This AP Psychology practice test covers social psychology. This section of the course focuses on group dynamics, attribution processes, interpersonal perception, conformity, compliance, attitudes, organizational behavior, cultural influences, and antisocial behavior. Continue your test prep right now with our free social psychology quiz.
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Question 1 |
Francesca’s favorable attitude toward water conservation began to change when she was asked to offer arguments opposing it in a public speaking class. Her attitude adjustment is best explained by what theory?
Two factor theory | |
Schachter’s Two Factor | |
Opponent Process | |
Social Exchange | |
Cognitive dissonance |
Question 1 Explanation:
The correct answer is (E). Cognitive dissonance refers to a situation involving conflicting attitudes and behaviors. This produces a feeling of discomfort leading to an alteration in one of the attitudes or behaviors to reduce the discomfort and restore balance.
Question 2 |
Kevin and Kristin have a fulfilling marital relationship because they often confide their deepest hopes and fears to each other. This best illustrates the value of:
Deindividuation | |
Mere exposure effect | |
Passionate love | |
Self-disclosure | |
Social facilitation |
Question 2 Explanation:
The correct answer is (D). Self-disclosure is the act of disclosing personal information with another person as a means of developing intimacy and closeness between people. Disclosure is defined through depth and breadth, which are dependent upon the type of information shared.
Question 3 |
When 12-year-old Devin saw an old woman lying on the sidewalk in discomfort, he prepared to offer help. When he noticed several adults walk past the woman, he concluded that the woman did not need any help. His reaction most clearly illustrates what social psychology term?
Bystander effect | |
Fundamental attribution error | |
Door-in-the face phenomenon | |
Mere exposure effect | |
Social loafing |
Question 3 Explanation:
The correct answer is (A). The bystander effect is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases in which individuals do not offer any means of help to a victim when other people are present due to the underlying belief that if help was needed, someone else would have already offered it.
Question 4 |
Children often believe their neighborhood is better than the other neighborhoods in their town. This best illustrates what social psychology concept?
Fundamental attribution error | |
In-group bias | |
Just-world phenomenon | |
Reciprocity norm | |
Scapegoating |
Question 4 Explanation:
The correct answer is (B). In-group favoritism or in-group bias refers to a pattern of favoring members of one’s in-group over out-group members as a means of bonding, acceptance, and security within the in-group.
Question 5 |
Compared with individualistic cultures, people in collectivist cultures:
Are less likely to conform in close family groupings | |
Are less likely to conform among a group of strangers | |
Are more likely to stress personal achievement | |
Are more likely to reach Kohlberg’s 6th stage of moral development. | |
Are less likely to cooperate to accomplish a task |
Question 5 Explanation:
The correct answer is (B). People in collectivist cultures are more likely to conform among groups of people they know, and they are less likely to conform among groups of strangers.
Question 6 |
Jonas and Leif are below-average pool players. Eight other people stop to watch them play. What can we expect to occur?
They will play just as well with observers present | |
Their skill level will decline | |
Their play will improve greatly | |
They will ask others to join in | |
They will slow down their rate of play |
Question 6 Explanation:
The correct answer is (B). Because they are below-average pool players, Jonas and Leif’s performance is likely to suffer when scrutinized by onlookers. If they were good pool players, social facilitation theory suggests that their performance would increase dramatically.
Question 7 |
What is social loafing?
A democratic process for group interaction | |
Dividing up the work evenly | |
The opposite of social inhibition | |
Working harder in groups than individually | |
Working harder individually than in groups |
Question 7 Explanation:
The correct answer is (E). Social loafing refers to working harder as individuals than in groups, primarily due to the diffusion of responsibility present when in groups.
Question 8 |
In which situation described below would deindividuation least likely occur?
A gymnast performing on the uneven bars | |
A contest between two anonymous groups | |
Masked children in Halloween costumes | |
Soldiers during basic training | |
A crowd at a sports event throwing objects on to the field |
Question 8 Explanation:
The correct answer is (A). Wherever one’s personal identity is hidden, and the person is recognized by his or her association with a particular group, deindividuation can occur. In the case of the gymnast, there is no group present with which the he or she could be identified and thus deindividuated.
Question 9 |
When is groupthink least likely to occur?
In cohesive unified groups | |
Where a proposed action is open to debate | |
Where an outgroup is stereotyped by the group | |
Where there is a participant that is not under the leader’s control. | |
Where there are mind guards present |
Question 9 Explanation:
The correct answer is (D). The leader intentionally being absent from a group meeting is one safeguard that can be taken against groupthink as there is no clear direction provided to the group.
Question 10 |
In which of the following situations is diffusion of responsibility least likely to occur?
Multiple people see the need for help | |
The help need has been preceded by a model of helping | |
A person has been directly asked to help | |
The need for help is unquestionably clear | |
There is only one person who sees the help need |
Question 10 Explanation:
The correct answer is (B). Receiving help in distress is least likely when many people see the need for help. This is a result of the bystander effect in which people believe that because there are many people around, someone else is likely to supply the help needed.
Question 11 |
Which of the following is least likely to reinforce prejudice?
Authoritarian parental environment | |
Becoming familiar with a person | |
Categorizing people into groups | |
Strong feelings of frustration | |
The just-world hypothesis |
Question 11 Explanation:
The correct answer is (B). Becoming familiar with a person from a group one has felt prejudice toward begins to break down prejudiced attitudes.
Question 12 |
Attraction research supports each of the following except:
Birds of a feather flock together | |
Familiarity breeds liking | |
Interaction frequency is important | |
Likes repel, opposites attract | |
Proximity is important |
Question 12 Explanation:
The correct answer is (D). There has been no research to support the idea that opposites attract, nor that those who are similar to each other will repel each other.
Question 13 |
Josh receives a phone call from a charity. They ask him to give a $250 donation. He immediately declines. The caller then asks whether he would be able to give $25. He agrees to the second request. This interaction sequence is known as the:
Door-in-the-face technique | |
Foot-in-the-door technique | |
Highballing technique | |
Lowballing technique | |
That’s-not-all technique |
Question 13 Explanation:
The correct answer is (A). In the door-in-the-face technique, the caller asks the potential donor for an outrageous amount. While the potential donor is still reeling from this request, the caller follows up by asking whether the donor could contribute a much smaller amount.
Question 14 |
If Alicia wants to ask her dad for a new laptop, her best chances for success will be to ask when he is:
Rested | |
In a good mood | |
In a hurry | |
Just waking up but before breakfast | |
Right after he has his favorite food |
Question 14 Explanation:
The correct answer is (B). Alicia is best advised to ask her dad for the new computer when he is in a good mood.
Question 15 |
Someone comes to your door and asks you to put a small candidate campaign poster in your front yard. You agree to the request. Just two weeks later, that same person comes to your door with a huge campaign poster and asks to put it in your front yard. In all likelihood, you will agree to the second request. This illustrates what principle?
Add-on technique | |
Door-in-the-face technique | |
Foot-in-the-door technique | |
That’s-not-all technique | |
You-help-me-I’ll-help-you technique |
Question 15 Explanation:
The correct answer is (C). The foot-in-the-door technique takes an initial modest request and uses that is to segue to a much larger request sometime later.
Question 16 |
Research into television violence effects upon children makes frequent reference to whose classic work on modeling?
Solomon Asch | |
Albert Bandura | |
Sigmund Freud | |
Stanley Milgram | |
John Watson |
Question 16 Explanation:
The correct answer is (B). Bandura’s work on observational learning is frequently cited as a background for discussing the aggression-causing effects of television violence.
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