Unit 4A: Social Psychology

Which term refers to the tendency to attribute someone else's behavior to their personality rather than to the situation?

• Self-serving bias

• Fundamental attribution error

• Actor-observer bias

• Social loafing

Answer explanation

The term 'fundamental attribution error' describes the tendency to overemphasize personality traits and underestimate situational factors when explaining others' behaviors, making it the correct choice.

What is the mere exposure effect?

• The tendency to help others at a cost to oneself

• The tendency to like something more after repeated exposure to it

• The tendency to compare oneself to others

• The tendency to attribute success to internal factors

Answer explanation

The mere exposure effect refers to the psychological phenomenon where individuals tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them, hence the correct choice is the tendency to like something more after repeated exposure.

Which of the following best describes cognitive dissonance?

• The belief that the world is fair and people get what they deserve

• The discomfort experienced when holding conflicting beliefs or behaviors

• The tendency to favor one's own group

• The tendency to conform to group norms

Answer explanation

Cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort that arises when an individual holds conflicting beliefs or engages in behaviors that contradict their values. This makes the second choice the best description.

What is the difference between dispositional and situational attribution?

• Dispositional attribution blames external factors; situational blames internal factors

• Dispositional attribution blames internal factors; situational blames external factors

• Both focus on external factors

• Both focus on internal factors

Answer explanation

Dispositional attribution refers to internal factors like personality or character, while situational attribution focuses on external factors such as environment or context. Thus, the correct choice is that dispositional blames internal, situational blames external.

Which bias involves attributing one's own successes to internal factors and failures to external factors?

• Actor-observer bias

• Self-serving bias

• Confirmation bias

• False consensus effect

Answer explanation

The self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute successes to internal factors, like personal effort, while blaming failures on external factors, such as bad luck. This bias helps maintain self-esteem.

A student believes they failed a test because the test was unfair, not because of their own lack of preparation. This is an example of:

• Internal locus of control

• External locus of control

• Optimistic explanatory style

• Social comparison

Answer explanation

This situation illustrates an external locus of control, where the student attributes their failure to external factors (the test being unfair) rather than their own actions or preparation.

Which of the following is an example of the just-world phenomenon?

• Believing that people who are poor must not have worked hard enough

• Believing that everyone is unique

• Believing that people are more likely to help in groups

• Believing that exposure increases liking

Answer explanation

The just-world phenomenon is the belief that people get what they deserve. Thus, believing that people who are poor must not have worked hard enough exemplifies this bias, as it implies they are to blame for their situation.

What is the main idea behind the elaboration likelihood model?

• People are more likely to help when others are present

• There are two routes to persuasion: central and peripheral

• People conform to group norms

• People compare themselves to others

Answer explanation

The elaboration likelihood model posits that there are two routes to persuasion: the central route, which involves careful consideration of arguments, and the peripheral route, which relies on superficial cues. This highlights the correct choice.

Which technique involves first making a small request to increase the likelihood of agreement to a larger request?

• Door-in-the-face effect

• Foot-in-the-door technique

• Halo effect

• Social facilitation

Answer explanation

The Foot-in-the-door technique involves starting with a small request to gain compliance, making it more likely that the person will agree to a larger request later. This contrasts with the Door-in-the-face effect, which starts with a large request.

A person who believes their actions directly affect the outcomes in their life is demonstrating:

• External locus of control

• Internal locus of control

• Social loafing

• Groupthink

Answer explanation

A person with an internal locus of control believes their actions influence outcomes. This contrasts with an external locus of control, where individuals feel that external factors dictate their life events.