Exam Two

Sociology 530 - Graduate Social Psychology

December 7, 1992

Answer either question #1, #2, or #3.

1. The superintendent of a recently desegregated school system wants to know what she can do to promote interracial harmony. Using your knowledge of such areas as interpersonal attraction, prejudice, and group processes, explain to the superintendent what factors are likely to affect the formation and stability of interracial friendships. Suggest some policies the schools could adopt that would increase the probability that interracial friendships would form and that they would persist for a significant amount of time. In your discussion, you will want to make it clear what theoretical perspectives and research findings are influencing your answer.

2. Stanley Milgram has said that "the most fundamental lesson of our study is that ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in a terrible destructive process." Explain why he says this. What insights does the research on conformity and obedience give us on why the atrocities of Nazi Germany occurred? To answer this question, you will want to consider what we now know about why and when people conform. You will then want to speculate about how the circumstances of the time or situation made possible the atrocities you are discussing. (NOTE: You can substitute other incidents from history if you prefer - for example, My Lai, the Stalinist purges, etc.)

3. Choose two theoretical perspectives on deviance that you feel sharply differ from each other. Then discuss the following:

a. What are the major propositions of the theories?

b. Choose one deviant behavior from list 1 and one deviant behavior from list 2. Discuss how your two theories would account for the behaviors. Be sure to make it clear how your theories differ in their explanations, and why.

List 1	List 2
1. Drug addiction	1. Anti-military protests
2. Wife-beating	2. Homosexuality
3. Murder	3. Joining the Hare Krishnas
4. Robbery	4. Being on welfare when one is capable of working

Now answer either #4, #5, or #6.

4. During the last decade social psychologists have debated about the development of the field. Much of this debate has focused on the theoretical integration (or lack thereof) which characterizes the discipline (e.g. Stryker's and House's articles during the late 1970's). Discuss the nature of this debate and assess its relevance for the discipline. Illustrate your points with references to some of the specific subjects (e.g. prejudice, status attainment, group decision-making) we have discussed.

5. Throughout the course of the semester, we have often noted how both social variables (such as characteristics of the situation, groups) and psychological variables (such as personality, cognitive processes) affect specific behaviors. What are some of the major conclusions that can now be drawn about the effects of social and psychological variables on behavior in general? Under what conditions and for what types of behavior are social variables more likely to influence behavior, and when are psychological variables most important? How and when do social and psychological variables interact in determining behavior? Support your answer by citing research and findings from at least four (and preferably more) of the topic areas we have covered in this course. (You don't have to refer to all four areas in every part of your discussion.)

6. Symbolic Interactionism is sociologically oriented, while social learning theory and cognitive theory are very psychological. Discuss how two of these perspectives explain (or might explain) behavior in two or more of the following areas (see below). In what major ways do the perspectives agree or disagree in their explanation of each behavior? What are the major strengths/advantages of each perspective for explaining behavior in this area, and what are the major weaknesses/disadvantages?

CHOICES:

You must choose at least one of these three:

a. Leadership

b. Social influence and persuasion

c. Prejudice

Now, you must also choose at least one of the following:

a. interpersonal attraction

b. conformity and obedience

c. status attainment

d. Group decision-making