It is extremely common for people to form opinions based on completely wrong conclusions, and to become very resistant to changing those beliefs once formed

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It is extremely common for people to form opinions based on completely wrong conclusions, and to become very resistant to changing those beliefs once formed. Using your knowledge of at least three heuristics and other various cognitive biases, explain how this can occur using an example of a false belief that people hold.

 

2)            We discussed at length in class how people make attributions for other people’s behavior. We also make attributions for our own behavior. Refer to (a) the actor-observer effect and (b) the overjustification effect to discuss how we make attributions about our own behavior, and how those attributions can be biased.

 

3)            We saw in class that psychologists study attitudes because it is assumed that attitudes predict behavior. However, early studies found that attitudes did not always predict behavior very well. Why was this the case? Under what conditions will attitudes predict behavior? Imagine you are trying to predict whether people will donate money to religious charities. Based on your knowledge of the conditions under which attitudes predict behaviors, how would you assess people’s attitudes in order to most accurately predict whether they will donate money to these charities?

 

4)            Most people take for granted that our attitudes can affect our behaviors. However, it is less well-known that our behaviors can also change our attitudes. Use cognitive dissonance theory and self-perception theory to explain what that means.

 

5)            After graduating, Maria decided that it is really important to her to find a job that she loves doing. However, after a few months of unsuccessful job searching, she decides to take an office job that she really doesn’t like very much. This causes her to experience cognitive dissonance. Briefly describe 5 different ways Maria may reduce her dissonance. Be specific and make sure to explain why each strategy will reduce her dissonance.

Write approximately 1-1.5 pages (double-spaced) for each of the following questions. Each question will be graded out of 10 points, for a total of 50 points. **Reminder: This is an open-book exam. You can use lecture notes and the textbook in answering these questions. However, no plagiarism whatsoever is allowed; do not copy from the textbook, from my lecture notes, or from any other source. All of your answers should be in your own words. You are also not allowed to discuss the exam with anyone until after the exam has been turned in. Any violations of these rules are instances of academic misconduct, and you will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct & Academic Integrity.