Social Thinking
Pedro was running for student body president. In order to persuade people to vote for him, he spent a significant amount of time preparing his speech, outlining all the things he would do for the school if elected. Pedro is using which route to persuasion?
Central Route to Persuasion
Which of the following situations BEST demonstrates all three key ingredients of unconditional positive regard?
A) A teacher praises a student’s perfect test score, saying, "You’re so smart!"
B) A friend listens openly as you admit a mistake, shares a similar experience, and assures you it doesn’t change how they see you.
C) A parent offers advice, while encouraging you to be your best self.
D) A coach pushes you to improve but gets frustrated when you struggle.
Genuineness, empathy, acceptance
B) A friend listens openly as you admit a mistake, shares a similar experience, and assures you it doesn’t change how they see you.
You’re at a bakery, and you really want a giant chocolate cake. Which part of your personality is calling the shots?
A)______"Eat the whole cake. You deserve happiness NOW!"
B) ______"You shouldn’t eat that. Think of your health and responsibilities. Don't even look at that poison!"
C) _____ "Let's compromise. Buy a slice and eat half now, half later."
Which scenario BEST reflects optimal arousal theory?
A. Emma signs up for a skydiving class because she loves the thrill of new adventures.
B. Jake eats a sandwich to satisfy his hunger.
C. Sophia studies hard because she wants a scholarship.
D. Liam helps a friend because it feels like the right thing to do.
A. Emma signs up for a skydiving class because she loves the thrill of new adventures.
You read an article about the relationship between screen time and levels of anxiety in teenagers. The study used a questionnaire to ask 500 teenagers about their screen time habits and their self-reported anxiety levels. The researchers then looked for a statistical relationship between the two variables but did not manipulate any variables or assign participants to different groups.
Which research method is being used in the scenario above?
A) Experiment
B) Correlational Study
C) Case Study
D) Naturalistic Observation
E) Meta-Analysis
B) Correlational Study – The researchers examine the relationship between screen time and anxiety levels without manipulating the variables.
Which of the following scenarios BEST illustrates the just-world phenomenon?
A) After hearing about a burglary, someone says, "That homeowner should have had better security—things like that don’t happen to careful people."
B) A student fails a test and believes it’s because the teacher is unfair, not due to their lack of studying.
C) A person donates to charity because they want to make the world a fairer place.
D) A bystander helps a stranger in distress, believing good deeds will bring them good fortune.
A. The belief that the homeowner’s misfortune is a result of their own actions reflects the just-world phenomenon—the assumption that the world is fair and people get what they deserve.
Identify a real-world situation where rates for group polarization are likely very high.
Match each statement below to the personality theory in which it best aligns.
A) ______ A therapist explores unresolved childhood conflicts to understand a client’s current anxiety and personality development.
B) _______A coach focuses on her athletes self-actualization and helps them set meaningful goals that align with their values/ ideal selves.
C) ______A researcher creates a personality assessment that identifies stable patterns of behavior across situations.
D) ________A psychologist studies how a student’s beliefs about their own abilities and social experiences shape their academic performance.
A. Psychodynamic
B. Humanistic
C. Trait
D. Social Cognitive
Which of the following BEST describes "display rules" of emotion?
A.The biological process of feeling emotions in response to stimuliB. Guidelines for how emotions are formed in the brain
C. Universal facial expressions of basic emotions
D. Rules about how we express and regulate our emotions in different social situations
D. Rules about how we express and regulate our emotions in different social situations
How did Stanley Milgram operationally define his dependent variables?
Conceptual DV: degree of obedience
Operational DV: voltage/amount of shock participant is willing to administer to "learner"
Which situation is an example cognitive dissonance?
A) You preach “early to bed, early to rise,” but it’s 2 a.m. and you’re knee-deep in TikTok.
B) You’re a vegan... except when there’s queso. Then it’s “cheese doesn’t count.”
C) You say you’re totally over your ex, but you stalk their Instagram weekly—just for research.
D) All of the above
D.
and we've all been there
Dispositional Attribution: What a reckless driver, they are careless/dangerous/selfish/ a jerk, etc. (something about the driver AS A PERSON)
Situational Attribution: They must be running late for something important/an emergency. I wonder what they are in a such a rush for ( something about the EXTERNAL SITUATION)
Normative: influence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval
Informative: Influence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality
You’ve started playing guitar and notice that your progress is affected by multiple factors. Which example BEST illustrates reciprocal determinism at work?
A. You’re naturally patient and love learning new skills, which helps you stick with guitar practice despite early struggles.
B. Watching talented musicians online inspires you to practice harder and try new techniques you wouldn’t have attempted otherwise.
C. Your friends love hearing you play, which makes you practice more often, and as you improve, they invite you to perform at parties, boosting your confidence even further.
D. You learn quickly and develop impressive technical skills after hours of dedicated practice every day.
C. Reciprocal determinism.
Your behavior (practicing), environment (friends' encouragement), and personal factor (growing confidence) all influence each other in a continuous loop.
You’re at a concert, and the band is about to play your favorite song. As soon as the music starts, you smile widely, and your heart starts racing with excitement. Without realizing it, you find yourself getting even more hyped up and energized.
Which psychological theory explains why your emotions became stronger as your facial expression (smiling) changed?
Facial-Feedback Hypothesis
You read an article on a study that tested the effects of mindfulness meditation on stress reduction. The study involved 20 participants, all of whom were college students from the same university, and the participants practiced mindfulness for 10 minutes a day for 3 weeks. The results showed a significant reduction in stress levels.
Which of the following is the MOST important factor to consider when assessing the generalizability of this study’s results?
A. The sample of the population.
B. The duration of the study.
C. The researcher's qualifications.
D. The operational definitions of the study.
A. The sample population – Since all participants were college students from the same university, the results may not be applicable to other age groups, educational backgrounds, or cultural contexts.
While driving to work, Mrs. Jones saw a car speeding past her (approx. 70 mph) on Shawnee Mission Parkway. List one thought Mrs. Jones might have from each of the two different types of attribution.
Then, circle which attribution likely DID occur (based on Psych)
Dispositional Attribution: What a reckless driver, they are careless/dangerous/selfish/ a jerk, etc. (something about the driver AS A PERSON)
Situational Attribution: They must be running late for something important/an emergency. I wonder what they are in a such a rush for ( something about the EXTERNAL SITUATION)
What were the IV and the DV for the following studies...
1. Milgram's Obedience Shock Study
2. Zimbardo's Compiance Stanford Prison Experiment
1.
IV: Presence and direction of authority figure
DV: Degree of obedience
2.
IV: Social role assignment (guard or prisoner)
DV: Degree of compliance
You’re putting together a reality TV show cast, and you want a mix of Big Five personality traits. Which cast member BEST fits each trait?
A)__________ Taylor, who backpacked through five countries last year, paints surreal art, and always says, “Let’s try it!”
B) __________ Jamie, who arrives early to every meeting with color-coded notes and a backup plan for everything.
C) ___________ Alex, who never misses a party, dominates group conversations, and calls everyone “bestie” within 10 minutes.
D) ____________ Sam, the peacemaker of the group, who bakes cookies to calm arguments.
E) ____________Riley, who worries about everything, from the weather forecast to how their last text might have been misinterpreted.
BONUS (50 pts): Which two traits (of the five) often create the best reality tv moments (highest drama)?
A. Openness
B. Conscientiousness
C. Extraversion
D. Agreeablness
E. Neuroticism
BONUS: High Extraversion + High Neuroticism
List the universal emotions.
Anger, Disgust, Happiness, Surprise, Fear, Sadness
Below are five descriptions of research studies. Fill in the blanks with the correct research method from the list: experiment, correlational study, case study, naturalistic observation, meta-analysis.
________ In this study, researchers investigate the effects of a new drug on depression by giving one group of participants the drug and a different group a placebo. The participants are randomly assigned to either group to control for extraneous variables.
________ A researcher spends several months living in a remote village, observing and recording the daily behaviors of the villagers in their natural environment, without interfering with their routines.
________ – A psychologist conducts an in-depth analysis of a single patient’s traumatic brain injury and its impact on their memory, behavior, and social interactions.
________ – Researchers combine the results of 20 different studies on the relationship between exercise and stress to see if the overall evidence supports the idea that exercise reduces stress.
________ In a study, researchers ask a group of teenagers how much time they spend on social media and how anxious they feel. They then analyze the data to find out if there’s a relationship between screen time and anxiety levels.
1. Experiment
2. Naturalistic Observation
3. Case Study
4. Meta-Analysis
5. Correlational Study
You’re watching a documentary about a small town struggling with economic hardship. Several behaviors and beliefs emerge throughout the story. Which term BEST matches each situation described below?
A) Many townspeople blame a recently arrived immigrant group for the town’s problems, believing they’ve taken all the jobs.
Term: ____________
B) One character refuses to hire someone from another cultural background because they believe “people from that group aren’t hard workers.”
Term: ____________
C) When asked about their beliefs, another character insists they have no biases, but later admits they feel uncomfortable around certain groups without knowing why.
Term: ____________
D) A community leader argues that those struggling financially in the town must have made poor life choices and are simply facing the consequences.
Term: ____________
E) A group of students notices that they view all people from a neighboring town as “basically the same” while seeing their own town as diverse and unique.
Term: ____________
F) During a heated town meeting, some residents show strong favoritism toward policies that benefit only their community, ignoring how those same policies may harm neighboring groups.
Term: ____________
(In-group bias, Just world phenomenon, Out-group homogeneity bias, Scapegoat theory, Implicit attitudes, Discrimination)
A) Scapegoat Theory – Blaming an out-group for problems.
B) Discrimination – Acting on prejudiced beliefs.
C) Implicit Attitudes – Unconscious beliefs influencing behavior.
D) Just-World Phenomenon – Believing people get what they deserve.
E) Out-Group Homogeneity Bias – Viewing out-group members as more similar than they really are.
F) In-Group Bias – Favoring one’s own group over others.
You’re at a wedding, and things are getting wild on the dance floor.
Fill in all the blanks.
A) __________ – You dance often but when the crowd gets big around you on the dance floor your moves become exquisite.
B) __________ – During the group “Cupid Shuffle,” you barely shuffle, letting others put in the effort while you just vibe.
C)_____________– The wedding party decides to do a conga line, even though everyone secretly thinks it’s a terrible idea, but no one speaks up.
D) ____________ – After enough time on the crowded dance floor, you lose all self-awareness and start dancing a little riskier than you ever would otherwise, bumpin n grinding on your date.
A. Social Facilitation
B. Social Loafing
C. Groupthink
D. Deindividuation
You’re watching a reality show where contestants deal with stressful situations in wildly different ways. Which defense mechanism is each contestant using?
A) Jamie gets angry at their boss but doesn’t confront them—instead, they go home and aggressively reorganize their entire closet.
Term: ____________
B) Taylor refuses to believe they were eliminated from the competition, insisting, "There must be a mistake. I’ll be back next episode!"
Term: ____________
C) Alex feels overwhelmed and starts sucking their thumb and cuddling a stuffed animal for comfort.
Term: ____________
D) Jordan channels their frustration about losing a challenge into a fierce workout routine that helps them feel empowered.
Term: ____________
A) Displacement – Redirecting feelings toward a less threatening target (the closet).
B) Denial – Refusing to accept reality.
C) Regression – Returning to an earlier stage of development for comfort.
D) Sublimation – Channeling negative emotions into a socially acceptable activity (exercise).
Fill the blanks with the correct motivation theories.
Lena is a dedicated yoga practitioner. At first, she started doing yoga because she was feeling uncomfortable and stiff and wanted to loosen up (1_______). As she continued practicing, she realized it made her feel more energized and reduced her stress, so she began practicing more frequently (2.__________). Later, she heard about a competition offering a cash prize for the best yoga performance, which motivated her to practice harder (3.__________). Over time, Lena began practicing yoga not for external rewards but because she truly enjoys the feeling of calm and personal growth it brings (4.___________).
1. Drive-Reduction Theory – She was initially motivated by the need to reduce discomfort about loosen up.
2. Optimal Arousal Theory – She started practicing more to maintain an optimal level of physical and emotional arousal.
3. Incentive Theory – The cash prize acted as an external motivator for her to perform better.
4. Self-Determination Theory – Her motivation shifted to intrinsic reasons (personal growth and enjoyment), fulfilling her need for autonomy and competence.
Summarize what each of the following measures of central tendency or variation tell a person about a data set. Then, for each statistic, state if it is impacted by outliers or not impacted by outliers.
Mean, Median, Mode
Range, Standard Deviation
Mean- the average, impacted by outliers.
Median- middle score when all scores are listed in order, not impacted by outliers.
Mode- the score that appears most frequently in a data set, not impacted by outliers
Range- the degree of spread or difference between highest and lowest score, impacted by outliers.
Standard Deviation- How spread out/dispersed the scores are from the mean/ how consistent or clustered. Impacted by outliers.