Deck 5: Groups and Organizations

Question 1

Reference groups can be primary groups,but they can never be secondary groups.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The number of people in a group does not affect how the members interact with one another.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Expressive leaders are more likely than instrumental leaders to enjoy more personal affection from group members.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

In addition to keeping their individuality,members of a social group also think of themselves as a special "we."

Question 5

Irving Janis demonstrated how discussion always improves decision making in a social group.

Question 6

In the process of anticipatory socialization,people use social groups they wish to join as reference groups.

Question 7

Stanley Milgram's experiment showed that people are likely to follow the directions not only of legitimate authority figures,but of ordinary individuals as well.

Question 8

The sociologist who explored the primary group was Charles Horton Cooley.

Question 9

As groups grow larger,they become less stable.

Question 10

The leadership style that allows group members the most autonomy is "laissez-faire."

Question 11

The boundary that distinguishes members from nonmembers is clearer in secondary groups than in primary groups.

Question 12

Solomon Asch's experiment in group conformity showed that most people would not compromise their personal judgment in order to avoid being seen as different.

Question 13

In general,people in secondary groups are more likely than people in primary groups to "keep score" in terms of who owes what to whom.

Question 14

"Groupthink" is the tendency of group members to conform.

Question 15

People riding together on a subway are called a social group.

Question 16

Simmel referred to a group of three as a dyad.

Question 17

Generally,people in secondary relationships think of others as being a means to some end.

Question 18

One person's in-group can be another person's out-group.

Question 19

As the number of members in a group goes up,the number of possible relationships that connect them goes up much more quickly.

Question 20

Expressive leadership emphasizes the completion of tasks.

Question 21

Today's business organizations make greater use of competitive work teams.

Question 22

Oligarchy refers to the rule of the many by the few.

Question 23

As large organizations have expanded in the United States,privacy has increased.

Question 24

Frederick Taylor,the creator of "scientific management," would have favored a flatter organizational shape with more organizational flexibility.

Question 25

In today's information age,more competitive organizations have a more hierarchical,pyramid shape.

Question 26

The "McDonaldization" of society thesis echoes Weber's belief that rational systems are efficient,but also dehumanizing.

Question 27

Scientific management was an effort to humanize the workplace.

Question 28

As groups increase in size,interaction between members becomes more intense and personal.

Question 29

Typically,the people with the largest social networks are young,well educated,and live in big cities.

Question 30

Rosabeth Moss Kanter's research shows that clear rules,firmly and uniformly applied,increase a business's profitability.

Question 31

Bureaucracy places more importance on personal ties than on technical competence.

Question 32

What is the correct sociological term for all people with a common status,such as "college students"?

A)a crowd
B)a group
C)a category
D)a network

Question 33

A social network is really a web of weak social ties.

Question 34

Formal organizations are designed to meet the personal needs of the participants.

Question 35

What do sociologists call two or more people who identify and interact with one another?

A)a dyad
B)a social group
C)a network
D)a crowd

Question 36

Internet sites such as Facebook help people create large social networks.

Question 37

A temporary,loosely formed collection of people who may or may not interact is a

A)crowd.
B)group.
C)category.
D)population.

Question 38

A psychiatric hospital can be a coercive organization for a patient,a utilitarian organization for a psychiatrist,and a normative organization for a part-time volunteer.

Question 39

Max Weber believed the spread of bureaucracy would greatly improve the quality of life for modern people.

Question 40

Compared to U.S.organizations,many formal organizations in Japan have had more qualities of primary groups.

Question 41

Which of the following is the BEST example of a primary group?

A)a family that has gathered to celebrate a religious holiday
B)carpenters gathering at a work site
C)a student government meeting
D)a reunion of the graduating class of 1977

Question 42

Which of the following statements is consistent with the findings of Solomon Asch?

A)Many people are willing to compromise their own judgment to avoid being seen as different by others.
B)Many people have weak self-images and seek social approval.
C)Ordinary people are often not truthful to people who are in power.
D)All of these responses are correct.

Question 43

Which type of leader encourages everyone in a group to have a say in what happens?

A)authoritarian leader
B)democratic leader
C)laissez-faire leader
D)expressive leader

Question 44

In general,we see _______ as a means to an end;we see _____ as an end in itself.

A)an expressive group;an instrumental group
B)a crowd;a category
C)a secondary group;a primary group
D)a primary group;a secondary group

Question 45

Which concept refers to group leadership that emphasizes collective well-being?

A)democratic leadership
B)authoritarian leadership
C)expressive leadership
D)instrumental leadership

Question 46

Charles Horton Cooley referred to a small social group whose members share personal and enduring relationships as

A)an instrumental group.
B)an expressive group.
C)a primary group.
D)a secondary group.

Question 47

Read the list of traits below.Which of these traits is NOT a characteristic of secondary groups?

A)large size
B)members have weak emotional ties
C)members have a personal orientation
D)often short-term duration

Question 48

Which of the following is every society's MOST important primary group?

A)the peer group
B)the work group
C)the family
D)the play group

Question 49

What is the term for group leadership that emphasizes the completion of tasks?

A)democratic leadership
B)authoritarian leadership
C)expressive leadership
D)instrumental leadership

Question 50

Assume you are one of many people assembled at a university graduation ceremony.The term that BEST describes this gathering is a

A)peer group.
B)category.
C)primary group.
D)secondary group.

Question 51

What type of leaders downplay their own power,letting the group function more or less on its own?

A)authoritarian leaders
B)democratic leaders
C)laissez-faire leaders
D)instrumental leaders

Question 52

In your group,the leader is skilled at using humor to reduce tension and lighten serious moments.Which type of leader does your group have?

A)a democratic leader
B)a laissez-faire leader
C)an expressive leader
D)an instrumental leader

Question 53

Why did Cooley refer to some groups as "primary groups"?

A)They are among the first groups we experience in life.
B)They have primary importance in the socialization process.
C)They contain the people most important in our lives.
D)All of these responses are correct.

Question 54

Which type of leadership style takes charge of making decisions and makes sure people do what they are told?

A)authoritarian leadership
B)democratic leadership
C)laissez-faire leadership
D)expressive leadership

Question 55

You are part of a task force with a group leader who has a distant relationship with the group members and who is concerned with getting the job done.Which type of leader does your task force have?

A)a laissez-fair group leader
B)a democratic leader
C)an expressive leader
D)an instrumental leader

Question 56

Stanley Milgram's research,in which subjects used a "shock generator," showed

A)people become angry when others disagree with them.
B)the ability to withstand pain varies with cultural background.
C)people are surprisingly likely to follow the orders of not only real authority figures but also groups of ordinary individuals.
D)that ordinary people are surprisingly independent in their judgments.

Question 57

A secondary group is a social group that

A)we experience late in life.
B)is impersonal and engages in some specific activity.
C)engages in many,very important activities.
D)is generally much smaller than a primary group.

Question 58

Solomon Asch's research,in which subjects were asked to match lines,showed that

A)people seek out friends with whom they tend to agree.
B)people defined as "leaders" have great power over their subjects.
C)people tend to see most things differently.
D)group membership has the power to generate conformity.

Question 59

Imagine you are watching several dozen passengers sitting in an airport gate area waiting to board a plane.These people are an example of a

A)crowd.
B)group.
C)category.
D)network.

Question 60

Which of the following is the BEST example of a secondary group?

A)a fraternity chapter meeting on campus
B)a Microsoft Corporation awards banquet
C)parents meeting with their daughter and her coach
D)girl scouts at a cookout

Question 61

What is the sociological term coined by Irving Janis for a limited understanding of some issue resulting from group conformity?

A)reference group consciousness
B)groupthink
C)in-group thinking
D)tunnel vision

Question 62

Which of the following situations illustrates the operation of "groupthink"?

A)A group shares information widely and makes an effective policy decision.
B)A group leader makes a decision without consulting anyone and the decision turns out to be a bad one.
C)Group members seek agreement that closes off other points of view.
D)A group gets different ideas from everyone and is unable to come up with any decision at all.

Question 63

From the point of view of anyone considered to be an "inmate," what type of formal organization is the person in?

A)a normative organization
B)a coercive organization
C)a utilitarian organization
D)a voluntary organization

Question 64

Which type of social group commands a member's esteem and loyalty?

A)an in-group
B)an out-group
C)a reference group
D)a social network

Question 65

The concept "triad" refers to which of the following?

A)any pyramid-shaped organization
B)a trial marriage
C)a social group with three members
D)a temporary social group

Question 66

If you were a prisoner,a maximum-security prison would be which of the following types of organizations from your point of view?

A)a normative organization
B)a coercive organization
C)a utilitarian organization
D)a voluntary organization

Question 67

Which of the following is typically true of a social network?

A)Networks are built on primary relationships.
B)Networks are "fuzzy" groups made up of people we "know of" rather than those we know well.
C)Networks encourage a strong sense of membership.
D)Networks have clear boundaries defining membership.

Question 68

Which concept refers to a social group with only two members?

A)a primary group
B)a dyad
C)a triad
D)a bond

Question 69

Which of the following concepts refers to a social group that people use as a point of reference in making evaluations or decisions?

A)peer group
B)reference group
C)out-group
D)dyad

Question 70

Samuel Stouffer's study of soldier morale during World War II led to what conclusion?

A)The greater the chances of getting ahead,the happier people are.
B)Happiness is a matter of personal values and standards.
C)Whatever their situation in absolute terms,people evaluate themselves and
Make comparisons to others relative to specific reference groups.
D)The less chance for promotion,the higher soldiers' morale.

Question 71

Which sociological concept refers to a number of weak social ties among people who have little common identity and little interaction?

A)primary group
B)triad
C)network
D)dyad

Question 72

Which statement correctly reflects Simmel's interpretation of the dyad?

A)Dyads are less stable than groups with many members.
B)Typically,dyads involve less intense interaction.
C)Most people find dyads less meaningful than triads.
D)Dyads are more stable than groups with many members.

Question 73

In general,which of the following categories of people are "well connected" in terms of social networks?

A)young people
B)well-educated people
C)people living in cities
D)All of these responses are correct.

Question 74

If you want your social group to be open to any and all people as new members,which of the following policies would you support?

A)Members should be socially diverse.
B)The group should be large.
C)The group should not be physically segregated.
D)All of these responses are correct.

Question 75

Which type of formal organization is sometimes called a "voluntary association"?

A)normative organizations
B)coercive organizations
C)utilitarian organizations
D)All of these responses are correct.

Question 76

Assume you are a parent of a child in school.From your point of view,what type of organization is a school's parent-teacher association (PTA)?

A)a normative organization
B)a coercive organization
C)a utilitarian organization
D)All of these responses are correct.

Question 77

Here are four statements describing group dynamics.Which of them is NOT an expression of groupthink?

A)Group members quickly settle on a position and then they treat other possibilities as oppositional.
B)Group members encourage each other to see the issue from only one point of view.
C)Group members treat reaching consensus as more important than encouraging everyone to speak up openly.
D)The group seeks diverse members and ends up being unable to reach a consensus.

Question 78

Which type of formal organization do people join in order to obtain money and other material benefits?

A)normative organization
B)coercive organization
C)utilitarian organization
D)All of these responses are correct.

Question 79

A social group toward which a person feels competition or opposition is which of the following?

A)an in-group
B)an out-group
C)a reference group
D)a social network

Question 80

Formal organizations are

A)small groups with elected leaders.
B)large secondary groups with a goal orientation.
C)networks that have many members.
D)only agencies that are part of the government.