Deck 12: The Nature and Use of Categories, Generalizations, and Stereotypes in Social Science and Society

Question 1

A generalization is a statement that

A)replaces a category.
B)describes a category.
C)describes reality without categorizing.
D)is used to avoid categorizing.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

How does the author answer the question "Should we generalize about people?"

A)Yes.
B)No.
C)Maybe.
D)It is impossible not to generalize about people.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Generalization is an advantage to humans in that we can then

A)respond quickly to danger.
B)cooperate.
C)stereotype.
D)apply what we know to new situations.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Categories

A)arise out of social interaction.
B)are used to make comparisons.
C)are the foundation of much of our learning.
D)all of these

Question 5

A stereotype is used primarily for

A)understanding an individual who is part of a group.
B)understanding a group of people.
C)making judgments about a group of people.
D)questioning people's prejudices.

Question 6

According to the author:

A)we are individuals, not categories.
B)we are individuals and categories.
C)we are categories, not individuals.
D)None of these.

Question 7

According to the author:

A)Human beings categorize.
B)Human beings generalize.
C)We must categorize and generalize.
D)All of these are correct.

Question 8

For social scientists generalizations are

A)absolute.
B)not based on categories.
C)treated as probabilities.
D)never made.

Question 9

Ultimately, the author _________ stereotyping.

A)accepts
B)rejects
C)considers
D)None of these.

Question 10

Social scientists normally make generalizations that

A)are considered laws, and are not subject to change.
B)are tentative and always subject to change with new evidence.
C)do not have sufficient evidence to support them.
D)are not based on any particular evidence.

Question 11

The author argues that generalization arises from our

A)instinct.
B)roles.
C)inability to get along with one another.
D)ability to use language.

Question 12

A stereotype treats the individual as

A)a complex, multifaceted person.
B)an exception to the generalization for that category.
C)simple and unidimensional.
D)an individual.

Question 13

Stereotypes

A)aid our understanding of people.
B)get in the way of our understanding people.
C)have little to do with our ability to understand people.
D)deepen our understanding of others.

Question 14

A stereotype is

A)a type of category.
B)a neutral observation.
C)considered a guide for understanding.
D)all of these

Question 15

According to the author, when social scientists generalize they should

A)be judgmental if they wish to understand.
B)not be judgmental and instead try to understand.
C)not worry about whether or not they understand.
D)make value judgments.

Question 16

According to the author, social scientists

A)regard creating categories as their ultimate goal.
B)regard rejecting categorization as their ultimate goal.
C)regard understanding cause as their ultimate goal.
D)see finding exceptions as their ultimate goal.

Question 17

A category used to understand a situation, and that consists of a set of expectations for the behavior of a person in a particular position, is called a ______.

A)stereotype
B)role
C)generalization
D)label

Question 18

According to the author, the spirit of social science is to

A)develop accurate stereotypes about people.
B)develop accurate generalizations about people.
C)develop understanding without generalizing about people.
D)generalize knowledge about other animals to understand human beings.

Question 19

Stereotypes

A)do not change with new evidence.
B)is often created on the basis of limited experience.
C)do not encourage understanding.
D)all of these

Question 20

The individual who uses the stereotype

A)is generally interested in why one category of people is different from another.
B)is generally not interested in understanding why one category of people is different from another.
C)usually does not believe that people in one category is different from those in another category.
D)tends to see all individuals as different from one another.

Question 21

Define what a role is, and how it is a type of category.

Question 22

What is the relationship between a stereotype and prejudice and discrimination?

Question 23

According to the text, what is the purpose of social science?

Question 24

Why do humans use categories and generalizations?

Question 25

What is the process through which humans can develop accurate generalizations?

Question 26

Explain how we can be both individuals and categories.Give examples.

Question 27

Define the terms category, generalization, and stereotype.

Question 28

Explain how generalizations are viewed and used in the social sciences.

Question 29

How is a generalization different than a stereotype? Describe several ways in which they differ.

Question 30

Describe how stereotypes can be the result of sloppy generalizations for social scientists.