Behavioral Science Practice Questions
Course Introduction
Behavioral Science explores the systematic study of human behavior and decision-making processes, integrating insights from psychology, sociology, anthropology, and related fields. The course examines how individuals and groups think, feel, and act within diverse social, cultural, and environmental contexts. Students will analyze classic and contemporary theories, research methodologies, and real-world applications, gaining practical skills to interpret and influence behavior across a range of environments, from workplaces to communities. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, ethical considerations, and evidence-based interventions to address behavioral challenges and promote well-being.
Recommended Textbook
Social Psychology 9th Edition by Elliot Aronson
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16 Chapters
2963 Verified Questions
2963 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Introducing Social Psychology
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184 Verified Questions
184 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is not a likely consequence of the human tendency to prefer self-justifying information to accurate information?
A) People maintain their level of self-esteem.
B) People become less likely to learn from their experiences.
C) People may make faulty decisions about future behavior.
D) People gain feedback that makes for better decisions.
Answer: D
Q2) People often construe the world as they do in order to maintain a favorable image of themselves.This assumption underlies the ________ approach.
A) self-esteem
B) public image
C) accuracy motive
D) self-perception
Answer: A
Q3) Explain what the role of common sense is (and is not) in social psychology.
Answer: Common sense can be used as a springboard for formulating new research ideas. Common sense is not a substitute for using the scientific method because it is filled with contradictions and is subject to biases in thinking.
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3
Chapter 2: Methodology: How Social Psychologists Do Research
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251 Verified Questions
251 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A goal of ethnography that makes it different from other methods of testing theories is that in ethnography, the researcher
A) tries to understand the group or culture without imposing his or her own ideas on it. B) focuses on interjudge reliability. C) relies on the accumulated documents of a culture as a technique for understanding. D) focuses on assessing behaviors that occur more often in private than in public.
Answer: A
Q2) Where do theories come from in social psychology, and how do social psychologists refine them?
Answer: Researchers sometimes arrive at hypotheses and theories by reading and thinking about previous theories and research, and sometimes through their own personal observations. Once a researcher arrives at a hypothesis, he or she tests it scientifically (empirically). Depending on whether the hypothesis is supported, researchers might revise their hypotheses, and perhaps even their theories, and subsequent hypotheses are then tested. This process continues to yield a cumulative body of knowledge about human behavior.
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Chapter 3: Social Cognition: How We Think About the Social World
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235 Verified Questions
235 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) If you were hoping that other research participants would leave you money, according to research by Shariff and Norenzayan (2007), you would hope they were primed with
A) images of angels.
B) words related to God or fairness to others.
C) subliminal images of religious symbols.
D) words such as "mother" and "kind."
Answer: B
Q2) More recent research suggests that cultural differences in thinking styles may stem from
A) physiological differences across races.
B) differences in the environments across cultures.
C) political differences across nations.
D) religious differences between countries.
Answer: B
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Social Perception: How We Come to Understand
Other People
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204 Verified Questions
204 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The belief in a just world is a ________, which helps people ________.
A) biased attribution; excuse their failures
B) defensive attribution; explain away their failures
C) fundamental attribution error; protect their self-esteem
D) defensive attribution; view life as safe, orderly, and predictable
Q2) In honor of Rosa Parks' contribution to the civil rights movement, the seat behind the driver on buses in major cities was reserved for one day, and people were asked not to sit there.Some people did actually sit in this seat.Making the assumption that these people were prejudiced or racist is an example of the
A) use of heuristics.
B) accuracy of internal attributions.
C) fundamental attribution error.
D) covariation effect.
Q3) How have researchers collected evidence that there are six major human emotions conveyed via facial expressions?
Q4) Define the fundamental attribution error and discuss why it occurs.
Q5) Making attributions about others' behaviors is a multi-step process.How many steps are involved? What attribution do people tend to initially make, and when would individuals proceed past the initial step?
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Chapter 5: The Self: Understanding Ourselves in a Social Context
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190 Verified Questions
190 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) One of the chief executive functions of the ________ is making choices about what to do.
A)ego
B)cortex
C)self
D)superego
Q2) A coach wants to motivate his soccer team to score more often by using a reward system.Based on what you read about preserving intrinsic motivation, how is it best for him to reward his team?
A) task-contingent rewards
B) performance-contingent rewards
C) negative reinforcement
D) verbally (that is, yelling at them for poor performance, praising them for a good job)
Q3) Rewards are not as likely to undermine intrinsic motivation when
A) they depend on how well people perform the task in question.
B) people grow anxious or apprehensive about being evaluated.
C) rewards are not given to everyone.
D) no one is labeled a "loser."
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Chapter 6: The Need to Justify Our Actions: the Costs and
Benefits of Dissonance Reduction
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197 Verified Questions
197 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to the authors of your text, after carefully making a decision, what is likely to happen?
A)You will focus on the negative aspects of the choice you made.
B)You will experience dissonance for several days.
C)You will start to think more and more about the good qualities of your decision.
D)You will begin to regret all the time you put into making your decision.
Q2) According to the principle of insufficient punishment, which of the following parental techniques should be most effective in changing a child's behavior permanently (i.e., even behavior that occurs in the absence of the parent)?
A) ignoring the child's troublesome behavior
B) threat of severe punishment
C) threat of mild punishment
D) severe punishment
Q3) The Ben Franklin effect is named for an incident in which Ben Franklin
A)reported liking King George III of England after the Boston Tea Party.
B)asked a favor of someone who had treated him coldly, and gained an ally.
C)charmed several unsuspecting young ladies in his town.
D)advised the president to create dissonance as a means of persuasion.
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Chapter 7: Attitudes and Attitude Change: Influencing
Thoughts and Feelings
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265 Verified Questions
265 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Winnie suddenly left the bar when Adam asked for her number.She realizes afterward that she must really have disliked Adam because of the way she behaved.By inferring her attitude from her observation of her behavior, she has a(n) ________ attitude.
A) affectively based
B) behaviorally based
C) cognitively based
D) explicit
Q2) Research by Leventhal and his colleagues (1967) was described in the text.In the experiment, the researchers showed one group of smokers a film depicting the ravages of lung cancer, gave another group of smokers a pamphlet with instructions on how to quit smoking, and exposed a third group to both the film and the pamphlets.People in the last group reduced their smoking significantly more than people in the other two groups because people who only
A) received the pamphlets became afraid they couldn't follow the instructions.
B) received the pamphlets weren't sufficiently motivated to read them.
C) watched the film were not sufficiently frightened by it.
D) watched the film were too frightened to ask for a pamphlet.
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Page 9
Chapter 8: Conformity: Influencing Behavior
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198 Verified Questions
198 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to the authors of your text, the work of Milgram and Burger on obedience to authority is a clear example of which conflicting goals of science?
A) discover new knowledge; replicate work
B) do no harm; the end justifies the means
C) replication is a waste of time; everything old is new again
D) discover new knowledge; do no harm
Q2) Itsuki, a Japanese teenager, has withdrawn from all social interaction.He is referred to as a hikikomori.The most likely reason for his withdrawal is as a result of
A) academic failure.
B) being from a dishonored family.
C) being an illegitimate child.
D) being bullied severely.
Q3) To avoid _______, people will agree with a second, even unattractive, request as part of the foot-in-the-door technique.
A)propaganda
B)informational conformity
C)the boomerang effect
D)dissonance
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Chapter 9: Group Processes: Influence in Social Groups
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205 Verified Questions
205 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Decision-making groups are most likely to share unique information when A) their task is simple.
B) the leader is relationship-oriented.
C) they know they are the only ones tasked with knowing diagnostic information.
D) groups seek consensus.
Q2) A police officer is trying to disband an angry mob of protesters.Based on what your text states about deindividuation, which of the following would be the best strategy to use?
A) Announce over a loudspeaker that the crowd must remain calm.
B) Fire tear gas into the crowd first.
C) Using a loudspeaker, address several questions to a specific individual in the crowd.
D) Threaten the crowd with arrest.
Q3) The phenomenon of groupthink is most likely to occur when a group is under stress, highly ________, and when the leader is very ________.
A) cohesive; directive
B) cohesive; diplomatic
C) motivated; feared
D) motivated; relationship-oriented
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11
Chapter 10: Interpersonal Attraction: From First Impressions to Close Relationships
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198 Verified Questions
198 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) ________ theory posits that relationship satisfaction is determined by people's perceptions of costs and rewards, their beliefs about what kind of relationship they deserve, and their estimated chances of a better alternative relationship.
A) Comparison
B) Equity
C) Balance
D) Social exchange
Q2) A chapel in Las Vegas frequently marries couples that have not known each other for very long.Based on the research on attachment theory, these individuals may be more likely to have a(n) ________ attachment style.
A) anxious
B) avoidant
C) secure
D) There is no evidence regarding this issue.
Q3) Attachment style can play an important role in romantic relationships.First, describe all three attachment styles.Second, what type of style would be most preferred in a relationship partner and why?
Q4) In what sense is the concept of romantic love culture-specific?
Page 12
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Chapter 11: Prosocial Behavior: Why Do People Help
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171 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Whereas ________ is any act performed to benefit another, ________ is such an act performed with no regard for one's safety or interests.
A) altruism; prosocial behavior
B) prosocial behavior; self-help
C) prosocial behavior; altruism
D) altruism; self-sacrifice
Q2) Complete the following analogy about helping behavior.Rewards outweigh costs: social exchange theory :: ________: ________.
A) helping those in need: evolutionary theory
B) evolutionary theory: empathy-altruism hypothesis
C) helping others: helping yourself
D) feeling empathy: empathy-altruism hypothesis
Q3) Pluralistic ignorance is an example of the power of ________ to inhibit helping.
A) urban overload
B) diffusion of responsibility
C) negative-state relief effects
D) informational social influence
Q4) In today's world, people are more and more likely to relocate during their lifetime.Explain the implications this has for helping behavior.
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Chapter 12: Aggression: Why Do We Hurt Other People Can
We Prevent It
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199 Verified Questions
199 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is true about whether or not punishing aggression reduced aggressive behavior?
A) Punishing aggressive behavior reduces its frequency.
B) Using aggression to punish aggressive behavior models aggression and may inspire imitation.
C) The mere threat of severe punishment for aggressive behavior reduces its frequency.
D) Punishing aggressive behavior has no effect on its occurrence.
Q2) Jim watches a heavy dose of violent TV cop shows.According to research presented in the text, what is one likely outcome of this behavior? Jim will
A) feel indifferent when he hears a violent argument between his neighbors.
B) become more aware of his own violent behavior and try to stop it.
C) be less likely to recognize his own feelings of aggression. d become more upset when he sees aggression that is not fictionalized.
Q3) You witness a man punch another man in the stomach.Explain how this action could be considered hostile aggression, instrumental aggression, or not an act of aggression.
Q4) Explain the nature of the gender differences in aggression in humans.
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Prejudice: Causes Consequences and Cures
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168 Verified Questions
168 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the jigsaw classroom, when a student is having trouble mastering his or her material, other group members benefit most by
A) taking over and doing the student's assignment.
B) asking the teacher to clarify things.
C) asking friendly and good questions.
D) focusing their attention on students who have mastered the material.
Q2) According to some research, the degree of ________ prejudice has declined, but the degree of ________ prejudice keeps it alive under the surface.
A) implicit; explicit
B) explicit; implicit
C) benevolent; hostile
D) hostile; benevolent
Q3) In what ways do self-fulfilling prophecies contribute to prejudice and negative stereotypes?
Q4) According to the authors, how does a belief in a just world contribute to blaming the victims of injustice?
Q5) Describe the role of normative conformity in the societal problem of prejudice.
Q6) What is the Implicit Association Test and how does it work to identify implicit prejudices?
Page 15
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Chapter 14: Making a Difference With Social Psychology: Attaining a Sustainable Future
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113 Verified Questions
113 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Based on research by Cialdini and his colleagues (1990), Lola would be the LEAST likely to toss her lunch bag on the ground in a space that
A) does not contain any litter.
B) contains one piece of litter.
C) contains a light density of litter (fewer than two pieces per ten square feet).
D) contains a heavy density of litter (more than five pieces per ten square feet).
Q2) According to information in your text, at what income level does happiness become stable no matter how much more money a person makes?
A)when they are making at least $100,000 a year
B)when that person becomes a millionaire
C)when that person is making enough money to afford the necessities
D)when they are making an income above the national average
Q3) According to the authors of your text, happiness is determined in part by A) parenting style.
B) genetics.
C) astrological sign.
D) how physically attractive a person is.
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Social Psychology and Health
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92 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) In what way might perceived control be a detriment to dealing with an illness? Perceived control
A) may lead patients to blame themselves for the disease or for failure to recover.
B) may make a patient feel better, but actually increases the severity of the physical symptoms.
C) alleviates physical symptoms, but decreases immunity toward other diseases.
D) may lead a patient to ignore the advice of medical professionals.
Q2) Joanne Hill, who is described in the introduction, attributes her strength in the face of adversity to
A) luck.
B) making different choices.
C) realism.
D) cloud busting.
Q3) With regard to gender differences in coping strategies, male is to female as fight-or-flight is to
A) talk-and-walk.
B) care-and-share.
C) tend-and-befriend.
D) shop-'til-you-drop.
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Page 17
Chapter 16: Social Psychology and the Law
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93 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) Based on the research by Geraerts and colleagues (2007), which of the following is most likely to have corroborating evidence about their experience of childhood sexual abuse?
A) William, who has never forgotten his abuse
B) Emily, who remembered her abuse last year during marriage counseling
C) Carla, who remembered her abuse during college
D) Sharon, who had repressed her abuse until undergoing psychoanalysis
Q2) After an armed robbery, witnesses aren't often able to describe the culprit.Which of the following are most likely the reasons why?
A) The event was unexpected, and they were frightened.
B) The lights were too bright, and they saw everything but can't put it into words.
C) The event seemed planned and was distracting.
D) They were looking somewhere else and thinking about other things.
Q3) Which of the following is the most accurate statement about the storage process of memory?
A) Once an event is acquired, it is placed in storage, much like a photo album.
B) Memories in storage can be edited dramatically.
C) Memories in storage cannot be altered.
D) Memories in storage can only be altered slightly over time.
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Page 18