Question 1

Rewarding people for doing what they already enjoy may lead them to attribute their action to the reward.This is called

Accepted Answer

The overjustification effect refers to the phenomenon where offering extrinsic rewards for a behavior that someone already enjoys doing can result in the person reducing their intrinsic motivation for that behavior and instead attributing their actions to the reward. This effect can affect performance, creativity, and the enjoyment of the activity. Therefore, rewarding people for doing what they already enjoy may lead to the overjustification effect.

Question 2

Myra's neighbor,a little boy,practices his saxophone loudly and annoyingly.According to the overjustification effect,if Myra wants to get him to quit playing,she should

Accepted Answer

The overjustification effect suggests that offering extrinsic rewards (such as paying the boy to quit playing) can actually decrease intrinsic motivation. Therefore, paying him to play and then offering less and less money would theoretically decrease his motivation to play the saxophone. However, it's important to consider the ethics of this approach, as it could be seen as manipulative or exploitative. It may be more appropriate to talk to the boy's parents or work out a compromise that allows him to continue practicing at a reasonable volume or during specific times of day.

Question 3

Which of the following theories assumes that our actions are self-revealing?

Accepted Answer

Self-perception theory assumes that our actions are self-revealing. This theory suggests that we infer our own attitudes and beliefs by observing our own behavior and the context in which it occurs.

Question 4

As a teenager,you enjoyed jogging.As a result,your parents purchased new running shoes for you after every major milestone (e.g. ,when you ran your first marathon).According to the self-perception theory,your parents' behavior likely did what to your intrinsic motivation for jogging?

Accepted Answer

The answer of As a teenager,you enjoyed jogging.As a result,your...

Question 5

When we are unsure of our attitudes,we infer them the same way someone else would who was observing us - that is,we look at our behavior.Which theory does this describe?

Accepted Answer

This describes self-perception theory, which suggests that we infer our attitudes from our behavior when we aren't sure how we feel about something.

Question 6

Which theory explains our conclusion that we must be nervous because we feel shaky - while forgetting we just had two cups of strong coffee?

Accepted Answer

Self-perception theory suggests that we infer our internal states (such as emotions) by observing our own behavior and the context in which it occurs. In this case, feeling shaky could be interpreted as nervousness, but if we also consider the fact that we had strong coffee, we might realize that our behavior (drinking caffeine) could be the cause of our shakiness.

Question 7

Jeremy loses his former interest in doing arithmetic after his teacher promises him $1 for each problem he solves correctly.Which theory best explains Jeremy's loss of interest in arithmetic?

Accepted Answer

Self-perception theory suggests that individuals infer their attitudes and emotions based on their behavior. In this case, Jeremy may have inferred that he only solved arithmetic problems for the reward of money, and therefore lost his inherent interest in doing arithmetic.

Question 8

When people are bribed to do what they already like doing,they start to see their actions as externally controlled rather than intrinsically appealing.This is called the

Accepted Answer

The overjustification effect occurs when external rewards undermine the intrinsic satisfaction of performing a behavior. In this case, the bribe is the external reward, and it causes the person to start seeing their actions as being controlled by the reward rather than being enjoyable in and of themselves. The other options are not relevant to this phenomenon.

Question 9

Which statement is NOT true according to the research findings on behavior and attitudes?

Accepted Answer

Research findings indicate that mirroring facial expressions of others can help us understand their emotions and empathize with them. Therefore, statement D is not true.

Question 10

Schnall and Laird's (2003)research revealed that individuals induced to repeatedly practice happy expressions tended to recall more happy memories and found their happy mood lingered.This is best explained by the

Accepted Answer

Schnall and Laird's research supports self-perception theory, as individuals induced to repeatedly practice happy expressions could infer that they were feeling happy based on their own behavior and subsequently recalled more happy memories and had a lingering happy mood.

Question 11

Although your mother had to nag you to clean your room as a child,she always praised your desire to keep your room clean and orderly when you finished.Her comments likely _______ your intrinsic motivation to maintain a clean and orderly environment on your own.

Accepted Answer

By praising the desire to keep the room clean and orderly, the mother likely increased the child's intrinsic motivation to maintain the environment on their own. This positive reinforcement may have encouraged the child to continue this behavior in the future.

Question 12

The smallest incentive that will get people to do something is usually the most effective in getting them to like the activity and keep doing it.This is best explained by the

Accepted Answer

The answer of The smallest incentive that will get people...

Question 13

When external inducements are insufficient to justify our behavior,we reduce dissonance by justifying the behavior internally.Which of the following theories explains this insufficient justification effect?

Accepted Answer

The insufficient justification effect is a manifestation of cognitive dissonance theory, which explains how individuals tend to justify their actions when they are not adequately rewarded from external sources. Through this internal justification process, individuals can reduce the discomfort of cognitive dissonance, which arises when their actions contradict their beliefs or values.

Question 14

Which of the following theories explains the insufficient justification effect by claiming that we explain our behavior by noting the conditions under which it occurs?

Accepted Answer

The self-perception theory posits that people come to understand their own attitudes and beliefs by observing their own behavior and the context in which it occurs. The insufficient justification effect occurs when people participate in a behavior for which they do not have any strong external justification, leading them to infer attitudes or beliefs consistent with their behavior in order to explain it to themselves. Therefore, the self-perception theory is the most applicable in explaining this phenomenon.

Question 15

The best way to cultivate Mark's enjoyment of a task that is not intrinsically appealing to him is to have him comply with the behavior and then suggest that

Accepted Answer

Suggesting that Mark did the task for an intrinsic reason can help him internalize the motivation, making the task more enjoyable and self-driven in the future.

Question 16

As a teenager,you enjoyed jogging.Concerned with your weight,your parents gave you money whenever you went jogging.According to the self-perception theory,your parents' behavior likely did what to your intrinsic motivation for jogging?

Accepted Answer

According to the self-perception theory, when individuals receive extrinsic rewards for an activity they previously enjoyed doing intrinsically, they may begin to attribute their behavior to the rewards rather than internal factors such as enjoyment. This can lead to a decrease in intrinsic motivation as the individual starts to view the activity as a means to obtain rewards rather than something they enjoy doing for its own sake.

Question 17

Vaughan and Lanzetta's (1981)study required participants to observe someone receiving an electric shock.Some,but not all,of the participants were required to make a pained expression whenever the shock was implemented.The results indicated that compared to those students who were not required to make a pained expression,those who did perspired more and had faster heart rates whenever they observed the person being shocked.Which theory are the results consistent with?

Accepted Answer

The results of the study are consistent with self-perception theory, as the participants who were required to make a pained expression likely interpreted their own behavior in making the expression as indicative of feeling empathy or distress, leading to physiological arousal. This theory suggests that individuals infer their attitudes or feelings based on their own behavior or actions. The other theories listed (self-presentation, self-consistency, and cognitive dissonance) do not directly explain the observed physiological responses in this study.

Question 18

According to the overjustification effect,promising children a reward for doing what they already intrinsically enjoy will

Accepted Answer

The overjustification effect suggests that promising a reward for a behavior that someone already enjoys and finds intrinsically motivating can actually decrease their enjoyment of the activity. This is because the addition of an external reward can shift the focus from the intrinsic enjoyment of the activity to the extrinsic reward, leading to a decrease in intrinsic motivation.

Question 19

According to the overjustification effect,reinforcements that praise people tend to _______ intrinsic motivation,and reinforcement that seeks to control people _______ intrinsic motivation.

Accepted Answer

The overjustification effect states that offering extrinsic rewards for behaviors that are already motivating can decrease intrinsic motivation. This means that reinforcement, such as praise, can increase intrinsic motivation. However, if the reinforcement is controlling or seeks to manipulate behavior, it can decrease intrinsic motivation. Therefore, the correct answer is that reinforcement that praises people tends to increase intrinsic motivation, and reinforcement that seeks to control people decreases intrinsic motivation.

Question 20

Which theory explains our conclusion that we must be anxious because we woke up before dawn?

Accepted Answer

Self-perception theory suggests that we observe our own behavior and use that observation to infer our own attitudes or emotions. In this case, the individual may observe that they woke up before dawn and infer that they must be anxious based on that behavior.

Quiz 4: Behavior and Attitudes