Question 1

Biological anthropologists study only human bones.

Accepted Answer

Biological anthropologists study not only human bones, but also the biological and behavioral aspects of humans and our closest relatives in the animal kingdom.

Question 2

Bronislaw Malinowski, an early contributor to the cross-cultural study of human psychology, is famous for his fieldwork among the Trobriand Islanders of the South Pacific. Although some of his specific findings have been questioned by more recent scholars, no contemporary anthropologist would dispute Malinowski's contention that
A) Freud's work is worthless once taken out of its particular cultural context (patriarchal Austria during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries).
B) psychology and anthropology have little relevance to each other, since the former focuses on the individual and the latter studies cultures and societies as a whole.
C) psychologists are not willing to step out of their tightly controlled laboratories, and anthropologists are too focused on finding exotic exceptions to every possible human universal.
D) researchers cannot get at what is in people's minds, only at what they say and do.
E) individual psychology is molded in a specific cultural context.

Accepted Answer

Malinowski emphasized the importance of studying the cultural context in shaping individual psychology. He believed that individual behavior cannot be fully understood without considering the cultural and social context in which it occurs. This is reflected in option E. The other options are incorrect, as Malinowski did not believe that psychology and anthropology have little relevance to each other, nor did he claim that researchers cannot get at what is in people's minds.

Question 3

Archaeologists study only prehistoric communities.

Accepted Answer

Archaeologists study both prehistoric and historic communities.

Question 4

Adaptation refers to the processes by which organisms cope with environmental forces and stresses, such as those posed by climate and topography.

Accepted Answer

The statement correctly defines adaptation as the processes used by organisms to cope with environmental forces and stresses.

Question 5

Applied anthropology
A) originated at the same time that anthropology's four-field approach became established among early twentieth-century U.S. academics.
B) has yet to be recognized by the American Anthropological Association.
C) encompasses any use of the knowledge and/or techniques of its four subfields to identify, assess, and solve practical problems.
D) focuses on preparing emerging academic scholars to improve their grant application skills.
E) is a European phenomenon.

Accepted Answer

Applied anthropology can be defined as using the knowledge and techniques of all four subfields of anthropology (cultural, biological, linguistic, and archaeological) to identify, assess, and solve practical problems in the real world. It is not limited to any specific region or continent and is recognized by the American Anthropological Association.

Question 6

Ethnography involves the collection of data that is used to create an account of a particular community, society, or culture.

Accepted Answer

Ethnography is a research method that involves the systematic study and description of a particular community, society, or culture, including its customs, beliefs, and social structures. Data is collected through a variety of methods, including participant observation, interviews, and document analysis, and is used to create an ethnographic account of the group being studied.

Question 7

Anthropologists study only non-Western cultures.

Accepted Answer

Anthropologists study cultures all over the world, including Western cultures. While they may have initially focused on non-Western cultures, the field has expanded to encompass all cultures and societies.

Question 8

Culture is not itself biological but rests on certain features of human biology.

Accepted Answer

While culture is not biological, it is dependent on certain features of human biology such as our ability to communicate, learn, and pass on knowledge through generations.

Question 9

The differences between sociology and cultural anthropology are becoming increasingly more distinct.

Accepted Answer

Sociology and cultural anthropology continue to share overlapping areas of interest, such as the study of social structures and cultural practices, and the boundaries between them remain fluid rather than becoming more distinct.

Question 10

Ethnomusicology is one of the four main subfields of anthropology.

Accepted Answer

Ethnomusicology is not considered one of the four main subfields of anthropology; instead, it is a field of study that intersects with anthropology. The four main subfields of anthropology are cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, archaeology, and biological (or physical) anthropology. Ethnomusicology is more specifically concerned with the study of music from a cultural context.

Question 11

The study of television's behavioral effects in Brazil illustrates all of the following EXCEPT
A) how investigators must carefully choose between a qualitative or quantitative data model.
B) how the scientific method is not limited to ethnology but applies to any anthropological endeavor that formulates research questions and gathers or uses systematic data to test hypotheses.
C) the value of cross-cultural research, which in this case enables the researchers to distinguish the effects of years of TV exposure and other changes associated with aging.
D) how anthropological studies may deal with several research questions.
E) the challenges researchers often face when determining whether they are observing effects or correlations in their findings.

Accepted Answer

The correct answer excludes the necessity of choosing between a qualitative or quantitative data model as a specific illustration from the study of television's behavioral effects in Brazil. The other options correctly reflect aspects of anthropological research demonstrated by such studies, including the application of the scientific method, the value of cross-cultural research, the handling of multiple research questions, and the challenges in distinguishing between effects and correlations.

Question 12

Humans can adapt to their surroundings through both biological and cultural means.

Accepted Answer

Humans have the ability to adapt to their surroundings through biological changes (such as increased melanin production in response to exposure to sunlight) and cultural means (such as developing new technologies to survive in extreme environments).

Question 13

Anthropology is a science, yet it has been suggested that anthropology is among the most humanistic of all academic fields. This is because
A) its main object of study are humans.
B) of its fundamental respect for human diversity.
C) its findings are best expressed with the tools of the humanities.
D) the field, particularly in the United States, traces its origins to philosophy and literature.
E) it puts so much emphasis on the study of culture that cannot be studied scientifically.

Accepted Answer

Anthropology's focus on human diversity and the respect for different cultures and ways of life aligns with humanistic values. While anthropology is a scientific field, it also utilizes tools from the humanities to express its findings.

Question 14

As an academic discipline, anthropology falls under both the social sciences and the humanities.

Accepted Answer

Anthropology involves studying human behavior, societies, and cultures, which places it within the social sciences. However, anthropology also involves interpretation and analysis of cultural artifacts, which aligns with the humanities. Therefore, anthropology is considered a hybrid discipline that falls under both social sciences and humanities.

Question 15

Linguistic anthropology
A) is a research strategy of biological anthropologists studying the emergence of language among nonhuman primates.
B) relies heavily on the methods of phrenology.
C) includes sociolinguistics, descriptive linguistics, and the study of the biological basis for speech.
D) includes cultural anthropology and paleoecology.
E) has securely dated the origin of hominid language.

Accepted Answer

Linguistic anthropology is a subfield of anthropology that focuses on understanding language as a cultural and social phenomenon. It includes sociolinguistics (the study of language in relation to social factors), descriptive linguistics (the study of the structures and rules of language), and the study of the biological basis for speech.

Question 16

In science, what is the relationship among explanations, associations, and theories?
A) An explanation must show how and why the thing to be understood is associated with or related to something else. Theories require covariation: when one thing (a variable) changes, the other one varies as well. Associations provide explanations for both explanations and theories.
B) They mean the same thing.
C) An explanation must show how and why the thing to be understood is associated with or related to something else. Associations require covariation: when one thing (a variable) changes, the other one varies as well. Theories provide explanations for associations.
D) Explanations and associations are explained by theories, which are observed relationships between two or more variables.
E) An explanation must show how and why the thing to be understood is associated with or related to something else. Thus, explanations and associations are the same thing. A theory is a suggested but as yet unverified explanation.

Accepted Answer

An explanation must show how and why the thing to be understood is associated with or related to something else. Associations require covariation: when one thing (a variable) changes, the other one varies as well. Theories provide explanations for associations.

Question 17

Which of the following statements about theories is NOT true?
A) Scientists evaluate theories through the method of falsification.
B) A theory is an explanatory framework that helps us understand why something exists.
C) Predictions from theories are disproved rather than proved.
D) Theories apply only to linguistic and biological phenomena.
E) Scientists accept theories that have not been disproved.

Accepted Answer

The statement that theories apply only to linguistic and biological phenomena is not true. Theories can be developed for any field of study, including physics, chemistry, sociology, psychology, and more.

Question 18

The American Anthropological Association has formally acknowledged a public service role by recognizing that anthropology has which two dimensions?
A) academic anthropology and applied anthropology
B) ethnology and public ethnography
C) cultural resource management and medical anthropology
D) private anthropology and public anthropology
E) applied anthropology and practicing anthropology

Accepted Answer

The American Anthropological Association acknowledges that anthropology has both academic (theoretical and research-oriented) and applied (practical and problem-solving) dimensions.

Question 19

Anthropology may improve psychological studies of human behavior by contributing
A) examples of primitive thinking from tribal societies.
B) nothing, since anthropology focuses on culture and psychology concentrates on personality.
C) prehistoric analysis.
D) a humanistic approach to psychology.
E) a cross-cultural perspective on models of human psychology.

Accepted Answer

Anthropology offers a cross-cultural perspective on different models of human psychology, which may help to identify universal patterns and aspects of human behavior, as well as to challenge ethnocentric assumptions and biases that may limit the scope of psychological research. This may be relevant for the development of more inclusive and culturally sensitive theoretical frameworks and interventions in psychology.

Question 20

Anthropologists agree that a comparative, cross-cultural approach is unnecessary as long as researchers are diligent in their work.

Accepted Answer

Anthropologists believe that a comparative, cross-cultural approach is necessary to understand the diversity of human experience and avoid ethnocentrism. Diligence in research alone is not sufficient without comparative analysis.

Quiz 1: What Is Anthropology

Biological anthropologists study only human bones.

Archaeologists study only prehistoric communities.

Adaptation refers to the processes by which organisms cope with environmental forces and stresses, such as those posed by climate and topography.

Applied anthropology

Ethnography involves the collection of data that is used to create an account of a particular community, society, or culture.

Anthropologists study only non-Western cultures.

Culture is not itself biological but rests on certain features of human biology.

The differences between sociology and cultural anthropology are becoming increasingly more distinct.

Ethnomusicology is one of the four main subfields of anthropology.

The study of television's behavioral effects in Brazil illustrates all of the following EXCEPT

Humans can adapt to their surroundings through both biological and cultural means.

Anthropology is a science, yet it has been suggested that anthropology is among the most humanistic of all academic fields. This is because

As an academic discipline, anthropology falls under both the social sciences and the humanities.

Linguistic anthropology

In science, what is the relationship among explanations, associations, and theories?

Which of the following statements about theories is NOT true?

The American Anthropological Association has formally acknowledged a public service role by recognizing that anthropology has which two dimensions?

Anthropology may improve psychological studies of human behavior by contributing

Anthropologists agree that a comparative, cross-cultural approach is unnecessary as long as researchers are diligent in their work.