LETRS UNIT 5 - 8 PRETEST
CERTIFICATION SCRIPT 2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◍ Mark Granovetter.
Answer: Who coined the paradoxical term "the strength of weak ties?"
◍ What is the central thesis about delinquent gangs?.
Answer: Gangs are near-groups, not fully structured social groups, nor
mobs.
◍ Embedded.
Answer: When two people who have a direct tie also have indirect ties
reinforcing their relationship, their direct tie is described as what?
◍ What is the "Mediator" role in a triad?.
Answer: The third person helps resolve conflict between the other two
◍ What happens when group size increases?.
Answer: Increasing quantity produces entirely new social phenomena not
present in smaller groups
◍ What is the main idea of "The Strength of Weak Ties"?.
Answer: Weak ties (acquaintances) are important for spreading information
and connecting separate groups.
◍ What is the "super-individual character" of a group?.
Answer: The group takes on a life of its own, absorbing individual
differences
◍ Dense social network.
, Answer: In what kind of social network would norms of reciprocity
develop?
◍ Why are gangs often misunderstood?.
Answer: Observers (media, police, social workers) project "group" structure
onto gangs that are actually loosely organized
◍ Why are brokers important for intervention strategies?.
Answer: Removing or targeting brokers can disrupt communication and
coordination
◍ What is role definition like in a near-group?.
Answer: Roles are vague, individualized, and shift based on emotional needs
◍ What is a dense social network?.
Answer: A network where most members have direct ties with one another
and indirect ties to all others
◍ Hypothesis.
Answer: When a researcher makes a prediction that one variable will affect
another variable, he or she may state this as a what?
◍ FALSE Material culture = man made.
Answer: T/FA society's material culture is provided by Nature.
◍ How did early Christianity grow, according to Stark?.
Answer: Through social networks during times of crisis (e.g., epidemics),
when Christians provided care and support
◍ True.
Answer: T/FThe dependent variable comes after an independent variable.
◍ FALSETylor's definition of culture includes the whole.
Answer: T/FTylor's definition of culture precisely excludes what cannot be
called culture.
◍ Who was Lewis Yablonsky?.
Answer: An American Sociologist who studied New York gang members in
the 1960s and 1970s
, ◍ Ideal Type.
Answer: A perfect description which lists all of the characteristics of a social
phenomenon is a what?
◍ Uniplex Tie.
Answer: When there is only one reason why two people have a relationship
within a social network, they have a what?
◍ Causal Mechanism.
Answer: The factor or process which explains why an independent variable
has an effect on a dependent variable is what?
◍ Validity.
Answer: When a researcher claims that his survey measures the social
characteristics it is intended to measure, he is confident that his data have
what?
◍ How can outside intervention change gangs?.
Answer: Treating them as formal groups may solidify their structure
◍ What is culture?.
Answer: The shared values, beliefs, norms, behaviors, and meanings of a
group
◍ FALSE.
Answer: T/FStark observes that pagan social networks remained intact
during the plagues of 165 and 251 AD.
◍ Role.
Answer: An individual in a secondary group and in an institution will know
how to act because he or she is filling a what?
◍ Why can't gang members define gang size accurately?.
Answer: Membership is fluid and includes imagined ("fantasy") members
◍ Sociological research would not be generalizable if the sample was not a
representative sample..
Answer: Why might sociological research not be generalizable?
CERTIFICATION SCRIPT 2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◍ Mark Granovetter.
Answer: Who coined the paradoxical term "the strength of weak ties?"
◍ What is the central thesis about delinquent gangs?.
Answer: Gangs are near-groups, not fully structured social groups, nor
mobs.
◍ Embedded.
Answer: When two people who have a direct tie also have indirect ties
reinforcing their relationship, their direct tie is described as what?
◍ What is the "Mediator" role in a triad?.
Answer: The third person helps resolve conflict between the other two
◍ What happens when group size increases?.
Answer: Increasing quantity produces entirely new social phenomena not
present in smaller groups
◍ What is the main idea of "The Strength of Weak Ties"?.
Answer: Weak ties (acquaintances) are important for spreading information
and connecting separate groups.
◍ What is the "super-individual character" of a group?.
Answer: The group takes on a life of its own, absorbing individual
differences
◍ Dense social network.
, Answer: In what kind of social network would norms of reciprocity
develop?
◍ Why are gangs often misunderstood?.
Answer: Observers (media, police, social workers) project "group" structure
onto gangs that are actually loosely organized
◍ Why are brokers important for intervention strategies?.
Answer: Removing or targeting brokers can disrupt communication and
coordination
◍ What is role definition like in a near-group?.
Answer: Roles are vague, individualized, and shift based on emotional needs
◍ What is a dense social network?.
Answer: A network where most members have direct ties with one another
and indirect ties to all others
◍ Hypothesis.
Answer: When a researcher makes a prediction that one variable will affect
another variable, he or she may state this as a what?
◍ FALSE Material culture = man made.
Answer: T/FA society's material culture is provided by Nature.
◍ How did early Christianity grow, according to Stark?.
Answer: Through social networks during times of crisis (e.g., epidemics),
when Christians provided care and support
◍ True.
Answer: T/FThe dependent variable comes after an independent variable.
◍ FALSETylor's definition of culture includes the whole.
Answer: T/FTylor's definition of culture precisely excludes what cannot be
called culture.
◍ Who was Lewis Yablonsky?.
Answer: An American Sociologist who studied New York gang members in
the 1960s and 1970s
, ◍ Ideal Type.
Answer: A perfect description which lists all of the characteristics of a social
phenomenon is a what?
◍ Uniplex Tie.
Answer: When there is only one reason why two people have a relationship
within a social network, they have a what?
◍ Causal Mechanism.
Answer: The factor or process which explains why an independent variable
has an effect on a dependent variable is what?
◍ Validity.
Answer: When a researcher claims that his survey measures the social
characteristics it is intended to measure, he is confident that his data have
what?
◍ How can outside intervention change gangs?.
Answer: Treating them as formal groups may solidify their structure
◍ What is culture?.
Answer: The shared values, beliefs, norms, behaviors, and meanings of a
group
◍ FALSE.
Answer: T/FStark observes that pagan social networks remained intact
during the plagues of 165 and 251 AD.
◍ Role.
Answer: An individual in a secondary group and in an institution will know
how to act because he or she is filling a what?
◍ Why can't gang members define gang size accurately?.
Answer: Membership is fluid and includes imagined ("fantasy") members
◍ Sociological research would not be generalizable if the sample was not a
representative sample..
Answer: Why might sociological research not be generalizable?
