Exam 1

Question 1

Ethics in psychology

Answer 1

correct rules of conduct necessary when carrying out research to protect participants from harm and respect their rights and dignity

Question 2

Correlational

Answer 2

psychologists measure the correlations between 2 variables without trying to control either variable (reporting what naturally occurs in people’s lives)

Question 3

Experimental

Answer 3

the experiment manipulates/controls one variable and measures the effect on the other variable in order to determine if one thing causes another

Question 4

Case study

Answer 4

descriptive research approach to obtain an in-depth analysis of a group, person, or phenomenon

Question 5

Design of an experiment

Answer 5

how participants are allocated to the different conditions in an experiment

Question 6

hindsight bias

Answer 6

the tendency to exaggerate, after learning an outcome, one’s ability to have foreseen how something turned out; the “I-knew-it-all-along” phenomenon

Question 7

Self Serving Bias

Answer 7

most people see themselves as better than average on any dimension that is subjective, common, and socially desirable; it is logically impossible for most people to be better than average so this is unrealistic

Question 8

Advantages of self serving bias

Answer 8

• genuinely happier
• more likely to savor their success
• protects against depression
• stress buffer
• better social functioning
• capacity for creative and productive work
• enhancing motivation and persistence

Question 9

Disadvantages of self serving bias

Answer 9

• illusory optimism increases our vulnerability because we dont take sensible precautions
• people who blame others for their social difficulties are often unhappier than people who can acknowledge their mistakes

Question 10

scientific method

Answer 10

a self correcting process for asking questions and observing nature’s answer; observing lots of people before making a conclusion

Question 11

dual attitude system

Answer 11

different evaluations of the same attitude object; implicit attitude and an explicit attitude

Question 12

heuristics

Answer 12

mental shortcuts that help us make decisions and judgments quickly without having to spend a lot of time researching and analyzing information

Question 13

individualism

Answer 13

gives priority to personal goals

Question 14

collectivism

Answer 14

focuses on the priorities of the group

Question 15

spotlight effect

Answer 15

people tend to believe they are being noticed more than they actually are

Question 16

false consensus

Answer 16

the tendency of people to overestimate the level to which other people share their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors

Question 17

learned helplessness

Answer 17

a condition in which someone suffers from a sense of powerlessness arising from a traumatic event or persistent failure to succeed

Question 18

self worth

Answer 18

• I am a good person

- I am comfortable with myself

Question 19

Self competence

Answer 19

• I am highly effective at the things I do

- I am almost always able to accomplish what I try for

Question 20

High self esteem

Answer 20

• Clear and certain self views
• expect success
• take credit for success
• resilience
• low depression and anxiety
• stable dating relationships
• happy marriages

Question 21

Low self esteem

Answer 21

• higher vulnerability to a variety of clinical problems

- negative views of the world

Question 22

self esteem and its correlates

Answer 22

• a persons overall opinion of themselves, either generally or in specific areas
• am I good/bad?
• am I worthy/unworthy?
• am I somewhere in between?

Question 23

Self compassion

Answer 23

extending compassion to oneself in times of failure or suffering; composed of self kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness

Question 24

fundamental attribution error

Answer 24

when we explain someone else’s behavior (usually negative) we underestimate the impact of the situation and overestimate impact of independent traits and situations

Question 25

Ross et al quiz game study 1977

Answer 25

• to see if student participants would make the fundamental attribution error even when they knew that all the actors were playing a role
• the host asked the contestants a series of questions written by the host while the audience observed
• the audience were then asked to rate the host’s and the contestant’s intellect level
• audience members perceived the host as the smartest
• lack of cultural validitity

Question 26

overconfidence

Answer 26

an individual has an excessive amount of confidence (can lead to narcissism)

Question 27

automatic thinking

Answer 27

quick, involuntary, reflexive, and seemingly minimal effort thinking that we engage most of the time

Question 28

controlled thinking

Answer 28

intentional, deliberate and effort full thinking

Question 29

illusion of control

Answer 29

tendency for people to overestimate their ability to control a situation

Question 30

planning fallacy

Answer 30

tendency to underestimate the amount of time a task will take

Question 31

foot in the door

Answer 31

the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later for a larger request

Question 32

door in the face

Answer 32

ask a large request first, knowing the person will say no, then proceed with a smaller request

Question 33

low ball technique

Answer 33

technique in which the item or service is offered at a lower price than actually intended to be charged, after which the price is raised

Question 34

LaPierre’s research

Answer 34

• In a classic study, LaPierre drove through the US with a chinese couple. They stopped at over 250 restaurants and hotels and were refused service only once. Months later, the owners were surveyed on whether they would serve chinese people. The response was overwhelmingly negative, 92 percent of those surveyed said the they would not. Conclusion: the theory of deindividuation– its a lot easier to mistreat someone that you cant see

Question 35

When do attitudes influence behavior?

Answer 35

• the external influences on our actions are minimal

- the attitude is specific to the behavior

Question 36

Stanford Prison Study

Answer 36

• students were randomly assigned to be either guards or prisoners in a makeshift prison for a 2 week study
• guards acted cruelly, brutally, and sadistically; devised cruel and unusual routines
• prisoners became anxious, depressed, and extremely stressed out; broke down, rebelled, or became apathetic
• experiment had to be terminated after 6 days
• participants behavior shows the effects of role playing and the power of the situation

Question 37

cognitive dissonance

Answer 37

• we feel tension or lack of harmony when
• two beliefs are inconsistent
• a belief/attitude and a behavior are inconsistent
• to get rid of this tension, we adjust our beliefs or attitudes

Question 38

Rosenhan’s 1973 study

Answer 38

• examined individual differences how people differ in their thinking, feeling, and behavior
• used 8 participants, all normal
• sent them to psychiatric hospital and USA and said they were hearing voices
• all were admitted, and all but one were diagnosed with schizophrenia
• once admitted, they behaved normally but the behavior was distorted to fit in with their diagnosis
• took 7 to 52 days for them to be released
• unable to distinguish the sane from insane in a psychiatric hospital

Question 39

Social cognition

Answer 39

focuses on how people process, store, and apply information about other people and social situations

Question 40

depression

Answer 40

mood disorder that causes persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest