Try It! - Social Psychology Research 20250212

If you give children a reward for doing something they already enjoy doing, they will subsequently like that activity...

• more

• the same

• less

Answer explanation

Rewarding people for doing something they enjoy will typically make them like that activity less in the future (see Chapter 5).

Suppose an authority figure asks college students to administer near-lethal (deadly) electric shocks to another student who has not harmed them in any way. What percentage of these students will agree to do it?

• less than 30%

• 30-60%

• more than 60%

Answer explanation

In studies conducted by Stanley Milgram (1974), up to 65% of participants administered what they thought were near-lethal shocks to another subject.

(In fact, no real shocks were administered; see Chapter 8.)

TRUE/FALSE?
When a business or governmental agency is faced with an important choice it is always better to have a group of people make the decision, because “two heads are better than one”.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

False; groups often make worse decisions than individuals (see Chapter 9).

You ask someone you know to do you a favor—for example, to lend you 100 TL —and he or she agrees. As a result of doing you this favor, the person will probably like you _____.

• more

• the same

• less

Answer explanation

They will probably like you more (Benjamin Franklin Effect, see Chapter 6).

Which statement about the effects of subliminal and normal advertising is most true?

• Subliminal messages implanted in advertisements are more effective than normal, everyday advertising.

• Normal TV ads for painkillers or laundry detergents are

  more effective than subliminal messages implanted in ads.

• Both types of advertising are equally effective.

• Neither type of advertising is effective.

Answer explanation

There is no evidence that subliminal messages in advertising have any effect; considerable evidence shows that normal advertising is quite effective (see Chapter 7).