Social psychology worksheet with answers

Free printable Social psychology worksheet: 8 problems from easy to exam level, with an answer key. Print it or save it as a PDF.

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1.Easy

A self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when:

  1. APeople remember only predictions that came true
  2. BA group makes a riskier decision than its members would alone
  3. CAn expectation causes behaviour that makes it true
  4. DPeople change attitudes to match behaviour
2.Easy

Worrying about confirming a negative stereotype about one's group, which then harms performance, is called:

  1. AStereotype threat
  2. BIllusory correlation
  3. CSelf-handicapping
  4. DScapegoating
3.Easy

The bystander effect means that:

  1. APeople always help when they see an emergency
  2. BPeople are less likely to help when others are present
  3. CGroups make riskier decisions
  4. DBystanders are usually the main cause of the accidents they witness
4.Medium

A smoker who knows smoking is harmful tells himself "the research isn't really conclusive". In dissonance terms, he is reducing dissonance by:

  1. AChanging one of the conflicting cognitions
  2. BIncreasing the importance of the conflict
  3. CChanging his behaviour
  4. DConforming to a group norm
5.Medium

In the Robbers Cave study, hostility between the two groups of boys was reduced most by:

  1. AWorking together on superordinate goals
  2. BSeparating the groups completely
  3. CSimply having more contact during meals
  4. DCompetitive sports tournaments
6.Medium

Social exchange theory proposes that relationships continue when:

  1. APartners live close to each other and see each other often
  2. BOne partner holds more power than the other one
  3. CPartners are similar in age and background
  4. DRewards outweigh costs compared with alternatives
7.Hard

After choosing between two similarly rated household appliances, participants rated the chosen one higher and the rejected one lower than before. This is called:

  1. ASpreading of alternatives after a decision
  2. BThe mere exposure effect for owned items
  3. CThe sleeper effect in product judgements
  4. DReactance against the rejected option
8.Hard

Why are the results of the Stanford prison experiment treated with caution today?

  1. AIt had too many participants to analyse
  2. BIt was carried out in a real prison with real inmates as the prisoners
  3. CGuards were partly coached and demand characteristics were strong
  4. DIt found no differences between guards and prisoners

Answer key

  1. 1. C · An expectation causes behaviour that makes it true
  2. 2. A · Stereotype threat
  3. 3. B · People are less likely to help when others are present
  4. 4. A · Changing one of the conflicting cognitions
  5. 5. A · Working together on superordinate goals
  6. 6. D · Rewards outweigh costs compared with alternatives
  7. 7. A · Spreading of alternatives after a decision
  8. 8. C · Guards were partly coached and demand characteristics were strong

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