improving the academic performance of minority students in college. In their study, they devised an intervention for students that addressed students'
A) worries about failing tests.
B) worries about social acceptance.
C) study habits and note-taking skills.
D) theories of intelligence.

Accepted Answer

The intervention focused on addressing students' worries about social acceptance, helping them feel more integrated and accepted in the college environment.

Question 19

Selma, a seventy-two-year-old woman who has had no formal education in the social sciences, would like to improve her ability to apply statistical and scientific reasoning. Which of the following is accurate about the steps Selma could take to improve this ability?
A) Selma can only improve this ability by enrolling in college courses in the social sciences.
B) Selma could improve this ability through brief training sessions.
C) Selma could improve this ability by conducting an "opinion survey."
D) It's too late for Selma to significantly improve this ability.

Accepted Answer

Selma could improve her ability to apply statistical and scientific reasoning through brief training sessions. Continuing education courses at local colleges or online resources such as Khan Academy or Coursera could provide helpful resources for Selma to improve her skills. While an opinion survey may be a useful exercise in data collection, it would not necessarily improve Selma's ability to apply statistical and scientific reasoning. It is not too late for Selma to improve her skills and gain a better understanding of these subjects, regardless of her age or lack of formal education.

Question 20

Candice, a minority student, completes a self-affirmation task where she writes about her most important values. How might this intervention help to improve her grades?
A) by increasing her sense of efficacy and belongingness
B) by giving her a more incremental theory of intelligence
C) by reducing her bias against doing well in school
D) by increasing the salience of her minority status

Accepted Answer

Completing a self-affirmation task can increase one's sense of efficacy and belongingness, which can lead to an increase in academic performance. By reminding Candice of her most important values, she may feel more confident in her abilities and feel more connected to her academic community. This increased motivation and sense of belonging can lead to improved grades. Choices B, C, and D are not relevant to the effects of a self-affirmation task on academic performance.

Quiz 17: Application Module- Social Psychology and Education

In research conducted by Geoffrey Cohen and colleagues (2009) , minority students were asked to write about their most important values at the beginning of middle school. What was the result of this intervention?

Which of the following may account for the above-average performance on academic tasks by many people from Asian cultures?

Mr. McLean, a fourth grade teacher, finds that the students whom he expects to perform well generally do perform well. Which of the following are possible explanations for this correlation?

Which of the following best summarizes the effects of airing telenovelas?

Darrin Lehman and Richard Nisbett (1990) studied the effects of different college majors on students' ability to use statistical and methodological principles in their reasoning. What did they find?

The belief that intelligence is something one is born with and cannot change is referred to as the

Yael holds an incremental theory of intelligence. This means that she is likely to

In Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson's (1968) "Pygmalion in the Classroom" study, students whose teachers were told that they were expected to show substantial IQ growth over the course of the year showed ________ during a brief time period.

As the smartest kid in his class, Caleb believes that his intelligence is innate, permanent, and relatively unchangeable. His classmate, Brian, believes that with effort and many hours of studying, he can increase his intelligence. Which of the following statements about Caleb and Brian is accurate?

According to the textbook, there is evidence that people of Asian heritage are genetically intelligent.

Which of the following statements about the effects of teacher expectations on student performance is accurate?

A radio soap opera in Tanzania is designed to combat the spread of HIV. This is an example of

Entertainment-education is based on the work of the learning theorist

The textbook describes research conducted by Gregory Walton and Geoffrey Cohen (2007) on improving the academic performance of minority students in college. In their study, they devised an intervention for students that addressed students'

Selma, a seventy-two-year-old woman who has had no formal education in the social sciences, would like to improve her ability to apply statistical and scientific reasoning. Which of the following is accurate about the steps Selma could take to improve this ability?

Candice, a minority student, completes a self-affirmation task where she writes about her most important values. How might this intervention help to improve her grades?