Comm 142 Midterm Questions with
complete solution 2025/2026
social power - correct answer ✔the ability/amount one actor controls another actor's happiness. This
requires 2+ people!
power as a battery - correct answer ✔when you use a battery, it runs low and needs to be recharged
before you can use it again. The bigger the battery, the more use you can get from it; similar to the more
power one has, the more power one can use. Power is potential here, it is not an action or behavior. It's
the potential to control somebody
dominance - correct answer ✔using power in communication
hegemony - correct answer ✔tactical uses of power that convince the resistor to believe that they
want to do the undesired act.
-this conserves power because the other actor will do whatever you want them to without using your
power
power as a trash compactor - correct answer ✔whenever you use power, there is an equal force of
resistance that will come at the power actor. If there is no resistance, you do not need to use power
emergent properties (from Durkheim) - correct answer ✔any characteristic/phenomena that cannot be
reduced to its substrate.
-ex of the chalkboard letter "C" formed by a ton of little dots
-power is a dynamic/group phenomena which is why we must study groups to understand it
-ex: the age of our class is more important than the individual age of our students that create the class
Exchange Theory - correct answer ✔We are always looking for our better option based on what makes
us happy.
, -Thibault & Kelly say we are constantly trying to make ourselves happier
-We are after the better choice not the best choice because we probably will never have the chance to
get the best choice
-Its a theory that takes the discipline of economics and applies it to sociology
-The structural position will determine who will have the power over the other two actors
-utility
-opportunity cost
-social goods - correct answer ✔-happiness
-anytime you spend your time/effort/money/attention/ect doing something, you are losing time doing
something else... this is what we use to measure our decisions and what is the best deal for us to invest
time into
- things that make life worth living, give it happiness, and that you can only receive from other people.
-diminishing marginal utility
-Self-esteem - correct answer ✔-recurring action over time will have a smaller effect each time it
happens
-your idea of how much you are worth
-CL
-CLalt
-O - correct answer ✔-the base-line level of happiness that a relationship has to give you in order to
stay in it. (this is sunjective)
-the happiest level you expect from the best possible alternative.
-the level of happiness you are currently at
Theory of Power Dependence - correct answer ✔Power of a/b= Dependence of b/a (Pab=Dba)
complete solution 2025/2026
social power - correct answer ✔the ability/amount one actor controls another actor's happiness. This
requires 2+ people!
power as a battery - correct answer ✔when you use a battery, it runs low and needs to be recharged
before you can use it again. The bigger the battery, the more use you can get from it; similar to the more
power one has, the more power one can use. Power is potential here, it is not an action or behavior. It's
the potential to control somebody
dominance - correct answer ✔using power in communication
hegemony - correct answer ✔tactical uses of power that convince the resistor to believe that they
want to do the undesired act.
-this conserves power because the other actor will do whatever you want them to without using your
power
power as a trash compactor - correct answer ✔whenever you use power, there is an equal force of
resistance that will come at the power actor. If there is no resistance, you do not need to use power
emergent properties (from Durkheim) - correct answer ✔any characteristic/phenomena that cannot be
reduced to its substrate.
-ex of the chalkboard letter "C" formed by a ton of little dots
-power is a dynamic/group phenomena which is why we must study groups to understand it
-ex: the age of our class is more important than the individual age of our students that create the class
Exchange Theory - correct answer ✔We are always looking for our better option based on what makes
us happy.
, -Thibault & Kelly say we are constantly trying to make ourselves happier
-We are after the better choice not the best choice because we probably will never have the chance to
get the best choice
-Its a theory that takes the discipline of economics and applies it to sociology
-The structural position will determine who will have the power over the other two actors
-utility
-opportunity cost
-social goods - correct answer ✔-happiness
-anytime you spend your time/effort/money/attention/ect doing something, you are losing time doing
something else... this is what we use to measure our decisions and what is the best deal for us to invest
time into
- things that make life worth living, give it happiness, and that you can only receive from other people.
-diminishing marginal utility
-Self-esteem - correct answer ✔-recurring action over time will have a smaller effect each time it
happens
-your idea of how much you are worth
-CL
-CLalt
-O - correct answer ✔-the base-line level of happiness that a relationship has to give you in order to
stay in it. (this is sunjective)
-the happiest level you expect from the best possible alternative.
-the level of happiness you are currently at
Theory of Power Dependence - correct answer ✔Power of a/b= Dependence of b/a (Pab=Dba)
