Deck 1: The Sociological Perspective

Question 1

"Research bias" and "research fraud" are concepts that can be used interchangeably because they are virtually identical.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Sociologists who use the functionalist perspective stress how industrialization and urbanization have undermined the traditional functions of the family.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Herbert Spencer believed the most capable and intelligent members of a society would survive while the weak and "less fit" would die, thus improving society, in a master plan that he called "survival of the fittest."

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Commonsense ideas are the best topics to choose for sociological research, because they represent "what everyone knows."

Question 5

According to Max Weber, the "sign" Calvinists looked for as an indication they were saved was their successful investment in capital.

Question 6

Frances Perkins, a sociologist, won the Nobel Prize for her work with the homeless in Hull-House.

Question 7

Sociologist Lewis Coser pointed out that conflict is most likely to develop among people who are in close relationships.

Question 8

C. Wright Mills urged American sociologists to concentrate on social reform, developing the concept of the power elite to illustrate how top leaders of business, politics, and the military were an imminent threat to American freedom.

Question 9

Karl Marx thought of himself as a classical sociologist, a label that greatly influenced his theories on class conflict.

Question 10

Booker T. Washington was the first African American to earn a doctorate degree from Harvard University.

Question 11

The individuals that are intended to represent the population to be studied are referred to as the sample.

Question 12

A multiple-choice exam is an example of a test structure composed of closed-ended questions.

Question 13

Despite her acclaimed research on social life, until recently Harriet Martineau was best known for translating Comte's works on sociology into English.

Question 14

The mean is commonly the most representative measure of the average when comparing scores in a distribution.

Question 15

According to the principles of symbolic interactionism, symbols not only allow relationships to exist, they also allow society to exist.

Question 16

The corners of life that people occupy such as jobs, income, education, gender, age, and race are referred to as the social imperative.

Question 17

Emile Durkheim identified the degree of social integration as the primary variable to explain different rates of suicide within different European nations.

Question 18

When an instrument measures what it is intended to measure, it is considered to possess the quality of reliability.

Question 19

Applying the scientific method to the social world is called empiricism.

Question 20

The first step in the research model is to formulate a hypothesis.

Question 21

The theorist who is sometimes referred to as "the second founder of sociology" was ________.

A)Henri Saint Simon
B)Herbert Spencer
C)Emile Durkheim
D)Karl Marx

Question 22

If two variables have a perfect correlation, they will be represented by a correlation coefficient of zero.

Question 23

Sociologists have always agreed that the most important goal of sociology is to generate social change.

Question 24

In order to establish rapport with a sample while researching sensitive and personal issues, the researcher should begin by asking emotional and personal questions so he or she can relate to the respondents.

Question 25

What is the use of objective and systematic observation to test theories, one that is often employed by sociologists?

A)the commutation process
B)common sense
C)the scientific method
D)research analysis

Question 26

The sociologist responsible for suggesting the connection between history and biography to explain the sociological imagination was ________.

A)Talcott Parsons
B)Herbert Spencer
C)C. Wright Mills
D)Emile Durkheim

Question 27

The notion that only the fittest members of society deserve to survive and that social programs to help the poor will ultimately weaken the social order is a doctrine known as ________.

A)social Darwinism
B)positivism
C)post-modernism
D)social welfare

Question 28

The sociological perspective emphasizes how the social context influences people's lives, particularly how people are influenced by ________.

A)random chance events
B)geographical location
C)inherited genetic structure
D)society

Question 29

Which of the following elements did C. Wright Mills attribute as being the one that sociologists would use to explain individual behavior?

A)common sense
B)instinct
C)external influence
D)inherited ability

Question 30

Researchers are violating people's privacy when gathering information from Facebook because the Internet is technically a private domain.

Question 31

What was the social event that most influenced Auguste Comte to explore patterns within society and become interested in what holds society together?

A)the discovery of the New World
B)the Spanish Inquisition
C)the Russian Revolution
D)the French Revolution

Question 32

A correlation simply means that two or more variables are present together.

Question 33

When sociologists' group people into categories based on their age, gender, educational level, job, and income, they are trying to determine ________.

A)social network
B)social location
C)social personality
D)social skills

Question 34

Interviewer bias may occur because of a researcher's sex, race, or perceived ethnicity.

Question 35

The first person to propose that the scientific method could be applied to the study of social life was ________.

A)Emile Durkheim
B)Max Weber
C)Karl Marx
D)Auguste Comte

Question 36

Karl Marx suggested that the force that drives human history and is at the core of human society is ________.

A)class conflict
B)religion
C)family
D)education

Question 37

The term "survival of the fittest," which is a principle part of the concept of social Darwinism, was coined by ________.

A)Charles Darwin
B)Talcott Parsons
C)Auguste Comte
D)Herbert Spencer

Question 38

When utilizing correlations to assess variables related to human behavior, the researcher will seldom find either a perfect positive correlation or a perfect negative correlation.

Question 39

One of the liabilities in using the participant observation as a research method is that findings are difficult to generalize.

Question 40

For an independent variable to be the cause of an event, it must precede that which is changed (the dependent variable).

Question 41

According to Max Weber, the Protestant ethic was a central factor in the birth of ________.

A)capitalism
B)democracy
C)socialism
D)bureaucracy

Question 42

College provides a haven for several million potential workers who are classified as "students" rather than "unemployed," which helps stabilize the job market. This situation represents what Merton would describe as a ________.

A)manifest function
B)latent dysfunction
C)manifest dysfunction
D)latent function

Question 43

Karl Marx believed that ________ was the central force for social change, while Max Weber believed that ________ was the force most responsible for social change.

A)economics; religion
B)education; political stability
C)government; economics
D)religion; education

Question 44

The social thinker of the 19th century who predicted that there would be a classless society once the working class united and began a revolution was ________.

A)Emile Durkheim
B)C. Wright Mills
C)Herbert Spencer
D)Karl Marx

Question 45

The Wall Street Journal has declared that the three greatest modern thinkers were ________, ________, and ________.

A)Karl Marx; Sigmund Freud; Albert Einstein
B)Max Weber; B. F. Skinner; J. Edgar Hoover
C)Karl Marx; Louis Pasteur; Albert Einstein
D)Frank Lloyd Wright; Jonas Salk; Sigmund Freud

Question 46

The French sociologist Emile Durkheim is most identified with which of the following areas of study?

A)social integration
B)class conflict
C)social Darwinism
D)the spirit of capitalism

Question 47

During his career, Anthony has worked as a juvenile police officer, corrections counselor in a state prison, and executive director of an urban redevelopment program. In view of this, which description best describes Anthony's career path?

A)Anthony has been a pure sociologist.
B)Anthony has assumed the role of being a basic sociologist.
C)Anthony has been an applied sociologist.
D)Anthony has been a social reformer.

Question 48

The American sociologist who focused on social analysis, developing abstract models showing how parts of society harmoniously work together, was ________.

A)Talcott Parsons
B)Ernest Burgess
C)Robert E. Park
D)W. I. Thomas

Question 49

The titles Karl Marx used to describe the two classes in society were the ________ and the ________.

A)nobles; peasants
B)bourgeoisie; proletariat
C)upper class; lower class
D)civilized; barbarians

Question 50

Sociologists who analyze how social life depends on the ways that people define themselves and others are most likely ________.

A)ethnomethodologists
B)functionalists
C)conflict theorists
D)symbolic interactionists

Question 51

Mark views society as a system of interrelated parts, while John views society as composed of groups competing for scarce resources. Mark would be considered a(n)________ and John would be seen as a(n)________.

A)symbolic interactionist; functionalist
B)applied sociologist; functionalist
C)basic sociologist; applied sociologist
D)functionalist; conflict theorist

Question 52

Dr. Zahn's academic interest is analyzing various aspects of society and publishing his findings in sociological journals. In view of this, Dr. Zahn is considered to be a(n)________ sociologist.

A)applied
B)practical
C)basic (or pure)
D)reform

Question 53

According to Robert Merton, ________ are the intended beneficial consequences of people's actions.

A)latent functions
B)manifest dysfunctions
C)manifest functions
D)latent dysfunctions

Question 54

The sociologist who developed the concept of the power elite was ________.

A)C. Wright Mills
B)Talcott Parsons
C)Robert K. Merton
D)F. Ivan Nye

Question 55

Max Weber referred to the self-denying approach to life characterized by people living frugal lives and saving their money as the ________.

A)spirit of capitalism
B)socialist conscience
C)Protestant ethic
D)manifest function

Question 56

The first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University, who spent his lifetime studying race relations in America and was one of the founders of the NAACP, was ________.

A)W. E. B. Du Bois
B)Booker T. Washington
C)George Washington Carver
D)Benjamin Quarles

Question 57

The two sociologists who referred to society as being a kind of living organism were _______ and ________.

A)Auguste Comte; Emile Durkheim
B)Karl Marx; Max Weber
C)Auguste Comte; Herbert Spencer
D)Emile Durkheim; Max Weber

Question 58

What distinction did sociologist Frances Perkins hold in American history?

A)She was the first woman president of the American Sociological Association.
B)She won a Nobel Prize for her work with poor women.
C)She was the first woman elected governor.
D)She was the first woman to hold a presidential cabinet position.

Question 59

Because of her outstanding contributions to social reform, as demonstrated in her work as co-founder of Hull-House, ________ was a co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.

A)Marion Talbot
B)Charlotte Perkins Gilman
C)Alice Paul
D)Jane Addams

Question 60

Functionalists refer to how parts of a society fit together to form a whole as ________.

A)a symbol
B)a synthesis
C)an integration
D)a structure

Question 61

What is the defining characteristic of a random sample?

A)It consists of an equal number of men and women.
B)It is created by asking questions of people who randomly happen to walk by.
C)It gives each person in the population of interest an equal chance of being chosen.
D)It ensures that every person in the sample represents a specific racial, gender, or religious group.

Question 62

In the research model, the step in which the researcher specifies what he or she wants to learn about a specific topic of study is called ________.

A)defining the problem
B)formulating the hypothesis
C)choosing the research model
D)analyzing the results

Question 63

When reading a table, a comment located just below the title that gives more detailed information on how the data was collected or how the data are presented is called a ________.

A)source
B)byline
C)reference
D)headnote

Question 64

Which research method involves collecting data by having people answer a series of questions?

A)unobtrusive measures
B)secondary analysis
C)experimentation
D)survey

Question 65

Which groups of social theorists would focus most on macro-level analysis when examining patterns of society?

A)symbolic interactionists and structural functionalists
B)symbolic interactionists and conflict theorists
C)conflict theorists and structural functionalists
D)conflict theorists and symbolic interactionists

Question 66

Dr. Zak is trying to determine what traits, if any, high-achieving students have that students who do poorly on his exams do not possess. To assess personal information from both groups of students, what research method should Dr. Zak probably use?

A)an experimental method
B)an ethnographic study
C)a form of secondary data analysis
D)a survey

Question 67

In the statement, "Poverty causes crime," the words "poverty" and "crime" are best described as ________ because they are subject to change.

A)unobtrusive measures
B)variables
C)parametric measures
D)correlations

Question 68

A statement that describes how variables are expected to be related to one another, often according to predictions from a theory, is known as a ________.

A)correlation
B)hypothesis
C)secondary prediction
D)primary function

Question 69

The contemporary conflict sociologist who pointed out that conflict is most likely to develop among people in close relationships was ________.

A)Lewis Coser
B)Ralf Dahrendorf
C)William Domhoff
D)Howard Winet

Question 70

Cindy is interested in how the movement of Maytag production plants and other industries from the Midwest to Mexico has changed the lives of thousands of unemployed workers and their communities. Cindy is conducting a ________ analysis.

A)macro-level
B)pure
C)micro-level
D)symbolic

Question 71

Which of the following statements is the best example of a hypothesis?

A)"All men are created equal."
B)"A penny saved is a penny earned."
C)"Unemployed men are more likely to commit spousal abuse than employed men."
D)"More than 300 million people live in the United States."

Question 72

A small group of seven students evaluated Professor Zanylo's lectures. On a scale of 1 to 10, the scores the students registered were 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10. Professor Zanylo's mode score was ________ and his median score was ________.

A)7.4; 9
B)10; 7.4
C)4; 10
D)9; 8

Question 73

In research, to generalize one's findings to a total population, what is the most important quality that the sample must possess?

A)It must include at least 25 percent of the total population.
B)It must be representative of the total population.
C)It must consist of people who are selected and people who volunteer.
D)It must be quantitative in order to make comparisons.

Question 74

Which sociological perspectives are best to use in developing an accurate understanding of society?

A)structural functionalism and the conflict perspective
B)symbolic interactionism and structural functionalism
C)symbolic interactionism and the conflict perspective
D)No single perspective is best, so all three must be utilized.

Question 75

Functionalists and conflict theorists tend to focus on the ________, or large scale patterns of society, in conducting their analyses.

A)macro level
B)micro level
C)symbolic level
D)interactionist level

Question 76

Precise ways to measure variables in research so that comparisons can be made and replications can later be done are referred to as ________.

A)reliability
B)correlation
C)validity
D)operational definitions

Question 77

Sue is an expert in interpreting gestures, silence, the use of space, and expressions people make in their daily interactions. In view of this, how would Sue's expertise be defined?

A)Sue is a social linguist.
B)Sue is an expert in multiculturalism.
C)Sue recognizes the importance of globalization.
D)Sue is an expert in nonverbal interaction.

Question 78

The term "________" refers to the extent to which different studies come up with similar results.

A)validity
B)replication
C)reliability
D)duplication

Question 79

Which of the following represents a correct sequence of steps in the research process?

A)Select a topic, collect the data, review the literature, share the results.
B)Review the literature, select a topic, collect the data, choose a research method.
C)Choose a research method, select a topic, collect the data, formulate a hypothesis.
D)Select a topic, review the literature, collect the data, share the results.

Question 80

The methodical and exacting process by which a researcher measures a variable is known as ________.

A)operational definition
B)correlation analysis
C)triangulation
D)factor analysis