Quiz: dispositional attribution and self-handicapping behavior

Quiz: dispositional attribution and self-handicapping behavior

Quiz: dispositional attribution and self-handicapping behavior

Question 1.1. TCO 1 and TCO 2. Rianna is conducting a social psychological study of college students who drop out of their programs at some point during their first year of study. She wants to know why these students left their studies. She sends out an online questionnaire with 12 questions in it to a random cross-section of students who did not continue after the Fall or Spring semesters. This study is an example of which one of the following research methods? (Points : 10)

field study survey correlational study experiment

Question 2.2. TCO 3. The belief that others are paying more attention to one’s appearance and behavior than they actually are, is referred to as which one of the following effects? (Points : 10)

spotlight effect transparency effect headlight effect audience effect

Question 3.3. TCO 4. Jane and James both applied for the position of team leader of their task group at work. Jane is known for her excellent workplace ethics while James is known for his excellent interpersonal skills. James is awarded the promotion and Jane is convinced that it was because the department supervisor, who made the final decision, is a male and would naturally favor James. Jane’s perception is an example of which one of the following concepts? (Points : 10)

situational attribution dispositional (personal) attribution self-handicapping behavior negative self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 4.4. TCO 5. Michael Jackson’s life for several years had been peppered with questionable public behavior towards children. Even so, his 2005 trial on charges of child molestation ended with an acquittal on all charges. However, Michael Jackson’s social identity was probably irreversibly damaged because the public has a long memory, and he is likely to be stereotyped as a child molester. Much of the public’s long memory results from the constant attention of the mass media to Jackson’s troubles. This constant attention creates which one of the following cognitive biases? (Points : 10)

belief perseverance false consensus hindsight bias social contagion

Question 5.5. TCO 6. The ecology movement has made significant strides in penetrating the social conscience of Americans over the last decade. One early practice in the movement was to convince Americans to recycle paper, cans, cardboard, and glass bottles at both the household and organizational levels. People wanted to be seen as good citizens and began to recycle. As time has passed, recycling became a social norm and a moral imperative for large numbers of Americans. Many care less about what others think of them than doing what they consider to be socially responsible. Which one of the following concepts would best describe the process of attitude change from following someone else’s idea to having a deep commitment? (Points : 10)

role playing impression management foot-in-the-door technique saying becomes believing

Question 6.6. TCO 6. The perspective that natural selection dictates physical characteristics, psychological traits, and social behaviors that make the transmission of genes more successful, is which one of the following perspectives? (Points : 10)

sociobiology intelligent design cultural anthropology evolutionary psycholo

Essay questions:

1. TCO 2. Thomas is doing a content analysis of the ways in which American Indians were portrayed in television and in the movies between the 1950s and the 1980s. He finds that this group was stereotyped in these two media as aggressive savages attacking hardworking and innocent settlers in the American West. The stereotypes are examples of hidden value judgments. Remembering time order, and that attitude comes before behavior, is the negative portrayal of American Indians an independent (X) variable, or the dependent (Y) variable? Very briefly explain your reasoning. (Points : 15)

Question 2.2. TCO 3. Team-based work groups in the business world are intended to build on group synergy, through a diversity of perspectives and membership that produces better decisions. However, it is often the case that group disharmony arises among the members, and becomes the chief output of group interactions instead. Consider the case of Elizabeth and her team.

Elizabeth is a very assertive and self-assured person who has a dominating interaction style. It is rare for anybody in the team to be able to get a word in edgewise in team meetings, especially for the members who are shy and introverted. Such group members start out with every intention of being productive, although as time passes they don’t feel like their ideas are valued and their participation levels drop.

Two part question:

a. Can you justify the attribution that the introverted members are social loafers because they slack off? Explain your answer.

b. How does the concept of perceived self-control apply to this situation? Explain your answer.