BAPSY BAPSY Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Social Psychology Principles Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which concept describes the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone?
- Social loafing (Correct answer)
- Groupthink
- Deindividuation
- Social facilitation
Correct answer: Social loafing
Social loafing occurs when individuals reduce their effort in group settings because their individual contribution is less identifiable.
Question 2: A student attributes her classmate's poor exam score to laziness rather than considering external factors. This best illustrates which concept?
- Self-serving bias
- Fundamental attribution error (Correct answer)
- Actor-observer bias
- Just-world hypothesis
Correct answer: Fundamental attribution error
The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overemphasize dispositional factors and underestimate situational factors when explaining others' behavior.
Question 3: Which theory proposes that people experience discomfort when holding two contradictory beliefs and are motivated to reduce this tension?
- Social identity theory
- Cognitive dissonance theory (Correct answer)
- Equity theory
- Balance theory
Correct answer: Cognitive dissonance theory
Cognitive dissonance theory, developed by Leon Festinger, states that inconsistency between cognitions creates psychological discomfort that motivates attitude or behavior change.
Question 4: In Milgram's obedience studies, which factor most significantly reduced participants' willingness to administer shocks?
- Being in a different building from the experimenter (Correct answer)
- Having the learner in a remote room
- Conducting the study at a prestigious university
- Using female participants instead of male
Correct answer: Being in a different building from the experimenter
Physical distance from the authority figure significantly reduced obedience, as participants felt less pressure when the experimenter gave instructions by phone.
Question 5: Which phenomenon occurs when group discussion leads members to adopt more extreme positions than they individually held before the discussion?
- Conformity
- Group polarization (Correct answer)
- Social comparison
- Normative influence
Correct answer: Group polarization
Group polarization is the tendency for group discussion to strengthen the prevailing attitudes of group members, pushing them toward more extreme positions.
Question 6: According to the elaboration likelihood model, which route to persuasion involves careful evaluation of message arguments?
- Peripheral route
- Heuristic route
- Central route (Correct answer)
- Automatic route
Correct answer: Central route
The central route involves thoughtful consideration of the strength and quality of persuasive arguments, typically leading to more lasting attitude change.
Which concept describes the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone?