Deck 4: Social Interaction

Question 1

Jon views himself as a lazy person who is not very intelligent. His self-perception comes from his overly critical father who continually belittled him when he was growing up. Jon's perception of himself is what a sociologist might refer to as __________.

A) the looking-glass self
B) backstage behavior
C) role consistency
D) the social construction of reality

Answer 1

A

Question 2

How does taking turns play out in terms of conversation and laughing?

A) When people do not take turns in conversation or when they laugh, it mars social cohesion.
B) When people take turns in conversation but laugh all at once, it aids social cohesion.
C) When people take turns laughing, but all talk at once, it contributes to social cohesion.
D) Talking contributes to social cohesion, but laughing detracts from social cohesion.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

According to Georg Simmel, ignoring someone, out of politeness, who is only inches away from you on a crowded bus is an example of __________.

A) self-presentation
B) industrial rudeness
C) zeitgeist
D) civil inattention

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Why is it important to understand context when engaging in ethnomethodology?

A) Ethnomethodology almost exclusively studies context.
B) Most human communication cannot be understood outside of the context in which it occurs.
C) Context provides us with hidden clues that are revealed only after careful study.
D) Context makes it possible to study human language in a quantifiable way.

Question 5

According to Charles Horton Cooley, how do most people construct the way they view themselves?

A) We view ourselves based on how we think others view us.
B) We view ourselves based on our own personal philosophies.
C) We view ourselves based on the media we consume.
D) We view ourselves based on genetically based criteria.

Question 6

How do social media complicate our social interactions?

A) Social media can create confusion because typed communication lacks tone.
B) Social media train us to be more attentive to our communications in the real world.
C) Social media damage our capacity for face-to-face social interaction.
D) Social media is basically equivalent to our interactions in the real world.

Question 7

In Spitz's study of the differences between children in an orphanage and a nursery for incarcerated mothers, half of the children were denied __________.

A) nutritious food
B) social interaction
C) sufficient warmth
D) natural sound

Question 8

How does social interaction in crowded public places differ from interactions in other settings?

A) When in crowded spaces, we frequently engage in civil inattention to minimize interactions.
B) When in crowded spaces, we are required to take into consideration the feelings of all others in the space, even if only on a subconscious level.
C) When in crowded spaces, we should ignore each other if people behave rudely.
D) When in crowded spaces, we tend to stare more at strangers than in other settings.

Question 9

What did Craig Haney find the impact of solitary confinement to be on inmates in the California prison system?

A) Prisoners suffered from numerous physical maladies but did not suffer mentally from solitary confinement.
B) Solitary confinement caused no change in the prisoners.
C) Prisoners benefited from solitary confinement and were better behaved afterward.
D) Prisoners' physical and mental health was negatively impacted; some committed suicide.

Question 10

According to George Herbert Mead, the term significant other refers to individuals __________.

A) we look up to but with whom we have little personal experience
B) we care about in a romantic way
C) close enough to us to have a strong capacity to motivate our behavior
D) we know but do not care about

Question 11

What did Christena Nippert-Eng conclude from her study of the stuff people carry around in their wallets?

A) Wallets repel romantic partners, if they contain too much stuff.
B) Wallets are toolkits for managing the multiple faces we show others in social interactions.
C) Wallets, if made of synthetic material, undermine employment opportunities.
D) Wallets with too many credit cards convey troubling messages about indebtedness.

Question 12

In terms of conversational precision, what do we call the act of bowing out of a conversation when two or more people are talking at once?

A) a pause
B) taking turns
C) a repair
D) conversational permissiveness

Question 13

Which of the following statements regarding conversational interruptions is true?

A) Women interrupt men more often than men interrupt women.
B) Men are more likely than women to stop talking if they accidentally begin talking at the same time.
C) Patients interrupt doctors more often than doctors interrupt patients.
D) Doctors interrupt patients more than patients interrupt doctors, except when the doctor is a woman; then interruption patterns become more equal.

Question 14

Why is conversational precision critical to interacting with other individuals in society?

A) Conversational precision provides us with the vocabulary needed to convey complex ideas.
B) Without conversational precision, we cannot interpret complex ideas.
C) Conversational precision allows us to study language in a way that is of use to the social sciences.
D) Timing and spacing in the delivery of spoken communication convey subtle cues that are critical for understanding.

Question 15

According to sociologists, what part do audiences play in a performance?

A) Audience members are in almost total control of any given performance.
B) Audience members interact with each other and the performers in a way that contributes to the collective experience.
C) Audience members play very little part in performances.
D) Performers should be aware of an audience's mood, but the performer, ultimately, is the one in control.

Question 16

In his orphanage study, what difference did Spitz find between babies who were properly socialized and those who were not?

A) The older the children were, the more social interaction they required.
B) Those children who received more interaction tended to be more emotionally unstable.
C) Those children who received less social interaction tended to be more withdrawn and susceptible to physical illness.
D) There was little difference found between children who received social interaction and those who had not.

Question 17

When we fail at public social performances, such as accidentally dropping a book in class, how do we repair our mistake?

A) Most people immediately stop what they are doing and launch into a detailed apology.
B) Most people signal that all is okay by quietly indicating that they have performed imperfectly.
C) Most people go on as though nothing has happened.
D) Most people involved in the scene will have an embarrassed reaction.

Question 18

What do sociologists mean when they describe life as a stage?

A) that our interactions are all scripted, leaving very little room for free will
B) that acting is as natural as breathing
C) that we are always on stage, performing the self in the spotlight of others
D) that our lives are directed by unseen individuals behind the scenes

Question 19

According to Randall Collins, the social interactions leading up to physical altercations are usually dictated by __________.

A) verbal interaction sequences
B) interaction ritual chains
C) symbolic interactionism
D) ethnocentrism

Question 20

The morning after a night out with her friends Julie goes on Facebook to look and un-tag some of the pictures her friends posted of her that she doesn't like very much. According to a sociologist who studies the self, what is Julie doing?

A) managing her presentation of self
B) damaging our organic solidarity
C) engaging in civil inattention
D) refuting the looking-glass self

Question 21

Which of the following statements about reference groups is true?

A) We are only associated with one reference group at a time.
B) We are often associated with several reference groups simultaneously.
C) Reference groups do not tend to influence our behavior.
D) Reference groups are important only in the teenage years.

Question 22

According to sociologists, why are certain people who question authority labeled as deviant?

A) People are labeled as deviant because they are mentally ill.
B) People are labeled as deviant because they are morally corrupt and not properly socialized to follow society's rules.
C) People are labeled as deviant because their parents did not properly socialize them.
D) People are labeled as deviant because dominant members of society see them as threats.

Question 23

Public restrooms are a complex social space in which we are both required to prepare for our public performances and deal with others who may view that performance. You want to study a similar backstage area. Which of the following spaces would suit your requirements?

A) the personal confession booth on a reality television show
B) the kitchen in a restaurant
C) the open-air amphitheater in a city park
D) the boardroom of a major corporation

Question 24

How does interactionism allow sociologists to understand the individual?

A) by providing guidelines for how best to examine the more private aspects of the individual
B) by focusing on how the individual's personality, preferences, ideas, etc., are constructed and shaped by and through communication with other individuals, groups, and institutions
C) by showing how individuals impact the social world through day-to-day events
D) by preventing sociologists from straying too far from the individual in their studies

Question 25

What happens to people who are incapable of viewing rules as flexible guidelines for rational and appropriate behavior?

A) They strike people as silly or incompetent.
B) They get along better with authority figures than other types of people.
C) They become leaders of complex organizations.
D) They go more or less unnoticed.

Question 26

What happens when individuals follow an organization's formal rules very strictly but disregard its informal rules?

A) Organizations function better and more harmoniously because everyone is happy.
B) Productive output increases markedly because more work is getting done.
C) Social interaction continues more smoothly because the rules are being followed so closely.
D) Organizations suffer because no one is taking the necessary shortcuts to get all of the work done.

Question 27

Imagine you are interviewing teenagers in order to understand how they develop their sense of self. Which of the following statements can be classified as a statement of self that could be attributed to the concept of the looking-glass concept?

A) I really don't like swimming. The chlorine makes my feet peel and being in the pool with all those people is just gross.
B) I love playing chess. I'm not so great, but all my friends are in the chess club.
C) Riding the bus is lame. It just takes so long when I could be doing other things.
D) I'm no good at geometry. Whenever I answer questions wrong in class, the teacher looks at me like I'm stupid and other students laugh at me.

Question 28

In his controversial study in which he led subjects to believe they were delivering painful shocks to innocent people, what social phenomenon was Stanley Milgram trying to understand?

A) the difference between normal individuals and sociopaths
B) the process through which normal individuals can be compelled to hurt others simply because they are told to
C) the ways in which codes of conduct are violated by scientific professionals
D) the situations in which society's deviants can thrive and flourish

Question 29

Which of the following is an example of an informal rule?

A) Not driving while intoxicated.
B) Filing tax returns.
C) Respecting the needs of children.
D) Stopping at red lights.

Question 30

What policy change did David Rosenhan's study "Being Sane in Insane Places" lead to?

A) The study contributed to the deinstitutionalization movement.
B) The study caused a cultural shift in how mainstream Americans view mental illness.
C) The study raised many ethical research concerns, resulting in the establishment of institutional research boards.
D) The study renewed long-terminated funding for mental hospitals and other similarly structured institutions.

Question 31

What concept best describes what David Rosenhan and his research assistants found in their study of mental health institutions?

A) deviance
B) reference groups
C) self-fulfilling prophecy
D) ethnomethodology

Question 32

When we change statuses, what happens to our role sets?

A) Status change rarely results in a change in role set.
B) Status change can, but does not always, change the roles we are expected to play.
C) When our status changes, our corresponding role sets also change.
D) When our status changes, role conflict vanishes.

Question 33

Sociologists argue that we develop a sense of self based on how we imagine and relate to __________.

A) cognitive psychology theory
B) the social construction of reality
C) a self-fulfilling prophecy
D) the generalized other

Question 34

Sociologists define __________ as a distinct social category that is set off from others and has associated with it a set of expected behaviors and roles for individuals to assume.

A) status
B) role set
C) subculture
D) culture

Question 35

__________are people who have a disproportionate influence on how we behave. We use them as examples to shape our behavior in ways that we interpret as desirable.

A) Role models
B) Significant others
C) Referents
D) Generalized others

Question 36

Which of the following expectations are parts of the role set of traditional college students?

A) respect authority figures, pay for food in restaurants, drive safely
B) attend religious services, vote in elections, treat senior citizens with respect
C) respect the teacher, show up for lectures, complete assigned papers, take exams
D) binge drink, sleep until noon, eat a diet mostly of pizza

Question 37

Imagine that you are a senior in college with one semester to go before graduation. You do not have a job yet, but you are looking for one. You have a good relationship with your parents, are married, but do not have children. Which of the following is one of your reference groups?

A) current high-school students
B) new parents
C) recent college graduates
D) business professionals

Question 38

In his experiment, Zimbardo randomly assigned participants to what roles?

A) guard and prisoner
B) guard and civilian
C) teacher and student
D) parent and child

Question 39

What causes role conflict?

A) individuals failing to compete fairly with others who have the same role
B) the expectations of one role preventing the fulfillment of other role expectations
C) individuals mistakenly taking on the wrong roles
D) individuals intentionally behaving in ways opposite to role expectations

Question 40

Replacement question. Solomon Asch conducted a conformity experiment in which respondents were presented with lines of varying lengths and asked to select the line that most closely matched a separate line. Covert research assistants were also present and were instructed to encourage respondents to select incorrectly. What were the results of this study?

A) Respondents never went along with the covert research assistants.
B) Respondents went along with the covert research assistants at least 37 percent of the time.
C) Respondents went along with the covert research assistants 90 percent of the time.
D) Respondents said they would go along with the covert research assistants then changed their minds at the last minute.

Question 41

What causes role conflict?

Question 42

Reggie wanted to ask Sharyl on a date. Rather than coming out directly and asking her, he went about it indirectly by asking her if she was busy on Saturday night. She indicated that she had plans. Through this exchange, Reggie has been gently rejected and Sharyl does not feel like a rude person. This social interaction allowed Reggie and Sharyl to __________.

A) preserve the looking-glass self
B) engage in ethnomethodology
C) save face
D) talk down to each other

Question 43

You want to study status change and its associated role changes. Which of the following demographic groups would make the best research subject for studying these topics?

A) first-time fathers
B) high-school teachers
C) college juniors
D) firefighters

Question 44

You wish to study reference groups. Which of the following groups would make the best subject for studying reference groups and how they shape identity?

A) a little league team
B) workers at a fast-food franchise
C) people in line at the division of motor vehicles
D) audience members at the movies

Question 45

As part of your morning routine you eat breakfast, drink a cup of coffee, take a shower, and walk your dog. Which part of this routine is most likely controlled by the voice of the generalized other?

A) eating breakfast
B) drinking coffee
C) taking a shower
D) walking the dog

Question 46

How does the generalized other help us to conform to the rules and expectations of society?

Question 47

You have been tasked with a longitudinal study involving interviews with a group of individuals as they age from 5 to 40. At the onset of the project, you decide it would be helpful to try to predict which children may be later labeled as deviant. Based on the concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy, which child do you predict will be so labeled?

A) Robert really enjoys baseball and is very physically active. He sometimes gets in fights with other children, especially when they do not follow the rules.
B) Phillip is a nice boy, but he often eats his crayons and paste.
C) Jenny talks a lot during story hour and has trouble sitting still. She often talks over other students and the teacher.
D) Susan generally enjoys school and follows directions well. However, she has trouble making friends.

Question 48

Jeremy is a senior in high school. In this context, his status is __________ and his role is __________.

A) student; senior
B) male; student
C) senior; student
D) student; male

Question 49

How is the presentation of self affected by digital-age technologies?

Question 50

Your evening is not going as planned. While at a bar, you accidentally knock over a man's drink. Although the spill was an accident, it has ruined his date's clothing and he is very angry. What is the most likely next step in this conflict's interaction ritual chain?

A) You get punched in the face.
B) He begs you for mercy.
C) You get insulted.
D) A full-scale bar fight breaks out.

Question 51

You are a sociologist who specializes in human behavior in urban areas. Of the following locations, which would be the best area for studying civil inattention?

A) a popular restaurant
B) a busy bus line
C) the office of a paper company
D) a public park

Question 52

As a result of Sam's family recently moving across the country, she has to start at a new school in the fall. According to a sociologist who studies social interaction, who will Sam most likely become friends with in her new environment?

A) people that are most like her and share her interests and tastes
B) people that are only somewhat like her and share only some of her interests and tastes
C) people that are nothing like her and share none of her interests and tastes
D) people that are much older than her in school and will be more open-minded to make new friends

Question 53

How do our interactions with individuals and groups impact our social development in both adulthood and childhood? Discuss significant others, reference groups, and role models in your answer.