Deck 3: Building Reality: the Social Construction of Knowledge

Question 1

Why is Laud Humphrey's 1970 study on homosexual activity controversial?

A)He did not report illegal activity to law enforcement officials.
B)Many of the participants were HIV positive.
C)He deceived subjects and violated their privacy rights.
D)The participants were under the influence of drugs or alcohol and so could not give consent.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A theory is a set of

A)findings taken from other social research to explain social behavior.
B)statements that attempt to predict or explain some aspect of social life.
C)statements that indicate the social construction of reality.
D)observations that describe how social behavior comes about.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

When reading a published research study,asking questions such as "What type of research was used?" and "Was the sample representative?" will help the reader

A)understand where other researchers have failed.
B)assess the value of the research.
C)determine the hypothesis.
D)advocate for change.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Support for animal rights,advancing awareness of mental illness,and promotion of gun control are causes that have been taken up by

A)moral entrepreneurs.
B)personal billboards .
C)wealthy minorities.
D)right-wing conservatives.

Question 5

To say that reality is "socially constructed" means that

A)we each build our own truth.
B)our sense of reality is,in large part,the product of social interaction.
C)reality can be harmful to society.
D)power plays no part in our beliefs about the world.

Question 6

By acting on the basis of our definitions of reality,we often bring about the conditions we believe exist.This is known as

A)incorrigible propositions.
B)the politics of reality.
C)a self-fulfilling prophecy.
D)the Hawthorne effect.

Question 7

The processes through which facts,knowledge,and truth are discovered,made known,reaffirmed,and altered by members of a society is called the _________ of reality.

A)social construction
B)medium
C)spinoza
D)politics

Question 8

A variable that is presumed to cause,or influence,another variable is known as a(n)

A)indicator.
B)spurious variable.
C)independent variable.
D)dependent variable.

Question 9

The social construction of reality assumes that knowledge is

A)created by humans.
B)an obscurantist phenomenon.
C)objective reality.
D)universally invariant.

Question 10

Any concept that can take on different values,or that has two or more categories,can be used as a(n)

A)hypothesis.
B)variable.
C)research question.
D)theory.

Question 11

Words that have recently entered into the pop culture vocabulary-twerk and drone for example-illustrate the _____ nature of language.

A)corrosive
B)economic
C)changing
D)static

Question 12

Structural functionalist,conflict,and symbolic interactionist perspectives are _____ theories.

A)redundant
B)existential
C)broad
D)true

Question 13

The distinctive language that allows members of a profession or group to communicate with one another clearly and quickly is referred to as

A)euphemism.
B)jargon.
C)dictaphone.
D)articulation.

Question 14

A variable that is presumed to be caused by,or influenced by,another variable is known as a(n):

A)indicator.
B)spurious variable.
C)independent variable.
D)dependent variable.

Question 15

Sociology points out that what people believe to be "real" (and what they believe is not real)is

A)something that should be determined democratically.
B)defined only by "experts."
C)must be studied in laboratory settings.
D)influenced by culture and social institutions.

Question 16

Using euphemisms like,"he passed away" instead of saying,"he died"

A)allows us to frame reality in less offensive ways.
B)creates self-fulfilling prophecies.
C)occurs when people don't understand the native language.
D)reinforces incorrigible propositions.

Question 17

Beliefs that cannot be proved wrong,even in the face of contradictory evidence,are referred to as

A)incorrigible propositions.
B)euphemisms.
C)self-fulfilling prophecies.
D)superstitions.

Question 18

In order to be valid,a sample must

A)be a large percentage of the total population.
B)consist of persons over age eighteen.
C)be representative of the population.
D)consist of fairly homogeneous subjects.

Question 19

Concepts that are not directly observable are translated into

A)indicators.
B)theories.
C)hypotheses.
D)experiments.

Question 20

For most sociologists,the strength of a sociological study depends on its

A)fallibility.
B)empirical support.
C)pictograms.
D)social control.

Question 21

A researcher studies the financial records of several large corporations that went bankrupt during the Great Depression.Which research technique is he or she using?

A)participant observation
B)nonparticipant observation
C)historical analysis
D)backward analysis

Question 22

What can we assume about a culture that has more than 50 words associated with violence?

A)Violence,in different forms,is a visible aspect of life in this society.
B)Children are likely to be socialized into pursuing violent lifestyles.
C)Violence is probably not important to members of this society.
D)This society makes little or no distinction between types of violence.

Question 23

According to Travis Hirschi's social control theory of juvenile delinquency,young people are more likely to engage in delinquency when

A)social ties are weak or broken.
B)social ties are too strong.
C)physical structures within the community are in disrepair.
D)the city does not maintain the community's infrastructure,such as roadways and streetlights.

Question 24

Which of the following claims is an incorrigible proposition in contemporary American culture?

A)Anyone who works hard enough will succeed.
B)Tobacco use increases risk of cancer.
C)The earth is flat.
D)Each Halloween,3% of children (under age 12)are admitted to the hospital after consuming candy tainted with psychedelic drugs.

Question 25

Today,the percentage of American children who do not live with both parents is

A)82% higher than it was a century ago.
B)76% lower than it was a century ago.
C)not appreciably different than it was a century ago.
D)Statistics on family arrangements are not available for years prior to 1964.

Question 26

Before giving a final exam,Professor Simpson announces to the class,"I'm sure you'll do well,because you're the smartest group I've ever had." The class average increases from a C after the midterm to an A- after the final.This may be an example of a(n)

A)incorrigible proposition.
B)hypothesis test.
C)theoretical proposition.
D)self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 27

In his research on seventeenth-century crime waves among the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony,sociologist Kai Erikson relied on which research methodology?

A)virtual analysis
B)Visual sociology
C)historical analysis
D)field research

Question 28

Which of the following best fits the criteria for good empirical research into the prevalence of domestic violence in U.S.households?

A)Becky distributes a questionnaire about domestic violence to her sociology class.
B)Joel counts the number of domestic violence shelters in major metropolitan areas.
C)Rodney conducts analysis on data he obtained from the U.S.Bureau of Justice Statistics.
D)Brizy interviews men and women who have been ordered by the court to participate in violence prevention counseling.

Question 29

Sociological research is _____________ because it operates on the assumption that answers to questions about human behavior can be ascertained only through controlled,systematic observations in the real world.

A)theoretical
B)empirical
C)experimental
D)probabilistic

Question 30

A false association between two variables that is actually due to the effect of a third variable is called a

A)self-fulfilling prophecy.
B)placebo effect.
C)spurious relationship.
D)false assumption.

Question 31

Which mode of research allows the researcher to directly control all relevant variables?

A)field research
B)experiments
C)surveys
D)unobtrusive research

Question 32

Analysis of existing data is synonymous with the term_____ data.

A)secondary
B)existential
C)conclusive
D)cultural

Question 33

Which of the following best describes quantitative research?

A)It relies on written words,symbols and observations.
B)It occurs exclusively in experimental settings.
C)It relies on numeric data and precise statistical analyses.
D)It has not often been used since Durkheim's study of suicide.

Question 34

Which mode of research minimizes the problem of reactivity?

A)experiments
B)field research
C)unobtrusive research
D)surveys

Question 35

Research that uses nonnumeric information-such as phrases,symbols,and observations-to describe people,actions,or events in social life is ________ research.

A)qualitative
B)quantitative
C)unobtrusive
D)experimental

Question 36

A set of statements or propositions that seeks to explain or predict a particular aspect of social life is a

A)proposition.
B)hypothesis.
C)theory.
D)social construction.

Question 37

The _____ effect occurs when research subjects respond to the attention they are receiving from researchers.

A)placebo
B)nocebo
C)Hawthorne
D)Azande

Question 38

The tendency for patients to improve because they have been led to believe they are receiving treatment,even though they're not,is called the _______ effect.

A)placebo
B)nocebo
C)Hawthorne
D)Azande

Question 39

In __________ research,sociologists observe events as they actually occur.

A)survey
B)field
C)secondary analysis
D)historical

Question 40

The number of problems defined by the American Psychiatric Association as mental disorders,and the definitions for these,are indication of the _____ organization of U.S.society.

A)plagiaristic
B)discombobulated
C)egotistical
D)economic

Question 41

According to the sociological perspective,individuals are free to create whatever version of social reality they choose.

Question 42

In general,there is little value in qualitative research.

Question 43

A sample taken from which group would be most representative of the student population at Norwich University?

A)students enrolled in an Introduction to Psychology class
B)Students in the library on a Tuesday afternoon
C)students who voted in the last student government election
D)students who are listed in the campus phone directory

Question 44

A problem associated with certain forms of research in which the very act of intruding into people's lives may influence the phenomenon being studied is called

A)observable interaction.
B)symbolism.
C)reactivity.
D)external deviance.

Question 45

Most social research is guided by theory.

Question 46

Émile Durkheim's research on the underlying causes of suicide used analyses of existing data.

Question 47

The social construction of reality takes place through

A)social interaction.
B)informal and formal socialization processes.
C)media consumption.
D)All of the above

Question 48

____________ refers to the shortening of words and sentences through the use of abbreviations,acronyms,and emoticons.

A)Shorthand
B)Shortorder
C)Shortspeak
D)Shortsweet

Question 49

Moral entrepreneurs must have wealth and power to successfully promote change.

Question 50

Experimental research involves observing others in their own social settings.

Question 51

In 2011,the majority of homicides were perpetrated by strangers.

Question 52

Visual sociology involves studying society through photographs,video recordings,and film.

Question 53

The type of unobtrusive research that relies on data gathered earlier,by someone else and for some other purpose is

A)visual sociology.
B)field research.
C)analysis of existing data.
D)descriptive statistics.

Question 54

A measurable event,characteristic,or behavior commonly thought to reflect a particular concept is known as a(n)

A)indicator.
B)sample.
C)hypothesis.
D)statistic.

Question 55

Which theoretical perspective focuses on the idea that some individuals and groups have more influence over our definitions of "reality" than others?

A)structural-functionalist
B)macro-level
C)micro-level
D)conflict

Question 56

Sociologists assume that human behavior operates within the laws of probability.

Question 57

The problem of reactivity can threaten the credibility of sociological research.

Question 58

When we rely only on our individual experiences and perceptions to understand the world,what risk do we take?

A)We might feel compassion for others from different backgrounds.
B)We are likely to think that everyone shares our experiences.
C)We fully understand situations,even when we have no first-hand knowledge of them.
D)We are compelled to explore social constructs at a deeper level.

Question 59

A researchable prediction that specifies the relationship between two or more variables is

A)unobtrusive research.
B)a hypothesis.
C)obtrusive research.
D)a theory.

Question 60

Which type of field research requires the researcher to interact with subjects?

A)experiments
B)nonparticipant observation
C)surveys
D)participant observation

Question 61

Explain how a social researcher could measure levels of racism in a college freshman dorm.

Question 62

Discuss how the American Medical Association's recognition of obesity as a disease affects the U.S.economy.

Question 63

Compare and contrast quantitative and qualitative research.

Question 64

Identify three ways sociologists have for collecting and examining data.What are the advantages and disadvantages of each technique?

Question 65

Discuss the functions of the mass media in relation to the construction of reality.

Question 66

How does one evaluate the quality of social research? Identify the questions that one should ask when trying to assess the merit of a piece of research.

Question 67

Using concrete examples,explain the relationship between independent and dependent variables.

Question 68

Discuss the language of war,including the purpose of the vocabulary and euphemisms of war.What is the purpose and result to this language? Provide examples.

Question 69

Describe the role of placebo and nocebo in medical research.How does language affect medical research?

Question 70

From a sociologist's perspective,why is it interesting that Americans have many terms for money (Benjamins,scratch,greenbacks,cash)and a number of clichés that contain a reference to money (It takes money to make money;Money talks)?