Social psychology vocabulary quiz – student handout

This social psychology quiz should be used along with the ESL lesson, “Psychology (social): Talking about people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors“. Both the student and the teacher may need to do some research outside of class. This quiz isn’t about correct answers as much as it is extra practice.

Social psychology vocabulary quiz / Student handout
Topic: Key concepts in social psychology
This quiz will help you review the important vocabulary and concepts from our lesson on social psychology. There are 10 True/False questions and 10 Multiple Choice questions (total 20). Circle the correct answer. Good luck!

Part 1: True or False

1. True / False
   Social psychology is the scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.
2. True / False
   Conformity means following orders from an authority figure, even if they go against one’s moral judgment.
3. True / False
   Prejudice is a negative attitude toward a group or its members, while discrimination is negative behavior based on group membership.
4. True / False
   The bystander effect suggests that people are more likely to help in an emergency when many others are present.
5. True / False
   Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort felt when holding conflicting beliefs or when one’s behavior contradicts one’s beliefs.
6. True / False
   Obedience involves adjusting one’s behavior to align with a group’s norms.
7. True / False
   Altruism is helping others without expecting any personal gain.
8. True / False
   The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overemphasize situational factors and underestimate personal traits when explaining others’ behavior.
9. True / False
   Social loafing refers to reduced individual effort when working in a group compared to working alone.
10. True / False
    Ingroup bias means favoring members of one’s own group over those in outgroups.

Part 2: Multiple Choice

11. What is stereotyping?
    a) Negative behavior toward a group
    b) A generalized belief about a group of people
    c) Helping others for personal gain
    d) Loss of self-awareness in a crowd
12. Which term describes the ways people affect each other’s thoughts, feelings, or behaviors?
    a) Group dynamics
    b) Social influence
    c) Attribution
    d) Persuasion
13. In Asch’s conformity experiments, participants often changed their answers to match the group even when:
    a) The group was clearly wrong about matching line lengths
    b) They were paid to disagree
    c) There was no group pressure
    d) The task was about colors
14. The Milgram obedience study showed that many participants:
    a) Refused to follow orders from the start
    b) Administered what they believed were harmful shocks because an authority figure instructed them
    c) Helped the learner escape
    d) Ignored the experimenter’s commands
15. What is deindividuation?
    a) Improved performance due to others’ presence
    b) Loss of self-awareness in groups, often leading to impulsive behavior
    c) Favoring one’s own group
    d) Seeking information that confirms beliefs
16. The halo effect occurs when:
    a) We assume someone’s overall character is good based on one positive trait (e.g., attractiveness)
    b) We blame situations more than personality
    c) People work harder in groups
    d) We feel discomfort from conflicting attitudes
17. Confirmation bias is:
    a) Explaining behavior by internal traits
    b) Seeking or interpreting information to confirm existing beliefs
    c) Reduced effort in group tasks
    d) Helping in emergencies
18. Prosocial behavior includes:
    a) Actions like aggression and prejudice
    b) Behaviors intended to benefit others, such as cooperation and sharing
    c) Following authority blindly
    d) Conforming to fashion trends
19. Social facilitation refers to:
    a) Worse performance in front of others
    b) Improved performance on tasks due to the presence of others
    c) Diffusion of responsibility
    d) Self-fulfilling prophecy
20. A self-fulfilling prophecy is when:
    a) A belief causes itself to come true due to changes in behavior
    b) People loaf in social settings
    c) Attitudes match behaviors perfectly
    d) Groups reject outsiders

Answer key

Use this quiz to test your understanding and discuss any wrong answers in class! Remember to use key phrases like “This concept refers to…” when explaining.

True/False:

1. True, 2. False (that’s obedience), 3. True, 4. False (less likely), 5. True, 6. False (that’s conformity), 7. True, 8. False (opposite), 9. True, 10. True

Multiple choice

11. b, 12. b, 13. a, 14. b, 15. b, 16. a, 17. b, 18. b, 19. b, 20. a