Parenting Power Plays
The Aging Chronicles
From Playdates to Peer Pressure
Growing Up Is a Group Project
Why Did They DO That?
Nice or Nah?
Oof, That’s Biased
Normies Unite!
I Saw Nothing and I Confessed Anyway
100
Growing up, Darius knew his parents had rules, but they always explained the reasons behind them and let him make his own choices when possible. Now, he’s self-assured and able to bounce back from setbacks.
What parenting style did Darius likely experience?
Authoritative Parenting
100
What parenting style do Matilda's parents have?
Neglectful
100
While answering a question in class, Ethan’s voice cracks slightly. Even though the teacher keeps talking, Ethan becomes convinced everyone is thinking about it.
Which phenomenon is Ethan experiencing?
What is the imaginary audience?
100
True or False:
Julia, a preschooler, becomes extremely distressed when her caregiver leaves and remains inconsolable upon their return. This pattern reflects secure attachment and builds trust in future relationships.
False
100
When Jordan’s coworker misses a deadline, he assumes she’s lazy rather than thinking she might be overwhelmed or stressed.
What kind of attribution is Jordan using to explain her behavior?
Dispositional Attribution
100
A political candidate gives a detailed speech explaining her education policies, using statistics and examples to support each point. Her audience leaves feeling more confident in her abilities.
Which route to persuasion does this reflect?
What is the central route?
100
In a group project, everyone agrees on a design that Ava dislikes. She goes along with it without saying anything because she doesn’t want to seem difficult.
What is Ava demonstrating by changing her response to match the group?
What is conformity?
100
When Leo donates anonymously to a family in need after a house fire — and doesn’t tell anyone — his behavior best reflects this psychological concept.
Altruism
100
A detective disregards alibi evidence because it doesn’t “fit the story.” What’s happening here?
They’re experiencing confirmation bias — rejecting conflicting info to preserve their theory.
200
What parenting style is being shown in this image?
Permissive Parenting
200
What parenting style is demonstrated in this video?
https://youtu.be/u9DbF2PMrDs?si=kHgUmS5XEG_WlLnQ&t=49
Authoritarian
200
In a silent library, one student suddenly lowers their voice to an exaggerated whisper while talking to a friend. Others nearby automatically lower theirs too, even without understanding the reason.
What combination of processes is at work?
What are mimicry and suggestibility?
200
As fans leave a stadium after a close, emotionally charged game, a small child begins crying near an exit gate. Spectators glance over but keep moving, each assuming someone closer will intervene, especially with security personnel visible nearby and a crowd thick enough to obscure who noticed what.
Which two social psychological processes best explain why help was delayed?
What are the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility—helping decreases in large, ambiguous groups where individuals assume others (including authorities) will act?
200
During a crowded morning commute, a stranger aggressively cuts in front of Mira and snaps, “Move.” Mira immediately assumes the person has a hostile personality and tells her coworker that “people are just awful nowadays.”
Later, footage shows the stranger had been running late because they were assisting a child who collapsed on the bus.
What concept does Mira’s reaction illustrate, and why is she especially prone to it in this situation?
What is the fundamental attribution error—people over-attribute a stranger’s rude behavior to their character and underestimate situational pressures, especially when the person is unfamiliar and the act is negative?
200
Samantha is persuaded to buy a new skincare product after watching a celebrity endorsement, even though she didn’t look at any of the ingredient lists or research.
Which route to persuasion does this best represent?
What is the peripheral route?
200
During a study session, one student absentmindedly taps their pencil while thinking. Without noticing, the student next to them begins tapping in the same rhythm.
What concept explains this?
What is mimicry?
200
During a work retreat, someone who dislikes gambling reluctantly joins a betting game because the whole team insists.
What explains this mismatch between their attitude and their behavior?
What is strong situational pressure overriding personal attitudes?
200
How do minimization and maximization work together to encourage false confessions?
They create a psychological trap: downplaying the crime (minimization) while threatening harsh punishment (maximization) makes confessing feel like the safest option — even for innocent people.
300
After growing up in a chaotic home with inconsistent caregiving, Eliza now finds relationships both deeply desirable and terrifying. She struggles with emotional regulation and feels unsafe whether she's close to someone or alone.
What attachment style best fits Eliza’s experience?
Anxious-Disorganized
300
When Lucas, age 3, sees the moon in the sky, he insists it's following him wherever he goes. He’s convinced it moves just for him.
What cognitive stage is Lucas in, and what is the primary cognitive characteristic of this stage?
What is the Preoperational Stage; Egocentrism?
300
When Mateo is upset, he chooses to be held by his older sister rather than their nanny, even though the nanny is the one who feeds and dresses him every day.
What concept from developmental psychology helps explain Mateo’s preference?
What is: Harlow’s theory of attachment through contact comfort?
300
After a breakup, Mia tells her friend, “Nobody has ever loved someone the way I did. No one gets how bad this hurts.”
What concept is Mia demonstrating?
What is the personal fable?
300
At a grocery store, an unfamiliar shopper grabs the last cart and speeds off. Someone watching instantly decides they’re rude, unaware the person was hurrying to help a sick relative.
Why did FAE occur so strongly in this situation?
Because we are most prone to FAE when the person is a stranger and their behavior appears mean.
300
First, Leah agrees to sign a petition supporting park renovations. A week later, she’s asked to volunteer on the fundraising committee and says yes.
Which social influence technique does this situation demonstrate?
What is the foot-in-the-door phenomenon?
300
Emma considers volunteering at an event but decides not to because it’s far away, and she doesn’t know anyone going. Her decision best aligns with this theory of helping behavior.
What is social exchange theory?
300
Brandon buys lunch for a colleague who gave him a ride to work that morning. He says, “It just felt like the right thing to do.”
What psychological principle best explains Brandon’s behavior?
What is the Reciprocity Norm?
300
After a burglary, Dana is interviewed about what she remembers. During her testimony, she confidently states that the suspect was wearing a blue backpack. However, surveillance footage later shows the suspect didn’t have a backpack at all. Investigators realize Dana had discussed the event with others before giving her official statement.
What might explain how Dana came to remember the backpack detail?
The misinformation effect — her memory was likely altered by post-event information, such as hearing others mention a backpack before she gave her account.
400
Before stepping on stage for a class rehearsal, a student is certain the entire cast will notice the one line she practiced wrong, even though others are focused on their own parts.
Which adolescent mindset explains her worry?
imaginary audience
400
A babysitter gives two kids one cookie each. One kid complains their sibling “got more,” so the babysitter breaks their cookie into two pieces. The child cheers, believing they now have more than before.
What cognitive stage are they in, and what concept are they failing?
What is the concrete operational stage and a failure of conservation?
400
In a medical ethics drill, a group of residents hesitates to carry out a harmful order until the attending physician steps closer, assures them, “I’ll handle any consequences,” and stays beside them while they proceed. The task involves a “patient” they never see directly, only as data on a monitor.
Which classic study does this scenario parallel, and what combination of factors best explains the residents’ compliance?
What is the Milgram obedience study—
where obedience rose when an authority figure was physically present, assumed responsibility, and the victim was made less immediately visible?
400
List Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development in order, starting from infancy. For each stage, identify its key cognitive milestone or ability.
(1) Sensorimotor – object permanence
(2) Preoperational – egocentrism,
(3) Concrete Operational – conservation
(4) Formal Operational – Imaginary Audience/Personal fable
400
In a college seminar, a professor asks a controversial question. Miguel changes his answer after hearing the rest of the group respond. Naomi, however, sticks with her original answer even though it differs from everyone else’s.
What might explain why Miguel conformed and Naomi didn’t? And what factors may have made him more likely to conform in this situation?
This is likely informational social influence — Miguel may have believed the group was more knowledgeable, while Naomi trusted her own judgment despite group disagreement.
Miguel may have:
– assumed the group had better information
– lacked confidence in his initial answer
– felt uncertain due to the topic
– been surrounded by confident group members
– been unsure of class norms or expectations
400
A student walked past a classmate who dropped their books earlier in the day and didn’t stop. Later, when the same classmate struggles to carry a box, the student immediately volunteers to help.
Why is the student so quick to assist this time?
Because guilt from the earlier inaction motivates helping to reduce discomfort.
400
During jury deliberation, Angela says, “He acted that way because he’s unstable — probably always has been.” Meanwhile, Marcus responds, “He grew up in an abusive home and had no support — anyone might have done the same.”
Identify the type of attribution each juror is using, and explain how those perspectives might influence their final decision.
Angela is using dispositional attribution
Marcus is using situational attribution.
These perspectives could influence whether they assign personal blame or consider mitigating factors when evaluating the defendant’s actions.
400
Despite video evidence showing he couldn’t have committed the crime, a suspect’s confession is still used in court. The confession includes minor errors and no detail that wasn’t fed by the detective.
Why might jurors still believe it?
People tend to believe that confessions equal guilt. Jurors may undervalue contradicting evidence and overestimate the reliability of confessions due to confirmation bias and flawed assumptions about how memory and guilt work.
400
A victim confidently identifies someone in a lineup but later admits they mostly remember the knife the attacker held. Investigators note she had trouble focusing during the interview.
Why should this identification be treated cautiously?
Because weapon focus likely impaired memory for facial features, and high stress may have reduced accuracy — even though her confidence gives a false sense of reliability.
500
At a gas station, a woman notices a child alone and crying but hesitates. A few moments later, another woman approaches and comforts the child — even though she didn’t see what happened.
What might explain why the first woman didn’t help and why the second one did?
The first woman may have experienced diffusion of responsibility — she assumed someone else would step in.
In contrast, the second woman may have
- interpreted the child as clearly needing help
- felt personally responsible
- was not in a hurry
- had recently observed helping behavior
-was in a good mood
- believed she was capable of helping.
500
Lena is taking part in a mock jury trial. When the group begins to vote, she notices everyone is choosing “guilty” — even though she’s unsure. Despite her doubts, she also votes “guilty” to avoid conflict.
What type of influence is shaping Lena’s behavior, and what famous study does this resemble?
What is normative social influence — similar to what was observed in the Asch conformity experiment.
500
During a high-profile case, investigators use a failed polygraph to pressure the suspect. “The machine says you’re lying. Why don’t you just confess?” The suspect eventually does.
What are the legal and psychological concerns here?
Using the polygraph as a coercive tool creates psychological pressure and can lead to false confessions. The suspect may believe their guilt is “proven,” which undermines voluntariness and legal fairness.
500
During a robbery investigation, a 17-year-old is brought in as a suspect. Witnesses described the gun clearly but gave conflicting descriptions of the suspect’s face. After a 9-hour interrogation with no lawyer present, the teen eventually confesses. The confession includes some details fed to him earlier in the interview and contradicts surveillance footage.
Based on this scenario, what are two key psychological reasons why this confession should be considered unreliable?
The confession is likely unreliable due to:
(1) weapon focus impairing eyewitness identification — making it unclear whether the teen was accurately identified —
(2) psychological coercion and vulnerability, since the teen was isolated, possibly fed information, and exposed to a high-pressure environment without legal counsel. These conditions increase the risk of a false confession.