Question 1

Bob has a negative attitude toward healthy eating.Bob's doctor describes research showing that healthy eating can help him live longer.Bob does not pay attention to what he is saying,but is impressed by his doctor's confidence and intelligence,so he changes his attitude toward healthy eating.Bob has changed his attitude based on the ________ route to persuasion.

Accepted Answer

Bob was not persuaded by the central route which involves critical thinking and evaluation of the information presented. Instead, he was persuaded by the peripheral route which involves being influenced by factors such as the credibility and attractiveness of the communicator (in this case, his doctor).

Question 2

Payton and his friends wear matching jerseys at the football game.When his friends start yelling curses at the players,Payton starts cursing,too,even though normally Payton rarely yells or curses at anyone.Payton's yelling in this case is best explained by

Accepted Answer

Deindividuation occurs when people lose their sense of individual identity and responsibility and become more likely to behave disruptively or aggressively in a group setting. In this case, Payton and his friends were all wearing matching jerseys, which may have contributed to a sense of group identity and decreased individual responsibility for their behavior. This may have made Payton more likely to engage in cursing and yelling, even though it goes against his normal behavior.

Question 3

Which of the following is illustrated in the Stanford prison study?

Accepted Answer

The Stanford prison study illustrated that people will behave according to their roles in a situation. The participants who played the role of guards quickly became authoritarian and abusive, while those who played the role of prisoners became submissive and dependent. This suggests that people's behavior is heavily influenced by the social context in which they find themselves, rather than being solely determined by their individual personalities.

Question 4

Brendan does not like psychology,but he is still taking an introductory psychology class.Due to cognitive dissonance,Brendan will probably have a(n)________ attitude by the end of the semester.

Accepted Answer

Cognitive dissonance theory predicts that when there is a conflict between our beliefs and our behavior, we experience discomfort or dissonance. To reduce this discomfort, we may change our behavior, our beliefs, or our attitude. In this case, Brendan's behavior (taking the psychology class) conflicts with his belief (not liking psychology). To reduce the resulting dissonance, Brendan is likely to change his attitude and develop a more positive view of psychology by the end of the semester.

Question 5

You are recruiting part-time tutors for an elementary school.Dissonance theory suggests that a successful strategy to increase the commitment of these tutors would be to pay them a

Accepted Answer

Dissonance theory suggests that when people receive a small reward for doing something, they are more likely to internally justify their commitment to the task, increasing their intrinsic motivation and commitment.

Question 6

A political candidate wants to create a long-lasting positive image.According to the elaboration likelihood model,the candidate would use commercials

Accepted Answer

According to the elaboration likelihood model, using commercials that clearly explain campaign issues would be the best choice for creating a long-lasting positive image. This is because this approach appeals to the central route of processing where people carefully consider information and arguments presented to them, leading to a more lasting attitude change.

Question 7

Jim has a negative attitude toward healthy eating.Jim's doctor describes research showing that healthy eating can help him live longer.Jim pays very close attention and thinks very carefully about this explanation and then changes his attitude toward healthy eating.Jim has changed his attitude based on the ________ route to persuasion.

Accepted Answer

Jim paid close attention and thought carefully about the research presented by his doctor, which suggests he was processing the information deeply and using rational thought. This indicates that he changed his attitude based on the central route to persuasion.

Question 8

Chris believes that anyone who listens to pop music is an idiot.One day,Chris realizes that the song he is dancing and singing along with on the radio is the newest pop music hit.Chris now decides that listening to pop music is not so bad after all.Chris's attitude change is best explained by

Accepted Answer

Chris's change in attitude can be best explained by cognitive dissonance theory, which suggests that when an individual's behavior conflicts with their beliefs or attitudes, they will experience discomfort or dissonance. In this case, Chris believed that listening to pop music made someone an idiot, but his behavior of enjoying and singing along to a pop music hit contradicted that belief, leading to cognitive dissonance. To reduce this discomfort, Chris changed his attitude to align with his behavior and decided that listening to pop music is not so bad after all.

Question 9

After an earthquake in one city,people were overexcited and there were no police around.So,mobs of people looted the damaged shops and homes.This behavior is most likely a result of

Accepted Answer

Deindividuation refers to a state of reduced self-awareness and social identity in a group, which can lead to a loss of personal responsibility and an increase in impulsive and deviant behavior. In the given situation, the absence of police, the chaotic conditions, and the arousal caused by the earthquake could have heightened the sense of anonymity and decreased self-awareness among the looters, leading to deindividuation and looting behavior. Social facilitation (A) and group polarization (B) refer to the effects of the presence and influence of others on individual performance and attitudes, respectively, but do not necessarily explain the looting behavior in this context. Groupthink (D) refers to a phenomenon where a cohesive and homogeneous group may prioritize conformity and consensus over critical thinking, which may result in flawed decision making, but it is not necessarily relevant to the given scenario.

Question 10

New Smoke wants to market its cigarettes to young adults,so it decides to create an ad using an attractive celebrity couple.By using well-known,high-status people to influence its audience and deliver its message,the company is using the ________ route of persuasion to increase cigarette sales.

Accepted Answer

The use of attractive celebrities is an example of the peripheral route of persuasion, which focuses on superficial characteristics such as attractiveness, instead of the central route which focuses on the substance of the message. This tactic aims to influence the audience through emotional appeal rather than by providing information, and is commonly used in advertising.

Question 11

You are trying to decide which of two horses to bet on.After you make your decision,you are likely to be ________ sure about the horse you bet on because of ________.

Accepted Answer

After making a decision, people often experience postdecisional dissonance, leading them to become more confident in their choice to reduce the discomfort of uncertainty.

Question 12

If someone wants to create an attitude that will last a long time,he or she should use the ________ route of persuasion.If someone wants to create an attitude that will last only a short time,he or she should use the ________ route of persuasion.

Accepted Answer

According to the elaboration likelihood model, the central route of persuasion involves using logical arguments and evidence to persuade individuals, leading to more enduring attitudes. On the other hand, the peripheral route involves focusing on superficial factors like attractiveness or celebrity endorsements, resulting in attitudes that are more short-lived. Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

Question 13

When the presence of others leads to enhanced performance,it is an example of

Accepted Answer

Social facilitation refers to the phenomenon where the presence of other individuals leads to an improvement in performance on simple or well-learned tasks but can hinder performance on complex or new tasks. This is typically due to a heightened sense of arousal and motivation in the presence of others.

Question 14

Katie gets asked out by two men,Jack and Robert.Although she likes both of them,she decides to go out with Jack.Afterward,she starts to notice more positive qualities about Jack and more negative qualities about Robert.Katie's new attitude is most likely a result of

Accepted Answer

Katie's change in attitude is consistent with postdecisional dissonance, which is the discomfort or tension that arises after making a decision between two or more alternatives. To reduce this discomfort, people tend to view the chosen alternative more positively and the rejected alternative more negatively, which is what Katie is doing by noticing more positive qualities about Jack and more negative qualities about Robert.

Question 15

An active and conscious effort to change an attitude by sending a message is referred to as

Accepted Answer

Persuasion refers to the active and conscious effort to change an attitude by sending a message, whether it is to promote a product, persuade someone to support a particular cause, or encourage a behavior change. Stereotyping is a preconceived notion or belief about a group of people, while cognitive dissonance is the discomfort or tension that arises from holding contradictory beliefs or values. Attitude accessibility refers to how easily an attitude comes to mind or how readily it can be activated.

Question 16

Lisa believes that drinking alcohol is wrong.However,her boyfriend,Mike,likes to drink beer after work.Instead of breaking up with Mike,she decides that drinking alcohol is not so bad after all.Lisa's attitude most likely changed because of

Accepted Answer

Lisa experienced cognitive dissonance, which is the mental discomfort that arises when a person holds conflicting beliefs. In this case, Lisa held the belief that drinking alcohol is wrong but was in a relationship with someone who drinks alcohol. To reduce this discomfort, Lisa changed her attitude to believe that drinking alcohol is not so bad after all, in order to justify her continued relationship with Mike.

Question 17

Expected standards of conduct,which influence behaviors,are known as

Accepted Answer

Expected standards of conduct are known as social norms. These norms are internalized by individuals and shape their behavior, often without conscious awareness. Conformity is a behavior that occurs when individuals adjust their behaviors to adhere to social norms or group expectations. Deindividuation is a phenomenon that occurs when individuals lose their sense of self-awareness in a group and may engage in behaviors they would not normally do. Social facilitation is the tendency for individuals to perform better on simple tasks when in the presence of others.

Question 18

Elena is working on a team project for her computer science class.Although the entire team is responsible for the project,some people do not feel responsible for contributing to it.Because of this,some team members do not complete their assigned tasks.This is most likely due to

Accepted Answer

Social loafing is the tendency for people to exert less effort when working together in a group towards a common goal. This can happen when individuals feel less accountable for their actions and contributions, which can lead to some team members not completing their assigned tasks. This scenario does not fit the criteria for group polarization, which is the tendency for group members to become more extreme in their views after discussing them with like-minded individuals. Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when individuals prioritize group consensus over their own ideas, often leading to flawed decision-making. Social facilitation, on the other hand, refers to the tendency for individuals to perform better on simple tasks in the presence of others. None of these explanations fit the situation described in the question.

Question 19

Jay is nervous about giving a presentation at work.His presentation sounds fine when he practices alone,but it goes even better when he delivers his presentation to his boss.Because Jay performs even better in front of other people than when he is alone,he is most likely experiencing

Accepted Answer

The situation described suggests that Jay experiences improved performance in the presence of other people, which is consistent with the concept of social facilitation. Social loafing refers to a decrease in individual effort and productivity when working in a group. Group polarization is the tendency for group discussion to strengthen the initial tendencies of group members leading to a more extreme decision following group discussion. Normative influence refers to conformity to group norms to gain social acceptance or approval. None of these concepts appear to fit the scenario described for Jay.

Question 20

According to the elaboration likelihood model,persuasion occurs through the ________ routes.

Accepted Answer

The elaboration likelihood model proposes that there are two routes to persuasion: the central route and the peripheral route. The central route involves careful consideration of the arguments and is more likely to result in long-lasting attitude change, while the peripheral route involves more superficial cues such as attractiveness of the communicator or other tangential factors.

Quiz 12: Social Psychology