SOC 130
[Numbers in bold refer to assessment goals represented by the question]
EXAM #3
Spring 2016
Name _____________________________________
1.
1
Which statement best describes the process of conversion to a totalistic religion?
a.
Conversion usually occurs very suddenly.
b.
Sudden changes in talk, demeanor, and appearance indicate that a genuine
conversion has occurred.
c.
New members usually have their conversion experiences before they form
friendships within the group.
d.*
True conversion usually is preceded by role playing that conceals lingering doubts.
2.
Before Buffy runs off with the mysterious Two, she had been feeling “on hold” because her
marriage had ended, her kids had left home, and she wasn’t sure what to do next. This
describes _______ in Lofland and Stark’s theory of conversion:
a.
tension
b.
seekership
c.*
the turning point
d.
weak cult affective bonds
1&2
3.
1&2
4.
1&2
In totalistic religions, new members often display dramatic changes in behavior upon
joining. The most common reason for this is that new members:
a.
suddenly embrace a radically new belief system.
b.
are coerced into saying things they don’t believe
c.*
willingly adopt a new role that prescribes how they should behave.
d.
lose their ability to think rationally because of sleep deprivation and poor nutrition.
According to Steven Hassan’s chapters on “mind control,” which of the following plays the
biggest role in “thought control”?
a.*
loading the language
b.
strict regimentation of everyday life
c.
deindividuation
d.
requiring personal sacrifices to join
5.
1&2
Which of the following would cause the condition William James called the “divided self”?
a.
sudden relief of psychological distress
b.
conversion to a new belief system
c.*
intense guilt over forbidden desires
d.
consensual validation
6.
1
Which factor did not play a significant role in the origins of the Love Family?
a.
strong leadership
b.*
mental illness in the founder
c.
social implosion
d.
insulation from the outside world
7.
According to Lorne Dawson’s chapter, the three main factors contributing to violence in new
religions are:
a.
antinomianism, charismatic leadership, and external threats
b.*
charismatic leadership, social encapsulation, and apocalypticism
c.
social encapsulation, apocalypticism, and brainwashing
1&2
d.
progressive revelation, antinomianism, and social encapsulation
8.
1
Which of the following is true of Scientology?
a.
It becomes increasingly totalistic as one advances in the organization
b.
It is a form of Gnosticism.
c.
It has a history of harassing its critics and perceived enemies
d.*
all of the above
9.
2
According to the psychopathology model of cult formation:
a.*
religious founders experience revelations following catastrophic events in their
personal lives.
b.
new religions attract people with mental disorders who can’t cope with normal
society but who thrive in a controlled environment.
c.
charismatic leaders tend to become delusional because they live in an encapsulated
world where there are no reality checks on their thinking.
d.
all of the above
10.
In Scientology, auditing is used to:
a.
discredit the group’s enemies
b.
produce mystical experiences
c.*
help people overcome traumas from past lives
d.
protect members from evil spirits
11.
When joining a new religion is accompanied by the sudden release of tension, the new
member is most likely to:
a.
defect from the group
b.*
enter a white-hot phase
c.
become a free-rider
d.
become a “total convert”
1
12.
1
13.
1
14.
1
According to Bromley and Shupe’s chapter on joining cults, the Chinese Communist effort
to brainwash American POW’s succeeded in about _____ percent of the cases. (Pick the
closest number)
a.*
1
b.
10
c.
25
d.
50
When Steven Hassan describes the problem of the cult member’s “dual identity,” he is
referring to:
a.
the “divided self” that motivates the seeker’s spiritual quest.
b.
synchronicity.
c.*
tension between one’s former identity and one’s new identity as a member.
d.
how even true believers in highly controlling groups will find ways of getting around
the rules.
According to Bromley and Shupe’s chapter on joining new religions:
a.
radical new religious get people to join by using high-pressure recruitment tactics.
b.
most people who join new religions have no idea what they are getting into.
c.
members are subjected to “thought reform” practices like those used by the Chinese
during the Korean War.
d.*
15.
1
joining a new religion isn’t much different from joining the military.
Which statement about the Taiping movement in 19th century China is not true?
a.
The founder had visions during a mental breakdown.
b.*
It is a classic example of progressive millennialism.
c.
The founder used ideas from Christianity to make sense of his vision.
d.
It culminated in a rebellion that caused millions of deaths.
16.
1
Conversion refers to:
a.
joining a religion.
b.*
adopting a radically different belief system.
c.
a sudden transformation of personality.
d.
the gradual embracement of any new beliefs.
17.
Who founded Scientology?
a.
Paul Erdmann
b.
Marshall Herff Applewhite
c.*
L. Ron Hubbard
d.
David Miscavige
18.
A member of a highly controlling totalistic group claims that he has never felt so free in
his life. His statement illustrates:
a.
deindividuation
b.
patriarchy
c.*
negative freedom
d.
co-dependency
1
19.
1&2
20.
3
21.
3
22.
3
Based on Lorne Dawson’s description of “groupthink”, which of the following should you
expect to find in a violent religious movement?
a.
a charismatic leader who is insecure in his or her identity
b.
an external threat causing members to set aside their differences and pull together
c.*
rules preventing the free flow of information and opinions within the group
d.
a belief system that encourages aggressive action against enemies
Experts in the “cult apologist” camp typically base their opinions on information obtained
from:
a.
former cult members
b.*
people who currently be long to new religions
c.
members’ relatives
d.
counselors who work with former members
In Bainbridge and Stark’s psychopathology model of cult formation, which of the following
leads to the disappearance of the founder’s mental illness?
a.
a revelation that one has been chosen as a world savior
b.
construction of a belief system supporting the founder’s new identity
c.*
consensual validation by a group of followers
d.
none of the above – the illness is never resolved
In Lofland and Stark’s theory of conversion, the “turning point” refers to:
a.*
a time when old lines of action are complete or coming to an end.
b.
the conversion experience.
c.
the point where one embarks on a quest as a seeker of religious truth.
d.
the decision to cut off communication with friends and relatives outside the group.
23.
3
24.
1&2
Why is it hard to know what really happened when members describe their conversion
experiences?
a.
New converts reinterpret their pasts according to scripts learned from the
testimonies of others.
b.
Members often conceal their doubts from each other.
c.
Members often make their conversions appear more sudden and complete than
they really were.
d.*
all of the above
In his
a.
b.
c.*
d.
chapter, “Understanding Mind Control,” Steven Hassan argues that:
mind control is a coercive process.
mind control is a myth promoted by anti-cult organizations.
the “unfreezing” process is best accomplished in an unfamiliar place where the new
recruit feels insecure.
members learn to control their minds in the same way that good students learn to
focus their attention when studying
25.
1
The 80/20 phenomenon refers to:
a.
the typical ratio of verbal to total converts in new religions.
b.
a tendency for roughly 80 percent of new members to drop out compared to about
20 percent who stay.
c.*
a hypothetical ratio of a group’s positive and negative features in the mind of a
typical new member.
d.
visions induced by a secret blend of MD 20/20 and Ever Clear.
26.
2
Which scenario is consistent with Lofland and Stark's theory of conversion?
a.
Mary is pretty happy with her life until she meets members of the Order of
Enlightened Beings (OEB) who convince her that she is not living up to her full
potential.
b.
Even though Bob doesn’t know anyone in the OEB, he joins because its beliefs ring
true.
c.
Jennifer is very close to her family and has lots of friends, but then she joins the
group and her old relationships turn sour.
d.*
From the day he joins the OEB, Biff talks and acts like a believer, but he doesn’t
completely accept its beliefs until he’s lived with members for a few months.
27.
The founder of Scientology:
a.
had a revelation during a psychotic episode.
b.
claimed to be a billion-year old alien named Theta.
c.
was a self-effacing recluse who claimed he was just an ordinary guy.
d.
was a prominent science fiction writer.
28.
2
According to Lofland and Stark's conversion theory:
a.
conversion tends to occur suddenly.
b.*
recruits become "total converts" only after a long period of intensive interaction with
members.
c.
cults attract people who lack any sort of religious orientation.
d.
most cult members have no previous experience with unconventional religions.
29.
After years of struggling with her “divided self,” Heather suddenly experiences enormous
relief upon joining Swami Robtha’s cult. As a result, she becomes deeply devoted to her new
spiritual master. This illustrates:
a.
bridge burning
b.
seekership
c.
consensual validation
d.*
relief effect
1
30.
Scientology:
a.
grew out of a popular self-help program called Dianetics.
b.
charges money to advance up a series of spiritual grades
c.
has waged aggressive campaigns against its opponents.
d.*
all of the above
31.
2
What
a.
b.
c.
d.*
happened during the period that Herff and Bonnie called their awakening?
social implosion
progressive revelation
synchronicity
all of the above
32.
2
33.
2
In my comments on Lofland and Stark’s theory of conversion to radical religions, I argued
that:
a.
Preexisting tension is the most important reason why people typically join.
b.
The nature of a group’s belief system is not an important reason why people join
c.*
Sudden conversions are rare and rarely last without immersion in the group.
d.
all of the above
How did Ron Hubbard respond when faced with critics who challenged the validity of his
claims about Dianetics?
a.
He sank into depression and had a revelation that he was the new messiah.
b.
He created the Sea Org.
c.*
He transformed Dianetics into a religion that couldn’t be put to a test.
d.
He launched a blackmail campaign to silence his critics.
34.
When people joined HIM, at what point did they begin to adopt the group’s jargon (“spirit
bombardment”, “next level”, “on the process”, etc.)?
a.*
at the meeting when they were asked if they were ready to join
b.
after spending a few days in the group as actual members
c.
not until being immersed in the group for several weeks
35.
3
According to my comments on Hassan’s chapters on “mind control”, the author:
a.
puts too much emphasis on deliberate manipulation
b.
ignores the role of self-selection and willing participation
c.
bases his conclusions his work with ex-members who have sought counseling because
of bad experiences in cult groups
d.*
all of the above
36.
3
The problem with most ethnographic studies of new religions is that:
a.*
they describe only a short period in the group’s history.
b.
they don’t give sufficient attention to the members’ point of view.
c.
researchers who use this method tend to be biased against unconventional religions.
d.
all of the above