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 8 of 15

  • A. Fundamental attribution error
  • B. Attribution of negative causality
  • C. Self- serving bias
  • D. Cognitive dissonance model

Explanation: The self-serving bias involves claiming personal credit for success while blaming outside factors for failure.

Correct answer: Self- serving bias
  • A. Self-serving bias
  • B. Balance principle
  • C. Cognitive dissonance model
  • D. Fundamental attribution error

Explanation: The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to explain another person’s behavior mainly through personality while underestimating…

Correct answer: Fundamental attribution error
  • A. refers to a negative attitude toward members of a group
  • B. refers to unfair behavior toward the members of a group
  • C. is the same thing as prejudice
  • D. is all of the aboveGet Study Guides

Explanation: Discrimination is unfair or unequal behavior directed at members of a group.

Correct answer: refers to unfair behavior toward the members of a group
  • A. are initially unanimous about an issue
  • B. stress the importance of caution in group decision making
  • C. emphasized concurrence thinking in arriving at a decision
  • D. shift toward a less extreme position after group discussionTake Psychology Courses

Explanation: Groupthink occurs when a cohesive group prioritizes agreement and concurrence over careful evaluation of alternatives.

Correct answer: emphasized concurrence thinking in arriving at a decision
  • A. social norms that stress the importance of positive interactions among group members
  • B. duplication of effort among group members
  • C. diffusion of responsibility in groups
  • D. a bias toward making internal attributions about the behavior of othersTry Statistical Software

Explanation: Social loafing is encouraged by diffusion of responsibility because each member feels less personally accountable for the group’s outcome.

Correct answer: diffusion of responsibility in groups
  • A. in the real world, most people will refuse to follow orders to inflict harm on a stranger
  • B. many people will obey an authority figure even if innocent people get hurt
  • C. most people are willing to give obviously wrong answers when ordered to do so
  • D. most people sick to their own judgment, even when group members unanimously disagree

Explanation: Milgram’s obedience study showed that many ordinary participants continued obeying an authority figure even when they believed another…

Correct answer: many people will obey an authority figure even if innocent people get hurt
  • A. the more exposure effect
  • B. social exchange theory
  • C. social facilitation
  • D. the two- factor theory of emotionTry Prep Courses

Explanation: The two-factor theory states that emotional experience results from physiological arousal combined with a cognitive interpretation of its…

Correct answer: the two- factor theory of emotionTry Prep Courses
  • A. social facilitation
  • B. the bystander effect
  • C. the foot- in- the- door phenomenon
  • D. the mere exposure effect

Explanation: The mere exposure effect is the tendency for repeated contact with a stimulus to increase liking, even when the first reaction is…

Correct answer: the mere exposure effect
  • A. self- disclosure
  • B. deindividuation
  • C. passionate love
  • D. the mere exposure effectDiscover Lesson Plans

Explanation: Self-disclosure means voluntarily sharing personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences with another person.

Correct answer: self- disclosure
  • A. deindividuation
  • B. the bystander effect
  • C. the mere exposure effect
  • D. hindsight biasTake Psychology Courses

Explanation: After learning the outcome, participants interpreted the woman’s earlier behavior as if it had predicted the rape, illustrating hindsight…

Correct answer: hindsight biasTake Psychology Courses
  • A. It helps in keeping cultural purity intact
  • B. It helps in legitimizing the need for state and police
  • C. It helps in bringing about change in society
  • D. It helps individuals takeout their frustrations

Explanation: Durkheim argued that deviance can clarify social norms and stimulate criticism of existing arrangements, sometimes producing beneficial…

Correct answer: It helps in bringing about change in society
  • A. the chain and wheel communications
  • B. the y and circle communications
  • C. the y and free communications
  • D. the circle and free communicationsTrace Family History

Explanation: In chain and wheel networks, communication is concentrated through central positions, making leadership easier to predict.

Correct answer: the circle and free communicationsTrace Family History
  • A. foot- in- the-door phenomenon
  • B. bystander effect
  • C. mere exposure effect
  • D. frustration- aggression principle

Explanation: The frustration-aggression principle proposes that blocked goals or unwanted restrictions can create frustration, which may be expressed…

Correct answer: frustration- aggression principle
  • A. social loafing
  • B. social interference
  • C. diffusion of responsibility
  • D. the bystander effectExplore Media Degrees

Explanation: Social loafing occurs when people exert less effort in a group because individual contributions are less identifiable or responsibility is…

Correct answer: social loafing
  • A. there is obvious disagreement among team players regarding the issue
  • B. he feels insecure in his role as a new member of the team
  • C. he has publicity voiced his opinion on this issue
  • D. social facilitation within the term is very low

Explanation: People are more likely to conform when they feel uncertain, insecure, or dependent on a group for acceptance.

Correct answer: he feels insecure in his role as a new member of the team
  • A. mere exposure effect
  • B. catharsis hypothesis
  • C. frustration- aggression principle
  • D. cognitive dissonance theory

Explanation: The catharsis hypothesis claims that expressing or observing aggression safely releases aggressive energy, but violent-game research…

Correct answer: catharsis hypothesis
  • A. deindividuation
  • B. the mere exposure effect
  • C. the bystander effect
  • D. the just-world phenomenon

Explanation: The just-world phenomenon is the belief that people get what they deserve, so victims may be blamed for supposedly causing their own…

Correct answer: the just-world phenomenon
  • A. express dissatisfaction with their own physical appearance
  • B. judge members of the opposite sex as more attractive if they have a youthful appearance
  • C. be attracted to dating partners whose hips are narrower than their waists
  • D. may someone who is less physically attractive than they themselves are

Explanation: Men, on average, place greater emphasis on youthful physical cues in judging female attractiveness, which evolutionary psychologists link…

Correct answer: judge members of the opposite sex as more attractive if they have a youthful appearance
  • A. the peripheral route results in more enduring attitude change
  • B. the central route results in more enduring attitude change
  • C. only the central route to persuasion can be effective
  • D. only the peripheral route to persuasion can be effective

Explanation: The central route involves careful thinking about the quality of arguments, so the resulting attitude change is usually stronger and more…

Correct answer: the central route results in more enduring attitude change
  • A. cognitive dissonance
  • B. learning
  • C. evolutionary
  • D. self- perception

Explanation: Self-perception theory says people infer their attitudes by observing their own behavior, especially when their inner attitude is unclear.

Correct answer: self- perception