BSocSc Bachelor of Social Science Bachelor of Social Science Psychology 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which term describes the phenomenon in which individuals perform worse on a task when others are watching because they are aware of being evaluated?
- Social facilitation
- Social loafing
- Evaluation apprehension leading to impaired performance (Correct answer)
- Groupthink
Correct answer: Evaluation apprehension leading to impaired performance
Evaluation apprehension causes arousal; for complex or poorly learned tasks, this arousal impairs performance — the 'choking under pressure' component of social presence effects.
Question 2: According to Piaget, a child who understands that the amount of liquid stays the same when poured into a differently shaped container has achieved:
- Object permanence
- Symbolic thought
- Conservation (Correct answer)
- Abstract reasoning
Correct answer: Conservation
Conservation is the understanding that quantity remains constant despite changes in shape or appearance, typically achieved in Piaget's concrete operational stage (around age 7).
Question 3: Which research ethics principle requires that participants be fully informed about the true nature of a study after any deception has been used?
- Informed consent
- Confidentiality
- Debriefing (Correct answer)
- Voluntary participation
Correct answer: Debriefing
Debriefing is the post-study process in which researchers explain the study's true purpose, reveal any deception used, and address any distress caused.
Question 4: In signal detection theory, a 'hit' occurs when:
- The signal is absent and the participant says 'no'
- The signal is absent but the participant says 'yes'
- The signal is present and the participant says 'yes' (Correct answer)
- The signal is present but the participant says 'no'
Correct answer: The signal is present and the participant says 'yes'
A hit is the correct detection of a stimulus that is actually present; the participant responds 'yes' when the signal is truly there.
Question 5: Which concept from humanistic psychology refers to the discrepancy between an individual's self-concept and their ideal self?
- Unconditional positive regard
- Conditions of worth
- Incongruence (Correct answer)
- Peak experience
Correct answer: Incongruence
Rogers used 'incongruence' to describe the gap between who a person perceives themselves to be (self-concept) and who they want to be (ideal self), which causes psychological distress.
Question 6: Which measure of central tendency is most affected by extreme outlier values in a dataset?
- Mode
- Median
- Mean (Correct answer)
- Standard deviation
Correct answer: Mean
The mean is calculated using every score, so extreme outliers pull it toward them; the median and mode are resistant to outliers.
Question 7: The phenomenon of 'groupthink' identified by Irving Janis is most likely to occur when a group:
- Is large, diverse, and has multiple external consultants
- Is highly cohesive, isolated, and lacks structured decision procedures (Correct answer)
- Contains members with strongly opposing viewpoints
- Is given ample time to deliberate and revisit decisions
Correct answer: Is highly cohesive, isolated, and lacks structured decision procedures
Janis found groupthink most likely in cohesive, insulated groups under pressure that lack systematic decision-making procedures, leading to suppression of dissent and illusions of unanimity.
BSocSc Bachelor of Social Science Bachelor of Social Science Psychology 5
Which term describes the phenomenon in which individuals perform worse on a task when others are watching because they are aware of being evaluated?