Free Social Psychology MCQs with Answers

289 Social Psychology MCQs from Psychology, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.

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289 questions · page 7 of 15

  • A. Vertical mobility
  • B. Social change
  • C. Social control
  • D. None of these

Explanation: Social control includes formal and informal methods, such as laws, punishment, approval, and disapproval, used to prevent or regulate…

Correct answer: Social control
  • A. Social mobility
  • B. Social change
  • C. Control theory
  • D. None of these

Explanation: Social change is a significant alteration over time in social behaviour, cultural patterns, norms, and values.

Correct answer: Social change
  • A. legal- rational authority
  • B. Sapir- Whorf hypothesis
  • C. Routine activities theory
  • D. None of these

Explanation: The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis proposes that the structure and use of language influence how people think and perceive reality, linking…

Correct answer: Sapir- Whorf hypothesis
  • A. Sapir- Whorf hypothesis
  • B. Legal- rational authority
  • C. Routine activities theory
  • D. None of these

Explanation: Routine activities theory explains increased victimization through the convergence of a motivated offender, a suitable target, and…

Correct answer: Routine activities theory
  • A. functionalist
  • B. conflict
  • C. unilateral evolutionary
  • D. evolutionary

Explanation: Unilinear evolutionary theory assumes that societies pass through broadly similar stages and ultimately experience similar forms of…

Correct answer: unilateral evolutionary
  • A. Functionalism
  • B. Marxism
  • C. Feminism
  • D. Interactionism

Explanation: Interactionism is primarily a micro-level theory because it studies face-to-face interaction and the meanings people create in everyday…

Correct answer: Interactionism
  • A. The forces of production shape relationships
  • B. Institutions like schools perform a positive role in shaping behaviour
  • C. Most societies are based on exploitation, particularly of the proletariat
  • D. Capitalists own the forces of production and exploit the proletariat

Explanation: Marxist theory emphasizes production forces, class exploitation, and capitalist ownership of production.

Correct answer: Institutions like schools perform a positive role in shaping behaviour
  • A. Normative justice
  • B. Prejudice
  • C. Discrimination
  • D. The Asch effect

Explanation: Prejudice is a learned, usually negative attitude or evaluation directed at someone because of membership in a social group.

Correct answer: Prejudice
  • A. superordinate goals
  • B. scapegoating
  • C. mirror- image perceptions
  • D. the reciprocity norm

Explanation: Mirror-image perceptions occur when opposing people or groups interpret each other’s intentions in similarly negative ways, such as each…

Correct answer: mirror- image perceptions
  • A. the tendency of groups to internalize risk more than individuals
  • B. the tendency for groups to be more risky than individuals
  • C. the tendency for groups to be as risky as individuals
  • D. the tendency for groups to be less risky than individuals

Explanation: Risky shift is the tendency for a group’s decision after discussion to be riskier than the average decision of its individual members.

Correct answer: the tendency for groups to be more risky than individuals
  • A. social loafing
  • B. self- serving bias
  • C. social facilitation
  • D. deindividuation

Explanation: Social facilitation is the improvement of performance on a well-practised or simple task when others are present.

Correct answer: social facilitation
  • A. task and social
  • B. social and inclusive
  • C. task and exclusive
  • D. task and inclusive

Explanation: The group has a task goal, keeping the road clear, so it is a task group.

Correct answer: task and inclusive
  • A. group decisions will always be better that individual decisions
  • B. when most of the group members initially favor a cautions decision, discussion will cause the group to adopt even more cautions decision
  • C. a group will always eventually divide into groups with opposing decisions
  • D. when most of the group members initially favor a cautions decision, discussion will cause the group to adopt a risky decision

Explanation: Group polarization strengthens the group's initial tendency after discussion.

Correct answer: when most of the group members initially favor a cautions decision, discussion will cause the group to adopt even more cautions decision
  • A. distorting the argument
  • B. rejecting the source
  • C. rationalizing the argument
  • D. refuting the argument

Explanation: Refuting the argument means producing reasons or counterarguments against a persuasive message in order to preserve one's existing…

Correct answer: refuting the argument
  • A. social exchange theory
  • B. the just- world phenomenon
  • C. the bystander effect
  • D. the foot- in- the- door phenomenon

Explanation: Social exchange theory explains relationships as involving rewards and costs, and physical attractiveness is commonly perceived as a…

Correct answer: social exchange theory
  • A. the mere exposure effect
  • B. the foot- in- the- door phenomenon
  • C. the bystander effect
  • D. social facilitation

Explanation: Dropping objects in an elevator creates a situation in which several witnesses could help, allowing researchers to observe whether…

Correct answer: the bystander effect
  • A. details of the story are emphasized
  • B. The story is shortened or reduced
  • C. The story become distorted
  • D. all of the above

Explanation: During assimilation, people reshape a story so that it fits their existing beliefs and expectations, causing distortion.

Correct answer: The story become distorted
  • A. Self- perception
  • B. Cognitive dissonance
  • C. Compliance
  • D. Balance

Explanation: Bem's self-perception theory says people infer their attitudes by observing their own behaviour and circumstances.

Correct answer: Self- perception
  • A. Cognitive dissonance
  • B. Self- doubt
  • C. Balance theory
  • D. Second guessing

Explanation: Conflict or discomfort after making a choice is post-decisional cognitive dissonance, especially when the rejected alternative also had…

Correct answer: Cognitive dissonance
  • A. Jig- saw classrooms
  • B. Self- fulfilling prophesy
  • C. Self- serving bias
  • D. Fundamental attribution errorEnroll In Courses

Explanation: A self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when an expectation about someone leads to behavior that helps produce the expected outcome.

Correct answer: Self- fulfilling prophesy