Deck 7: Meeting Social Expectations

Question 1

Which is NOT true of roles?

A) Roles are concrete guidelines for specific behaviors.
B) Roles affect beliefs about the self.
C) People have multiple roles to play.
D) Roles are learned rather than innate.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is the best definition of a role?

A) A social label that locates us in a hierarchy
B) A set of expectations that govern how people in a given position should act
C) An act that we put on so that others cannot discern our true self
D) A "move" by which we try to outsmart others in a social "game"

Answer 2

B

Question 3

When sociologist Peter Berger says that it is important for us to identify our place on the social map, he means:

A) people in Western culture are rarely constrained by social rules.
B) finding the true self is like a treasure hunt and self-awareness is the map we use to find ourselves.
C) people gradually learn what to expect of life and what life expects them to be.
D) if we follow social rules, we will lose our sense of direction.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

According to self-perception theory, we learn about ourselves:

A) through self-observation.
B) through stories we construct and share with one another.
C) through direct awareness of inner thoughts and feelings.
D) through years of psychoanalysis.

Question 5

Which is NOT true of the group of nursery school children Paley observed?

A) Before they are about 4 years old, children fail to distinguish between male and female behaviors in their play.
B) Children invent rituals to separate themselves along gender lines.
C) Girls and boys like to play identical games. (Gender distinctions do not occur until first grade.
D) Boys like to play at being superheroes; girls like to play family roles.

Question 6

What did Burleson et al. learn about gender and comfort strategies?

A) Men consistently indicated a preference for giving advice in problem situations.
B) Women were more likely to dismiss the needs of the other person in distress and say something like "Get over it!"
C) Men were likely to employ person-centered strategies in situations requiring comfort giving.
D) Men did not use person-centered strategies and disliked male examples who did.
E) There were no gender differences observed in comfort giving.

Question 7

According to McCall and Simon, which is a factor in determining role salience?

A) Amount of social support we receive
B) Amount of commitment we feel
C) Kinds of rewards we receive
D) All of the above

Question 8

A role set consists of:

A) all of the roles an individual feels comfortable playing.
B) the props and costumes we use to help us play our roles.
C) the people who act as supporting players by helping us put on social performances.
D) the place where we can stop playing a part and be ourselves.

Question 9

Role repertoire consists of:

A) all of the roles an individual feels comfortable playing.
B) the props and costumes we use to help us play our roles.
C) the people who act as supporting players by helping us put on social performances.
D) the place where we can stop playing a part and be ourselves.

Question 10

The verbal and nonverbal behavior we use during a performance is called our:

A) line
B) face.
C) front.
D) attribution.

Question 11

A student who resents his role and so talks back to his teacher is:

A) retreating to his back region.
B) altercasting.
C) mirroring.
D) engaging in role distance.

Question 12

A rock star's stage costumes and makeup are part of:

A) personal front.
B) setting.
C) back region.
D) role set.

Question 13

A rock star's bodyguards, manager, assistant, and fans are part of:

A) personal front.
B) setting.
C) back region.
D) role set.

Question 14

A rock star's stage light show, backdrops, and multi-screen projection system are part of:

A) personal front.
B) setting.
C) back region.
D) role set.

Question 15

A rock star's ranch in Wyoming where he retreats to escape the pressures of performance is part of:

A) personal front.
B) setting.
C) back region.
D) role set.

Question 16

Jeff chooses girlfriends who are very dependent and shy so he can take the role of an outgoing, competent person in comparison. In doing so, he is:

A) retreating to his back region.
B) altercasting.
C) mirroring.
D) engaging in role distance.

Question 17

Susanne follows her roommate Judy's lead. Judy makes all the decisions, and Susanne goes along with them. Susanne is:

A) retreating to her back region.
B) altercasting.
C) mirroring.
D) engaging in role distance.

Question 18

Choosing relational partners who will play their parts reliably in order to ensure a "cohesive performance" is called:

A) social comparison.
B) altercasting.
C) mirroring.
D) avoiding face and line.

Question 19

Narrative theorists believe:

A) we make sense of our world by making up and sharing stories about it.
B) when we go about our daily lives, we are like actors putting on a show.
C) to understand our own actions, we act like naive scientists, creating and testing hypotheses.
D) everything worth knowing we learned in kindergarten.

Question 20

Narratives are used to do which of the following?

A) To help individuals make sense of their lives
B) To create images of the personalities and value of family members
C) To construct a sense of purpose at a national level
D) All of the above

Question 21

When we operate in a mindless state:

A) we resist social rules and act independently.
B) we can act efficiently, relying on old routines.
C) we exhibit emotional and cognitive rigidity.
D) All of the above

Question 22

Closed-minded people, as opposed to open-minded people:

A) use irrelevant factors to evaluate information.
B) have great difficulty accepting the word of authorities.
C) are comfortable with new information but reject old information.
D) generally choose compromise as a preferred way of dealing with conflict.

Question 23

Which is a way to become more mindful?

A) Take a single perspective rather than taking multiple perspectives.
B) Engage in self-censorship.
C) Make cognitive commitments as quickly as possible.
D) Add a mental "because clause" to decisions.

Question 24

Which of the following does not exemplify the social label of position?

A) 25 years old
B) tired
C) female
D) hairdresser

Question 25

Which is not true of roles?

A) They are learned.
B) They are specific.
C) They affect identity.
D) They are multiply played.

Question 26

The three sets of factors McCall and Simmons identify as determining role salience are:

A) role rigidity, role conflict, and role repertoire.
B) looking-glass self, social comparison, and self-perception.
C) face-work, line, and setting.
D) degree of support, amount of commitment, and kind of reward.

Question 27

An anonymous shared story of "origins and destinies" defines:

A) myth.
B) storytelling.
C) narrative theorists.
D) altercasting.

Question 28

Benefits of mindless interactions include all of the following except:

A) heightened creativity.
B) automatic adaptation to social roles.
C) simplicity of interaction.
D) fitting into social roles easily.

Question 29

The social label that tells us where we stand in a social hierarchy is called a position.

Question 30

When a role takes over one's identity (for example, when a teacher lectures to her children), we call this role rigidity.

Question 31

In his social comparison theory, Festinger argues that people are motivated by a basic need to know how their opinions and abilities compare to those of others.

Question 32

According to social comparison theory, we tend to be attracted to people who are very different from us.

Question 33

The looking-glass self is the self that no one else knows about.

Question 34

According to looking-glass self theory, the more attractive an individual is, the more he or she will be accepted and liked.

Question 35

According to self-perception theory, we learn about ourselves by asking our friends to use reflective and interpretive responses when talking to us.

Question 36

Goffman divides the arena where our everyday performances take place into two parts: front and back regions.

Question 37

Goffman believes that the effects of social pressures on our lives have been greatly exaggerated and that most people can escape social roles.

Question 38

Face is a term that describes the part of ourselves we don't let others see.

Question 39

In the 19th century, the transformation from boyhood to manhood was clear cut and easy.

Question 40

Rotundo calls the style of manhood of the early 19th century self-made manhood.

Question 41

Group narratives build cohesion and serve to socialize group members.

Question 42

A myth is an anonymous shared story of origins and destinies.

Question 43

Langer believes that it is easier to be mindless than to be mindful.

Question 44

The authors of your text believe that people can gain more control over their actions by increasing mindfulness.

Question 45

Both Berger and Benedict believe we are what our culture wants us to be.

Question 46

Roles are social constructions and therefore innate and universal.

Question 47

Although often liberating, social roles can be restrictive.

Question 48

According to Paley's research, gender-based play is firmly established by age 5 or 6.

Question 49

Explain self-perception theory and how it applies to role identity.

Question 50

Explain Goffman's notions of "face" and "line." How can personal front, setting, and role sets be used during self-presentation? Do you agree or disagree with Goffman that we are all social actors?

Question 51

Altercasting, mirroring, and mutual negotiation all deal with role construction. Define these terms and distinguish among them by identifying advantages and disadvantages to these strategies.

Question 52

What is mindfulness and mindlessness? What are some ways to increase mindfulness?

Question 53

Trace the history of what it means to be a "man" in America. Identify at least three time periods and the cultural expectations of manhood therein.

Question 54

Consider Morris Rosenberg's claim, "Friendship is the purest illustration of picking one's propaganda." Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain your response in light of role sets and other aspects of self-presentation.

Question 55

Discuss narrative theorists. What do they believe? How do they explain the influence of cultural constructions on our lives?