Question 1

Members of a social group usually think of themselves as a special "we."

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Samuel Stouffer's study of soldier morale during World War II led to what conclusion?

Accepted Answer

A)  The greater the chances of getting ahead, the happier people are. 
B)  Happiness is a matter of personal values and standards. 
C)  Whatever their situation in absolute terms, people evaluate themselves making comparisons to others in specific reference groups. 
D)  The less chance for promotion, the higher soldiers' morale. 
A)  The greater the chances of getting ahead, the happier people are. 
B)  Happiness is a matter of personal values and standards. 
C)  Whatever their situation in absolute terms, people evaluate themselves making comparisons to others in specific reference groups. 
D)  The less chance for promotion, the higher soldiers' morale.

Question 3

How have formal organizations changed over the course of the twentieth century? Describe the ideal formal organization in the eyes of scientific management analyst Frederick Taylor, who wrote his business principle a century ago. How and why do today's more flexible organizations strive to be different from those described by Taylor?

Accepted Answer

Formal organizations have undergone sign

Question 4

The leadership style that allows group members the most autonomy is "laissez-faire."

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Stanley Milgram's research, in which subjects used a "shock generator," showed:

Accepted Answer

A)  people become angry when others disagree with them. 
B)  the ability to withstand pain varies with cultural background. 
C)  people are surprisingly likely to follow the orders of not only real authority figures but also groups of ordinary individuals. 
D)  that ordinary people are surprisingly independent in their judgments. 
A)  people become angry when others disagree with them. 
B)  the ability to withstand pain varies with cultural background. 
C)  people are surprisingly likely to follow the orders of not only real authority figures but also groups of ordinary individuals. 
D)  that ordinary people are surprisingly independent in their judgments.

Question 6

Imagine you are watching several dozen passengers sitting in an airport gate area waiting to board a plane. These people are an example of a:

Accepted Answer

A)  crowd. 
B)  group. 
C)  category. 
D)  network. 
A)  crowd. 
B)  group. 
C)  category. 
D)  network.

Question 7

Based on your understanding of this chapter, discuss (1) how group size affects the behavior of group members and (2) how diversity in group membership affects the behavior of group members. Illustrate your responses with examples from everyday life.

Accepted Answer

1) Group size can have a significant imp

Question 8

The sociologist who explored the primary group was Charles Horton Cooley.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

A social network is really a web of weak social ties.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Here are four statements describing group dynamics. Which of them is NOT an expression of groupthink?

Accepted Answer

A)  Group members quickly settle on a position, then they treat other possibilities as oppositional. 
B)  Group members encourage each other to see the issue from only one point of view. 
C)  Group members treat reaching consensus as more important than encouraging everyone to speak up openly. 
D)  The group seeks diverse members and ends up being unable to reach a consensus. 
A)  Group members quickly settle on a position, then they treat other possibilities as oppositional. 
B)  Group members encourage each other to see the issue from only one point of view. 
C)  Group members treat reaching consensus as more important than encouraging everyone to speak up openly. 
D)  The group seeks diverse members and ends up being unable to reach a consensus.

Question 11

As groups increase in size, interaction between members becomes more intense and more personal.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Which of the following concepts refers to a social group that people use as a point of reference in making evaluations or decisions?

Accepted Answer

A)  peer group 
B)  reference group 
C)  out-group 
D)  dyad 
A)  peer group 
B)  reference group 
C)  out-group 
D)  dyad

Question 13

You are part of a task force with a group leader who has a distant relationship with group members and who is concerned with getting the job done. Which type of leader does your task force have?

Accepted Answer

A)  a laissez-fair group leader 
B)  a democratic leader 
C)  an expressive leader 
D)  an instrumental leader 
A)  a laissez-fair group leader 
B)  a democratic leader 
C)  an expressive leader 
D)  an instrumental leader

Question 14

Which of the following is every society's most important primary group?

Accepted Answer

A)  the peer group 
B)  the work group 
C)  the family 
D)  the play group 
A)  the peer group 
B)  the work group 
C)  the family 
D)  the play group

Question 15

The "McDonaldization of society" thesis echoes Weber's belief that rational systems are efficient but dehumanizing.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

During the last fifty years, Japanese formal organizations have differed from those in the United States by being:

Accepted Answer

A)  less efficient. 
B)  less profitable. 
C)  more collective in their orientation. 
D)  more hierarchical. 
A)  less efficient. 
B)  less profitable. 
C)  more collective in their orientation. 
D)  more hierarchical.

Question 17

Milgram's experiment showed that people are easily influenced by both "ordinary people" and legitimate authority figures.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

What is the "McDonaldization of society?" List the four principles that define this organizational pattern.

Accepted Answer

The "McDonaldization of society" refers

Question 19

Why did Cooley refer to some groups as "primary groups"?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are among the first groups we experience in life. 
B)  They have primary importance in the socialization process. 
C)  They contain the people most important in our lives. 
D)  All of the above are correct. 
A)  They are among the first groups we experience in life. 
B)  They have primary importance in the socialization process. 
C)  They contain the people most important in our lives. 
D)  All of the above are correct.

Question 20

In general, which of the following categories of people are "well connected" in terms of social networks?

Accepted Answer

A)  young people 
B)  well-educated people 
C)  people living in cities 
D)  All of the above are correct. 
A)  young people 
B)  well-educated people 
C)  people living in cities 
D)  All of the above are correct.

Exam 7: Groups and Organizations

Members of a social group usually think of themselves as a special "we."

Samuel Stouffer's study of soldier morale during World War II led to what conclusion?

The leadership style that allows group members the most autonomy is "laissez-faire."

Stanley Milgram's research, in which subjects used a "shock generator," showed:

Imagine you are watching several dozen passengers sitting in an airport gate area waiting to board a plane. These people are an example of a:

Based on your understanding of this chapter, discuss (1) how group size affects the behavior of group members and (2) how diversity in group membership affects the behavior of group members. Illustrate your responses with examples from everyday life.

The sociologist who explored the primary group was Charles Horton Cooley.

A social network is really a web of weak social ties.

Here are four statements describing group dynamics. Which of them is NOT an expression of groupthink?

As groups increase in size, interaction between members becomes more intense and more personal.

Which of the following concepts refers to a social group that people use as a point of reference in making evaluations or decisions?

You are part of a task force with a group leader who has a distant relationship with group members and who is concerned with getting the job done. Which type of leader does your task force have?

Which of the following is every society's most important primary group?

The "McDonaldization of society" thesis echoes Weber's belief that rational systems are efficient but dehumanizing.

During the last fifty years, Japanese formal organizations have differed from those in the United States by being:

Milgram's experiment showed that people are easily influenced by both "ordinary people" and legitimate authority figures.

What is the "McDonaldization of society?" List the four principles that define this organizational pattern.

Why did Cooley refer to some groups as "primary groups"?

In general, which of the following categories of people are "well connected" in terms of social networks?

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