Deck 18: The Mass Media

Question 1

How many hours per year does the average American spend interacting with the mass media?

A)649
B)3,649
C)6,649
D)9,649
E)12,649

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT one of the functions of the mass media according to functionalists?

A)they generate conflict
B)they coordinate society
C)they act as an important an agent of socialization
D)they serve as a means of entertainment
E)they are a social control mechanism

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Television,movies,magazines,and other forms of the mass media give people pleasure,relaxation,and momentary escape from the tension,routine,and tedium of everyday life.This is which function of the mass media?

A)conflict generation
B)coordination
C)socialization
D)entertainment
E)social control

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Many people criticize daytime talk shows such as the Jerry Springer show because they are outlandish.However,from a sociological point of view,even if they are eccentric they perform a useful function.When television audiences get upset about marital infidelities and other outrages,these programs are:

A)acting as agents of social control
B)reinforcing some of the most traditional norms of American society
C)sanctioning deviant values
D)a and b
E)b and c

Question 5

About what percentage of their time do Americans spend interacting with the mass media?

A)0%
B)20%
C)40%
D)60%
E)80%

Question 6

Families have relinquished to the mass media their formerly nearly exclusive responsibility for transmitting norms,values and culture.When the mass media takes on this process,it is engaged in:

A)conflict generation
B)coordination
C)socialization
D)entertainment
E)social control

Question 7

According to Georg Hegel,the daily ritual of reading the newspaper performs what function?

A)it unites people
B)it makes people's lives more confusing
C)it is a religious experience
D)it teaches people how to interact with one another
E)it enriches newspaper owners

Question 8

The sources of mass media are embedded in:

A)the religious needs of society
B)the political needs of society
C)the economic needs of society
D)all of these choices

Question 9

As societies develop they become larger and more complex.The number of institutions and roles proliferate.Due to the sheer scale of the society,face-to-face interaction becomes less viable as a means of communication.This leads to:

A)the creation of new life forms
B)the disorganization of society
C)increased competition for scarce social resources
D)the need for new means of coordinating the operation of society
E)increased competition for scarce cultural resources

Question 10

The need for a literate workforce and means of business communication stimulated:

A)the creation of the printing press
B)the creation of capitalism
C)the proliferation of the mass media
D)political organization
E)the decline of the newspaper

Question 11

Which approach criticizes functionalism for exaggerating the degree to which the mass media serve the interests of the entire society?

A)symbolic interactionism
B)conflict theory
C)ethnomethodology
D)organizational theory
E)social constructionism

Question 12

The Mass media helps ensure conformity through news broadcasts,television dramas,and programs such as Cops that devote much attention to crime,criminals,and the police.This is part of what function of the mass media?

A)conflict generation
B)coordination
C)socialization
D)entertainment
E)social control

Question 13

Print,radio,television,and other communications technologies compose:

A)mass transit
B)mass media
C)mass behavior
D)mass interaction
E)mass society

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT one of the main factors that gave rise to the mass media?

A)the Protestant Reformation
B)democratic movements
C)the technological revolution
D)capitalist industrialization

Question 15

By exposing deviants and showcasing the police and model citizens,the mass media reinforce ideas about what kind of people deserve punishment and what kind of people deserve rewards.In this way the mass media:

A)generate conflict
B)stimulate violence
C)reproduce the moral order
D)entertain people
E)coordinate behavior

Question 16

Who said that the mass media are extensions of the human body and mind?

A)Patrick Bateman
B)Jim Carrey
C)Marshall McCluhan
D)Marshall Zhukov
E)Herbert Marshall

Question 17

Communication that occurs via the mass media is usually:

A)one-way
B)two-way
C)duplex
D)omnidirectional
E)simplex

Question 18

The idea that the mass media favors the interests of dominant classes and political groups is associated with which theory of media effects?

A)conflict theory
B)symbolic interactionism
C)social constructionism
D)organizational theory
E)functionalism

Question 19

According to functionalists,the significance of the mass media is that it is an important:

A)social control mechanism
B)coordination mechanism
C)agent of socialization
D)means of entertainment
E)all of these choices

Question 20

As late as 1950,the dominant mass medium was:

A)radio
B)television
C)newspapers
D)the Internet
E)magazines

Question 21

Which of the following does the mass media virtually unanimously endorse?

A)consumers
B)humanism
C)core American values
D)liberalism
E)socialism

Question 22

Based on research sponsored by the Screen Actors Guild examining fictional television shows from 1994 to 1997,there were ____ women on TV shows than women in the population of the United States.

A)8% more
B)28% more
C)8% fewer
D)28% fewer
E)48% fewer

Question 23

Despite improvements in recent decades,critics who are sympathetic to feminism and the plight of racial minorities have charged the mass media with:

A)numerical over-representation
B)misrepresentation
C)biased portrayal
D)exploitation
E)none of these choices

Question 24

According to Hermann and Chomsky,several mechanisms help to bias the news in a way that supports powerful corporate interests and political groups.Which of the following is one of those mechanisms?

A)advertising
B)critical and tough-minded reporting
C)organizational reporting
D)investigative reporting
E)muckraking

Question 25

When governments and big corporations routinely attack journalists who depart from official and corporate points of view,they are using what Hermann and Chomsky call:

A)advertising
B)sourcing
C)flak
D)negative advertising
E)negative journalism

Question 26

The representation of African Americans is now ____ their representation in the United States population.

A)about 5% lower than
B)about 25% lower than
C)about 45% lower than
D)about 65% lower than
E)about 25% higher than

Question 27

Based on research sponsored by the Screen Actors Guild examining fictional television shows from 1994 to 1997,there were ____ white men on TV shows than white men in the population of the United States.

A)9% more
B)29% more
C)49% more
D)9% fewer
E)29% fewer

Question 28

60 Minutes refused to broadcast a damaging interview with a former Philip Morris executive because CBS was threatened with legal action by the tobacco company.This is an example of the use of:

A)advertising
B)sourcing
C)flak
D)negative journalism
E)negative advertising

Question 29

While the arguments of the conflict theorists are compelling,there are limitations to this perspective.One limitation is that:

A)news agencies may rely heavily on government and corporate sources,but this does not stop reporting contrary to government and corporate interests
B)there are very few examples of mainstream journalists who oppose official viewpoints
C)journalists are incapable of avoiding flak
D)conflict theory neglects the socializing function of the mass media
E)none of these choices

Question 30

Conflict theorists make a valid and convincing point if they restrict their argument to how the mass media supports:

A)war efforts
B)core American values
C)socialism
D)social conflict
E)none of these choices

Question 31

Comparing racial minority representation in fictional television roles in 1991-1992 with minority representation in fictional television roles in 1994-1997,roles for minorities:

A)decreased
B)increased
C)remained the same
D)greatly increased
E)none of these choices

Question 32

According to Hermann and Chomsky,through their sponsorships corporations seek to influence the news so it will reflect positively on them.This is an example of how news is influenced by:

A)advertising
B)sourcing
C)flak
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 33

Conflict theorists argue that dominant classes and political groups benefit disproportionately from the mass media because:

A)the mass media broadcast beliefs,values,and ideas that create widespread dissatisfaction with the status quo
B)ownership of the mass media is highly concentrated in the hands of a small number of people
C)the mass media creates opportunities for deviant behavior
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 34

How does violence in the mass media affect audiences?

A)It exerts a strong and direct influence; people act out almost exactly what they see in the mass media.
B)It has a weak effect on a small percentage of viewers.
C)It has a strong influence on teenagers only
D)Research on this subject is inconclusive.

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT one of the mechanisms that bias the news so as to support powerful corporate interests and political groups,according to Hermann and Chomsky?

A)advertising
B)sourcing
C)network broadcasting
D)flak

Question 36

Controlling more and more production in one particular industry is known as:

A)horizontal integration
B)vertical integration
C)social integration
D)productive integration
E)diagonal integration

Question 37

The tendency to define oneself in terms of the goods and services one purchases is known as:

A)individualism
B)corporatism
C)consumerism
D)humanism
E)none of these choices

Question 38

While the arguments of the conflict theorists are compelling,there are limitations to this perspective.One limitation is that:

A)news agencies may rely heavily on government and corporate sources,but this only stops a small amount of reporting
B)there are very few examples of mainstream journalists who oppose official viewpoints
C)journalists are incapable of avoiding flak
D)conflict theory neglects the socializing function of the mass media
E)none of these choices

Question 39

News agencies rely heavily on press releases,news conferences,and interviews organized by large corporations and government agencies.The latter routinely slant information to reflect favorably on themselves.This process is known as:

A)advertising
B)sourcing
C)flak
D)self-flattery
E)negative journalism

Question 40

Controlling more and more production and distribution in related industries (such as film production,film distribution,video store merchandising,television station ownership,etc.)is called:

A)horizontal integration
B)vertical integration
C)social integration
D)productive integration
E)diagonal integration

Question 41

Members of which ethnic group are typically presented on television as nerdy students,inscrutable martial arts masters,seductive Dragon Ladies,or clueless immigrants?

A)African Americans
B)Asian Americans
C)European Americans
D)Hispanic Americans
E)Jewish Americans

Question 42

The portrayal of women,racial minorities,the poor,and people with disabilities,tends to:

A)remain the same over time
B)change with the times
C)reinforce traditional,mainstream,negative stereotypes
D)be more common on TV than in magazines
E)be more common in magazines than on TV

Question 43

Which perspective on the mass media suggests that we filter,interpret,resist,and sometimes reject media messages according to our own interests and values?

A)functionalism
B)conflict theory
C)interpretive approaches
D)sociolinguistics
E)social deconstructionism

Question 44

Because working-class women know from their own experiences that families often don't work the way they are shown on TV,they:

A)more easily identify with characters
B)are less willing to identify strongly with many characters
C)are more willing to identify with personalities
D)are more willing to identify with story lines
E)watch less TV than middle-class women

Question 45

Which theoretical approach examines how the mass media contribute to economic inequality and to maintaining the core values of a stratified social order?

A)functionalism
B)conflict theory
C)interpretive approaches
D)sociolinguistics
E)social deconstructionism

Question 46

The idea that audience members are active participants in interpreting ideas from the mass media is associated with which approach?

A)functionalism
B)conflict theory
C)cultural studies
D)sociolinguistics
E)the sociology of language

Question 47

When considering the effect of age on television viewing,age appears to:

A)have no effect
B)influence how people interact with the medium
C)control viewer pleasure
D)have a small effect based on location and community
E)have a small effect based on race

Question 48

The view that people are not empty vessels into which the mass media pour a defined assortment of beliefs,values,and ideas is commonly associated with which approach?

A)functionalists
B)conflict theorists
C)cultural studies
D)sociolinguistic sociologists
E)social deconstructionists

Question 49

According to sociologist Stuart Hall,an adequate analysis of the mass media must incorporate which of the following aspects?

A)corporate consolidation of the media
B)government role in regulation of the media
C)societal history
D)government role and societal history
E)none of these choices

Question 50

Which perspective on the mass media focuses on the vast moneymaking machines controlled by a small group of increasingly wealthy and influential people?

A)functionalism
B)conflict theory
C)interpretive approaches
D)sociolinguistics
E)social deconstructionism

Question 51

For Stuart Hall,any analysis of the mass media needs to take into account:

A)consumption of media
B)the role of the government in regulating the media
C)media production
D)both media consumption and production
E)none of these choices

Question 52

Research on television and television audiences suggests that:

A)all audiences respond in the same way to television shows
B)there are small differences between family members in how they relate to television
C)working-class women tend to evaluate TV programs more than middle-class women in terms of how realistic they are
D)men readily accept the premises of most TV programs
E)none of these choices

Question 53

Some people thought that Dale Earnhardt,Jr.won a Nascar race at the track where his father died in a crash a year earlier,and that Cal Ripken Jr.hit a home run in the All-Star game just before his retirement,because both events were fixed.These examples suggest that:

A)all people are cynical
B)people are active consumers of media
C)people are passive consumers of media
D)people do not care about what goes on in the mass media
E)people know little about sports

Question 54

Who uses in-depth interviewing and participant observation to study how people interpret media messages?

A)functionalists
B)conflict theorists
C)cultural studies experts
D)sociolinguistic sociologists
E)social deconstructionists

Question 55

Which perspective on the mass media reminds us that audience members are people and not programmable robots?

A)functionalism
B)conflict theory
C)interpretive approaches
D)sociolinguistics
E)social deconstructionism

Question 56

The final episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the 1999 season included a scene of a shooting spree at a high school.Because the episode was scheduled to air shortly after two teenagers massacred 13 of their classmates at Columbine High School in Littleton,Colorado,network officials canceled the show.They did this:

A)out of respect for the victim's families
B)out of civic duty,they aired a special about violence in American culture
C)because they shared the belief that airing it might incite more school violence
D)because a large public outcry would hurt the image of the Fox Television Network
E)none of these choices

Question 57

In a 1995 CBS/New York Times poll,respondents said they thought television:

A)was less influential than was reported
B)was only influential on a small percentage of the audience
C)really had no demonstrable effect on anyone
D)only influenced teenagers
E)is the number one cause of teenage violence

Question 58

Which of the following are arguments in the two-step flow of communication model?

A)Respected people of high status evaluate media messages.
B)High status people exercise considerable independence of judgment.
C)Opinion leaders may influence the attitudes and behavior of others.
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 59

Even children's television viewing turns out to be complex when viewed through the perspective of:

A)functionalism
B)conflict theory
C)cultural studies
D)sociolinguistics
E)social deconstructionism

Question 60

Many people believe that violence on TV causes violence in real life,pornography on the magazine stands leads to immoral sexual behavior,and that adolescents are more likely to start smoking cigarettes when they see popular movie stars lighting up.These views are all examples of a(n)____ view of audiences.

A)passive
B)active
C)ordered
D)two-step
E)cybernetic

Question 61

The most common form of media convergence is called:

A)the Internet
B)interactive TV
C)Net-radio
D)satellite television
E)RealAudio

Question 62

Which theory argues that the mass media should be studied in terms of the interaction between producers and consumers of media messages?

A)functionalism
B)conflict theory
C)interpretive approaches
D)organizational approaches
E)social deconstructionism

Question 63

Which of the following world regions has the smallest number of Internet users per 1,000 people?

A)Eastern Europe
B)Western Europe
C)the Asia-Pacific region
D)South/Central America
E)the Middle East/Africa

Question 64

Research on the effect of media violence on behavior in the real world is plagued by a big ____ problem.

A)sampling
B)reliability
C)validity
D)interpretive
E)methodological

Question 65

When Internet applications like Napster are created,they enables millions of people to freely share recorded music on the Internet using a central server.Some analysts point to Napster as:

A)evidence of criminal behavior
B)evidence of media diffusion
C)evidence of Internet democratization
D)all of these choices
E)evidence of both criminal behavior and Internet democratization

Question 66

Conflict theorists argue that dominant classes and political groups benefit disproportionately from mass media.Which is a way that makes this possible according to conflict theorists?

A)The mass media broadcasts a diversity of beliefs,values,and ideas that represents diversity in society.
B)Ownership of the mass media is highly concentrated in the hands of a small number of people.
C)Access of mass media is highly profitable,but evenly distributed.
D)All of the above.
E)None of the above.

Question 67

Because the mass media coordinate the parts of society,socialize its members,exercise social control,and provide entertainment,they help to make social order possible.This statement supports which theory of the mass media?

A)conflict theory
B)functionalism
C)interpretive approaches
D)organizational approaches
E)social deconstructionism

Question 68

Age and sex are factors influencing the presentation of characters on television.While young women tended to play mainly romantic roles:

A)the proportion of villains among women increases with age
B)the tendency for villainy to increase among older men was much weaker than it was among older women
C)villains are most frequently older men
D)a and b
E)none of these choices

Question 69

If American mass media pose a threat to the independent national culture of countries like France and Canada,____ may be said to exist.

A)media diffusion
B)media imperialism
C)media convergence
D)media conglomeration
E)media wars

Question 70

Which is NOT a function of the mass media according to functionalism?

A)The mass media is filtered and interpreted by people who exercise human agency.
B)The mass media are important agents of socialization.
C)The mass media provides entertainment.
D)The mass media helps ensure conformity.
E)All of the above are functions of mass media according to functionalism.

Question 71

According to research presented in the text,fully 60% of fictional television characters suffering from mental illness in the period 1994-1997 were involved in crime or violence.This illustrates that the portrayal of people with disabilities:

A)tends to break down traditional,mainstream,negative stereotypes
B)tends to change with the times
C)tends to remain the same over time
D)tends to reinforce traditional,mainstream,negative stereotypes

Question 72

The control of a mass medium by a single national culture and the undermining of other national cultures is known as:

A)media diffusion
B)media imperialism
C)media convergence
D)media conglomeration
E)media wars

Question 73

What percent of the population has Internet access in the United States in 2005?

A)21.1
B)34.7
C)48.3
D)66.8
E)77.5

Question 74

Between 1992 and 1996,the proportion of U.S.television stations owned by the 10 largest owners quadrupled.This is an example of:

A)the degree of media consumerism.
B)the form of media monopolization.
C)the degree of media concentration.
D)the form of screening and interpretation.
E)None of the above.

Question 75

According to Brym and Lie,the Internet has the potential to make the mass media somewhat more ____,especially for those who can afford access.

A)democratic
B)authoritarian
C)open
D)flexible
E)culturally imperialistic

Question 76

The newspaper was the dominant mass medium as late as:

A)1970
B)1950
C)1986
D)the 1830s
E)1910

Question 77

Which of the following does the Internet provide?

A)new opportunities for media conglomerates to restrict access to paying customers
B)new opportunities for media conglomerates to accumulate vast wealth
C)new opportunities for consumers to become producers
D)new opportunities for consumers to exercise creative capabilities
E)all of these choices

Question 78

The blending of the World Wide Web,television,telephone,and other communications media into new,hybrid media forms is called:

A)media diffusion
B)media imperialism
C)media convergence
D)media conglomeration
E)media wars

Question 79

Which is NOT a cause of media growth?

A)the Protestant Reformation
B)democratic movements
C)capitalist industrialization
D)socialist revolutions
E)All of the above are causes of media growth.

Question 80

In a study of four years worth of stories in Time,Newsweek,and U.S.News & World Report,one researcher found that 53-66% of poor people were portrayed as African Americans while the actual rate was about 29%.This reinforces:

A)the false idea that most poor people are African American
B)the correct idea that most poor people are African American
C)the notion that news magazines are biased in favor of African Americans
D)the idea that poverty is difficult to overcome
E)none of these choices