QCAA Psychology Interpersonal processes
15 sample questions with marking guides and sample answers · Avg. score: 21.4%
In an experiment by Darley and Latane (1968), participants in groups of two to six people sat in individual cubicles connected by intercoms to allow for group discussion. An experimental accomplice faked a severe epileptic seizure and the percentage of participants who sought help was measured.
As interpreted by the authors, the results of this investigation were that increasing group size
reduced an individual’s feelings of responsibility and decreased the percentage of participants who sought help.
increased an individual’s feelings of responsibility and increased the percentage of participants who sought help.
had no effect on an individual’s feelings of responsibility, resulting in an inconsistent pattern of participants who sought help.
only had an effect in groups larger than three, otherwise participants’ sense of responsibility and percentage who sought help were unaffected.
Reveal Answer
reduced an individual’s feelings of responsibility and decreased the percentage of participants who sought help.
This accurately describes the "diffusion of responsibility" phenomenon observed in the study; as the number of bystanders increased, individuals felt less personally responsible, leading to a decrease in the likelihood of helping.
increased an individual’s feelings of responsibility and increased the percentage of participants who sought help.
This contradicts the findings of the bystander effect, which showed that larger groups actually decrease individual feelings of responsibility and helping rates.
had no effect on an individual’s feelings of responsibility, resulting in an inconsistent pattern of participants who sought help.
The study found a consistent and significant negative correlation between group size and the likelihood of helping, rather than an inconsistent pattern or no effect.
only had an effect in groups larger than three, otherwise participants’ sense of responsibility and percentage who sought help were unaffected.
The diffusion of responsibility effect was observed even when moving from a group of two (participant and victim) to a group of three (adding just one other bystander), not just in groups larger than three.
The reciprocity principle describes the expectation that a person will help
those in need.
if they have the ability.
those who have helped them.
others, if they are in a large group of bystanders.
Reveal Answer
those in need.
This describes the social responsibility norm, which suggests that we should help those who need our assistance, regardless of future exchanges.
if they have the ability.
While ability is a prerequisite for helping, the reciprocity principle specifically refers to the social obligation to return favors, not just the capacity to act.
those who have helped them.
The reciprocity norm is the social expectation that people will respond to each other in kind, specifically by helping those who have helped them.
others, if they are in a large group of bystanders.
This relates to the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility, where the presence of a large group actually decreases the likelihood of an individual helping.
Describe altruism and provide an example of this behaviour.
Reveal Answer
Altruism is the motivation to increase another person's welfare.
An example of altruistic behaviour is a person giving their lunch to someone else who is hungry.
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
Describes altruism | 1 |
Provides an example of altruistic behaviour | 1 |
During a social football game, a player was visibly injured in a collision with a second player, who showed no concern for the injured player. Following this, no other players stopped to help but instead continued to play around the injured player.
Which statement best explains the other players' behaviour in this scenario?
They were influenced by the initial lack of concern shown by the second player involved in the collision.
They considered the cost of helping to be greater than the benefit.
They did not notice that the injured player needed help.
They did not feel competent to help the injured player.
Reveal Answer
They were influenced by the initial lack of concern shown by the second player involved in the collision.
This is an example of social influence and pluralistic ignorance. The other players looked to the second player's lack of reaction as a cue for how to behave, leading them to conclude that the situation was not an emergency.
They considered the cost of helping to be greater than the benefit.
While cost-benefit analysis can affect helping behavior, the scenario specifically highlights the second player's lack of concern, pointing directly to social influence rather than a calculated assessment by the bystanders.
They did not notice that the injured player needed help.
The scenario explicitly states that the player was 'visibly injured,' making it highly unlikely that the other players simply failed to notice the situation.
They did not feel competent to help the injured player.
Although a lack of competence can deter people from helping, the prompt emphasizes the initial player's lack of concern, which strongly suggests the bystander effect and modeling behavior rather than a collective feeling of incompetence.
Which statement does not describe the general aggression model?
It examines how blocking a person’s attainment of a goal can lead to aggression.
It proposes that aggression is an innate biological drive and we must adapt in order to control it.
It examines how person and situation input variables influence aggression through the cognitions, emotions and arousal they generate.
It proposes that aggression is directly learnt and aggressive acts carried out by a model will be internalised by an individual and reproduced.
Reveal Answer
It examines how blocking a person’s attainment of a goal can lead to aggression.
This statement describes the Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis (Dollard et al.), which focuses specifically on goal blockage. While the General Aggression Model considers frustration as one potential situational input, it is a broader framework that integrates multiple theories rather than focusing solely on frustration.
It proposes that aggression is an innate biological drive and we must adapt in order to control it.
This statement describes Psychodynamic (Freud) or Ethological (Lorenz) theories, which view aggression as a hydraulic, innate drive. The General Aggression Model is a social-cognitive model that rejects the idea of aggression as a drive that must be released (catharsis).
It examines how person and situation input variables influence aggression through the cognitions, emotions and arousal they generate.
This statement accurately describes the General Aggression Model (GAM). The model's core premise is that person and situation variables interact to influence internal states (cognitions, emotions, and arousal), which then determine behavioral outcomes.
It proposes that aggression is directly learnt and aggressive acts carried out by a model will be internalised by an individual and reproduced.
This statement describes Social Learning Theory (Bandura). The General Aggression Model explicitly incorporates these social learning processes to explain how individuals acquire aggressive scripts and schemas through observation and modeling.
Explain how social media can influence aggression, using an example.
Reveal Answer
Social media can provide a context where aggressive behaviours are normalised and have limited consequences, therefore increasing their frequency.
For example, cyberbullies can use social media to harass, defame and threaten others, without the discomfort of seeing the victim’s pain and with no resulting punishment.
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
Explains how social media influences aggression | 1 |
Provides a relevant example | 1 |
Buss et al. (1990) interviewed participants from 37 cultures and found evidence of universal traits for mate selection. This supports
social theories of attraction.
cultural theories of attraction.
cognitive theories of attraction.
biological theories of attraction.
Reveal Answer
social theories of attraction.
Social theories typically emphasize the role of social environment and interactions, which vary by society, rather than universal traits found across all cultures.
cultural theories of attraction.
Cultural theories suggest that attraction is learned through specific cultural norms; if this were the primary driver, one would expect significant differences between cultures rather than universality.
cognitive theories of attraction.
Cognitive theories focus on mental processes like similarity and schemas, whereas the finding of cross-cultural universality is specifically used to support evolutionary (biological) arguments.
biological theories of attraction.
The existence of universal mate preferences across 37 different cultures suggests that these behaviors are innate evolutionary adaptations rooted in biology, rather than learned cultural behaviors.
Aronson and Worchel (1966) led participants to believe that the person with whom they had interacted either liked them or disliked them. The results indicated that ‘liking’ had a significant effect on the participants’ feelings for the other person.
Which origin of attraction do the results of this investigation support?
proximity
similarity
familiarity
reciprocity
Reveal Answer
proximity
Proximity refers to the propinquity effect, where physical nearness increases attraction, whereas this study focused on the psychological impact of being liked.
similarity
Similarity involves attraction based on shared attitudes, values, or traits, which is distinct from the study's focus on the reaction to another person's expressed feelings.
familiarity
Familiarity relates to the mere exposure effect (liking things seen frequently), not the specific dynamic of returning feelings of affection.
reciprocity
Reciprocity (or reciprocal liking) is the tendency to like those who like us; the study showed that participants liked the confederate significantly more when they believed the confederate liked them.
According to Duck’s stages of dissolution, in the dyadic phase individuals
retrospectively make sense of the relationship’s history by developing an account that casts the individual in a favourable light.
reveal their concerns regarding the relationship to their partner and attempt to redefine the relationship.
internalise reflections on the state of the relationship generally and the partner specifically.
recognise that relationships are embedded in social networks.
Reveal Answer
retrospectively make sense of the relationship’s history by developing an account that casts the individual in a favourable light.
This describes the grave-dressing phase, where individuals create a retrospective narrative to explain the breakup and present themselves favorably after the relationship has ended.
reveal their concerns regarding the relationship to their partner and attempt to redefine the relationship.
This is the defining characteristic of the dyadic phase, where internal dissatisfaction is finally voiced to the partner, leading to confrontation, negotiation, or attempts to repair the relationship.
internalise reflections on the state of the relationship generally and the partner specifically.
This describes the intra-psychic phase, which involves private, internal brooding on the partner's faults and the relationship's state before any direct communication takes place.
recognise that relationships are embedded in social networks.
This relates to the social phase, where the distress is made public to friends and family, seeking support and acknowledging the relationship's impact on the wider social circle.
Darley & Latane (1968) conducted an experiment to investigate the effect of bystander numbers on helping behaviours. They found that with increasing numbers of bystanders, individuals were less likely to offer help to someone in trouble, even though they often appeared concerned about the person's safety. Darley & Latane considered several factors that might explain this effect.
Darley & Latane stated that participants were not apathetic or indifferent to the plight of the person who apparently needed help in this experiment.
Describe the concept of diffusion of responsibility and its effect on the likelihood of helping.
Reveal Answer
As group size increases there are more people with whom an individual bystander can share a sense of responsibility and as a result the individual can feel a relatively low degree of personal responsibility to help.
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
describes the concept of diffusion of responsibility | 1 |
describes its effect on the likelihood of helping | 1 |
Describe the concept of audience inhibition and give an example of how it can reduce the likelihood of helping.
Reveal Answer
Bystanders can be reluctant to help in the presence of others because they are self-conscious about how the others might see them if they help.
For example, a bystander might notice that others are not helping, and worry that they have misunderstood the situation, offering help when it is not required.
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
describes audience inhibition | 1 |
provides a relevant example | 1 |
Infer the results of the experiment if bystander apathy was the only variable affecting helping behaviour and contrast this with the results that were found.
Reveal Answer
If participants had been indifferent, the number of people in the group would have made no difference to the likelihood of helping, which would have been low for all group sizes. In contrast, the study found that the larger the group, the less likely individuals were to help.
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
infers a result consistent with indifference | 1 |
contrasts the inferred with the actual result | 1 |
Ross (1971) examined the reactions of 36 undergraduates who were presented with emergency situations in the presence of two non-responding adult confederates, or two non-responding child confederates. It was found that participants responded more quickly in the presence of children.
Researchers were investigating
cost-benefit analysis and empathy.
diffusion of responsibility and competence.
bystander intervention and social responsibility.
the reciprocity principle and audience inhibition.
Reveal Answer
cost-benefit analysis and empathy.
While cost-benefit analysis is a model for helping behavior, this study specifically manipulated the age of bystanders to test social obligations rather than personal costs or empathy levels.
diffusion of responsibility and competence.
Diffusion of responsibility explains the lack of helping with adults, but 'competence' generally refers to the helper's specific skills (e.g., medical training), which was not the variable manipulated here.
bystander intervention and social responsibility.
The study investigated bystander intervention and found that the presence of children triggers the social responsibility norm (the duty to help dependents), preventing the diffusion of responsibility that occurs with other adults.
the reciprocity principle and audience inhibition.
The reciprocity principle involves returning favors, which is irrelevant to an emergency with strangers, and audience inhibition (fear of judgment) does not explain why helping increased with children.
Explain how perceived competence can lead to increased prosocial behaviour by bystanders in emergencies. Use an example in your response.
Reveal Answer
Bystanders who perceive that they have the required skills to deal with an emergency are more likely to provide help because they believe they can do so effectively.
For example, if someone falls into a canal, a bystander who believes themselves to be a strong swimmer will be more likely to help because they can do so without drowning.
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
Explains how perceived competence can lead to increased prosocial behaviour | 1 |
Provides a relevant example | 1 |
These results are from an investigation in which smoke was introduced into a room while different groupings of participants completed a questionnaire.
| Condition | Reporting smoke (%) |
|---|---|
| Alone | 75 |
| Two passive confederates | 10 |
| Three naive subjects | 38 |
Darley and Latane’s (1968) model of bystander intervention would attribute these results to
a loss of social identity and inhibition.
the tendency for an individual to reduce their effort in a group.
the presence of others reducing the likelihood of prosocial behaviour.
individuals changing their behaviour as a result of real or implied pressure from others.
Reveal Answer
a loss of social identity and inhibition.
This describes deindividuation, which typically explains mob behavior or loss of self-awareness in crowds, rather than the inhibition of helping behavior in an emergency.
the tendency for an individual to reduce their effort in a group.
This describes social loafing, where individuals exert less effort on a collective task, which is distinct from the decision to intervene in an emergency situation.
the presence of others reducing the likelihood of prosocial behaviour.
This describes the bystander effect, the central concept of Darley and Latané's model, where the presence of others leads to diffusion of responsibility and pluralistic ignorance, inhibiting the decision to help.
individuals changing their behaviour as a result of real or implied pressure from others.
This is the general definition of conformity; while social influence plays a role in interpreting the situation (pluralistic ignorance), the specific finding of the bystander model is the reduction of helping behavior due to the presence of others.
Discuss the general aggression model (GAM) by providing an argument for and against the model. Provide an example for each argument.
Reveal Answer
An argument for the general aggression model (GAM) is that it offers empirically validated insights into ways to reduce aggression, including how to stunt the development of aggressive tendencies over time.
An example argument for the GAM is that a person known to be aggressive can be given strategies designed to reduce their hostile affect and increase thoughtful awareness of the violent thoughts, feelings and actions, increasing their likelihood to engage in decision-making processes when the urge to act aggressively occurs.
An argument against the GAM is that it suggests that aggression is an automatic process over which an individual has little control.
An example of the argument against the GAM suggests that all teenagers who play violent video games would display aggressive tendencies; however, evidence suggests that although the sale of violent games has increased over time, so has the civic involvement and volunteering of youth, providing evidence against the automatic processes proposed by the GAM.
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
Discusses an argument for the general aggression model (GAM) | 1 |
Identifies an example that supports the argument for the GAM | 1 |
Discusses an argument against the GAM | 1 |
Identifies an example that supports the argument against the GAM | 1 |
Advertising can influence aggression by using techniques taken from classical conditioning, whereby consumers learn
to identify with certain characters.
the consequences of aggressive behaviour.
to associate two previously unrelated stimuli.
to attend to, retain and reproduce certain behaviours.
Reveal Answer
to identify with certain characters.
Identifying with characters is a concept associated with social learning theory or identification processes, rather than the stimulus-response associations of classical conditioning.
the consequences of aggressive behaviour.
Learning based on the consequences of behavior (rewards or punishments) describes operant conditioning, not classical conditioning.
to associate two previously unrelated stimuli.
Classical conditioning is defined by the process of learning to associate two previously unrelated stimuli (e.g., pairing a product with an exciting image) so that one evokes the response originally associated with the other.
to attend to, retain and reproduce certain behaviours.
The processes of attention, retention, and reproduction are the fundamental components of observational learning (modeling) as described in Bandura's Social Learning Theory.