Question 1

The process of simplifying our environment by grouping people together by the characteristics they have in common is labeled
A) categorization.
B) stereotyping.
C) homogenizing.
D) subtyping.

Accepted Answer

Categorization refers to the process of grouping individuals together based on shared characteristics. Stereotyping involves making assumptions about individuals based on their group membership. Homogenizing refers to making individuals more similar to each other, while subtyping involves creating subcategories within a larger group based on their unique characteristics.

Question 2

Which of the following statements about assessing the content of people's stereotypes about a social group is true?
A) Knowing the content of people's stereotypes tells us who is high or low in prejudice.
B) People are faster at reporting negative than positive stereotypes about a social group.
C) Both implicit and explicit measures can be used to assess the content of people's stereotypes.
D) Measures of stereotypic content can be used to indicate people's readiness to stereotype others.

Accepted Answer

Both implicit and explicit measures can be used to assess the content of people's stereotypes. Implicit measures, such as the Implicit Association Test, measure the automatic or unconscious associations people have with social groups, while explicit measures ask individuals to consciously report their beliefs about the social group.

Question 3

A researcher asked a group of adults to list the characteristics they associate with transgender people. This researcher was interested in
A) how adults process stereotyped information.
B) how ingroups and outgroups are created.
C) the content of the "transgender person" stereotype.
D) whether these beliefs reflect the outgroup homogeneity effect.

Accepted Answer

The researcher's focus is on the characteristics that people associate with transgender individuals, which relates to the content of the "transgender person" stereotype.

Question 4

Idil watched a video in which a man engaged in ten behaviors associated with con- struction workers and an equal number of behaviors associated with lawyers. Idil believed the man in the video was a lawyer. Idil is most likely to later recall the man's behaviors that were
A) consistent with her stereotypes about men in general.
B) consistent with her stereotypes about lawyers.
C) inconsistent with her stereotypes about lawyers.
D) shown in the first few minutes and the last few minutes of the video.

Accepted Answer

Idil's initial belief that the man in the video was a lawyer suggests that she holds stereotypes about lawyers. Therefore, she is more likely to recall the behaviors that are consistent with her pre-existing stereotypes about lawyers.

Question 5

Which of the following is not a question relevant to the processing of stereotypic information?
A) What characteristics are associated with a social group?
B) How and when is stereotypic information retrieved?
C) Do stereotypes change and, if so, how?
D) How do people's motivations affect their tendency to use stereotypes?

Accepted Answer

The question "What characteristics are associated with a social group?" is more about the content or attributes of stereotypes rather than the processing of stereotypic information. Processing involves how stereotypes are retrieved, changed, and how motivations affect their use.

Question 6

The results of research indicate that when observers read about someone who has characteristics that are both consistent and inconsistent with their expectations, they will be
A) more likely to accurately recall the inconsistent information.
B) initially unable to recall the inconsistent information, but later will be able to.
C) better at remembering information that is consistent with their expectations.
D) initially better at recalling the inconsistent information, but over time will recall only the consistent information.

Accepted Answer

Observers are better at remembering information that is consistent with their expectations.

Question 7

Trevor's professor gave a lecture on unconscious biases and how they operate. The professor then asked the students to complete a measure of unconscious bias toward people who are older. Trevor's results showed evidence of bias against this social group. Having become aware of his unconscious bias, in the future, Trevor will most likely
A) respond defensively in group discussions about unconscious biases.
B) be less likely to attend class.
C) score higher on exam questions about this topic.
D) be more motivated to control his prejudiced responses to older people.

Accepted Answer

Trevor's awareness of his unconscious bias against older people suggests that he is likely to be motivated to control his prejudiced responses to this social group in the future, which is the best option. Responding defensively in group discussions or being less likely to attend class are unlikely consequences of his awareness, and the lecture did not necessarily cover exam questions about this topic specifically.

Question 8

Giving students specific feedback about their own biases in cognitive processing
A) increases students' exam scores on this topic.
B) is most helpful to students who are high in prejudice.
C) reduces students' willingness to participate in group discussion.
D) increases the chances that the professor will have low teaching evaluations.

Accepted Answer

Feedback on personal biases in cognitive processing is particularly beneficial for students who already hold prejudiced views, as it directly addresses their specific misconceptions and biases, potentially leading to more significant cognitive and attitudinal shifts.

Question 9

Fredric Bartlett asked research participants to read a story about Native Americans. He later asked them to recall details of the story. His results showed that participants
A) recalled only the most engaging aspects of the story.
B) were better at recalling the parts of the story that were different from their own experience.
C) changed details of the story to make them fit with their own culture and ideas.
D) recalled the same details of the story after eight days and after one year.

Accepted Answer

Bartlett's research participants changed details of the story to make them fit with their own culture and ideas. This finding is consistent with the idea of schema theory, which suggests that prior knowledge and experiences influence how we interpret and remember new information. Participants likely used their existing schemas (mental frameworks) about Native Americans to make sense of the story, leading them to alter or omit information that did not fit with their pre-existing beliefs.

Question 10

When meeting a person, which type of information are we likely to notice first?
A) Whether the person has a disability.
B) Whether the person is tall or short.
C) The person's race.
D) The person's emotional state.

Accepted Answer

People often notice race first due to its visual prominence and societal emphasis on racial identity.

Question 11

Which of the following is not a basic social category?
A) Age
B) Gender
C) Race
D) Sexual orientation

Accepted Answer

Age, gender, and race are all widely recognized and acknowledged as social categories, which can have profound impacts on an individual's experiences and opportunities in society. Sexual orientation, on the other hand, although it is an important aspect of human identity, has historically been less recognized as a distinct social category. It is only in recent years that researchers, activists, and policymakers have begun to recognize the importance of addressing issues related to sexual orientation in the context of social policy and law.

Question 12

Which of the following statements about basic social categories is false?
A) Information about the category is readily available to the perceiver.
B) At a societal level, people often disagree about the characteristics that members of those categories have in common.
C) Perceivers tend to treat all members of a basic social category similarly.
D) Basic categories have important cultural meanings.

Accepted Answer

At a societal level, there is generally a consensus about the characteristics that define basic social categories, making statement B false. Basic social categories are those into which people are commonly grouped, such as gender, race, and age. These categories are understood across a culture, and there is typically agreement on the defining characteristics of these categories.

Question 13

The idea that people are members of multiple basic social categories simultaneously is called-------------------.
A) top-down processing
B) category complexity
C) intersectionality
D) multi-ethnicity

Accepted Answer

The idea that people can belong to multiple social categories such as gender, race, class, and sexuality at the same time is called intersectionality. This term was coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a black feminist legal scholar, to describe how different forms of oppression intersect and interact. It recognizes that social categories are interdependent and cannot be understood in isolation. Intersectionality allows for a more nuanced understanding of how people experience inequality and discrimination.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is supported by research on subtyping?
A) Stereotypes based on subtypes are less likely to be accurate than are stereotypes based on basic category membership.
B) People rarely rely on positive subtypes.
C) People who are high in prejudice are more likely to use subtypes than are people low in prejudice.
D) All basic categories have subtypes.

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that all basic categories can have subtypes, which are more specific categories within a broader category.

Question 15

Category subtypes
A) limit people's tendency to stereotype.
B) are generally only positive.
C) are useful for making fine-grained judgments about others.
D) negate the broader concepts represented by basic social categories.

Accepted Answer

Category subtypes are useful for making fine-grained judgments about others. Unlike basic social categories, they provide more specific information about an individual and allow for a more nuanced understanding of their characteristics and behavior. However, it is important to recognize that subtype categorization can also lead to stereotyping if not used carefully.

Question 16

Lars generally believes that women are better at cooking than men are. However, his roommate, Karl, is an excellent cook. To account for this exception, Lars thinks of his roommate as a "male cook." Social psychologists call this process .
A) subtyping
B) intersectionality
C) dispersion
D) stereotype endorsement

Accepted Answer

This is an example of subtyping, which involves categorizing someone who does not fit the stereotype as a subcategory within that group. In this case, Lars views Karl as a "male cook" rather than simply recognizing his cooking skills without regard to gender.

Question 17

Subtypes can be based on-------------------.
A) traits
B) social roles
C) occupations
D) any of the above

Accepted Answer

Subtypes can be based on traits, social roles, occupations, or any other relevant factors. Therefore, all of the options provided are valid choices for subtypes.

Question 18

Bottom-up processing
A) is based on the observable characteristics of the people we encounter.
B) is less accurate than top-down processing.
C) relies on the processing of facial features rather than other physical characteristics.
D) relies on information about social groups that is stored in memory.

Accepted Answer

Bottom-up processing is the process of building perception based on sensory input and observable characteristics of the stimuli. It does not involve higher-level knowledge or expectations, unlike the top-down processing. It is considered to be more accurate than top-down processing. It can involve processing any type of physical characteristic, not limited to facial features, and does not rely on stored information about social groups.

Question 19

Jolene meets a person dressed in a military uniform. She concludes that this person is probably physically fit. Her conclusion is likely based on
A) top-down processing.
B) episodic recall.
C) the minimal group paradigm.
D) the width-to-height ratio of the person's face.

Accepted Answer

Jolene's conclusion that the person in the military uniform is probably physically fit is likely based on top-down processing. Top-down processing involves using prior knowledge or experiences to interpret sensory information. In this case, Jolene is drawing on her knowledge of the physical demands and fitness requirements of military service to make her conclusion.

Question 20

When perceivers call on the prior knowledge they have stored in memory to classify others, they are engaged in
A) an intersectional analysis.
B) top-down processing.
C) bottom-up processing.
D) episodic recall.

Accepted Answer

Top-down processing refers to when the brain uses prior knowledge and expectations to interpret and classify incoming information, such as when perceivers rely on their stored knowledge to classify others.

Quiz 3: Social Categorization and Stereotypes

The process of simplifying our environment by grouping people together by the characteristics they have in common is labeled

Which of the following statements about assessing the content of people's stereotypes about a social group is true?

A researcher asked a group of adults to list the characteristics they associate with transgender people. This researcher was interested in

Idil watched a video in which a man engaged in ten behaviors associated with con- struction workers and an equal number of behaviors associated with lawyers. Idil believed the man in the video was a lawyer. Idil is most likely to later recall the man's behaviors that were

Which of the following is not a question relevant to the processing of stereotypic information?

The results of research indicate that when observers read about someone who has characteristics that are both consistent and inconsistent with their expectations, they will be

Giving students specific feedback about their own biases in cognitive processing

Fredric Bartlett asked research participants to read a story about Native Americans. He later asked them to recall details of the story. His results showed that participants

When meeting a person, which type of information are we likely to notice first?

Which of the following is not a basic social category?

Which of the following statements about basic social categories is false?

The idea that people are members of multiple basic social categories simultaneously is called-------------------.

Which of the following statements is supported by research on subtyping?

Category subtypes

Lars generally believes that women are better at cooking than men are. However, his roommate, Karl, is an excellent cook. To account for this exception, Lars thinks of his roommate as a "male cook." Social psychologists call this process .

Subtypes can be based on-------------------.

Bottom-up processing

Jolene meets a person dressed in a military uniform. She concludes that this person is probably physically fit. Her conclusion is likely based on

When perceivers call on the prior knowledge they have stored in memory to classify others, they are engaged in