PSY2206
Social Psychology
Q & A w/ Rationales
2024
,1. Which of the following best defines social cognition?
a) The study of how individuals perceive, remember, and
interpret information about themselves and others in social
contexts.
b) The study of how individuals acquire, store, and apply
knowledge about social interactions.
c) The study of how individuals develop stable and
perceived impressions of others.
d) The study of how individuals attribute causes to events
and behaviors in social settings.
Answer: a) The study of how individuals perceive,
remember, and interpret information about themselves and
others in social contexts.
Rationale: Social cognition focuses on understanding how
individuals process and make sense of information in social
situations.
2. Phil has been consistently receiving lower grades in his
physics class. Instead of revisiting his study strategies, he
attributes his poor grades to the difficulty of the subject and
the lack of clarity in the course material. Phil's behavior
exemplifies:
a) Self-serving bias
b) Fundamental attribution error
c) Halo effect
d) Primacy effect
Answer: b) Fundamental attribution error
Rationale: Phil's tendency to attribute his poor grades to
, external factors rather than his own personal characteristics
is an example of the fundamental attribution error, where
individuals tend to explain others' behavior based on
dispositional factors rather than situational factors.
3. In Milgram's obedience study, participants were led to
believe that they were administering electric shocks to a
test subject. This study primarily aimed to understand:
a) Conformity
b) Group polarization
c) Obedience to authority
d) Bystander effect
Answer: c) Obedience to authority
Rationale: The Milgram study aimed to investigate the
extent to which individuals would obey instructions from
an authority figure, even if those instructions involved
harming another person.
4. According to Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory,
which of the following situations would most likely lead to
the greatest dissonance?
a) A person discovers that a product they purchased is of
lower quality than expected.
b) A person votes for a political candidate who later
engages in unethical behavior.
c) A person realizes they hold conflicting beliefs on a
particular issue.
d) A person receives a compliment from someone they
dislike.
Social Psychology
Q & A w/ Rationales
2024
,1. Which of the following best defines social cognition?
a) The study of how individuals perceive, remember, and
interpret information about themselves and others in social
contexts.
b) The study of how individuals acquire, store, and apply
knowledge about social interactions.
c) The study of how individuals develop stable and
perceived impressions of others.
d) The study of how individuals attribute causes to events
and behaviors in social settings.
Answer: a) The study of how individuals perceive,
remember, and interpret information about themselves and
others in social contexts.
Rationale: Social cognition focuses on understanding how
individuals process and make sense of information in social
situations.
2. Phil has been consistently receiving lower grades in his
physics class. Instead of revisiting his study strategies, he
attributes his poor grades to the difficulty of the subject and
the lack of clarity in the course material. Phil's behavior
exemplifies:
a) Self-serving bias
b) Fundamental attribution error
c) Halo effect
d) Primacy effect
Answer: b) Fundamental attribution error
Rationale: Phil's tendency to attribute his poor grades to
, external factors rather than his own personal characteristics
is an example of the fundamental attribution error, where
individuals tend to explain others' behavior based on
dispositional factors rather than situational factors.
3. In Milgram's obedience study, participants were led to
believe that they were administering electric shocks to a
test subject. This study primarily aimed to understand:
a) Conformity
b) Group polarization
c) Obedience to authority
d) Bystander effect
Answer: c) Obedience to authority
Rationale: The Milgram study aimed to investigate the
extent to which individuals would obey instructions from
an authority figure, even if those instructions involved
harming another person.
4. According to Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory,
which of the following situations would most likely lead to
the greatest dissonance?
a) A person discovers that a product they purchased is of
lower quality than expected.
b) A person votes for a political candidate who later
engages in unethical behavior.
c) A person realizes they hold conflicting beliefs on a
particular issue.
d) A person receives a compliment from someone they
dislike.
