AA Social Sciences 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In geography, the term 'demographic transition' refers to:
- Mass migration from rural to urban areas
- The shift from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as societies industrialize (Correct answer)
- Government policies to control population growth
- The changing racial composition of a country's population
Correct answer: The shift from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as societies industrialize
The demographic transition model describes how societies typically move from high fertility and high mortality to low fertility and low mortality as they develop economically.
Question 2: Which psychological defense mechanism involves redirecting negative emotions onto a substitute target?
- Projection
- Rationalization
- Displacement (Correct answer)
- Sublimation
Correct answer: Displacement
Displacement is a defense mechanism in which an individual redirects emotions, especially anger, from the original source to a less threatening substitute.
Question 3: In political science, 'judicial review' is the power of courts to:
- Impeach elected officials for misconduct
- Declare laws unconstitutional and strike them down (Correct answer)
- Confirm presidential appointments to executive offices
- Set tax policy through legal interpretation
Correct answer: Declare laws unconstitutional and strike them down
Judicial review is the authority of courts to examine legislation and executive actions and invalidate those that conflict with the constitution.
Question 4: Which sociological theory views society as a system of interrelated parts that work together to maintain stability?
- Conflict theory
- Symbolic interactionism
- Structural functionalism (Correct answer)
- Social exchange theory
Correct answer: Structural functionalism
Structural functionalism, associated with Émile Durkheim and Talcott Parsons, views society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability.
Question 5: In economics, 'opportunity cost' is best defined as:
- The financial cost of producing one additional unit of a good
- The value of the next best alternative forgone when making a choice (Correct answer)
- The total cost of all inputs used in production
- The cost of missed investment opportunities due to inflation
Correct answer: The value of the next best alternative forgone when making a choice
Opportunity cost is the value of the best alternative sacrificed when a decision is made, reflecting the true cost of any choice.
Question 6: The concept of 'diffusion of responsibility' in social psychology explains why:
- People in authority tend to make riskier decisions
- Individuals in groups are less likely to take action in an emergency (Correct answer)
- Minority groups rarely influence majority opinions
- People underestimate their own role in group failures
Correct answer: Individuals in groups are less likely to take action in an emergency
Diffusion of responsibility occurs when individuals in a group feel less personally responsible for action because they assume others will step in.
Question 7: In cultural geography, a 'lingua franca' refers to:
- The native language of a colonizing power
- A language used as a common medium of communication among speakers of different native languages (Correct answer)
- A dialect that has evolved from two parent languages
- The official national language adopted by a government
Correct answer: A language used as a common medium of communication among speakers of different native languages
A lingua franca is a language used for communication between groups that do not share a native language, such as English in international business.
AA Social Sciences 4
In geography, the term 'demographic transition' refers to: