Practice test for Social Psychology
Note: These questions are part of a larger data base of questions & are selected
to represent the type of question you should expect on exams. Exam questions,
however, may deal with topics not covered in the practice tests or in lectures but are discussed in
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Use these sample questions to test yourself & to practice for the test.
1. Saul admits that he conforms so as to be liked by others. This is known as
compliance.
obedience.
informational social influence.
normative social influence.
2. According to the text, in which of the following has groupthink
been known to occur?
presidential elections
the fall of communism
mass suicides by cults
the sinking of the Titanic
3. Many businesses now require their employees to work in teams, believing that a group
of four to five employees will accomplish more than four to five individuals working alone.
This is an example of what concept?
social facilitation
social impairment
social loafing
social laziness
4. Marie was approached by her neighbor asking her to adopt two to three kittens that where
abandoned by their mother. While Maria refused to take three kittens, she did agree to adopt
just one. What compliance technique did her neighbor use on Maria?
foot-in-in-the-door
door-in-the-face
lowball
double-face-in-the-door
5. Which of the following people would probably not be a prime candidate for
membership in a cult?
Lewis, who is mad at the world, especially his parents
Leticia, who is open to new ideas and wants world peace and harmony among people
Lauren, who is under a lot of stress and dissatisfied with her life
Lawrence, who has only a high school diploma but tends to be independent
and happy with his life
6. Follow-up studies to Stanley Milgram's research have suggested that a teacher's willingness
to deliver potentially lethal shocks may be more a product of__________ than obedience.
conformity
compliance
social identity
deindividuation
7. The public services messages that encourage parents to sit down with their children
and talk frankly about drugs are promoting which method of attitude formation?
direct contact
direct instruction
vicarious conditioning
observational learning
8. Researchers have found that a _________ degree of fear in a message makes it more
effective, particularly when its combined with __________.
maximum: information about how to prevent the fearful consequence
minimum: threats
moderate; threats
moderate; information about how to prevent the fearful consequence
9. Sandy was a juror in the trial for a man accused of stealing guns from a sporting
goods store. The defendant was not very well spoken and came from a very poor
background, but Sandy listened carefully to the evidence presented and made her
decision based on that. Sandy was using __________ processing.
central-route
peripheral-route
cognitive-route
visual-route
10. Which of the following should LaSonda avoid if she wants to reduce cognitive dissonance?
changing her behavior
changing her attitude
forming a completely new attitude
ignoring the conflict altogether
11. Gerard goes to a job interview dressed in patched blue jeans, a torn T-shirt, and
sandals. His hair is uncombed and he hasn't shaved in a few days. Obviously, Gerald
knows nothing about
cognitive dissonance.
attitude formation.
impression formation.
groupthink.
12. If behavior is assumed to be caused by external characteristics, this is know as
a situational cause.
a dispositional cause.
a fundamental attribution error.
actor-observer bias.
13. Thomas likes to "hang with the guys." These people with whom Thomas identifies most strongly
with are called a(n)
reference group.
in-group.
out-group.
"them" group.
14. The "Robber's Cave" experiment showed the value of __________ in combating prejudice.
"jigsaw classrooms"
equal status contact
subordinate goals
stereotyping vulnerability
15. Vivian and Steve met at work. At first they were just friends, but over time, they
found themselves falling in love - or as Vivian tells her friends, "Steve just grew on me!"
According to research in interpersonal attraction, the most likely explanation for their
attraction is
mere exposure.
personal attractiveness.
fate.
reciprocity of liking.
16. According to Sternberg, a couple whose love is based off of intimacy and passion
but who are not committed to a long-term relationship are in the form of love called __________ love.
companionate
romantic
affectionate
consummate
17. The concept that aggression results from a social role is based on what
psychological theory?
humanistic
learning
psychoanalytical
cognitive
18. To which two processes do most social psychologists attribute the failure of those
around La Sandra Calloway to help her.
bystander effect and altruism
aggression and diffusion of responsibility
altruism and diffusion of responsibility
bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility
19. Cara knows that she can help people simply by dialing 1-1-1 on her cell phone if
an emergency arises. Which step in the decision process for helping would Cara be at?
noticing
taking action
taking responsibility
planning a course of action
20. Which of the following would the field of social neuroscience be most likely to study?
what parts of the brain influence social behavior
how influential is heredity on social behavior
what impact does head trauma play on developing relationships
what impact do friends have in resolving conflicts
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Robert C. Gates
We are no other than a moving row
Of Magic Shadow-shapes that come and go
Round with the Sun-illumin'd Lantern held
In Midnight by the Master of the Show;
- Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam