Exam 1 Practice Questions

After weeks of protest in Zuccotti Park, NYC's "Occupy Wall Street" divided into two camps: one composed of higher income protesters, and one composed of lower-income protesters. A ______ would be most interested in the relationship and nature of day-to- day exchanges between the two groups. a. Conflict theorist b. Structural functionalist c. Symbolic interactionist d. Feminist conflict theorist

Symbolic interactionist

Reliability is defined by the text as: a. How well the study measures what it was designed to measure. b. How long a study is expected to remain relevant and influential. c. How close the study's results come to the experimenter's hypothesis. d. A measure of a study's consistency that considers how likely results are to be replicated if a study is reproduced.

A measure of a study's consistency that considers how likely results are to be replicated if a study is reproduced

The term value neutrality is defined by the text as: a. A practice of remaining impartial, without bias or judgment during the course of a study and in publishing results. b. The study of evolving ethics and morals in relation to sociological research. c. A systematic approach to record and value information gleaned from secondary data as it relates to the study at hand. d. A study's participants being randomly selected to serve as a representation of a larger population.

A practice of remaining impartial, without bias or judgment during the course of a study and in publishing results

The term interpretive framework can be defined as: a. A basis for which sociologists determine whether their independent and dependent variables reflect the results. b. A sociological research approach that seeks in-depth understanding of a topic or subject through observation or interaction; this approach is not based on hypothesis testing. c. An established scholarly research method that involves asking a question, researching existing sources, forming a hypothesis, designing and conducting a study, and drawing conclusions. d. Specific explanations of abstract concepts that a researcher plans to study

A sociological research approach that seeks in-depth understanding of a topic or subject through observation or interaction; this approach is not based on hypothesis testing

A hypothesis can be defined as: a. A way to explain different aspects of social interactions b. A testable proposition c. An attempt to explain large-scale relationships d. Philosophical and theoretical frameworks used within a discipline to formulate theories, generalizations, and the experiments performed in support of them

A testable proposition

According to Durkheim, which of the following is NOT a social fact? a. A religious belief b. A law c. A custom d. All of the above are social facts

All of the above are social facts

Which of the following men coined the term positivism, and is widely considered the father of sociology? a. Auguste Comte b. Karl Marx c. Max Weber d. Émile Durkheim

Auguste Comte

Miguel is doing a research paper on New York City's Stone Wall riots of 1969. He visits the scene of the riots, interviews people who were there, reads the police reports of the event, and watches video footage. Miguel is conducting a(n) ______. a. Overview b. Case study c. Experiment d. Data analysis

Case study

Jeremy wrote an essay criticizing the college admissions process, arguing that heavy competition and limited educational resources make admission difficult for the average student. Which perspective would Jeremy's argument fall under? a. Structural Functionalism b. Conflict Theory c. Symbolic Interactionism d. Behaviorism

Conflict theory

Max Weber, Georg Simmel, and Karl Marx were all advocates of: a. Conflict theory b. Structural functionalism c. Capitalism d. Symbolic interactionism

Conflict theory

What approach is often used to understand what's defined as deviant within a society? a. Criticism b. Symbolic interactionism c. Constructivism d. Antipositivism

Constructivism

Which theorist claimed that people rise to their proper level in society based solely on their belief in a meritocracy? a. Karl Marx b. Max Weber c. Herbert Spencer d. Émile Durkheim

Emile Durkheim

Quincia is studying how of the lack of comprehensive sex education is affecting a small, rural town in North Dakota. She spends two months in the town, observing and interviewing the townspeople. Quincia is conducting a(n) _____. a. Ethnography b. Case study c. Experiment d. Secondary data analysis

Experiment

6. The process of simultaneously analyzing the behavior of individuals and the society that shapes that behavior (or, the concept that the individual and society are inseparable) is referred to as: a. Dynamic equilibrium b. Latent functions c. Dramaturgical analysis d. Figuration

Figuration

Weber's proposal of antipositivism influenced sociological researchers to ______ while examining different social worlds. a. Reject antiquated notions of privacy and consent b. Methodically predict situational outcomes c. Manipulate test subjects into answering difficult questions d. Gain a subjective understanding of human cultural norms

Gain a subjective understanding of human cultural norms

Which of the following is an example of nonreactive research? a. Gathering data from government studies b. Educating classrooms on the necessities of safe sex c. Interviewing heroin addicts and providing them with clean needles d. Volunteering at a local food bank and interacting with homeless persons

Gathering data from government studies

Please define C. Wright Mill's sociological imagination. a. The theory that man evolved slowly over time. b. The process of analyzing human behavior based solely on statistics. c. A series of interviews asking subjects about their sleep habits and dreams. d. How individuals understand their own and others' pasts in relation to history and social structure.

How individuals understand their own and others' past in relation to history and social structure

Qualitative sociology can be defined as: a. In-depth interviews, focus groups, and/or analysis of content sources as the source of its data. b. Virtual interactivity, online polls, and online gaming. c. Door to door sales pitches, cold calls, and press conferences. d. Statistical methods such as surveys with large numbers of participants.

In-depth interviews, focus groups, and/or analysis of content sources as the source of its data

Kendra is researching the effects of vitamin C on test-taking ability. Before the exam, Kendra gives group A orange juice, and group B water. Vitamin C is the ______. a. Experimental group b. Control group c. Dependent variable d. Independent variable

Independent variable

John wants to study whether a larger number of laptops available to students at his school lead to higher grades. Choose the independent and dependent variable. a. Independent variable: Grades; Dependent variable: Number of laptops b. Independent variable: John; Dependent variable: Grades c. Independent variable: Grades; Dependent variable: John d. Independent variable: Number of laptops; Dependent variable: Grades

Independent variable: Number of laptops; Dependent variable: Grades

What is the importance of interpretive framework? a. It leads to in-depth knowledge of a participant's social world. b. It eliminates the need for a literature review. c. It relies on statistics to determine causal relationships. d. It prevents researchers from making unethical decisions.

It leads to in-depth knowledge of a participant's social world

____ believed that societies grew and changed as a result of the struggles of different social classes over the means of production and greatly favored ____. a. Durkheim; Communism b. Max Weber; Positivism c. Karl Marx; Communism d. Comte; Antipositivism

Karl Marx; Communism

Eleanor is researching the effect social media has on worldwide political awareness and revolution. Felix is examining the effect World of Warcraft has on the romantic relationships of middle-aged men in his metro area. Eleanor's analysis is _____, while Felix's analysis is _____. a. Micro-level; macro-level b. Macro-level; micro-level c. They are both macro-level. d. They are both micro-level.

Macro-level; micro-level

In order to better understand the sorority pledging process at her university for her sociology thesis, Carmen pledges with a popular sorority. This is an example of _____. a. Literature review b. Participant observation c. Secondary data analysis d. Dependent variables

Participant observation

A paradigm can be defined as: a. Philosophical and theoretical frameworks used within a discipline to formulate theories, generalizations, and the experiments performed in support of them. b. The social ties that bind a group of people together such as kinship, shared location, and religion c. The consequences of a social process that are sought or anticipated d. Social patterns that have undesirable consequences for the operation of society

Philosophical and theoretical frameworks used within a discipline to formulate theories, generalizations, and the experiments performed in support of them

Alona is examining the impact of the 2011 Penn State scandal on student morale and school spirit by distributing number-scaled surveys in her Introduction to Sociology class. Alona is employing a _____ research method. a. Qualitative b. Pathos c. Logos d. Quantitative

Quantitative

Which of the following is not a step in the scientific method? a. Research existing sources b. Report results c. Receive corroboration from the field d. Formulate a hypothesis

Receive corroboration from the field

Kevin conducted a study on whether the length of the line at a local Starbucks affected how well the customers enjoyed their coffee after receiving it. Malcolm conducted the study at his local Starbucks, and found the same results. Kevin's study had a high level of _____. a. Literacy b. Validity c. Interpretation d. Reliability

Reliability

Kyle is collecting newspaper clippings from his grandfather about the American public's perception of World War II. This is an example of ______. a. Tertiary data b. Interactive data c. Primary data d. Secondary data

Secondary data

Alexis wants to research the 1960's feminist movement. She reads articles from the time period, watches documentaries, reads scholarly journals on the topic, and interviews influential women from the movement. What kind of research method is Alexis using? a. Ethnography b. Surveys c. Experiments d. Secondary data analysis

Secondary data analysis

Thomas wants to better understand the trends in literacy rates in Baltimore city over the past 50 years using Baltimore city data. What type of research should Thomas conduct? a. A survey b. Field research c. An experiment d. Secondary data analysis

Secondary data analysis

_____ view society as a structure with interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of individuals who make up that society. a. Symbolic Interactionists b. Conflict Theorists c. Structural Functionalists d. Social Individualists

Structural Functionalists

Sociology is defined as the: a. Qualitative analysis of human phenomenon. b. Systematic study of society and social interaction. c. Quantitative analysis of social transgressions. d. Theoretical examination of life's origins.

Systematic study of society and social interaction

Which of the following is not a purpose of the American Sociological Association's code of ethics? a. To guarantee the safety of their participants b. To maintain value neutrality c. To ensure the financial gain of the researchers d. To foster professionally responsible scholarship in sociology

To ensure the financial gain of the researchers

Verstehen is defined by the text as: a. To maintain a moral conscience. b. To compare and contrast social facts. c. To understand in a deep way. d. To require proof of interpretation.

To understand in a deep way

Political science teacher Mr. Jones asks his students to study how social media can influence public opinion by "following" famous activists, academics, and politicians on Twitter. While reading and exchanging each other's Tweets, some classmates became close friends. The first is an example of the project's ____ function, the second is an example of the project's _____ function. a. latent; manifest b. manifest; manifest c. manifest; latent d. latent; latent

manifest; latent

Tyson is researching whether actors on prime-time television and hit movies negatively impact teenagers' body images. He is going undercover at a local high school to observe and participate with the students to better understand the world they live in. Tyson is conducting which research method? a. Field research b. Surveys c. Experiments d. Secondary data analysis

Field research

Which of the following is an example of an unethical sociological research practice? a. Conducting a literature review prior to conducting an experiment b. Drawing conclusions from a study which the hypothesis did not predict c. Observing study participants without their consent d. Using a control group and an experimental group during observation

Observing study participants without their consent

A class of third graders is told that the assistant principal will be visiting their class to confirm their teacher's reports of bad behavior. When the principal visits, the students behave perfectly. This is an example of ________. a. The Authority Effect b. The Regressive Effect c. The Hawthorne Effect d. The Cognizant Effect

The Hawthorne Effect

Which of the following is NOT an example of a sociological hypothesis? a. The more study halls students are given during the school day, the worse they perform on their tests. b. The more CDs Jamilla buys, the less money she has in her bank account c. The longer an inmate spends in prison, the more difficult it is for him to adapt to the outside world. d. The more positive reinforcement a parent gives a child, the better they do in school.

The more CDs Jamilla buys, the less money she has in her bank account