SOC 201 Exam Test Questions And
Correct Answers
Sally40examines40the40grades40she40receives40for40class40participation.40Recalling40her40prio
r40semester40she40writes40down40that40she40received40a4010/1040from40Ms.40Smith40and40a409/
1040from40Ms.40Baxter,404/1040from40Mr.40Cagney,403/1040from40Mr.40Wiley40and4010/1040from
40Ms.40Dona.40She40realizes40that40she40spoke40a40lot40in40classes40with40Smith,40Baxter40and4
0Dona40and40very40little40in40her40other40two40classes.40She40continues40listing40all40of40her40co
llege40courses,40the40gender40of40the40professor40and40whether40or40not40she40spoke40in40clas
s.40She40notices40that40she40tends40to40speak40in40classes40where40the40instructor40is40female
40and40rarely40speaks40when40the40instructor40is40male.40She40realizes40that40homophily40expl
ains40this40tendency.40Sally40is40using
A.40inductive40reasoning
B.40reductionism
C.40qualitative40analysis
D.40deductive40reasoning40-40ans-A
What40can40explain40the40spurious40positive40relationship40between40the40number40of40fire40tr
ucks40dispatched40and40the40amount40of40fire40damage?
A.40Fires40are40more40likely40during40heat40waves40in40the40summer,40which40is40precisely40w
hen40most40fire40fighters40are40on40vacation.
B.40The40more40fire40trucks40are40dispatched,40the40more40damage40can40be40prevented.
C.40Large40cities40have40more40fire40trucks40than40small40towns,40and40are40therefore40more40
able40to40cope40with40big40fires.
D.40Large40fires,40which40cause40more40damage,40need40more40fire40trucks.40-40ans-D
Consider40the40following40statements40concerning40your40ability40to40do40well40on40an40exam.
40What40types40of40explanation40are40they?
(1)40You40did40poorly40on40your40first40biology40exam40because40it40is40your40worst40subject,40y
ou40didn't40have40much40time40to40prepare,40you40were40sick,40you40didn't40sleep40well40the40ni
ght40before,40you40overslept40and40showed40up40late,40and40the40person40next40to40you40was40
making40a40lot40of40noise.
(2)40After40840semesters40at40Stony40Brook40and40countless40exams,40you40have40discovered
40that40you40do40better40on40exams40when40you40study40with40a40group.
, A.40(1)40nomothetic;40(2)40idiographic
B.40(1)40idiographic;40(2)40nomothetic
C.40both40nomothetic
D.40both40idiographic40-40ans-B
Which40one40of40the40following40is40the40best40example40of40a40hypothesis?
A.40Older40people40are40more40likely40to40vote40than40younger40people.
B.40Love40is40measured40by40how40often40people40call40each40other.
C.40Gender40negatively40impacts40voting.
D.40Domestic40violence40affects40gender40inequality.40-40ans-A
Based40on40theories40of40gender40socialization,40John40thinks40that40male40students40get40be
tter40grades40in40science40classes40than40female40students.40He40surveyed4020040students40
on40campus,40asking40about40their40gender40and40their40grades40in40biology40and40chemistry.
40He40found40that40female40students40have40higher40grades40than40male40students.40John40is4
0using
A.40inductive40reasoning
B.40qualitative40analysis
C.40deductive40reasoning
D.40reductionism40-40ans-C
Which40one40of40the40following40is40the40best40example40of40a40hypothesis
A.40Religion40affects40substance40use.
B.40The40wage40gap40is40affected40by40gender40inequality.
C.40Dogs40are40better40than40cats.
D.40As40gender40inequality40increases,40the40wage40gap40increases.40-40ans-D
A40study40reported40in40American40Sociological40Review40(1994)40was40entitled40"Race40Diff
erences40in40Sexual40Activity40Among40Adolescent40Women."40The40independent40variable4
0was40probably
A.40women
B.40race
C.40sexual40activity
D.40adolescence40-40ans-B
Which40of40the40following40is40most40clearly40a40list40of40variables40(as40opposed40to40attribute
s)?
A.4055,40violent,40social40class
B.40occupation,40religion,40educational40level
C.40male,40Buddhist,40educational40level
D.40social40worker,40professor,40garbage40man40-40ans-B
Correct Answers
Sally40examines40the40grades40she40receives40for40class40participation.40Recalling40her40prio
r40semester40she40writes40down40that40she40received40a4010/1040from40Ms.40Smith40and40a409/
1040from40Ms.40Baxter,404/1040from40Mr.40Cagney,403/1040from40Mr.40Wiley40and4010/1040from
40Ms.40Dona.40She40realizes40that40she40spoke40a40lot40in40classes40with40Smith,40Baxter40and4
0Dona40and40very40little40in40her40other40two40classes.40She40continues40listing40all40of40her40co
llege40courses,40the40gender40of40the40professor40and40whether40or40not40she40spoke40in40clas
s.40She40notices40that40she40tends40to40speak40in40classes40where40the40instructor40is40female
40and40rarely40speaks40when40the40instructor40is40male.40She40realizes40that40homophily40expl
ains40this40tendency.40Sally40is40using
A.40inductive40reasoning
B.40reductionism
C.40qualitative40analysis
D.40deductive40reasoning40-40ans-A
What40can40explain40the40spurious40positive40relationship40between40the40number40of40fire40tr
ucks40dispatched40and40the40amount40of40fire40damage?
A.40Fires40are40more40likely40during40heat40waves40in40the40summer,40which40is40precisely40w
hen40most40fire40fighters40are40on40vacation.
B.40The40more40fire40trucks40are40dispatched,40the40more40damage40can40be40prevented.
C.40Large40cities40have40more40fire40trucks40than40small40towns,40and40are40therefore40more40
able40to40cope40with40big40fires.
D.40Large40fires,40which40cause40more40damage,40need40more40fire40trucks.40-40ans-D
Consider40the40following40statements40concerning40your40ability40to40do40well40on40an40exam.
40What40types40of40explanation40are40they?
(1)40You40did40poorly40on40your40first40biology40exam40because40it40is40your40worst40subject,40y
ou40didn't40have40much40time40to40prepare,40you40were40sick,40you40didn't40sleep40well40the40ni
ght40before,40you40overslept40and40showed40up40late,40and40the40person40next40to40you40was40
making40a40lot40of40noise.
(2)40After40840semesters40at40Stony40Brook40and40countless40exams,40you40have40discovered
40that40you40do40better40on40exams40when40you40study40with40a40group.
, A.40(1)40nomothetic;40(2)40idiographic
B.40(1)40idiographic;40(2)40nomothetic
C.40both40nomothetic
D.40both40idiographic40-40ans-B
Which40one40of40the40following40is40the40best40example40of40a40hypothesis?
A.40Older40people40are40more40likely40to40vote40than40younger40people.
B.40Love40is40measured40by40how40often40people40call40each40other.
C.40Gender40negatively40impacts40voting.
D.40Domestic40violence40affects40gender40inequality.40-40ans-A
Based40on40theories40of40gender40socialization,40John40thinks40that40male40students40get40be
tter40grades40in40science40classes40than40female40students.40He40surveyed4020040students40
on40campus,40asking40about40their40gender40and40their40grades40in40biology40and40chemistry.
40He40found40that40female40students40have40higher40grades40than40male40students.40John40is4
0using
A.40inductive40reasoning
B.40qualitative40analysis
C.40deductive40reasoning
D.40reductionism40-40ans-C
Which40one40of40the40following40is40the40best40example40of40a40hypothesis
A.40Religion40affects40substance40use.
B.40The40wage40gap40is40affected40by40gender40inequality.
C.40Dogs40are40better40than40cats.
D.40As40gender40inequality40increases,40the40wage40gap40increases.40-40ans-D
A40study40reported40in40American40Sociological40Review40(1994)40was40entitled40"Race40Diff
erences40in40Sexual40Activity40Among40Adolescent40Women."40The40independent40variable4
0was40probably
A.40women
B.40race
C.40sexual40activity
D.40adolescence40-40ans-B
Which40of40the40following40is40most40clearly40a40list40of40variables40(as40opposed40to40attribute
s)?
A.4055,40violent,40social40class
B.40occupation,40religion,40educational40level
C.40male,40Buddhist,40educational40level
D.40social40worker,40professor,40garbage40man40-40ans-B
