Deck 5: Separate and Together: Life in Groups

Question 1

An example of an aggregate is

A) a family with members living in different states.
B) the audience at a Broadway show.
C) a Little League baseball team.
D) a bird-watching club.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A characteristic of primary groups is that they

A) are larger and more anonymous than secondary groups.
B) are often formal or impersonal.
C) tend to be based on specific roles or activities.
D) involve a strong sense of belonging.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

John gets a job with a large firm that audits small businesses. While working at the firm, he becomes friends with Dave, who invites him to attend a weekly poker game. The game soon becomes a meaningful part of John's social life. This is an example of the

A) distinction between primary groups and secondary groups.
B) way secondary groups produce anonymous relationships.
C) way primary groups can lead to membership in secondary groups.
D) way secondary group ties can lead to membership in primary groups.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

________ are the webs of direct and indirect ties that connect individuals to others who may influence them.

A) Social networks
B) Reference groups
C) Inner circles
D) In-groups

Question 5

Sociologically, what is the difference between a group and a crowd?

A) Individuals associated with a group don't share any common attributes.
B) Individuals associated with a group feel a shared identity and have ongoing social relations.
C) Individuals associated with a group don't have ongoing social relations.
D) Individuals associated with a crowd remain in contact.

Question 6

Through a sociological lens, a ________ would be considered a group.

A) collection of sightseers at a tourist attraction
B) high school chess club
C) gathering at a crime scene
D) line at the grocery store

Question 7

One of the baristas at José's local coffee shop always greets him by name. She often asks how school is going and seems to care about his answer. How would we characterize José's relationship with the barista?

A) She is a "consequential stranger" who bridges the gap between primary and secondary groups.
B) She fits perfectly into what would be considered a primary group.
C) She fits perfectly into what would be considered a secondary group.
D) She is a member of the bourgeoisie.

Question 8

What are people a part of if they associate with each other on a regular basis because they enjoy spending time together?

A) a primary group
B) a secondary group
C) a reference group
D) a social network

Question 9

Why do sociologists not consider fans of the rock musician Bruce Springsteen to be a group?

A) The fans need to have at least two things in common.
B) The fans share no attributes.
C) The fans are never in the same physical location.
D) The fans do not interact regularly.

Question 10

An individual belongs to a ________ if the members are mostly anonymous to one another.

A) secondary group
B) primary group
C) crowd
D) social network

Question 11

How should all left-handed people in the United States be classified?

A) as a category
B) as a crowd
C) as an aggregate
D) as a group

Question 12

The sociologist Duncan Watts examined the way people may change their minds about whom to vote for based on the opinions of friends and acquaintances. What concept was Watts studying?

A) social networks
B) bureaucracy
C) charismatic authority
D) rationalization

Question 13

Many sociologists have worried that the modern economy demands both geographic and occupational mobility, which, in turn, means that bureaucratic organizations have become the norm. What sort of groups might become weaker or strained if people have to move frequently throughout their lives for work?

A) crowds
B) secondary groups
C) categories
D) primary groups

Question 14

Members of a/an ________ interact with one another and think of themselves as belonging together.

A) aggregate
B) group
C) category
D) queue

Question 15

The implications of Mark Granovetter's findings in "The Strength of Weak Ties" were that

A) people with high SES are likely to have direct ties to people with low SES.
B) people tend to form heterogeneous social networks.
C) weak ties are almost always long-lasting and durable.
D) people tend to form homogeneous social networks.

Question 16

Some students at a college form an intramural softball team. They play other teams from their school and from the area every Sunday in a conveniently located park. What might a sociologist consider if they wanted to determine whether the team was a primary group or a secondary group?

A) the age of the players
B) the interactions of team members off the field
C) the shared hobbies of the players
D) the innate skill of the players

Question 17

The sociologist Joseph Conti studied the World Trade Organization as a social network. According to Conti, how is power measured within this type of social network?

A) The most powerful members most often win their disputes with other members.
B) The most powerful members have the most connections to other members.
C) The most powerful members are involved in the fewest disputes with other members.
D) The most powerful members most often change the minds of other members.

Question 18

Which of the following statements about secondary groups is true?

A) They involve intimate, face-to-face interaction.
B) They tend to be based on specific roles or activities.
C) They are usually small and long-lasting.
D) Their values become fused with members' identities.

Question 19

________ provide most of our emotional support.

A) Secondary groups
B) Reference groups
C) Out-groups
D) Primary groups

Question 20

________ are characterized by long-term, intimate, and face-to-face relationships.

A) Primary groups
B) Out-groups
C) Reference groups
D) Secondary groups

Question 21

What do sociologists call patterns of interaction between groups and individuals?

A) rationalization
B) group dynamics
C) in-group solidarity
D) anomie

Question 22

Mark just bought a brand-new Subaru hybrid after driving a twenty-year-old car for a long time. He is really impressed with his new car and takes every opportunity to drive his friends around in it. Over the next year, three of his friends buy new Subarus and three others are seriously considering doing so. Which concept best describes what is happening in Mark's network?

A) high centrality
B) contagion
C) tie strength
D) anomie

Question 23

Mark Granovetter has argued that the people you know best are likely to possess only information you already have. This is why he believed that, when looking for employment, it is advantageous to have

A) a commitment to hard work and determination to succeed.
B) casual acquaintances who are connected to different social networks.
C) a prestigious education in order to gain access to lucrative occupations.
D) a high degree of cultural and social capital.

Question 24

A key challenge for one nation's campaign to improve public health in rural areas was to convince isolated villagers to boil their drinking water in order to kill parasites. The only families who adopted the practice were not well integrated into the village and had few connections to their neighbors. What does this example demonstrate?

A) There is a need for more virtual communities around the world.
B) Social ties don't just connect us to others but also influence our behavior.
C) Attempts at modernization largely fail without modern technology.
D) Globalization leads to the McDonaldization of society.

Question 25

Individuals always feel loyalty toward their in-group, but under what circumstances would this loyalty be particularly strong?

A) when the in-group is particularly large
B) when the individual has belonged to the in-group for a short time
C) when the out-group is from a different city than the in-group
D) when the differences between the in-group and the out-group are sharply defined

Question 26

According to Robert Putnam, what does the decline in bowling leagues indicate?

A) an increase in anomie and decline in collective bonds
B) a shift from secondary groups to primary groups
C) the increasing irrelevance of reference groups
D) a decline in physical exercise and increase in inactive lifestyles due to electronic media

Question 27

A ________ consists of group members who share information and advice, provide support to one another, and have common interests, but never meet in person.

A) reference group
B) social network
C) secondary group
D) virtual community

Question 28

Jennifer's soccer league is quite large. It includes twelve teams, and each team has approximately fifteen members. Jennifer is very popular and has the most ties with individuals throughout the league. Which social network concept best describes Jennifer's situation?

A) centrality
B) popularity
C) tie strength
D) contagion

Question 29

Simon Langlois studied government employment in Quebec, Canada. He found that more than 40% of the people he surveyed found their jobs through personal contacts, even though the government had made efforts to formalize recruitment. The personal contacts were fairly casual acquaintances in the majority of cases, not close friends. What principle is demonstrated here?

A) the strength of weak ties
B) the power of strong triads
C) the role of group cohesion
D) the power of groupthink

Question 30

What does it mean that social networks can influence people through contagion?

A) Connections that lead to disease or infection are called contagion, according to sociologists.
B) Social networks are contagious given that they tend to mimic each other over the long run.
C) This borrows from a biological model in that people who are weak are likely to "catch" the influence of their social network.
D) People who are connected to social networks are more likely to be affected by them.

Question 31

In Los Angeles, you may see cars sporting a bumper sticker that reads, "My favorite teams are UCLA and whoever's playing USC." What is this an example of ?

A) group dynamics
B) hostility toward an out-group
C) bureaucratic rationalization
D) the use of a reference group

Question 32

________ are evidence that the definition of what constitutes a group is being transformed as a result of new technology and the Digital Age.

A) Websites
B) Reddit subgroups
C) Self-help groups
D) Civic groups

Question 33

Sociologists who study social networks and employment pay attention to the frequency with which a person has been in contact with each member of their social network to

A) measure the anomie of the network.
B) determine if groupthink occurred in a social network.
C) see if a particular tie is strong or weak.
D) see just how extensive the network is.

Question 34

Members of a table tennis club in upstate New York seem to have come together as much for connections with others as for the love of the game. This club can be viewed as a counterpoint to the message of Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone because it is an example of

A) the way we continue to be socialized by the media in adulthood.
B) a type of civic engagement that brings people together.
C) the strength of weak ties.
D) the importance of primary groups in our social lives.

Question 35

In terms of job leads, men's social networks are different from those of women because

A) women are more likely to hear about quality job openings if their social networks are composed of more women than men.
B) women are less likely to hear about quality job openings if their social networks are composed of more women than men.
C) men are less likely to hear about quality job openings if their social networks are composed of more men than women.
D) women are less likely to hear about quality job openings if their social networks are composed of more men than women.

Question 36

Lana was always spoiled during her youth. As an only child, she was lavished with praise and gifts from her parents. Unfortunately, they died when Lana was in college, and since then, Lana has remained single and has made no close friends. Her contact with other family members is limited. By virtue of her limited group membership, which of these concepts is Lana more likely to experience?

A) groupthink
B) weak ties
C) anomie
D) social loafing

Question 37

How have social networking websites affected social groups?

A) They diminish the importance of primary groups but not secondary groups.
B) They expand primary groups to include many more members than before.
C) They minimize the importance of secondary groups, especially those associated with shared interests.
D) They help people make the most of both their primary and secondary groups.

Question 38

Robert Merton suggested that some white Americans who praise Abraham Lincoln for being frugal and thrifty might describe an Asian American with the same qualities as being stingy and penny-pinching. What explains this double standard?

A) Standards of behavior considered appropriate in Lincoln's time are now looked down upon because of historical change.
B) Lincoln was greedy, but he is remembered differently because American textbooks are not permitted to say negative things about presidents.
C) Lincoln was a truly remarkable individual who acted in these ways for selfless reasons; something everyday people can't hope to do.
D) For these white Americans, Lincoln was a member of their racial in-group, whereas an Asian American would be a member of an out-group.

Question 39

Émile Durkheim worried that individuals would feel less connected to groups in an increasingly fragmented modern world, which would lead to

A) the rise of hate groups.
B) a need for new types of etiquette.
C) anomie or normlessness.
D) unemployment.

Question 40

Robert Putnam's research can be exemplified by his description of a decline in bowling leagues. Which of the following might serve as evidence that Putnam's concerns about anomie are overblown?

A) the increasing number of hours people spend with electronic media
B) the decline of movie theaters and the subsequent rise of services like Netflix
C) the sharp spike in suicide rates in eastern Europe over the past two decades
D) the growth of online support groups to help people with rare diseases share information and find emotional support

Question 41

A twenty-eight-year-old woman is on the verge of a big promotion at work. She didn't finish college until she was twenty-five, and the entry-level job she currently has is unimpressive. She decides to attend her ten-year high school reunion only if she is promoted. What do sociologists say her high school classmates represent if they can have this much influence on her decision to attend the reunion?

A) an out-group
B) a reference group
C) a primary group
D) a virtual community

Question 42

The Solomon Asch experiment, in which groups of participants were asked to compare the lengths of lines, demonstrated that

A) an authoritarian leader can strongly influence group members.
B) groups have great power to induce conformity.
C) the larger the group is, the less each member has a sense of individual responsibility.
D) peer pressure emerges when a group's task is relatively difficult or demanding.

Question 43

What do sociologists call it when members of groups are influenced by other members?

A) internalization
B) commodification
C) social influence
D) rationalization

Question 44

The sense of solidarity or team spirit that an individual feels toward their group is called

A) expressive leadership.
B) group cohesion.
C) anomie.
D) instrumental leadership.

Question 45

Group cohesion is likely to be highest among which group?

A) a secret society at an Ivy League university
B) all Hispanic students in a single high school
C) students in a sociology 101 course
D) a high school graduating class

Question 46

Which of the following is best suited to preventing groupthink?

A) a leader who encourages and rewards the presentation of alternative opinions
B) a strict meritocracy in which only the best and brightest are hired
C) strict control over the flow of information into and out of an organization
D) a strong leader who controls every aspect of the decision-making process

Question 47

Which response would you LEAST expect to find on the survey if a sociologist measured group cohesion within a neighborhood and found a high level of group cohesion?

A) "Overall, I find this neighborhood very attractive."
B) "If my neighbors were planning something, I would think of it as something 'we' were doing rather than something 'they' were doing."
C) "I feel a sense of loyalty to my neighbors."
D) "I feel comfortable in all sorts of neighborhoods."

Question 48

University leaders ignore rumors and complaints about the football coach sexually abusing students in order to uphold the reputation of the university's award-winning football program. This action to preserve public image over protecting the safety of students is a result of

A) a primary group.
B) anomie or normlessness.
C) groupthink.
D) a reference group.

Question 49

People today are more likely to identify themselves through personal characteristics than through group membership or affiliation. Why is this cause for concern to some sociologists?

A) People who identify themselves through personal characteristics are less likely to try to achieve their goals and advance themselves.
B) People who identify themselves through personal characteristics are more likely to blindly follow orders and bow to peer pressure.
C) People who identify themselves through personal characteristics are more likely to have large social networks and maintain connections to their communities.
D) People who identify themselves through personal characteristics might care less about the common good.

Question 50

Sociologists are interested in how social groups have changed over time. Of particular note is the degree to which individuals base their identities on group membership. How has this changed in recent American history?

A) Americans today are more likely to base their self-concepts on group membership.
B) The degree to which Americans base their identities on group membership has changed very little in the past few decades.
C) Americans today are more likely to base their identities on secondary groups.
D) Americans are less likely to identify themselves as group members today than in the past.

Question 51

Which of the following is a factor that can lead to increased group cohesion?

A) shared values
B) unique traits
C) apathy toward the group
D) differing goals

Question 52

Which of the following statements would be most convincing to a sociologist if you were trying to explain the shift from A-mode and B-mode responses to C-mode responses on the Twenty Statements Test?

A) Americans have become more and more generous over the years, and their answers reflect a desire to give something back.
B) People care less about what researchers think about them, so they are more likely to answer honestly and admit that they've always been selfish.
C) The accelerated pace of social change makes it increasingly difficult to think about the self in terms of group membership.
D) There has been a fundamental shift in individual values and psychology that has led to a long-term change in American social structure.

Question 53

What do we call groups that are used as standards to evaluate ourselves positively, in terms of the qualities we aspire to achieve, or negatively, in terms of the qualities we wish to avoid?

A) reference groups
B) out-groups
C) in-groups
D) networks

Question 54

The phrase "keeping up with the Joneses" is an example of what group concept?

A) triad
B) in-group
C) out-group
D) reference group

Question 55

What sort of group dynamic may have led officials at NASA to ignore warnings and launch the space shuttle Challenger, which exploded shortly after takeoff ?

A) groupthink
B) peer pressure
C) social influence
D) group cohesion

Question 56

The Twenty Statements Test asks respondents to make twenty true statements about themselves that begin with the phrase "I am." Why is this test discussed in a chapter about social groups?

A) It was developed to measure the extent to which individuals follow the norms of their primary groups.
B) It helps sociologists understand the extent to which group norms constrain individuals.
C) It helps to map social networks by establishing what social ties exist between people.
D) It was developed to measure the extent to which we base our identity on membership in groups.

Question 57

What is the danger of too much group cohesion?

A) It leads to endless discussion that tends to preclude any real action.
B) It makes group members more susceptible to anomie or normlessness.
C) It reduces the degree to which members are attracted to the group.
D) It can lead to groupthink, in which dissenting opinions are strongly discouraged.

Question 58

What are group members engaging in when they withhold their reservations and criticisms for the sake of consensus?

A) group solidarity
B) laissez-faire decision making
C) groupthink
D) expressive leadership

Question 59

People attend high school class reunions and often compare their own personal and professional successes and failures with those of their former classmates. This means that classmates are a(n) ________ group.

A) reference
B) secondary
C) professional
D) identity

Question 60

What do sociologists call a group that provides standards by which an individual can judge their own accomplishments?

A) a secondary group
B) a social network
C) a reference group
D) a primary group

Question 61

Honor killings are primarily seen in Middle Eastern and __________ cultures.

A) Western European
B) Eastern European
C) South Asian
D) African

Question 62

In 1978, cult leader Jim Jones forced more than 900 of his followers to drink poisoned Flavor Aid, which led to their deaths. In the run-up to this event, Jones had strictly enforced discipline, mocked and ridiculed anyone who expressed doubts, and even had doubters sedated. This extreme effort to enforce conformity is an example of

A) the expressive self.
B) bureaucracy.
C) social influence.
D) an out-group.

Question 63

Actual group productivity never equals potential productivity. This is because

A) the tasks that groups usually work on are not very interesting, which decreases motivation.
B) time is lost to coordinating and organizing group members.
C) group members never identify with the group thoroughly enough to give it their full attention.
D) there is no way to recognize group members for their efforts.

Question 64

The Asch experiment yielded different results when other researchers tried to replicate it decades later, but a recent replication of Milgram's experiment had virtually the same results. What important implications does Milgram's research have for contemporary society?

A) It demonstrates that the power of conformity can still lead to real-life instances of obedience.
B) It demonstrates how people can avoid social influence that would lead to criminal actions.
C) It challenges the notion that authoritative figures have any real power over personal decisions.
D) It demonstrates that people who cave to social pressure have major character flaws, which helps employers avoid poor employees.

Question 65

Which of the following strategies could be used as a way to minimize social loafing?

A) ensuring that no one in the group has a particularly interesting or rewarding job
B) ensuring that all group members are well educated and have the proper training
C) finding ways to recognize individual effort
D) adding more members to the group

Question 66

A man arrested for driving under the influence must attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in accordance with a court order. He attends the meetings so as to avoid a jail sentence and a hefty fine, but not because he wants to. What do sociologists call this kind of conformity?

A) identification
B) internalization
C) proscription
D) compliance

Question 67

Individual members of a large group often neglect their responsibilities when a task needs to be completed because it is impossible for any one person to receive credit or blame. This phenomenon is called

A) regression toward the mean.
B) groupthink.
C) group polarization.
D) social loafing.

Question 68

A college professor has a large collection of controversial counterculture T-shirts, but makes sure to never wear these shirts to class. What is this kind of conformity called?

A) identification
B) compliance
C) internalization
D) groupthink

Question 69

A student at a university explains that he doesn't want to join a fraternity because he believes they create negative in-group and out-group dynamics. What perspective best describes his views?

A) symbolic interactionism
B) coercive power
C) structural functionalism
D) conflict theory

Question 70

Which type of conformity has occurred when someone joins an animal rights group and then adopts a vegan diet?

A) social networks
B) internalization
C) compliance
D) social atomism

Question 71

Only 25 percent of subjects in the Asch experiment were "independents" who refused to

A) give the wrong answer.
B) inhabit the role of "guard."
C) obey authorities asking them to shock participants.
D) inhabit the role of "prisoner."

Question 72

Students often complain when they hear their instructor assign group work. One of the biggest problems associated with group assignments is that one person often ends up doing most of the work while others take it easy. This is called

A) anomie.
B) social identity.
C) social loafing.
D) compliance.

Question 73

What is the strongest type of conformity that can occur as a result of social influence or peer pressure?

A) social loafing
B) identification
C) internalization
D) compliance

Question 74

What was the Asch experiment measuring?

A) the power of peer pressure
B) the extent of social networks
C) the value of teamwork compared with individual effort
D) the type of organization that can best achieve social goals

Question 75

The mother of a university student is worried about her son joining a fraternity. She worries that peer pressure and groupthink may lead her son to do things he wouldn't normally do, such as binge drinking. What perspective best describes her views?

A) symbolic interactionism
B) coercive power
C) structural functionalism
D) conflict theory

Question 76

Which of the following phenomena is a reason that group efficiency declines as groups increase in size?

A) social loafing
B) rationalization
C) socialization
D) identification

Question 77

What does social identity theory suggest about teamwork?

A) Teamwork and efficiency are at their best when tasks are repetitive and boring.
B) Teamwork is most efficient when there is little or no recognition of individual effort.
C) The most efficient teams are made up of members with a strong shared social identity.
D) The most efficient teams are made up of primary group members.

Question 78

Members of a fraternity believe that they help create social cohesion by bringing together students with shared values. What perspective best describes their views?

A) symbolic interactionism
B) coercive power
C) structural functionalism
D) conflict theory

Question 79

The new graduate students in a university program often gather after class for beer and pizza. What is it an example of if one new graduate student doesn't like beer or pizza but accompanies the group anyway because he wants to make friends?

A) internalization
B) compliance
C) shared values
D) identification

Question 80

The mother of a university student encourages her son to join a fraternity. She hopes that peer pressure and groupthink may lead her son to do things he hasn't tried before, such as volunteering and attending formal events. What perspective best describes her views?

A) symbolic interactionism
B) coercive power
C) structural functionalism
D) conflict theory