Question 1

Studies within the symbolic interactionist face of sociological social psychology are distinct from research within the other faces of sociological social psychology in that they provide information about the unique experiences of particular groups within society and:

Accepted Answer

A) allow researchers to make statements about society as a whole 
B) enable researchers to test previously established theories 
C) offer insight into how societal patterns are changed or reproduced through social interaction 
D) uncover behavioral patterns that can be used to generate predictions about individuals' subsequent actions 
E) yield data that are likely to generalize across societies

Question 2

Role taking or perspective taking involves:

Accepted Answer

A) engaging in new activities (e.g., taking on new tasks at work) 
B) sharing someone's definition of a situation 
C) viewing oneself as an object from the perspective of another person 
D) sharing someone else's feelings 
E) synthesizing thought, emotion, and action

Question 3

The dramaturgical perspective focuses on:

Accepted Answer

A) the accounts people generate to explain the behaviors of others 
B) how people make sense of their experiences 
C) the meanings people construct through face-to-face interactions 
D) the process of impression management 
E) the effects of the content of people's self-concepts on specific behaviors

Question 4

Symbolic interactionists believe that meanings shape behavior, that meanings emerge in social interaction, and that meanings:

Accepted Answer

A) are tied to societal beliefs and social norms 
B) become linked with individuals and events through the process of objectification 
C) change with changes in behavior 
D) primarily reflect internal motivations and drives 
E) rarely change unless there is widespread consensus within society that they are unclear or cumbersome

Question 5

Why do Becker and Geer believe that participant observation is a superior to in-depth nterviews? Use results from the article by Besen, on teens who work in coffee shops, to support or refute Becker and Geer's arguments. What would Becker and Geer say about the use of surveys to assess people's perceptions and behaviors?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why do Becker and Geer believe that...

Question 6

Ethnomethodologists have used breaching experiments to study:

Accepted Answer

A) how people cope with embarrassment in public settings 
B) the nature of people's social relationships and when they are most likely to forgive 
C) transgressions of family members and friends 
D) the procedures people use to make sense of unusual and unexpected situations 
E) when social norms have their strongest hold on people
F) why most people adhere to prevailing social norms

Question 7

Which of the following statements does NOT accurately reflect the distinction between the Chicago and Iowa/Indiana schools of symbolic interactionism?

Accepted Answer

A) Chicago school SI developed out of the Iowa/Indiana school tradition and is unique in that it is associated with the use of laboratory experiments. 
B) Iowa/Indiana school SI focuses on the self-concept, whereas Chicago school SI focuses on the self as a process of interaction between the "I" and the "me." 
C) Iowa/Indiana school SI is more macro in orientation than Chicago school SI. 
D) Iowa/Indiana school SI is similar in focus to social structure and personality (SSP), while Chicago school SI and SSP have little in common 
E) Studies in the Chicago school tradition tend to be qualitative, whereas studies in the Iowa/Indiana school tradition tend to be quantitative, in orientation.

Question 8

People who are both highly aware of and concerned about the impressions they convey to others across social situations are high in what psychological social psychologists refer to as:

Accepted Answer

A) front region fright 
B) public self-consciousness 
C) self-objectification 
D) self-reflexive concern 
E) social anxiety

Question 9

In their research, discussed in Chapter 3, Albas and Albas use the terms "Ace" and "Bomber" to refer to college students' potential dates.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Situational definitions are:

Accepted Answer

A) norms 
B) invariable meanings attached to people and events 
C) perceptions 
D) psychological constructs unrelated to social interaction 
E) social facts

Question 11

Which of the following tenets of symbolic interactionism is rooted in Mead's "I"?

Accepted Answer

A) Group members necessarily share a common perspective. 
B) Human social behavior always has a spontaneous and creative component. 
C) Meanings change with changes in behavior. 
D) People create society through their face-to-face interactions. 
E) Society shapes people's perceptions and behaviors.

Question 12

In his classic study within the Iowa/Indiana school of SI, Couch found that college males, but not females, were more likely to list gendered statuses (male/female, son/daughter) in response to the Twenty Statements Test when:

Accepted Answer

A) household tasks in their family were assigned based on gender 
B) their parents were divorced or separated 
C) they had few student-related responsibilities other than studying and attending class 
D) they were close to graduation 
E) they were in a serious romantic relationship

Question 13

Briefly describe the difference between the Chicago school and the Iowa/Indiana school of symbolic interactionism. Why do Chicago school symbolic interactionists favor qualitative over quantitative methods of data collection (i.e., why do they conduct field or ethnographic research rather than using surveys or experiments)? Why do Iowa/Indiana school symbolic interactionists use surveys as a method of data collection?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly describe the difference between the Chicago...

Question 14

How do (Chicago school) symbolic interactionism and ethnomethodology differ in focus? Why did Garfinkel find it useful to have his students violate social norms and observe people's behaviors? That is, why are breaching experiments an appropriate method for the study of everyday social behaviors for the ethnomethodologist?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How do (Chicago school) symbolic interactionism and...

Question 15

Compare and contrast the three theoretical frameworks within the symbolic interactionist face of sociological social psychology.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast the three theoretical frameworks...

Question 16

The label ""microsociology"" applies to most of the research conducted within the symbolic interactionist face of sociological social psychology.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Goffman (the dramaturgical approach) calls the physical entities (e.g., clothing, a backpack, or books in an office) we use to aid us in conveying positive impressions to others:

Accepted Answer

A) artifacts 
B) decoys 
C) face savers 
D) masks 
E) props

Question 18

Who would measure the content of a sample of college students' self-concepts on a survey using the Twenty Statements Test?

Accepted Answer

A) A Chicago school symbolic interactionist 
B) A social behaviorist 
C) A sociological social psychologist working within the dramaturgical perspective 
D) An ethnomethodologist 
E) An Iowa/Indiana school social psychologist

Question 19

Give an overview of Goffman's dramaturgical perspective. How does this model of social behavior differ from the symbolic interactionist perspective (i.e., Chicago school symbolic interactionism)? Describe how the concepts and processes Goffman identified have been applied to behavior in college classrooms. To what extent does the dramaturgical approach enhance our understanding of behavior in this and other social settings?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Give an overview of Goffman's dramaturgical perspective....

Question 20

Discuss the differences between front stage and back regions, as identified by Goffman.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the differences between front stage and...

Exam 3: Symbolic Interactionism and Related Perspectives