PSYCHOLOGY CUMULATIVE EXAMPREP 2026
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS GUARANTEED TO PASS
◉ attribution theory. Answer: the theory that we explain someone's
behavior by crediting either the situation or the person's
disposition.
◉ fundamental attribution error. Answer: the tendency for
observers, when analyzing others' behavior, to underestimate the
impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal
disposition.
◉ attitude. Answer: feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that
predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and
events.
◉ peripheral route persuasion. Answer: occurs when people are
influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness.
◉ central route persuasion. Answer: occurs when interested people
focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.
,◉ foot-in-the-door phenomenon. Answer: the tendency for people
who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger
request.
◉ role. Answer: a set of expectations (norms) about a social
position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.
◉ cognitive dissonance theory. Answer: the theory that we act to
reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our
thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent. For example, when we
become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we can
reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes.
◉ conformity. Answer: adjusting our behavior or thinking to
coincide with a group standard.
◉ normative social influence. Answer: influence resulting from a
person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.
◉ informational social influence. Answer: influence resulting from
one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality.
◉ social facilitation. Answer: improved performance on simple or
well-learned tasks in the presence of others.
,◉ social loafing. Answer: the tendency for people in a group to exert
less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common
goal than when individually accountable.
◉ deindividuation. Answer: the loss of self-awareness and self-
restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and
anonymity.
◉ group polarization. Answer: the enhancement of a group's
prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.
◉ groupthink. Answer: the mode of thinking that occurs when the
desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic
appraisal of alternatives.
◉ culture. Answer: the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values,
and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one
generation to the next.
◉ norm. Answer: an understood rule for accepted and expected
behavior. Norms prescribe "proper" behavior.
◉ prejudice. Answer: an unjustifiable and usually negative attitude
toward a group and its members. Prejudice generally involves
, stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to
discriminatory action.
◉ stereotype. Answer: a generalized (sometimes accurate but often
overgeneralized) belief about a group of people.
◉ discrimination. Answer: (2) in social psychology, unjustifiable
negative behavior toward a group and its members.
◉ just-world phenomenon. Answer: the tendency for people to
believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they
deserve and deserve what they get.
◉ ingroup. Answer: "Us"—people with whom we share a common
identity.
◉ outgroup. Answer: "Them"—those perceived as different or apart
from our ingroup.
◉ ingroup bias. Answer: the tendency to favor our own group.
◉ scapegoat theory. Answer: the theory that prejudice offers an
outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS GUARANTEED TO PASS
◉ attribution theory. Answer: the theory that we explain someone's
behavior by crediting either the situation or the person's
disposition.
◉ fundamental attribution error. Answer: the tendency for
observers, when analyzing others' behavior, to underestimate the
impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal
disposition.
◉ attitude. Answer: feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that
predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and
events.
◉ peripheral route persuasion. Answer: occurs when people are
influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness.
◉ central route persuasion. Answer: occurs when interested people
focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.
,◉ foot-in-the-door phenomenon. Answer: the tendency for people
who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger
request.
◉ role. Answer: a set of expectations (norms) about a social
position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.
◉ cognitive dissonance theory. Answer: the theory that we act to
reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our
thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent. For example, when we
become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we can
reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes.
◉ conformity. Answer: adjusting our behavior or thinking to
coincide with a group standard.
◉ normative social influence. Answer: influence resulting from a
person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.
◉ informational social influence. Answer: influence resulting from
one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality.
◉ social facilitation. Answer: improved performance on simple or
well-learned tasks in the presence of others.
,◉ social loafing. Answer: the tendency for people in a group to exert
less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common
goal than when individually accountable.
◉ deindividuation. Answer: the loss of self-awareness and self-
restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and
anonymity.
◉ group polarization. Answer: the enhancement of a group's
prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.
◉ groupthink. Answer: the mode of thinking that occurs when the
desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic
appraisal of alternatives.
◉ culture. Answer: the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values,
and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one
generation to the next.
◉ norm. Answer: an understood rule for accepted and expected
behavior. Norms prescribe "proper" behavior.
◉ prejudice. Answer: an unjustifiable and usually negative attitude
toward a group and its members. Prejudice generally involves
, stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to
discriminatory action.
◉ stereotype. Answer: a generalized (sometimes accurate but often
overgeneralized) belief about a group of people.
◉ discrimination. Answer: (2) in social psychology, unjustifiable
negative behavior toward a group and its members.
◉ just-world phenomenon. Answer: the tendency for people to
believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they
deserve and deserve what they get.
◉ ingroup. Answer: "Us"—people with whom we share a common
identity.
◉ outgroup. Answer: "Them"—those perceived as different or apart
from our ingroup.
◉ ingroup bias. Answer: the tendency to favor our own group.
◉ scapegoat theory. Answer: the theory that prejudice offers an
outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.
