Study Guide

Field 249: Social Science: Sociology and Anthropology 
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions

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Each multiple-choice question has four answer choices. Read each question and its answer choices carefully and choose the ONE best answer.

During the test you should try to answer all questions. Even if you are unsure of an answer, it is better to guess than not to answer a question at all. You will NOT be penalized for choosing an incorrect response.

Objective 0001 
Understand basic sources, tools, and methods of social science inquiry and interdisciplinary connections among the social sciences.

1. A social science researcher would be most likely to use sampling techniques in conducting which of the following research projects?

  1. a study of demographic changes on one city block over time
  2. an exploration of untreated depression in people statewide
  3. a report on ritual mask use in modern and ancient Maori culture
  4. a comparison of campaign finance laws in five contiguous states
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
Sampling is the process of selecting a small number of representative units from a population of interest, so that results based on studying the sample can be generalized to the population from which they were chosen. Sampling is most appropriate when the population exists in the present and is too large to allow for a full census.

Objective 0002 
Understand the use of analysis, interpretation, and evaluation in social science inquiry and basic historical concepts.

2. A high school social science teacher has assigned students a semester-long research project. One instructional goal for the research project is for students to demonstrate their ability to evaluate sources throughout the inquiry process. The teacher could best accomplish this goal by:

  1. requiring students to utilize primary sources.
  2. steering students toward an academic database to conduct their research.
  3. having students submit an annotated bibliography.
  4. including a "source analysis" component on the grading rubric for the project.
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.
An annotated bibliography is a list of sources on one topic that includes a brief note or annotation for each source, describing its content, relevance, and credibility. By having students submit annotated bibliographies, the teacher requires students to evaluate their sources and gains an opportunity to assess their progress toward this instructional goal.

Objective 0002 
Understand the use of analysis, interpretation, and evaluation in social science inquiry and basic historical concepts.

3. For which of the following tasks would historians rely most on chronological thinking?

  1. identifying central questions in narratives
  2. explaining historical causality
  3. proposing alternative choices for addressing a historical problem
  4. considering multiple perspectives
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
Much of the work of historians involves the ambiguities of cause and effect. Because causes precede effects, sometimes by extended periods, historians can begin to consider questions of historical causality by tracing events chronologically.

Objective 0003 
Understand the process of reading, and apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' reading development in the social science classroom.

4. Use the sentence below to answer the question that follows.

By developing new products and/or starting new businesses and being willing to take on the associated risks of such endeavors,  start underline entrepreneurs end underline  play a key role in helping an economy grow.

A teacher could best promote students' understanding of the underlined vocabulary word in the sentence by providing explicit instruction in which of the following types of context clues?

  1. contrast
  2. explanation
  3. inference
  4. restatement
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
Many educational texts are carefully written to include information that can serve as context clues to support students' reading comprehension. Generally, however, students need to be taught how to recognize and access the several types of context clues. In this text, the term entrepreneur is introduced with the help of an explanation clue, in which the new vocabulary word is explained within the same sentence. Explanation clues can also appear in the sentence immediately preceding or following the sentence containing the target word.

Objective 0003 
Understand the process of reading, and apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' reading development in the social science classroom.

5. A high school social science class includes some English language learners and struggling readers who lack the basic reading skills necessary to comprehend complex informational texts. Which of the following strategies for differentiating reading assignments for these students would be most appropriate for a content-area teacher to use to address the students' reading comprehension needs?

  1. teaching the students the basic reading skills that they lack and then reviewing key skills before assigning a new text for independent reading
  2. using a variety of techniques to promote the students' development of oral reading fluency with respect to an assigned text, such as phrase-cued reading, choral reading, and echo reading
  3. introducing key vocabulary to the students prior to assigning a new text and having them read aloud, discuss, and annotate the text with a partner
  4. allowing the students to search for an alternative text online that addresses the same topic as an assigned text but is written for a grade level that is better aligned with their own reading level
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.
Lack of academic language knowledge is a common contributing factor to comprehension difficulties for students who are English language learners and/or struggling readers. Providing English language learners and struggling readers with explicit instruction in a text's key academic vocabulary, coupled with repeated meaningful exposure to and practice using the new vocabulary (e.g., by having them read aloud and discuss the text with a partner) is an effective approach for enhancing the students' comprehension of new academic language in a complex informational text. Finally, annotating the text with a partner requires the students to use various means (e.g., sticky notes, highlighting, notes in the text's margins) during reading to identify the text's key ideas and details, including the author's argument, claims, and evidence. Text annotation reinforces students' reading comprehension as well as their retention of essential text content.

Objective 0004 
Understand political concepts, systems, features, and processes in the United States and other world areas.

6. The U.S. Congress is best able to influence foreign policy by exercising its constitutional power to:

  1. regulate international commerce.
  2. establish independent regulatory commissions.
  3. appropriate federal funds.
  4. approve or reject presidential appointments.
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.
The power to tax and spend is the first of the enumerated powers given to Congress in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. One illustrative example of Congress influencing foreign policy through the "power of the purse" is the Boland Amendments to the Defense Appropriations Act during the 1980s. This series of amendments banned U.S. assistance to the Nicaraguan Contra rebels.

Objective 0005 
Understand economic concepts and systems, the operation of the U.S. and world economies, and personal finance.

7. A consumer who is choosing between a credit card with a high interest rate and no annual fee and one with a low interest rate and a substantial annual fee should consider spending habits primarily for which of the following reasons?

  1. If the consumer's large purchases are seasonal, an annual fee may seem burdensome.
  2. If the consumer's purchases are mostly made with cash, a high interest rate is more affordable.
  3. If the consumer spends the same amount each month, a high annual fee may be critical.
  4. If the consumer limits purchases and pays the bill in full each month, the interest rate is irrelevant.
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.
The scenario illustrates the common economic phenomenon of a trade-off where an advantage comes with the opportunity cost of an offsetting disadvantage. The disadvantage of the first credit card, a high interest rate on balances carried forward, can be avoided if the consumer does not carry a balance and instead pays the credit card bill in full each month.

Objective 0006 
Understand major developments and patterns of continuity and change in world history.

8. Which of the following developments reflects an important consequence of the Neolithic agricultural revolution?

  1. the emergence of pietistic religions
  2. a more equitable distribution of wealth
  3. a decrease in average family size
  4. the creation of permanent settlements
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.
In the Paleolithic Era, early humans lived in small groups sustained by hunting and gathering. As they gained knowledge of the migration habits of the animals they hunted and the growth patterns of the wild grains they gathered, humans began domesticating animals and cultivating crops to feed gradually rising populations. As early as 10,000 B C E, these new ways of acquiring food led humans to establish permanent agricultural villages.

Objective 0007 
Understand major developments and patterns of continuity and change in U.S. history.

9. The increased use of steam power by U.S. manufacturers during the first half of the nineteenth century most directly influenced the:

  1. location and productivity of factories.
  2. division of labor in factories.
  3. variety of goods produced in factories.
  4. quality of goods produced in factories.
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
The development of steam power marked a signal advance in the ability to do work, which had previously been limited to the muscle power of humans and draft animals supplemented by energy generated by wind and running water. Steam requires the burning of wood or, more commonly, coal to boil water, so the factories that used steam power tended to be located near sources of those raw materials. Furthermore, steam-powered factories required substantial human labor and produced large amounts of consumer goods, encouraging a concentration of population into fast-growing urban centers.

Objective 0007 
Understand major developments and patterns of continuity and change in U.S. history.

10. Which of the following provisions of the U.S. Constitution most clearly reflects the framers' goal of creating a strong national government after the failure of the Articles of Confederation?

  1. "The Congress shall have power to ... make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, all other powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States."
  2. "[The president] shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for."
  3. "The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be by jury; and such trial shall be held in the State where the said crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the trial shall be at such place or places as the Congress may by law have directed."
  4. "The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a republican form of Government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened), against domestic violence."
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
The Constitution enumerates seventeen specific delegated powers to Congress, several of which are substantially more expansive than the powers of its predecessor under the Articles of Confederation. In addition, the Constitution gives Congress "implied powers" to legislate on other matters that "shall be necessary and proper." This clause gives Congress and the national government generally much more power than the central government that had been established by the Articles of Confederation.

Objective 0008 
Understand tools, concepts, and processes of human and physical geography.

11. Which of the following examples best illustrates how experience and culture influence human perceptions of regions?

  1. A person from Canada is more likely than a person from Guatemala to view Latin America as a culture region.
  2. A person from Italy is more likely than a person from Spain to view Western Europe as a culture region.
  3. A person from South Africa is more likely than a person from Egypt to view sub-Saharan Africa as a culture region.
  4. A person from Malaysia is more likely than a person from Thailand to view Southeast Asia as a culture region.
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
In geography, a region is an area of land that shares one or more characteristic features. Because many regions are defined by their human features, such as the predominant languages, ethnicities, and economic activities across an area, cultural background and personal experiences can influence how people perceive regions. For example, an individual living in Guatemala may be attuned to cultural differences across Central and South America, while an individual living in Canada may be more likely to perceive Latin America as a cohesive region.

Objective 0009 
Understand concepts, terms, and theories related to human behavior and development, the study of cultures, the structure and organization of human societies, and the processes of social interaction.

12. A major sociological difference between preindustrial and postindustrial societies is that in a preindustrial society:

  1. gender roles are likely to be less rigidly defined.
  2. social status is more likely to be determined by nonmonetary standards.
  3. people are less likely to integrate religious and secular concerns.
  4. an individual's sense of self is more likely to be shaped by occupational role.
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: B.
Because preindustrial societies operate close to subsistence level, mass participation in producing food is required. In many such societies, the most monetized classes—such as people engaged in mercantile trade�have lower social status than warriors, priests, and landowners. In industrial and postindustrial societies, social classes become even more stratified, with monetary accumulation typically measuring social status.

Objective 0010 
Understand basic sociological concepts, perspectives, and modes of inquiry.

13. Which of the following scenarios best demonstrates the effect of social context on an individual's driving-related behavior?

  1. A teenage driver is distracted as a result of using a cell phone to call friends while driving.
  2. An adult driver adheres to the posted speed limits for many months after being caught speeding.
  3. A teenager performs better on a written driver exam than on the road test.
  4. An adult driver adopts a more aggressive driving style when driving in a city than in a small town.
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: D.
Social context refers to those aspects of the social environment that shape or constrain one's actions. Individuals modify their behaviors to adapt to different social settings, which determine their range of choices and the standards by which they make choices. When a person who exhibits nonaggressive driving habits in a small town adopts more aggressive behaviors in a city, where such behaviors are more likely to be the norm, the person is demonstrating the effect of social context.

Objective 0010 
Understand basic sociological concepts, perspectives, and modes of inquiry.

14. Which of the following statements best expresses Émile Durkheim's functional theory of religion?

  1. Religion reinforces social cohesion, social control, and solidarity.
  2. Religious rituals help reduce individual anxiety and uncertainty.
  3. Religion provides a superficial form of comfort to the poor.
  4. Religion expresses people's unconscious thoughts, wishes, and concerns.
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
According to Émile Durkheim's functional theory of religion, religious beliefs and rituals are considered sacred and communal by the members of a religious community. The members' adherence to these beliefs and rituals engenders strong communal bonds that affect everyday life and behaviors by reinforcing social cohesion, social control, and solidarity.

Objective 0011 
Understand concepts and processes related to culture, groups, institutions, and society.

15. Which of the following best describes the relationship between society and culture?

  1. Society is defined by a broad set of abstract concepts such as values and beliefs, while culture is the physical embodiment of these concepts.
  2. The development of a shared set of cultural artifacts and norms fosters a group identity that becomes a society.
  3. Through their interactions, people define the boundaries of their society and create shared products and meanings that constitute their culture.
  4. Unlike culture, which is an unchanging set of customs and traditions, society is in a state of constant flux.
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.
Sociologists define society as a goup of people who share a common territory and culture. Culture includes the beliefs, behaviors, objects, traditions, customs, and types of human interactions that shape society. The people who adhere to the cultural norms that are prevalent within their society are viewed as being within the boundaries of that society.

Objective 0012 
Understand social relationships and processes related to socialization, social stratification and inequality, and cultural conformity and deviance.

16. Which of the following statements best explains why social stratification tends to become less rigid as a society industrializes?

  1. Opportunities for advancement expand as a society places greater value on individual abilities.
  2. Birth becomes a less important determinant of social status.
  3. Related advances in transportation and communication encourage movement from rural to urban areas.
  4. Increases in a society's total wealth promote greater social mobility.
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
While social stratification tends to be relatively rigid in traditional societies, with social position based mainly on status at birth, industrialized societies allow for mobility between social strata by placing more emphasis on the achieved status of individuals and less emphasis on their ascribed status. Economic growth depends on and generates new opportunities for the development of personal skills, requiring education and training that enable individuals to move across socially stratified positions. The value placed on the abilities individuals acquire in an industrialized society explains why in this type of society social stratification becomes less rigid.

Objective 0013 
Understand basic anthropological concepts, perspectives, and modes of inquiry.

17. A teacher of a high school anthropology class is planning a unit on research methods used by anthropologists. Which of the following assignments would best serve as a formative assessment of students' understanding of this topic?

  1. Provide students with a comprehensive overview of a research project conducted by an anthropologist and have them critique the research method(s) used.
  2. Have students select one anthropological research method to describe in detail and then identify a study for which use of that method would be particularly appropriate.
  3. Provide students with several anthropological research questions and ask them to explain which research method would best be used to investigate each question.
  4. Have small groups of students locate a description of an anthropological research project online and then identify the primary research method(s) used in the project.
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.
Formative assessment enables a teacher to evaluate students' understanding during the learning process so the teacher can determine how to modify his or her instruction to meet current student needs and improve achievement. By asking students to identify and explain the research methods that would best be used to explore particular anthropological research questions, the teacher can assess the students' ability to apply many aspects of the content covered in the unit and identify content for which additional reinforcement is needed.

Objective 0014 
Understand patterns and processes related to human unity and diversity, culture, and cultural evolution and change.

18. Nearly all cultures have provisions for the socially sanctioned divorce of married couples. Accepted rationales for divorce across societies are most frequently a reflection of:

  1. cultural expectations for the life span of a marriage in the society.
  2. social norms condemning infidelity by marriage partners.
  3. cultural goals associated with the reasons for marriage in the society.
  4. economic issues related to the family and the society.
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.
In most societies, marriage is a social institution that is intended to achieve certain goals for individuals, families, and society as a whole. These goals may include, for example, meeting material needs, providing social support, socializing children, and creating new relationships between families and other kinds of kin groups. In a given society, divorce is most likely to be considered acceptable when a marriage fails to meet one or more of the goals it was intended to achieve.

Objective 0015 
Understand the construction of individual identity, boundaries between human groups, and global connections.

19. A major difference between redistribution and reciprocity as forms of exchange is that redistribution:

  1. provides a means for individuals and groups to create and strengthen social and political relationships.
  2. is less likely to involve conflict over who receives what share of goods and resources.
  3. is more likely to rely on a central authority to determine how goods will be shared among recipients.
  4. permits individuals and groups to pass resources back and forth among themselves.
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: C.
Reciprocity is a form of exchange in which individuals or groups pass products back and forth for the purpose of sharing with someone in need, creating or maintaining social relationships, or gaining access to products made by others. Redistribution, in contrast, is a form of exchange in which the members of a group contribute goods or money into a common pool, with a central authority making decisions about how the resources will be reallocated among group members.

Objective 0015 
Understand the construction of individual identity, boundaries between human groups, and global connections.

20. Read the scenario below; then answer the question that follows.

A large company purchases a majority share in a similar company located in a different country. One of the first actions of the new owners is to suggest that profitability would be increased by across-the-board layoffs of 20 percent of the existing workforce at the newly purchased company. Local managers reject the idea, pointing out that many of the targeted employees have worked there for many years, the layoffs would cause economic devastation in the community, and the ill will generated by the layoffs would lead to a drastic reduction in customer loyalty and overall sales.

The scenario best illustrates how:

  1. different cultures can exhibit very different values, attitudes, and assumptions.
  2. cultures exhibit ethnocentrism, creating obstacles to cross-cultural understanding.
  3. cultural differences can hinder the ability of individuals to communicate effectively.
  4. boundaries between societies are usually maintained by various aspects of cultural identity.
Answer and Rationale. Enter to expand or collapse. Answer expanded
Correct Response: A.
Businesses in a particular place tend to be organized in ways that reflect local values, attitudes, and assumptions concerning issues such as efficiency, profit-making, fairness, and accountability. In different cultures, these values, attitudes, and assumptions and their relative importance are often defined in different ways. In the scenario, the conflicting perspectives of the company's owners, who live in one country, and the local managers, who live in another country, illustrate cultural differences in values, attitudes, and assumptions that can lead to different business decisions and priorities.