Question 1

Pierre is a sociology student researching gender and job searching. Based on sociological research, he expects to find that women's networks are __________ than men's.
A) weaker
B) more familial
C) more consistent
D) more social

Accepted Answer

Sociological research has consistently shown that women's networks tend to be weaker than men's networks when it comes to job searching. This is because women may have fewer professional contacts due to gender-based barriers such as the gender wage gap, occupational segregation, and discrimination. As a result, women may have less access to job leads and opportunities compared to men.

Question 2

Based on the findings from the Stanley Milgram obedience study, what would sociologists predict about people's relationship to authority?
A) People will follow an authority figure's orders regardless of the pain they might be inflicting on others.
B) People will organize and establish their own rules, eliminating the expert.
C) People will establish relationships among themselves, creating an in-group and an out-group.
D) No one will obey orders that have negative consequences for other people.

Accepted Answer

The findings of the Milgram obedience study showed that the majority of participants were willing to follow an authority figure's orders, even if it meant inflicting harm on others. This suggests that people have a strong tendency to obey authority, sometimes to the point of disregarding their own moral values.

Question 3

Based on the results of Solomon Asch's experiment, what would sociologists predict about human behavior? The Asch Task
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A) Primary groups are the most influential groups in our lives.
B) People hesitated before speaking out against group conformity.
C) Many people are willing to discount their own perceptions rather than go against group consensus.
D) When a person answered last, that person did not feel the need to conform or bow to group pressure.

Accepted Answer

The Asch Task demonstrated that many people are willing to discount their own perceptions in order to conform to group consensus, which suggests that humans often prioritize social acceptance over individual judgment.

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of a primary group?
A) everyone shopping at a grocery store on a given day
B) the entire group of Walmart employees
C) U.S. citizens
D) a high school girl's clique

Accepted Answer

A high school girl's clique is an example of a primary group because it is a small, tightly knit group of individuals who have frequent and intimate interactions. The individuals in the group share a strong bond and have a sense of belonging to the group. The other options do not fit the definition of a primary group.

Question 5

Which of the following is a social aggregate?
A) a couple who have been living together for less than one year
B) middle-class Asian American women
C) people waiting at Terminal C for Flight 181
D) your family

Accepted Answer

A social aggregate refers to a collection of individuals who are temporarily in the same physical location, but they do not have a sense of identity or unity. People waiting at Terminal C for Flight 181 are only connected by the fact that they are physically present in the same space for a certain period of time.

Question 6

Dr. Patel wants to study the smallest social group, so she develops a study based on:
A) individuals
B) dyads
C) triads
D) families

Accepted Answer

Dyads are the smallest social group consisting of two people. Therefore, studying dyads would allow for an examination of the dynamics and interactions between the two individuals in a specific context.

Question 7

You might want to be part of a secondary group to:
A) accomplish a specific goal, such as graduating from college
B) have a sense of closeness and camaraderie
C) associate with people who care about you and your future
D) experience intimacy

Accepted Answer

Being part of a secondary group that is focused on accomplishing a specific goal, such as graduating from college, can provide additional support and resources to help achieve that goal.

Question 8

Based on Stanley Milgram's study of authority and obedience, what would sociologists predict about the behavior of ordinary people in extraordinary situations? In general, people will:
A) conform to the expectations that they have for themselves
B) resist authority
C) obey those in positions of power
D) exclude others

Accepted Answer

Stanley Milgram's study showed that people tend to obey those in positions of power, even if it goes against their personal beliefs or values. This suggests that in extraordinary situations, people are likely to prioritize obedience to authority figures over their own moral judgment.

Question 9

At Jaime's high school, the "jocks" made fun of the drama club members. This increased the bonding and sense of loyalty among the jocks; therefore, we could consider the jocks a(n):
A) out-group
B) in-group
C) dyad
D) social aggregate

Accepted Answer

The jocks, who bonded over making fun of the drama club members, form an in-group because they share a sense of identity and loyalty.

Question 10

When three best friends-José, Martin, and George-get together every Friday night, José usually decides what the group will do. However, one night when José said he wanted to go bowling, Martin and George told José that they had decided the group was going to the movies. Martin and George have formed a:
A) transformative leadership
B) negative alliance
C) dyad coalition
D) revolutionary coalition

Accepted Answer

The answer of When three best friends-José, Martin, and George-get...

Question 11

The rich and varied group life of societies reflects:
A) how we conform to the wishes of transformative leaders
B) our need to congregate and belong
C) how we resist governments
D) our natural tendency to exclude others

Accepted Answer

The rich and varied group life of societies reflects our need to congregate and belong. Humans are social animals and are naturally inclined to seek out and form groups with others who share common interests, beliefs, or characteristics. This is reflected in the many different types of groups that exist in societies, such as clubs, organizations, and communities. While transformative leaders, resistance to governments, and exclusionary tendencies may also play a role in shaping group life, they are not the primary factors driving its diversity and richness.

Question 12

A sociologist studies group formation among first-graders. He studies Mr. Hartman's classroom, which is next door to Ms. Alexander's classroom. The sociologist notices the presence of an out-group when Mr. Hartman's first-graders say:
A) "We're the smartest students!"
B) "First-graders rule!"
C) "Mr. Hartman is the best teacher!"
D) "Ms. Alexander's students are the worst!"

Accepted Answer

The statement "Ms. Alexander's students are the worst!" indicates the formation of an out-group, where Mr. Hartman's first-graders are excluding and putting down Ms. Alexander's students. This indicates the presence of group formation and intergroup bias. The other statements do not necessarily indicate the presence of an out-group.

Question 13

The most important reason why dyads are fragile social groups is because:
A) if one person leaves, the group disappears
B) one member can brainwash another
C) they keep individuals from forming other relationships
D) the relationships are too intense

Accepted Answer

Dyads are groups consisting only of two individuals. Therefore, if one person decides to leave the group, the group ceases to exist. This makes the dyad a fragile social group.

Question 14

As people in modern societies, what do we depend on to take care of everything from how we are born, to our daily supply of running water, and even to the way we die?
A) nature
B) organizations
C) the spiritual world
D) tradition

Accepted Answer

We depend on organizations such as hospitals, water treatment plants, and funeral homes to take care of various aspects of our lives from birth to death, as well as many other daily necessities. While nature plays a role in providing resources, it is organizations that make them accessible and usable for us. The spiritual world and tradition may offer guidance or support, but they do not have the tangible infrastructure necessary for our physical and practical needs.

Question 15

Reference groups provide us with:
A) the ability to be concerned with accomplishing a task
B) the strict conformity to rigid organizational structures
C) the impersonal anonymity of modern life
D) a standard for judging one's attitudes and behaviors

Accepted Answer

Reference groups provide a standard or benchmark for judging one's own attitudes and behaviors. They serve as a comparative measure that individuals use to evaluate themselves and to determine their place in society.

Question 16

Which of the following is a social group?
A) members of a local ski club
B) everyone in your sociology class who has brown hair
C) people waiting at Terminal C for Flight 181
D) passengers on Flight 181

Accepted Answer

A social group, like a local ski club, consists of members who share a sense of identity and regularly interact with one another based on structured roles within the group. Choices B, C, and D do not necessarily share these characteristics, as they do not imply regular interaction or structured roles among the members.

Question 17

When studying social groups, sociologists expect to see that:
A) larger groups are more intimate than small groups because everyone must look after everyone else
B) larger groups are less intimate than small groups but more stable
C) dyads are the most stable and enduring of all social groups
D) triads are more intimate than dyads because members are working to keep the group together

Accepted Answer

Sociologists expect to see that larger groups are less intimate than small groups but more stable. This is because larger groups have more diversity of members and interests, which may lead to conflicts and disagreements, but they also have more resources and support to overcome these challenges and maintain stability.

Question 18

What happens to group dynamics as the number of people in the group increases?
A) The possible number of relationships increases.
B) The stability of the group tends to decrease.
C) People tend to favor triads over dyads.
D) A hierarchy tends to emerge.

Accepted Answer

As the number of people in a group increases, the possible number of relationships also increases. This can lead to more complex group dynamics and a greater potential for conflict or collaboration. However, the stability of the group may not necessarily decrease, and the emergence of a hierarchy or preference for triads over dyads is not a universal trend.

Question 19

A large group of people that engages in concerted collective actions to achieve specific objectives is called a(n):
A) oligarchy
B) organization
C) primary group
D) peer group

Accepted Answer

A large group of people that engages in concerted collective actions to achieve specific objectives is called an organization. An oligarchy is a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution. A primary group is a small social group whose members share personal and lasting relationships. A peer group is a social group whose members have interests, social position, and age in common. None of these definitions fit the given scenario as well as the definition of an organization.

Question 20

People sharing a common characteristic-such as gender, occupation, or ethnicity-but not necessarily interacting with each other or in the same location are called a social:
A) triad
B) group
C) aggregate
D) category

Accepted Answer

A category refers to people who share a common characteristic, such as gender, occupation, or ethnicity, but do not necessarily interact with each other or in the same location. A group, on the other hand, implies interaction and communication among its members. An aggregate is a collection of people who happen to be in the same place at the same time, but who do not necessarily share a common characteristic or have any interaction. A triad refers specifically to a group of three people.

Quiz 6: Groups, Networks, and Organizations

Pierre is a sociology student researching gender and job searching. Based on sociological research, he expects to find that women's networks are __________ than men's.

Based on the findings from the Stanley Milgram obedience study, what would sociologists predict about people's relationship to authority?

Based on the results of Solomon Asch's experiment, what would sociologists predict about human behavior? The Asch Task [img]

Which of the following is an example of a primary group?

Which of the following is a social aggregate?

Dr. Patel wants to study the smallest social group, so she develops a study based on:

You might want to be part of a secondary group to:

Based on Stanley Milgram's study of authority and obedience, what would sociologists predict about the behavior of ordinary people in extraordinary situations? In general, people will:

At Jaime's high school, the "jocks" made fun of the drama club members. This increased the bonding and sense of loyalty among the jocks; therefore, we could consider the jocks a(n) :

The rich and varied group life of societies reflects:

A sociologist studies group formation among first-graders. He studies Mr. Hartman's classroom, which is next door to Ms. Alexander's classroom. The sociologist notices the presence of an out-group when Mr. Hartman's first-graders say:

The most important reason why dyads are fragile social groups is because:

As people in modern societies, what do we depend on to take care of everything from how we are born, to our daily supply of running water, and even to the way we die?

Reference groups provide us with:

Which of the following is a social group?

When studying social groups, sociologists expect to see that:

What happens to group dynamics as the number of people in the group increases?

A large group of people that engages in concerted collective actions to achieve specific objectives is called a(n) :

People sharing a common characteristic-such as gender, occupation, or ethnicity-but not necessarily interacting with each other or in the same location are called a social: