How much do you know about the social world? there are 10 statements. two of the 10 statements are false, the rest are true. which two are false?
critical questions: (a) why do we tend to blame others for their misfortunes but deny responsibility for our own? (b) have you ever changed a strongly held attitude? what caused you to do so?
test yourself: how much do you know about the social world?
1. most people judge others more harshly than they judge themselves.
2. persuasion is the most effective way to change attitudes.
3. groups generally make riskier or more conservative decisions than a single individual does.
4. people wearing masks are more likely than unmasked individuals to engage in aggressive acts.
5. emphasizing gender differences may create and perpetuate prejudice.
6. substance abuse (particularly alcohol abuse) is a major factor in aggression
7. when people are alone, they are more likely to another individual than when they are in a group.
8. looks are the primary factor in our feelings of attraction, liking and love.
9. opposites attract.
romantic love generally starts to fade after 6 to 30 months.

It is widely assumed that people need to engage in intellectual activities such as solving crossword puzzles or mathematics problems in order to maintain mental sharpness as they age. in fact, however, simply talking to other people—that is, participating in social interaction, which engages many mental and perceptual skills—suffices. evidence to this effect comes from a study showing that the more social contact people report, the better their mental skills. which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the force of the evidence cited? (a) as people grow older, they are often advised to keep exercising their physical and mental capacities in order to maintain or improve them. (b) many medical conditions and treatments that adversely affect a person's mental sharpness also tend to increase that person's social isolation. (c) many people are proficient both in social interactions and in solving mathematical problems. (d) the study did not itself collect data but analyzed data bearing on the issue from prior studies. (e) the tasks evaluating mental sharpness for which data were compiled by the study were more akin to mathematics problems than to conversation.