Lesson 1.1.4

1.1.4 Explanations of prejudice: social identity and realistic conflict theory Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Psychology, Unit 1

20 questions

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Lesson 1.1.4, Explanations of prejudice: social identity and realistic conflict theory: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Psychology (9PS0), Unit 1: Social psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In social identity theory, what is the first stage in the process that can lead to prejudice?

    • Social comparison, in which people rank their own group against others on valued dimensions
    • Social categorisation, in which people sort themselves and others into groups
    • Positive distinctiveness, in which the in-group is seen as better than the out-group in some respect
    • Realistic competition, in which two groups fight over a resource that both want to control

  2. Which three processes make up Tajfel and Turner's social identity theory?

    • Social loafing, social facilitation and social conformity
    • Social categorisation, social identity and social comparison
    • Attribution, reinforcement and classical conditioning
    • Realistic conflict, superordinate goals and contact hypothesis

  3. What is the minimal group paradigm, used by Tajfel?

    • A study in which participants compete for money, showing that real conflict is the only cause of prejudice
    • A procedure in which people are divided into groups on trivial criteria, showing in-group favouritism even then
    • A procedure in which participants are placed in one large group with no categories, showing no bias at all
    • A laboratory test of memory, in which participants recall words from lists assigned to different groups

  4. According to realistic conflict theory (Sherif, 1966), what is the main cause of prejudice?

    • Competition between groups for scarce resources that both groups want to obtain
    • A genetic predisposition to dislike people who look different from oneself in appearance
    • The need for individuals to protect their own self-esteem by blaming others for their failures
    • A lack of contact between people of different backgrounds, which leads to fear of the unknown

  5. Which of these would reduce conflict between groups according to realistic conflict theory?

    • Separating the groups completely so that they never meet and never need to compete for anything at all
    • Superordinate goals, which require both groups to work together to achieve something neither can achieve alone
    • Increasing competition, since groups that compete for prizes learn to respect each other more over time
    • Giving one group sole control over all the resources, which removes any reason for the other to compete

  6. Which statement best describes positive distinctiveness in social identity theory?

    • People seek to see their own group as better than other groups, which boosts self-esteem
    • People show no preference for their own group when it is compared with another group on any dimension
    • People avoid any comparison with other groups, so that they never feel inferior or superior to anyone
    • People try to blend in with other groups so that they are no longer identified as members of their own

  7. A researcher finds that people who have been divided into arbitrary groups favour their own group in rewards. Which theory does this support?

    • Agency theory, since participants were following the instructions of an authority figure in the study
    • Social identity theory, since in-group favouritism appeared even on arbitrary and trivial criteria
    • Realistic conflict theory, since the groups were competing for scarce resources in the research design
    • Social impact theory, since the number of group members affected how much reward each person received

  8. Which concept links prejudice to self-esteem in social identity theory?

    • Self-esteem falls when people join any group, which is why they avoid group membership wherever possible
    • Self-esteem has no link to group membership, since people judge themselves only on individual achievements
    • Prejudice causes self-esteem to rise only when a person is physically attacked by members of a rival group
    • Group membership boosts self-esteem, so people defend their group and devalue out-groups to keep their status

  9. What does Sherif (1966) mean by realistic conflict?

    • Conflict within a single group, caused by disagreement between members about how to organise tasks
    • Conflict between an individual and their own conscience, caused by a clash of personal values
    • Real and tangible competition between groups over resources that both groups value and want
    • Imagined disagreement between groups over beliefs that are not based on any real competition at all

  10. Which evaluation point is most relevant to the two theories of prejudice in this topic?

    • Realistic conflict theory explains prejudice without any competition, while social identity needs real rivalry
    • Both theories are based only on animal research, so neither has any relevance to human prejudice at all
    • Social identity theory explains prejudice without needing real competition, while realistic conflict requires competition
    • Both theories claim prejudice is always genetic, so neither can explain prejudice in any environment at all

  11. Which is the most accurate evaluation of social identity theory as an explanation of prejudice?

    • It explains all prejudice perfectly, so there are no limitations or gaps in the theory at all
    • It explains how categorisation can lead to bias, but may underplay real competition and individual differences
    • It relies on a single, well-replicated experiment, so its conclusions about prejudice are beyond any doubt
    • It is based on animal research and therefore cannot be applied to the study of any human social behaviour

  12. A group of students is divided at random into 'Blues' and 'Reds', and each group is then asked to share rewards. Which result would fit social identity theory?

    • Students allocate more reward to members of the other group to show that they are not biased in any way
    • Students refuse to allocate any reward at all, because group membership removes all motivation to share
    • Students allocate rewards equally to both groups, showing that group membership has no effect on decisions
    • Students allocate more reward to members of their own group than to members of the other group

  13. Which of these is an example of a realistic conflict in the Robbers Cave study?

    • Two groups of boys each choosing a name for their group, with no competition for any prize
    • Two groups of boys competing for prizes in tournaments, creating hostility between them
    • Two groups of boys listening to the same story, with no reason to compete for anything at all
    • Two groups of boys sharing a meal together, with equal access to all the food on the table

  14. In social identity theory, what is social comparison?

    • Comparing the physical appearance of two individuals in the same group to decide who is more attractive
    • Evaluating one's own group against other groups, usually on dimensions that matter for the group's identity
    • Comparing the amount of money two individuals earn in different jobs to decide who is more successful
    • Comparing the speed of two runners in a race to determine which person is more physically fit overall

  15. Which combination best describes the two explanations of prejudice in this specification?

    • Social identity theory focuses on competition for resources; realistic conflict focuses on group membership and self-esteem
    • Both focus only on the biology of the brain, such as neurotransmitters, and ignore social factors completely
    • Both focus only on individual personality traits, such as authoritarianism, and ignore groups completely
    • Social identity theory focuses on group membership and self-esteem; realistic conflict focuses on competition for resources

  16. Which approach would a psychologist use to reduce prejudice, based on realistic conflict theory?

    • Make the groups compete more fiercely so that they learn to value each other through hard-fought rivalry
    • Ensure the groups never meet, so that they have no chance to develop any form of hostility or conflict
    • Give one group permanent control over the resources, so that the other group stops competing for them
    • Create superordinate goals that both groups must work towards together, so that they cooperate

  17. Which concept describes the tendency to see one's own group as more favourable than other groups?

    • Cognitive dissonance, in which people change their attitudes to reduce conflict between beliefs and actions
    • Conformity to the majority, in which people change their answers to match the answers of the people around them
    • Diffusion of responsibility, in which people feel less personal responsibility when others are present nearby
    • In-group favouritism, sometimes linked to positive distinctiveness in social identity theory

  18. In the minimal group paradigm, what criterion was used to divide participants?

    • A medical criterion, such as blood type, which determined the group that each participant was placed in
    • A trivial criterion, such as a preference for one painter over another, with no real competition
    • A physical criterion, such as height, which divided participants into tall and short groups for the study
    • A real competition for money, in which participants fought over a limited prize from the researcher

  19. Which of these would a realistic conflict theorist predict would increase hostility between two groups?

    • Shared goals that both groups must achieve together and that neither can achieve on its own
    • Competition for a limited resource that both groups want and cannot both fully obtain
    • Regular joint activities that have no link to any resource, so the groups have no reason to compete
    • Equal status for both groups, with no competition for any resource that either group values

  20. A student says prejudice is caused by people wanting to protect their self-esteem through their group. Which theory is this?

    • Realistic conflict theory, which links prejudice only to competition for resources between groups
    • Social impact theory, which links prejudice only to the number of people who are present in a situation
    • Agency theory, which links prejudice only to the legitimacy of an authority figure giving instructions
    • Social identity theory, which links group membership with self-esteem and in-group favouritism

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