WGU C273 Introduction to Sociology Quiz Bank
2025/2026
LEVEL 1 – FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS & TERMS (30 Q)
1. C. Wright Mills’ “sociological imagination” encourages people to:
A. Ignore historical forces
B. Focus only on micro-level events
C. Link personal troubles to public issues
D. Avoid statistical reasoning
Answer: C – Sociological imagination links biography & history.
2. (ASA 2025) Which statement best expresses functionalism?
A. Society is a system of inter-dependent parts
B. Power is the central organizing principle
C. Everyday interaction creates reality
D. Class conflict drives change
Answer: A – Functionalism stresses latent/manifest functions.
3. Who coined “survival of the fittest” to describe social evolution?
A. Karl Marx
B. Herbert Spencer
C. Max Weber
D. W.E.B. Du Bois
Answer: B – Spencer; social Darwinism.
4. Ethnocentrism is BEST defined as:
A. Cultural relativism applied globally
B. Judging another culture by one’s own standards
C. Recognizing cultural universals
D. Practicing participant observation
Answer: B – Ethnocentrism = in-group superiority lens.
5. Which element is NOT part of culture?
A. Language
B. Values
C. instincts
D. Artifacts
Answer: C – Instincts are biological, not learned culture.
, 6. A norm governing daily etiquette (e.g., elevator silence) is a:
A. Mores
B. Taboo
C. Folkway
D. Law
Answer: C – Folkways = routine conventions.
7. Research ethics demand:
A. Deception whenever useful
B. Informed consent unless waived by IRB
C. No confidentiality for minors
D. Mandatory random assignment
Answer: B – ASA Code 2025: informed consent baseline.
8. (2025 Data) U.S. adults using TikTok as primary news source rose to 37 %. This
illustrates:
A. Cultural lag
B. Material culture
C. Innovation
D. Diffusion
Answer: A – Cultural lag = normative adjustment delay behind tech.
9. The first department of sociology in the U.S. was founded at:
A. Columbia
B. University of Chicago
C. Harvard
D. Berkeley
Answer: B – Chicago School (1892).
10. Qualitative data is characterized by:
A. Numerical operationalization
B. Thick description & meanings
C. Hypothesis-deductive logic
D. Closed-ended surveys
Answer: B – Qualitative = narrative depth.
LEVEL 2 – THEORETICAL APPLICATION & ANALYSIS (40 Q)
11. Scenario: A city installs LED streetlights, crime drops 14 %. Functionalists would
stress:
A. Power elite profiting from LED contracts
B. Manifest function of improved visibility
2025/2026
LEVEL 1 – FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS & TERMS (30 Q)
1. C. Wright Mills’ “sociological imagination” encourages people to:
A. Ignore historical forces
B. Focus only on micro-level events
C. Link personal troubles to public issues
D. Avoid statistical reasoning
Answer: C – Sociological imagination links biography & history.
2. (ASA 2025) Which statement best expresses functionalism?
A. Society is a system of inter-dependent parts
B. Power is the central organizing principle
C. Everyday interaction creates reality
D. Class conflict drives change
Answer: A – Functionalism stresses latent/manifest functions.
3. Who coined “survival of the fittest” to describe social evolution?
A. Karl Marx
B. Herbert Spencer
C. Max Weber
D. W.E.B. Du Bois
Answer: B – Spencer; social Darwinism.
4. Ethnocentrism is BEST defined as:
A. Cultural relativism applied globally
B. Judging another culture by one’s own standards
C. Recognizing cultural universals
D. Practicing participant observation
Answer: B – Ethnocentrism = in-group superiority lens.
5. Which element is NOT part of culture?
A. Language
B. Values
C. instincts
D. Artifacts
Answer: C – Instincts are biological, not learned culture.
, 6. A norm governing daily etiquette (e.g., elevator silence) is a:
A. Mores
B. Taboo
C. Folkway
D. Law
Answer: C – Folkways = routine conventions.
7. Research ethics demand:
A. Deception whenever useful
B. Informed consent unless waived by IRB
C. No confidentiality for minors
D. Mandatory random assignment
Answer: B – ASA Code 2025: informed consent baseline.
8. (2025 Data) U.S. adults using TikTok as primary news source rose to 37 %. This
illustrates:
A. Cultural lag
B. Material culture
C. Innovation
D. Diffusion
Answer: A – Cultural lag = normative adjustment delay behind tech.
9. The first department of sociology in the U.S. was founded at:
A. Columbia
B. University of Chicago
C. Harvard
D. Berkeley
Answer: B – Chicago School (1892).
10. Qualitative data is characterized by:
A. Numerical operationalization
B. Thick description & meanings
C. Hypothesis-deductive logic
D. Closed-ended surveys
Answer: B – Qualitative = narrative depth.
LEVEL 2 – THEORETICAL APPLICATION & ANALYSIS (40 Q)
11. Scenario: A city installs LED streetlights, crime drops 14 %. Functionalists would
stress:
A. Power elite profiting from LED contracts
B. Manifest function of improved visibility
