PSYC 1F90 (2ND SEMESTER) | 346 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | 2026 UPDATE | WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTION.
Question 1
Which of the following is the best definition of Social Psychology?
A) The study of individual brain structures and their functions.
B) The study of how people behave in social situations.
C) The study of mental illness in isolation.
D) The study of ancient civilizations and their social structures.
E) The study of animal behavior in the wild.
Correct Answer: B) The study of how people behave in social situations.
Rationale: Social psychology focuses specifically on how the thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of
others.
Question 2
Social psychology is described as being responsible for:
A) Only the positive achievements of humanity.
B) Only the negative or violent acts of humanity.
C) Both the best and worst things humanity has done.
D) Biological mutations in the human species.
E) The development of physical technology.
Correct Answer: C) Both the best and worst things humanity has done.
Rationale: Social psychology explains why humans are capable of extreme altruism and
cooperation (the best) as well as prejudice, war, and genocide (the worst).
Question 3
Groups that help us define who we are and provide us with roles to take on are known as:
A) Solitary units.
B) Biological clusters.
C) Social groups.
D) Cognitive schemas.
E) Individualists.
Correct Answer: C) Social groups.
Rationale: Social groups provide the framework for our identity, offering specific roles (like
student or employee) and rules (norms) that guide our behavior.
Question 4
If a person identifies as a "Brock University student," this specific group is an example of:
A) An outgroup.
B) A social group.
C) A non-social aggregate.
D) A dispositional trait.
E) A situational handicap.
, Page 2
Correct Answer: B) A social group.
Rationale: Identifying with a specific institution like a university is a key way humans form
social identities and find a sense of belonging within a structured group.
Question 5
Which of the following would NOT be considered a social group mentioned in the text?
A) Gender.
B) Race.
C) Religion.
D) A person sitting alone in a room with no identity.
E) Mental health status.
Correct Answer: D) A person sitting alone in a room with no identity.
Rationale: Social groups require a shared identity or categorization (like age, race, or
religion). Sitting alone without identifying with a category does not constitute group
membership.
Question 6
Groups that an individual personally identifies with are called:
A) Outgroups.
B) Reference frames.
C) Ingroups.
D) Deviant groups.
E) Target groups.
Correct Answer: C) Ingroups.
Rationale: An ingroup is any group to which a person feels they belong. Humans naturally
favor their ingroups over others.
Question 7
What is a common psychological tendency when viewing "Outgroups"?
A) To see them as superior to the ingroup.
B) To ignore them entirely.
C) To see the negativity or flaws within those groups.
D) To assume they have the exact same rules as the ingroup.
E) To give them more social power.
Correct Answer: C) To see the negativity or flaws within those groups.
Rationale: Due to ingroup bias, people tend to view members of outgroups (groups they
don't identify with) more critically or negatively than members of their own group.
Question 8
Expectations for how people who hold certain positions in a group ought to behave are known
as:
A) Social norms.
, Page 3
B) Social roles.
C) Social cognition.
D) Social power.
E) Social comparisons.
Correct Answer: B) Social roles.
Rationale: Social roles are specific to the position one holds (e.g., a teacher is expected to
lecture, a student is expected to listen).
Question 9
"Widely accepted standards of conduct for appropriate behavior" that often act as unspoken
agreements are called:
A) Social roles.
B) Social laws.
C) Social norms.
D) Social status.
E) Social comparisons.
Correct Answer: C) Social norms.
Rationale: Norms are the general "rules" of a group that apply to everyone, whereas roles
are specific to individuals within the group.
Question 10
In the "Flyers Experiment," what was the primary finding regarding littering behavior?
A) People littered more when the ground was perfectly clean.
B) The amount of litter already on the ground had no effect.
C) The more litter already on the ground, the more likely people were to throw their flyer down.
D) People only littered if they were told to do so.
E) Women littered more than men.
Correct Answer: C) The more litter already on the ground, the more likely people were to
throw their flyer down.
Rationale: This experiment proved that social norms (observed behavior of others) heavily
shape our actions; if the environment suggests "it is okay to litter," people follow that
unspoken standard.
Question 11
The process of thinking about ourselves and other people in social contexts is defined as:
A) Social Facilitation.
B) Social Cognition.
C) Social Loafing.
D) Social Interference.
E) Social Power.
Correct Answer: B) Social Cognition.
, Page 4
Rationale: Social cognition refers to the mental processes we use to perceive, remember, and
interpret information about ourselves and the people around us.
Question 12
Evaluating our own abilities, achievements, and attitudes by comparing ourselves to others is
known as:
A) Social facilitation.
B) Social comparison.
C) Social status.
D) Self-justification.
E) Coercion.
Correct Answer: B) Social comparison.
Rationale: Social comparison theory suggests we have an innate drive to gain accurate self-
evaluations by looking at how we stack up against others.
Question 13
Which type of comparison involves looking at someone who ranks lower than you to protect
your self-esteem?
A) Upward comparison.
B) Internal standard comparison.
C) Downward comparison.
D) Reference group comparison.
E) Cognitive dissonance.
Correct Answer: C) Downward comparison.
Rationale: By comparing ourselves to those "worse off" or less skilled, we make ourselves
feel better about our own current standing or abilities.
Question 14
What is a common result of "Upward comparison"?
A) It always increases self-esteem.
B) It can lower self-esteem but also motivate a person to do better.
C) It makes a person feel superior to everyone else.
D) It leads to social loafing.
E) It eliminates the need for social roles.
Correct Answer: B) It can lower self-esteem but also motivate a person to do better.
Rationale: Looking at someone "better" can be discouraging (lowering self-esteem), but it
also provides a target or goal to strive for (motivation).
Question 15
Upward comparison is most bad for mental health when:
A) The comparison target is a close friend.
B) The level of achievement being compared is essentially out of reach.
COMPLETE SOLUTION.
Question 1
Which of the following is the best definition of Social Psychology?
A) The study of individual brain structures and their functions.
B) The study of how people behave in social situations.
C) The study of mental illness in isolation.
D) The study of ancient civilizations and their social structures.
E) The study of animal behavior in the wild.
Correct Answer: B) The study of how people behave in social situations.
Rationale: Social psychology focuses specifically on how the thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of
others.
Question 2
Social psychology is described as being responsible for:
A) Only the positive achievements of humanity.
B) Only the negative or violent acts of humanity.
C) Both the best and worst things humanity has done.
D) Biological mutations in the human species.
E) The development of physical technology.
Correct Answer: C) Both the best and worst things humanity has done.
Rationale: Social psychology explains why humans are capable of extreme altruism and
cooperation (the best) as well as prejudice, war, and genocide (the worst).
Question 3
Groups that help us define who we are and provide us with roles to take on are known as:
A) Solitary units.
B) Biological clusters.
C) Social groups.
D) Cognitive schemas.
E) Individualists.
Correct Answer: C) Social groups.
Rationale: Social groups provide the framework for our identity, offering specific roles (like
student or employee) and rules (norms) that guide our behavior.
Question 4
If a person identifies as a "Brock University student," this specific group is an example of:
A) An outgroup.
B) A social group.
C) A non-social aggregate.
D) A dispositional trait.
E) A situational handicap.
, Page 2
Correct Answer: B) A social group.
Rationale: Identifying with a specific institution like a university is a key way humans form
social identities and find a sense of belonging within a structured group.
Question 5
Which of the following would NOT be considered a social group mentioned in the text?
A) Gender.
B) Race.
C) Religion.
D) A person sitting alone in a room with no identity.
E) Mental health status.
Correct Answer: D) A person sitting alone in a room with no identity.
Rationale: Social groups require a shared identity or categorization (like age, race, or
religion). Sitting alone without identifying with a category does not constitute group
membership.
Question 6
Groups that an individual personally identifies with are called:
A) Outgroups.
B) Reference frames.
C) Ingroups.
D) Deviant groups.
E) Target groups.
Correct Answer: C) Ingroups.
Rationale: An ingroup is any group to which a person feels they belong. Humans naturally
favor their ingroups over others.
Question 7
What is a common psychological tendency when viewing "Outgroups"?
A) To see them as superior to the ingroup.
B) To ignore them entirely.
C) To see the negativity or flaws within those groups.
D) To assume they have the exact same rules as the ingroup.
E) To give them more social power.
Correct Answer: C) To see the negativity or flaws within those groups.
Rationale: Due to ingroup bias, people tend to view members of outgroups (groups they
don't identify with) more critically or negatively than members of their own group.
Question 8
Expectations for how people who hold certain positions in a group ought to behave are known
as:
A) Social norms.
, Page 3
B) Social roles.
C) Social cognition.
D) Social power.
E) Social comparisons.
Correct Answer: B) Social roles.
Rationale: Social roles are specific to the position one holds (e.g., a teacher is expected to
lecture, a student is expected to listen).
Question 9
"Widely accepted standards of conduct for appropriate behavior" that often act as unspoken
agreements are called:
A) Social roles.
B) Social laws.
C) Social norms.
D) Social status.
E) Social comparisons.
Correct Answer: C) Social norms.
Rationale: Norms are the general "rules" of a group that apply to everyone, whereas roles
are specific to individuals within the group.
Question 10
In the "Flyers Experiment," what was the primary finding regarding littering behavior?
A) People littered more when the ground was perfectly clean.
B) The amount of litter already on the ground had no effect.
C) The more litter already on the ground, the more likely people were to throw their flyer down.
D) People only littered if they were told to do so.
E) Women littered more than men.
Correct Answer: C) The more litter already on the ground, the more likely people were to
throw their flyer down.
Rationale: This experiment proved that social norms (observed behavior of others) heavily
shape our actions; if the environment suggests "it is okay to litter," people follow that
unspoken standard.
Question 11
The process of thinking about ourselves and other people in social contexts is defined as:
A) Social Facilitation.
B) Social Cognition.
C) Social Loafing.
D) Social Interference.
E) Social Power.
Correct Answer: B) Social Cognition.
, Page 4
Rationale: Social cognition refers to the mental processes we use to perceive, remember, and
interpret information about ourselves and the people around us.
Question 12
Evaluating our own abilities, achievements, and attitudes by comparing ourselves to others is
known as:
A) Social facilitation.
B) Social comparison.
C) Social status.
D) Self-justification.
E) Coercion.
Correct Answer: B) Social comparison.
Rationale: Social comparison theory suggests we have an innate drive to gain accurate self-
evaluations by looking at how we stack up against others.
Question 13
Which type of comparison involves looking at someone who ranks lower than you to protect
your self-esteem?
A) Upward comparison.
B) Internal standard comparison.
C) Downward comparison.
D) Reference group comparison.
E) Cognitive dissonance.
Correct Answer: C) Downward comparison.
Rationale: By comparing ourselves to those "worse off" or less skilled, we make ourselves
feel better about our own current standing or abilities.
Question 14
What is a common result of "Upward comparison"?
A) It always increases self-esteem.
B) It can lower self-esteem but also motivate a person to do better.
C) It makes a person feel superior to everyone else.
D) It leads to social loafing.
E) It eliminates the need for social roles.
Correct Answer: B) It can lower self-esteem but also motivate a person to do better.
Rationale: Looking at someone "better" can be discouraging (lowering self-esteem), but it
also provides a target or goal to strive for (motivation).
Question 15
Upward comparison is most bad for mental health when:
A) The comparison target is a close friend.
B) The level of achievement being compared is essentially out of reach.
