Deck 7: Groups and Organizations

Question 1

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

Answer 1

False

Question 2

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

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Expressive leadership emphasizes the completion of tasks.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

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

Question 5

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

Question 6

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

Question 7

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

Question 8

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 9

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

Question 10

"Groupthink" is a form of social conformity in groups.

Question 11

As groups grow larger, they become less stable.

Question 12

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 13

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

Question 14

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

Question 15

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

Question 16

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

Question 17

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

Question 18

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

Question 19

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

Question 20

Milgram's experiment showed that people are easily influenced by both "ordinary people" and legitimate authority figures.

Question 21

Scientific management was an effort to humanize the workplace.

Question 22

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

Question 23

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 24

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

Question 25

Simmel referred to a group of three as a dyad.

Question 26

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

Question 27

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

Question 28

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 29

The success story of the McDonald's organization explains

A)that "fast food" is really not served very efficiently.
B)that the McDonald's idea never caught on abroad.
C)why so many small businesses do not succeed.
D)that the organizational principles of McDonald's have come to dominate our social life.

Question 30

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

Question 31

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 32

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

Question 33

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

Question 34

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

Question 35

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

Question 36

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

Question 37

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

Question 38

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

Question 39

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

Question 40

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

Question 41

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 42

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 43

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 44

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 45

In general, we see a

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

Question 46

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

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

Question 47

Charles 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 48

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 49

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 50

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

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

Question 51

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 52

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 53

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

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

Question 54

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 are correct.

Question 55

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 56

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 57

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 58

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 59

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 60

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 are correct.

Question 61

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 62

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 are correct.

Question 63

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 64

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 65

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 66

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 67

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 68

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 69

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 70

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

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

Question 71

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 72

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 are correct.

Question 73

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 74

Which of the following 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 consensus, discouraging people from speaking freely and end up making a decision based on limited information.
D)A group gets different ideas from everyone and is unable to come up with any decision at all.

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 are correct.

Question 76

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 are correct.

Question 77

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 in specific reference groups.
D)The less chance for promotion, the higher soldiers' morale.

Question 78

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 79

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 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.