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1. Central traits such as warm or cold have a special influence on impression formation because:
a. they suggest the presence of other traits.
b. they are subjective and cannot be verified or refuted.
c. they trigger unconscious emotional reactions in people.
d. of all of the above reasons.
2. The studies of impression formation performed by Solomon Asch demonstrated that:
a. central traits have a powerful influence on our attitudes.
b. the order of traits in a list can make a difference.
c. people will form impressions of a person from a simple, bare-bones list of a their traits.
d. all of the above are true.
3. According to research by Asch, if a trait list contains an equal number of positive and negative traits, raters judge a person more __________ if the __________ traits appear _________ in the list.
a. unfavorably; negative; late
b. unfavorably; positive; early
c. favorably; negative; early
d. favorably; positive; early
4. Which statement below summarizes the findings of Asch regarding impression formation most accurately?
a. The impression a person will form is unpredictable.
b. First impressions are almost impossible to counteract.
c. First impressions are important, but they can be adjusted on the basis of later information.
d. First impressions are almost always incorrect.
5. Social psychologists use the term attribution to refer to the process of:
a. inferring personality characteristics on the basis of behaviors.
b. explaining behavior in terms of personality characteristics.
c. explaining behavior in terms of external circumstances.
d. modifying our first impressions of a person in light of new information.
6. Seeing her new friend Joe talking in an animated fashion with a large group at a party, Renee assumes that Joe is an extravert. Her attribution is obviously based on:
a. situational influences.
b. dispositional influences.
c. the fundamental attribution error.
d. all of the above.
7. Seeing his new friend Renee attempting to conceal a yawn while listening to someone tell a not-so-funny joke at the party, Joe assumes that Renee is bored because the joke is tedious. His attribution is obviously based on:
a. situational influences.
b. dispositional influences.
c. the fundamental attribution error.
d. all of the above.
8. When making attributions about the behavior of other people, we tend to:
a. underestimate dispositional influences and overestimate situational influences.
b. overestimate dispositional influences and underestimate situational influences.
c. overestimate both dispositional and situational influences.
d. underestimate both dispositional and situational influences.
9. The phenomenon described in question 8 is known as the:
a. central trait error.
b. hindsight bias.
c. overconfidence phenomenon.
d. fundamental attribution error.
10. When we form attributions about our own behavior, we:
a. underestimate dispositional influences and overestimate situational influences.
b. overestimate dispositional influences and underestimate situational influences.
c. overestimate both dispositional and situational influences.
d. none of the above.
11. The difference between the way we interpret the behavior of other people and our own is referred to as the:
a. fundamental attribution error.
b. hindsight bias.
c. actor / observer bias.
d. overconfidence phenomenon.
12. Subjects in the Hamilton & Gifford experiment:
a. overestimated the number of undesirable actions committed by the smaller of two groups.
b. overestimated the number of desirable actions committed by the smaller of two groups.
c. made more situational than dispositional attributions.
d. made more dispositional than situational attributions.
13. In describing the illusory correlation pattern, Hamilton & Gifford were referring to the misperception by the subject of a relationship between:
a. large group size and a proportionately small number of positive traits.
b. large group size and a disproportionately small number of negative traits.
c. small group size and a small number of negative traits.
d. small group size and a disproportionately large number of positive traits.
14. Social psychologists define stereotypes as:
a. unjustifiable negative attitudes toward a group.
b. unjustifiable negative attitudes toward an individual.
c. generalized beliefs about a group of people that distinguish those people from others.
d. the perception of a relationship where none exists.
15. When Goldberg (1968) asked female subjects to rate the quality of articles that were attributed to male or female authors, the subjects rated articles more favorably when:
a. articles on masculine topics were attributed to male, rather than female, authors.
b. the articles were attributed to female authors, regardless of the topic.
c. the articles were on feminine, rather than masculine, topics.
d. all of the above conditions were met.
16. The perception of a relationship where none exists is called:
a. an illusory correlation.
b. the fundamental attribution error.
c. the actor-observer bias.
d. a negative correlation.
17. Prejudice is best defined as:
a. an unjustifiable, usually negative attitude toward a group and its individual members.
b. a generalized belief about a group.
c. a dispositional attribution about a group and its individual members.
d. a situational attribution about a group and its individual members.
18. The experiment by Hamilton & Rose demonstrated that once people have formed stereotypes, they are more likely to remember new information when:
a. the information is consistent with those stereotypes.
b. the information contradicts those stereotypes.
c. there are few distractions.
d. the people are in a good mood.
19. Hamilton & Gifford demonstrated in their experiment that racial and ethnic stereotypes may be formed because:
a. memorable incidents lead to illusory correlations between minority status and negative attributes.
b. people tend to overestimate dispositional influences on behavior.
c. people tend to underestimate situational influences on behavior.
d. of both b. and c.
20. Denny, a subject in a social psychology experiment, is given a description of a hypothetical person who excels in math and science. His assumption that the person is male is an example of:
a. a dispositional attribution.
b. the fundamental attribution error.
c. a gender stereotype.
d. a situational attribution.