Question 1

The authors of your text suggest that with respect to traditional gender differences in scholastic performance, one causal factor may be

Accepted Answer

Self-fulfilling prophecies of schoolteachers may influence traditional gender differences in scholastic performance. If a teacher has a preconceived notion that girls perform poorly in math and science, they may unconsciously treat girls differently and not offer them the same opportunities as boys, leading to lower academic performance. Conversely, if a teacher expects boys to excel in these subjects, they may be more likely to offer them advanced classes and support, potentially leading to higher academic performance.

Question 2

Ms.Honeywell is an elementary school teacher who maintains that in her thirty-five years of experience, boys just tend to do better at math than girls.Recently, she has read a number of studies that show that girls and boys actually have about the same level of math ability.Based on information about how teachers create and sustain self-fulfilling prophecies, what is Ms.Honeywell most likely to think about the study results?

Accepted Answer

Ms. Honeywell is most likely to stick to her original belief and disregard the study results, as she has a self-fulfilling prophecy that boys are better at math. This means that she may unconsciously provide boys with more opportunities for math success, leading to them outperforming girls in her classes. Therefore, she is unlikely to accept the study results that challenge her belief. Choice A suggests that she is accepting the study results, which contradicts the information provided. Choice C suggests a complete reversal in her belief, which is also unlikely. Choice D is irrelevant to the question at hand as it discusses reading ability rather than math ability.

Question 3

The study by Shariff and Norenzayan (2007) presented in your text showed that under some conditions, participants would be more likely to leave more money for a stranger.What is the larger contribution to understanding social cognition that this study makes?

Accepted Answer

The study by Shariff and Norenzayan (2007) contributes to understanding social cognition by showing that goals can be activated and influence people's behavior without their knowledge, through the manipulation of subliminal priming. This highlights the importance of unconscious processes in shaping behavior and attitudes.

Question 4

If you were hoping that other research participants would leave you money, according to research by Shariff and Norenzayan (2007), you would hope they were primed with

Accepted Answer

According to Shariff and Norenzayan's research, priming participants with words related to God or fairness to others increased the likelihood of them leaving money for future participants. This suggests that priming with concepts related to morality and altruism can influence behavior in a positive way.

Question 5

Based on information from the authors of your text, what is one possible explanation as to why girls and boys perform about the same in math in elementary school, but a gender gap appears around puberty?

Accepted Answer

The authors suggest that self-fulfilling prophecies may be a contributing factor to the gender gap in math that appears around puberty. This means that societal expectations and beliefs about gender roles and abilities in math may lead girls to internalize negative stereotypes and doubt their abilities, which can ultimately impact their performance in the subject.

Question 6

Considering the results of the study by Shariff and Norenzayan (2007) presented in your text, why is it that when people were primed with words related to God or fairness to others, they left more money for the next person?

Accepted Answer

The study suggests that priming people with words related to God or fairness activated their altruistic goals, even without their awareness. This aligns with previous research that has shown that our behavior can be influenced by unconscious goals or motivations. Thus, the participants may have left more money for the next person due to their activated altruistic goals.

Question 7

The study by Rosenthal and Jacobson on self-fulfilling prophecies concluded that the teachers treated the "bloomers" in class differently than the other children.If you behaved similarly with a child or younger sibling, how might you behave?

Accepted Answer

Providing more constructive feedback would be the best choice, as it would help the child to develop their skills and improve their performance. Giving extra time to do their homework could also be beneficial, but it may not necessarily address the issue of differential treatment in the classroom. Giving less time to respond to questions or scolding the child when they get an answer wrong would be inappropriate and counterproductive.

Question 8

In the study by Shariff and Norenzayan (2007) presented in your text, what made people behave more altruistically, actually leaving more money for a stranger? They were

Accepted Answer

The participants who were primed with words related to God left significantly more money for the stranger, indicating that thoughts or reminders of religious beliefs and values can increase prosocial behavior.

Question 9

Eva wants to raise a lot of money for her cat rescue group.Based on the research by Shariff and Norenzayan (2007), the best strategy for doing this involves

Accepted Answer

According to the research by Shariff and Norenzayan (2007), mentioning fairness or religious imagery several times in the brochures is the best strategy for raising a lot of money. This is because it appeals to the moral values of people and increases their willingness to donate. Happy cat pictures, calling potential donors "stars," or mentioning their names several times may not have as much impact on donation amounts as appealing to moral values.

Question 10

The studies by Rosenthal and Jacobson on self-fulfilling prophecies have concluded that the teachers treated the "bloomers" in class differently than the other children.In which of the following ways did the teachers treat these students differently?

Accepted Answer

According to the studies, the teachers treated the "bloomers" (the students they expected to excel) with more personal attention than they did the other children. This extra attention likely contributed to the bloomers' improvement in academic achievement.

Question 11

Based on research presented in the text, if Emily wants to pick the best car of all the options she has considered, what should she do?

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that after a brief period of conscious evaluation, allowing the subconscious mind to process information by engaging in a distracting activity can lead to better decision-making.

Question 12

Recall that Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson (1968) informed grade-school teachers that some of their students (called "bloomers") would show great academic improvement in the upcoming year.Also recall that students labeled "bloomers" actually showed greater increases on IQ tests compared to students who were not labeled "bloomers." These differences occurred because teachers

Accepted Answer

Teachers challenged "bloomers" more and provided them with more and better feedback, leading to greater academic improvement.

Question 13

You have just arrived for your first year of college, but your roommate, Leah, is nowhere to be found.Your next-door neighbor, Tim, tells you that he's met Leah, and that she's really shy and introverted.If you wanted to counteract the self-fulfilling prophecy, what might you do when you meet Leah?

Accepted Answer

By asking Leah about fun activities she did in high school, you encourage her to share positive experiences, which can help her feel more comfortable and open, counteracting the self-fulfilling prophecy of her being shy and introverted.

Question 14

In the study by Shariff and Norenzayan (2007) presented in your text, when participants were primed with words related to God or fairness to others, they behaved

Accepted Answer

Participants who were primed with words related to God or fairness to others behaved more selflessly in subsequent tasks. This suggests that the primes had a positive effect on altruistic behavior.

Question 15

What is the take-home message from the research on the self-fulfilling prophecy?

Accepted Answer

The research on the self-fulfilling prophecy suggests that it is the result of unconscious, unintentional processes. This means that people may unknowingly behave in a way that confirms their expectations, leading to the fulfillment of those expectations. This has important implications for how we interact with others and the impact our expectations can have on them.

Question 16

Applying the lessons learned from Rosenthal and Jacobson, if you wanted your child to succeed, what would be the best nickname for him?

Accepted Answer

The best choice would be Champ as it conveys positivity and strength, which may boost the child's self-confidence and motivation to succeed. Nicknames such as Buddy, Pipsqueak, or Rascal may have negative connotations that could potentially harm the child's self-esteem and academic performance.

Question 17

Based on the study by Shariff and Norenzayan (2007) presented in your text, if you pass by several churches, then a block or so later a homeless person asks you for change, how are you likely to behave?

Accepted Answer

The study found that priming people with religious concepts such as passing by churches increases their likelihood of behaving prosocially and being more helpful, including giving money to the homeless. Therefore, passing by several churches before encountering the homeless person is likely to make someone more likely to give them money.

Question 18

In a controlled experiment, Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) informed grade school teachers that some of their students (called "bloomers") would show great academic improvement in the upcoming year.In reality, the "bloomers" were chosen randomly by the researchers, and were no smarter than any of the other students.Which of the following best describes the results of this study? At the end of the year,

Accepted Answer

The study found that the "bloomers" (who were randomly chosen) showed significantly greater academic improvement than non-bloomers, likely due to the teachers' increased expectations and positive reinforcement towards them. This suggests that teacher expectations can have a significant impact on student performance, even if those expectations are based on false information.

Question 19

Recently, a state department of education decided to lower the grade needed to pass the writing portion of a standardized test.Assuming that Rosenthal and Jacobson's research remains true in today's classrooms, what is most likely to happen to students' writing ability as a result?

Accepted Answer

Rosenthal and Jacobson's research on the Pygmalion effect suggests that lowering expectations can lead to lower achievement. By lowering the grade needed to pass the writing portion of the standardized test, students may not be held to the same high standard and may not push themselves to improve their writing. This could result in a decrease in their writing ability.

Question 20

It is reasonable to expect that in real classrooms there are several gender differences in terms of academic performance, because girls and boys are unwittingly treated differently by teachers and parents.What phenomenon best explains how this treatment could influence academic performance? Self-fulfilling prophecies are a(n)

Accepted Answer

Self-fulfilling prophecies are automatic processes, meaning that they happen unintentionally and unconsciously. This means that teachers and parents may unknowingly treat girls differently than boys, which can create a self-fulfilling prophecy where girls perform worse academically because they are not given the same opportunities and expectations as boys.

Quiz 3: Social Cognition: How We Think About the Social World