Consider the following statements about the study of attitudes conduc…

Consider the following statements about the study of attitudes conducted by Richard LaPiere:

(A) LaPiere was an American social psychologist.
(B) He asked a Chinese couple to travel across the United States and stay in different hotels.
(C) The study showed that attitudes may not always predict the actual pattern of behaviour.
(D) His questionnaires were sent to hotels in areas the Chinese couple had not visited.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → A, B and C only

(A) LaPiere was an American social psychologist. — Correct. Richard LaPiere was an American social psychologist who studied prejudice against the Chinese.

(B) He asked a Chinese couple to travel across the United States and stay in different hotels. — Correct. The couple travelled across the United States and stayed in different hotels, to see how they were treated.

(C) The study showed that attitudes may not always predict the actual pattern of behaviour. — Correct. Hotels served the couple but later said they would refuse Chinese guests. So attitudes may not always predict behaviour.

(D) His questionnaires were sent to hotels in areas the Chinese couple had not visited. — Incorrect. The questionnaires went to hotels in the same areas where the couple had travelled. That made the two results comparable.

NCERT (2026-27): “Attitude-Behaviour Relationship …
In the days when Americans were said to be prejudiced against the Chinese, Richard LaPiere, an American social psychologist, conducted the following study. He asked a Chinese couple to travel across the United States, and stay in different hotels. Only once during these occasions they were refused service by one of the hotels. Sometime later, LaPiere sent out questionnaires to managers of hotels and tourist homes in the same areas where the Chinese couple had travelled, asking them if they would give accommodation to Chinese guests. A very large percentage said that they would not do so. This response showed a negative attitude towards the Chinese, which was inconsistent with the positive behaviour that was actually shown towards the travelling Chinese couple. Thus, attitudes may not always predict actual pattern of one’s behaviour.”