Attitudes are ________. A) the mechanism we use to reduce ...

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Attitudes are ________.
 
  A) the mechanism we use to reduce dissonance
  B) the mechanism we can use to protect ourselves from unwanted views of ourselves
  C) the process by which we adjust or adapt our behavior to particular circumstances
  D) our evaluations of different aspects of the social world
  E) our evaluations of ourselves

Question 2

What is stereotype threat? What reason(s) has/have been advanced for its effects? What are the possible response options people might have in order to reduce its effects? In one piece of research,
 
  how was non-verbal communication used to demonstrate the effects of stereotype threat?
  What will be an ideal response?

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Answer to Question 1

Answer: D

Answer to Question 2

Answer:
Stereotype threat occurs when people believe they may well be judged because of a negative stereotype about their group. They feel strongly they don't want to confirm the stereotype. Simply telling women, before they take a math test, that men typically do better on the test is sufficient to invoke stereotype threat. People can try not to be tested in the domain of the stereotype but this doesn't usually work because it is often a domain they wish to excel in. Another response would be to distance from the group, e.g., distance yourself from your identity as a woman. This typically won't work and can be bad for psychological well-being. Anxiety is theorized to be the primary cause of stereotype threat. In one experiment, gay and straight participants were either reminded, or not, of their sexual orientation before they interacted with nursery school children. In the reminded condition, gay participants' non-verbal cues indicated considerable anxiety compared to the not-reminded condition, causing their childcare skills to suffer. Straight males did not exhibit the behaviors in either reminded or not-reminded conditions.