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AP Psychology Social Psychology — practice questions

Explore 50 free Social Psychology questions in AP Psychology Psychology. Open each question or exercise to read its content, reference answers and available explanation.

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Social Psychology questions and exercises with answers

Showing questions 1–30 of 50.

Social psychology studies individuals in a social context and how which kind of variable shapes behaviour?Read the answer and worked solution →Behaviour is described as a product of the person and of the:Read the answer and worked solution →Psychological discomfort from holding two inconsistent attitudes or beliefs is called:Read the answer and worked solution →A specific belief about individuals based only on their group membership is a:Read the answer and worked solution →Doing what an authority figure instructs is a form of social influence called:Read the answer and worked solution →Cognitive dissonance was defined in 1957 by:Read the answer and worked solution →The tendency in the predominant United States culture is to explain behaviour using a:Read the answer and worked solution →Situational influences on behaviour include cultural influences, social roles and:Read the answer and worked solution →The problem of witnesses not stepping in to help a victim is known as the:Read the answer and worked solution →Prejudice and discrimination are described as root causes of:Read the answer and worked solution →Everyone belongs to groups defined by gender, race, age and:Read the answer and worked solution →The topics of conformity, social influence, obedience and group processes together demonstrate the power of:Read the answer and worked solution →Groupthink is a phenomenon arising specifically in:Read the answer and worked solution →A stereotype is applied to an individual regardless of their:Read the answer and worked solution →Cognitive dissonance can arise from inconsistency among attitudes, behaviors and:Read the answer and worked solution →Situational or dispositional?Read the answer and worked solution →Match each social termRead the answer and worked solution →True or false: social psychologyRead the answer and worked solution →Which social effect is it?Read the answer and worked solution →Complete the social rulesRead the answer and worked solution →Social psychology examines how people affect one another, with a focus on the power of the:Read the answer and worked solution →The view that behaviour is determined by internal factors such as personality is:Read the answer and worked solution →Jamie yells at a spouse after being laid off, and a friend concludes Jamie is simply mean. This is the:Read the answer and worked solution →In the quizmaster study, contestants answered questions correctly only:Read the answer and worked solution →Assuming an attractive person is also a good person is the:Read the answer and worked solution →People from which cultures are most likely to commit the fundamental attribution error?Read the answer and worked solution →Crediting your exam success to intelligence but blaming a poor grade on a hard exam is the:Read the answer and worked solution →The belief that people get the outcomes they deserve is the:Read the answer and worked solution →A pattern of behaviour expected of a person in a given setting or group is a:Read the answer and worked solution →Zimbardo's Stanford prison experiment of 1971 had to be ended after only:Read the answer and worked solution →

Worked practice questions

Social psychology studies individuals in a social context and how which kind of variable shapes behaviour?

  1. Situational variables
  2. Genetic variables
  3. Nutritional variables
  4. Geological variables
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Correct answer: A. Situational variables

1. The discipline is defined by the setting it studies behaviour in. 2. Social psychology studies individuals in a social context. 3. It examines how situational variables interact to influence behavior. 4. Genetics and nutrition belong to other branches of psychology and biology. _Source: OpenStax Psychology 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 12 'Social Psychology', sections 12.1-12.5_

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Behaviour is described as a product of the person and of the:

  1. Sequence
  2. Situation
  3. Season
  4. Species
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Correct answer: B. Situation

1. Neither the person nor the setting explains behaviour on its own. 2. Behavior is a product of both the situation and of the person. 3. Cultural influences, social roles and the presence of bystanders are situational. 4. Personality characteristics are the person side of the pairing. _Source: OpenStax Psychology 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 12 'Social Psychology', sections 12.1-12.5_

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Psychological discomfort from holding two inconsistent attitudes or beliefs is called:

  1. Social facilitation
  2. Social comparison
  3. Cognitive dissonance
  4. Cognitive appraisal
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Correct answer: C. Cognitive dissonance

1. Holding contradictory positions at once is uncomfortable. 2. Psychologist Leon Festinger defined cognitive dissonance in 1957. 3. He defined it as psychological discomfort arising from holding two or more inconsistent attitudes, behaviors, or cognitions. 4. People typically resolve it by changing one of the inconsistent elements. _Source: OpenStax Psychology 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 12 'Social Psychology', sections 12.1-12.5_

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