Quiz: Introduction to the Social Sciences — 14 questions

1. What does economics study when examining how societies handle resources?

A. How individuals create meanings through social interactions

B. How scarce resources are produced, exchanged, and distributed

C. How political institutions enforce laws across communities

D. How cultural traditions are transmitted between generations

Answer: (B)

Explanation

Economics examines the production, exchange, and distribution of scarce resources. Sociology is the field more closely associated with studying behaviors and the meanings individuals give them.

2. Which description best identifies a scarce resource?

A. A resource whose quantity changes but has no human value

B. A useful resource available in a limited quantity

C. A resource available in abundance with no practical use

D. A useful resource that can be obtained without constraints

Answer: (B)

Explanation

A scarce resource is both useful and limited in availability. Abundance or lack of usefulness means a resource does not fit this economic definition of scarcity.

3. Which response to scarcity involves combining resources before making them available to members of a society?

A. Exchanging resources

B. Specializing in production

C. Pooling resources

D. Allowing independent action

Answer: (C)

Explanation

Pooling resources means bringing resources together for collective use. Allowing independent action leaves resource decisions to individuals rather than combining them.

4. A community wants to manage its resources by reducing household use of electricity. Which strategy does this represent?

A. Increasing resource waste

B. Restricting consumption

C. Consuming more renewable resources

D. Cultivating resources

Answer: (B)

Explanation

Reducing household electricity use is an example of restricting consumption. Consuming more renewable resources would involve increasing use of resources that can regenerate within a relevant period.

5. A city's budget rises from 6.2 billion euros to 11 billion euros. Which calculation gives the absolute difference between the two values?

A. $11 + 6.2 = 17.2$ billion euros

B. $6.2 - 11 = -4.8$ billion euros

C. $11 \div 6.2 \approx 1.8$

D. $11 - 6.2 = 4.8$ billion euros

Answer: (D)

Explanation

The difference is found by subtracting the starting value from the arrival value, giving $11 - 6.2 = 4.8$ billion euros. Dividing the values instead calculates the multiplicative coefficient.

6. Which expression calculates the multiplicative coefficient when a value changes from a starting value to an arrival value?

A. $\frac{\text{arrival value}}{\text{starting value}}$

B. $\text{arrival value} - \text{starting value}$

C. $\text{arrival value} + \text{starting value}$

D. $\frac{\text{starting value}}{\text{arrival value}}$

Answer: (A)

Explanation

The multiplicative coefficient is calculated by dividing the arrival value by the starting value. Subtracting the starting value instead produces the absolute difference.

7. A budget increases from 6.2 billion euros to 11 billion euros. Which statement correctly compares the two budgets?

A. It decreases by 4.8 billion euros and becomes about 1.8 times as large

B. It increases by 4.8 billion euros and becomes about 1.8 times as large

C. It increases by 17.2 billion euros and becomes about 0.6 times as large

D. It increases by 1.8 billion euros and becomes about 4.8 times as large

Answer: (B)

Explanation

Subtracting gives $11 - 6.2 = 4.8$ billion euros, while dividing gives $11 \div 6.2 \approx 1.8$. The alternative statements confuse addition, subtraction, or the direction of change with the multiplicative comparison.

8. What does sociology study when examining human behavior?

A. The conquest and exercise of political power within a society

B. The legal rules governing relationships between individuals and institutions

C. The production and distribution of scarce resources in an economy

D. The influence of personal characteristics and the meanings people give their actions

Answer: (D)

Explanation

Sociology examines how characteristics such as age and sex influence behavior and how individuals interpret their own actions. Political science, by contrast, focuses on acquiring and exercising political power rather than on behavior and its meaning.

9. According to INJEP's 2021 figures for France, what percentage of women held a sports license?

A. 46%

B. 62%

C. 71%

D. 25%

Answer: (C)

Explanation

INJEP reported that 71% of women in France held a sports license in 2021. The 62% figure refers to people aged 50 or over, while the other values do not represent this reported share.

10. If 62% of people aged 50 or over held a sports license in 2021, what was the corresponding share among 16- to 24-year-olds?

A. 87%

B. 25%

C. 37%

D. 71%

Answer: (A)

Explanation

The share for 16- to 24-year-olds was 25 percentage points higher than 62%, giving 87%. The 71% figure concerns women, and 37% and 25% do not result from the stated comparison.

11. Which set of information is needed for a rigorous interpretation of quantitative data?

A. The author, date, geographical area, figure, unit, and population studied

B. The topic, opinion, conclusion, publication style, and intended audience

C. The location, policy response, historical context, media coverage, and public reaction

D. The sample size, research budget, institution, title, and questionnaire length

Answer: (A)

Explanation

A rigorous reading identifies who produced the data, when and where they apply, what the numerical figure and unit are, and which population was studied. The other sets include contextual or administrative details but omit essential elements such as the figure and its unit.

12. What is the central subject of political science?

A. The production, exchange, and distribution of scarce economic resources

B. The interpretation of laws governing private agreements and transactions

C. The influence of age, culture, and education on individual behavior

D. The mechanisms for conquering and exercising political power in society

Answer: (D)

Explanation

Political science studies how political power is acquired and exercised within a society. The production, exchange, and distribution of scarce resources belong to economics, which is the key distinction tested here.

13. Which situation illustrates inherited political power rather than power obtained through voting?

A. Authority passes to a successor according to an established family line

B. Officials are selected by drawing lots from an eligible group

C. Different sectors receive responsibility for separate policy decisions

D. Citizens choose a leader by participating in a public election

Answer: (A)

Explanation

Inherited power transfers authority through succession, often within a ruling family or established line. Voting involves public participation to select leaders, while drawing lots and sectoral allocation are different methods of organizing political authority.

14. What occurred at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024 concerning Russia and Belarus?

A. Russia and Belarus organized a parallel tournament during the Games

B. Russia and its ally Belarus were not invited to the Games

C. Russia and Belarus withdrew after being selected as official co-hosts

D. Russia and Belarus jointly hosted the opening and closing ceremonies

Answer: (B)

Explanation

In 2024, Russia and its ally Belarus were not invited to the Paris Olympic Games. The other choices describe hosting, withdrawal after selection, or a parallel event, none of which matches the stated event.