About this Study Set
This study set covers Social Psychology through
19 practice questions.
This set of questions tests knowledge of fundamental theories, research findings, and established principles within the field of social psychology. Every question includes the correct answer so you can learn as you go — pick any format above to get started.
Questions & Answers
Browse all 19 questions from the
Core Concepts in Social Psychology study set below.
Each question shows the correct answer — select a study format above to practice interactively.
1
Which theory proposes that attitudes are formed and changed through a process of logical reasoning and evaluation of evidence?
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A
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
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B
Elaboration Likelihood Model
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C
Self-Perception Theory
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D
Social Exchange Theory
2
The 'bystander effect' suggests that individuals are less likely to help a victim when they are in the presence of other people. This phenomenon is primarily explained by:
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A
Social loafing
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B
Diffusion of responsibility
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C
Conformity
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D
Groupthink
3
According to attribution theory, the fundamental attribution error is the tendency to:
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A
Overestimate the influence of situational factors on others' behavior
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B
Underestimate the influence of situational factors on our own behavior
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C
Overestimate the influence of dispositional factors on others' behavior
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D
Underestimate the influence of dispositional factors on our own behavior
4
What is the primary mechanism described by cognitive dissonance theory for reducing discomfort?
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A
Seeking out confirming information
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B
Changing one's behavior
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C
Changing one's attitude or belief
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D
Minimizing the importance of the conflicting elements
5
The Prisoner's Dilemma is a classic game theory scenario that demonstrates the conflict between:
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A
Individual rationality and collective rationality
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B
Altruism and egoism
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C
Cooperation and competition
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D
Trust and betrayal
6
Which of the following best describes the 'Mere Exposure Effect'?
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A
People tend to like things more after being exposed to them repeatedly.
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B
People are more likely to agree with others if they have similar experiences.
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C
Familiarity with a stimulus increases its perceived attractiveness.
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D
Repeated exposure to negative stimuli can lead to desensitization.
7
Asch's conformity experiments demonstrated that individuals are likely to conform to group pressure even when the group's judgment is clearly incorrect. This is often attributed to:
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A
Informational social influence
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B
Normative social influence
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C
Obedience
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D
Deindividuation
8
The Stanford Prison Experiment, despite ethical criticisms, illustrated the powerful influence of:
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A
Individual personality traits on behavior
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B
Situational roles on behavior
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C
Group cohesion on decision-making
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D
Cognitive biases on perception
9
According to social identity theory, group membership contributes to an individual's self-concept through:
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A
Personal achievements within the group
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B
The process of social comparison with out-groups
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C
The development of unique individual traits
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D
Internalization of group norms
10
The concept of 'self-fulfilling prophecy' in social psychology refers to a situation where:
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A
An expectation about a future event leads to behavior that causes that event to happen.
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B
An individual's beliefs about themselves are always accurate.
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C
External factors consistently influence personal outcomes.
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D
Past experiences dictate future behavior.
11
Prosocial behavior, such as altruism, is often explained by the 'empathy-altruism hypothesis.' This hypothesis suggests that:
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A
People help others primarily to gain social approval.
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B
Helping behavior is always motivated by a desire for reciprocity.
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C
Genuine altruism arises from empathic concern for another person.
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D
Individuals help others to reduce their own personal distress.
12
The 'foot-in-the-door' technique is a compliance strategy that involves:
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A
Making a large request first, followed by a smaller one
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B
Making a small request first, followed by a larger one
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C
Offering a reward for compliance
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D
Threatening punishment for non-compliance
13
When people reduce their effort when working in a group compared to when working alone, this is known as:
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A
Group polarization
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B
Social facilitation
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C
Social loafing
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D
Deindividuation
14
The Robbers Cave experiment, conducted by Sherif, demonstrated that intergroup conflict can be reduced by:
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A
Increasing competition between groups
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B
Establishing superordinate goals that require cooperation
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C
Encouraging individual interactions
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D
Separating the groups completely
15
What does the 'halo effect' describe in social cognition?
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A
The tendency to overgeneralize a single positive trait to other unrelated traits.
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B
The tendency to infer negative traits from a single negative observation.
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C
The perception that attractive people are also intelligent and kind.
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D
The influence of mood on social judgment.
16
Attributional style refers to:
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A
The way people explain the causes of events.
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B
The level of confidence in one's own abilities.
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C
The consistency of social behavior.
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D
The degree of conformity to group norms.
17
According to Festinger's theory of social comparison, people engage in upward social comparison to:
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A
Feel superior to others
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B
Evaluate their own abilities and opinions
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C
Seek reassurance for their current status
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D
Reduce feelings of envy
18
Milgram's obedience experiments demonstrated that a significant proportion of participants would administer electric shocks to a 'learner' when instructed by an authority figure, highlighting the power of:
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A
Social norms
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B
Situational authority
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C
Personal morality
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D
Group consensus
19
The 'availability heuristic' is a mental shortcut that relies on:
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A
The ease with which information comes to mind when making judgments.
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B
The representativeness of a situation compared to a stereotype.
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C
The perceived cost-benefit ratio of an action.
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D
The emotional response to a stimulus.
