Exam 1 Multiple Choice
According to the scientific method, what are the steps in conducting research and in what order should they be completed? a. form a hypothesis, define variables, choose research method, collect data b. form a hypothesis, choose research design, define variables, analyze data c. define variables, form a hypothesis, choose research design, review the literature d. analyze data, form a hypothesis, choose research design, define variables
A
As children get older, which agent of socialization tends to replace parents as their most intense and immediate influence? a. peers b. the media c. schools d. religion
A
Both sides are partially right in the nature vs. nurture debate. a. TRUE b. FALSE
A
Children raised without human interaction or with minimal human contact are referred to as ________ children. a. feral b. institutionalized c. cognitively disadvantaged d. environmentally challenged
A
In what way is a game of football like society according to George Herbert Mead? a. In both football and society, individuals have to take into account the roles and points of view of everyone else. b. In both football and society, there are winners and losers. c. Both football and society involve hierarchy and rules that help the elite maintain their status. d. Both football and society use hegemonic power to maintain order.
A
Jill is visiting her boyfriend's family in China. During a conversation, she points to him with her index finger, which his family doesn't seem to like. Later, her boyfriend explains that she should point with an open hand instead of using a finger. Why is this instruction needed? a. The meaning of gestures is not universal. b. Jill was attempting to be rude to his family. c. Sanctions exist in China, but not in the United States, where Jill is from. d. The action of pointing does not have symbolic meaning.
A
Sociology can be defined as the systematic and scientific study of human society and social behavior, from ________ to ________. a. large-scale institutions; individual interactions b. practical knowledge; scientific knowledge c. individual interactions; small groups d. economics; political science
A
The tendency to use your own group's way of doing things as the yardstick for judging others is called a. ethnocentrism. b. culture shock. c. cultural relativism. d. self-centeredness.
A
What will a good researcher always do after formulating a general research question? a. review the literature relevant to his or her topic b. clearly define his or her variables c. look for correlations between at least two phenomena d. form a hypothesis
A
Which of the following agents of socialization has the most enduring, lifelong impact on the individual? a. the family b. peers c. the media d. school
A
Which of the following is an NOT an example for a total institution? a. Family b. Prisons c. Nazi concentration camps d. Mental asylums
A
Which of the following theories views society as a whole unit made up of interrelated parts that work together? a. structural functionalism b. conflict theory c. symbolic interactionism d. postmodernism
A
Which social theory focuses on micro-level interactions? a. symbolic interactionism b. structural functionalism c. conflict theory d. pragmatism
A
A college student plans to go to graduate school because she thinks of herself as having excellent critical thinking skills and a brilliant mind. Where would Charles Cooley's theory of the looking-glass self suggest that she got these ideas? a. These ideas are part of the structure of her personality with which she was born. b. These ideas come from teachers and fellow students expressing admiration. c. These ideas come from the ease with which she understood new concepts. d. These ideas come from the confidence she gained from exceptional intellectual abilities.
B
A dishonest judge must pretend to be an honest judge, but even an honest judge must play the role of "honest judge" for an audience in order to interact and work with others effectively. This performance is an example of what theoretical perspective? a. structural functionalism b. dramaturgy c. ethnomethodology d. conflict theory
B
A sociologist observes that kindergartners are not just being taught about arts and crafts. They are also being taught how to be students including how to follow rules, remain in their seats, and other skills that will be necessary for the rest of their education. What are these other things that are taught in kindergarten called? a. expressions of behavior b. the hidden curriculum c. theories of the self d. the ego
B
According to sociologists, our genetic makeup determines what kind of personality and character traits we develop in life. a. TRUE b. FALSE
B
Children are taking on the role of the generalized other when they pretend to be a firefighter, mommy, or doctor. a. TRUE b. FALSE
B
Children raised without human interaction or with minimal human contact are referred to as ________ children. a. feral b. institutionalized c. cognitively disadvantaged d. environmentally challenged
B
Critical race theory is associated with which of the major theoretical perspectives or schools of thought in sociology? a. structural functionalism b. conflict theory c. functional theory d. symbolic interactionism
B
Designer labels on purses and logos on shirts are both examples of a. values. b. material culture. c. counterculture. d. cultural essentials.
B
Formal subjects like math and reading are part of schools' hidden curriculum. a. TRUE b. FALSE
B
If changing one variable seems to lead to a change in another variable, this shows ________ but does not necessarily prove ________. a. a paradigm shift; causation b. correlation; causation c. causation; correlation d. applied research; a paradigm shift
B
Many Marxist sociologists assume that large-scale economic structures are the most important factors in shaping people's lives. This assumption is an example of a. microsociology. b. macrosociology. c. rationalization. d. symbolic interactionism.
B
The concept of the looking-glass self explains why we respond to the generalized other. A. TRUE B. FALSE
B
What does it mean if a researcher has obtained informed consent from all of his or her participants? a. Participants have all agreed to participate in the study for monetary compensation. b. Participants understand the nature of the research and are participating freely. c. The confidentiality of all participants has been guaranteed. d. Participants have conducted a literature review.
B
Which of the following is one of the functions of symbolic culture? a. It provides a history of physical objects. b. It enables people to communicate. c. It facilitates the distribution of Western products. d. It aids the proliferation of Western media.
B
Which of the following statements best describes the approach taken by macrosociologists? a. Macrosociology concentrates on the way large social institutions are created through individual interactions. b. Macrosociology examines large-scale social structure to see how it affects individual lives. c. Macrosociology focuses on creating a beginner's mind in contrast to microsociology, which uses an expert's mind. d. Unlike microsociology, macrosociology focuses on creating scientific knowledge of the world, rather than practical knowledge.
B
Why do ethnocentric people tend to view other cultures as abnormal? a. They have values and beliefs that are universally recognized. b. They use their own culture as a standard of judgment. c. They are practicing cultural relativism. d. They are part of a counterculture.
B
Émile Durkheim's study on suicide found that suicide rates went up when the economy slumped, but they also increased when the economy boomed. Which of Durkheim's concepts explains why both positive and negative economic conditions could increase suicide rates? a. alienation b. anomie c. mechanical solidarity d. organic solidarity
B
According to the symbolic interactionist George Herbert Mead, the generalized other is a. the inability of very young children to differentiate between themselves and others. b. the guidelines and expectations that are associated with a particular role in society. c. an understanding of the rules that govern a network of different players in related roles. d. the transition toddlers make from the imitation of infancy to the play stage of childhood.
C
In 2007, the richest 1 percent of the American population owned 35 percent of the country's wealth and the bottom 80 percent of the population owned 14 percent. Karl Marx would call this a. alienation. b. bourgeoisie. c. social inequality. d. organic solidarity.
C
Jai is conducting a sociological research study on differences in interactions between similar and dissimilar co-workers. After reviewing the literature, he developed a hypothesis and has operationalized the variables he will study. What is the next step Jai should take in the scientific method? a. identify a problem or ask a question b. analyze data c. choose a research design or method d. collect data
C
Max Weber believed that modern industrialized societies were characterized by which of the following institutions? a. churches b. central governments c. bureaucracies d. prisons
C
Max Weber helped lay the groundwork for sociologists who would develop symbolic interactionism as a theory because he believed that a social scientist should approach the study of human action a. through a theoretical lens that emphasizes disenchantment and bureaucracy. b. from a value-free point of view. c. with verstehen (understanding), which emphasizes empathy with individuals' experiences. d. through psychoanalysis and the work of Sigmund Freud.
C
On any given day, you probably depend on many strangers to provide electricity, water, natural gas, weather forecasts, and other services. According to Émile Durkheim, this interdependence gives rise to a. mechanical solidarity. b. class consciousness. c. organic solidarity. d. pragmatism.
C
Researcher Pam Fishman studied the conversations of heterosexual couples to determine how power is created and maintained through everyday, face-to-face interactions. How would you describe her approach? a. macrosociological b. historical c. microsociological d. comparative
C
The analysis of documents such as medical records, photographs, diaries, letters, newspapers, and song lyrics uses which of the following types of data? a. ethnographic field notes b. interview transcripts c. existing sources d. experimental data
C
What does it mean if a sample of sociological research is representative? a. The researcher has avoided any overt bias. b. The research has been conducted systematically using the scientific method. c. A smaller group of people studied can tell us something about a larger group. d. The researcher avoided using any double-barreled questions.
C
What is the sociological imagination? a. a characteristic of society that ensures people remain ignorant of the connections between their lives and social change b. a particular way of understanding the criminal mind such as that of a serial killer c. the ability to understand the connections between biography and history or the self and the world d. the sociological approach that assumes individual decisions and interactions are independent of larger social institutions
C
What kind of research are you doing if you observe a group in order to determine its norms, values, rules, and meanings? a. comparative historical b. quantitative c. qualitative d. applied
C
Why does the family have such a powerful impact as an agent of socialization? a. Respect for parents is one of the key values of modern society. b. Family plays an important role in our everyday lives no matter what stage of life we are in. c. Family begins the socialization process before there are any other competing influences. d. Family values are strong today in the United States.
C
"Each to each a looking-glass, / Reflects the other that doth pass." This line of poetry, associated with sociologist Charles Cooley, indicates that our sense of self originates in a. basic biological drives. b. the first stage of sexual development. c. genetics. d. interactions with other people.
D
According to Karl Marx, how is class consciousness, or revolutionary consciousness, developed? a. by a eurocentric party leading a violent revolution b. through a religious awakening c. by achieving perfect industrial production so that most workers are unemployed d. by the lower classes recognizing how society works and challenging those in power
D
Research has been conducted regarding why teens engage in smoking and other deviant behaviors. The most important factor in statistically predicting whether a teen will take up a particular deviant behavior is the presence or absence of peers who also engage in that behavior. This is probably because the other teens are acting a. in ways that are closely connected to the family. b. in cooperation with schools and the media. c. as the most powerful long-term force in their friends' lives. d. as agents of socialization.
D
Sociologists who conduct interviews can only gather data from a limited number of people because a. it is impossible to find enough people through a random sample. b. researchers are only allowed to talk to people who are eighteen and older. c. it is extremely difficult to guarantee confidentiality to large groups. d. interviews are too time-consuming.
D
The Egg McMuffin is a vastly more efficient version of eggs Benedict. Egg McMuffins are cheaper, ready almost instantly at drive-through windows, and can be eaten with one hand while driving. However, they do not improve on the taste of or experience eating eggs Benedict. Max Weber might have described the Egg McMuffin as the ________ of breakfast. a. iron cage b. alienation c. praxis d. rationalization
D
What economic system emerged during the Industrial Revolution? a. communism b. humanitarianism c. globalization d. capitalism
D
Why is playing organized games an important part of an older child's development of the self according to the symbolic interactionist George Herbert Mead? a. Game playing involves learning emotional self-control. b. Game playing reinforces the primary group ties that are essential to emotional well-being. c. Game playing teaches strict obedience to rules and norms. d. Game playing involves learning to anticipate and coordinate with other players' actions.
D
Frances is assigned a research project in which she is to attend a celebratory family meal and analyze her experiences as she participates in the meal. She is asked to make a detailed account of the meal that includes her thoughts and feelings about the event. What type of research is Frances assigned? a. comparative-historical b. survey c. autoethnography d. experiment
`C
