Deck 4: Theory in Psychology

Question 1

Broad theories generally make more precise predictions than narrow theories.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Theories in evolutionary psychology tend to be functional in their approach.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Functional and mechanistic theories are incompatible with each other.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The effect of expressive writing on health has been replicated many times.

Question 5

Typologies can provide organization without a functional or mechanistic explanation.

Question 6

To replicate a study means to repeat it.

Question 7

Phenomena are often referred to as "effects."

Question 8

Social facilitation refers to people's performing tasks better when they are observed by others.

Question 9

Drive theory is meant to explain the negative effect of cell phone use on driving performance.

Question 10

The placebo effect is a good example of a theory.

Question 11

A phenomenon is an explanation or interpretation.

Question 12

A hypothesis is a prediction based on a theory.

Question 13

The Rescorla-Wagner model of conditioning is a good example of an informal theory.

Question 14

Psychological theories take a wide variety of forms.

Question 15

Formal theories are always better than informal theories.

Question 16

Scientists use the hypothetico-deductive method in constructing and testing their theories.

Question 17

A theory is an explanation or interpretation of one or more phenomena.

Question 18

"Model" is another word for "phenomenon."

Question 19

The only function of theories is to accurately describe the world.

Question 20

When a hypothesis is confirmed, the theory that hypothesis was derived from has been proved.

Question 21

Which of the following is an advantage of narrow theories over broad theories?

A) They are simpler.
B) They explain more phenomena.
C) They are less technical.
D) They make more precise predictions.

Question 22

The general approach that scientists use to create and test theories is called which of the following?

A) the functional-mechanistic method
B) the theory-model-phenomenon approach
C) the quasi-logical hypothesis
D) the hypothetico-deductive method

Question 23

By "theory," scientists generally mean which of the following?

A) a manipulation
B) a speculation
C) an interpretation
D) an observation

Question 24

Theories in evolutionary psychology tend to take which approach?

A) functional
B) mechanistic
C) typological
D) stage

Question 25

Researcher A says that people who got allowances as children are more financially responsible as adults because they had more opportunity to learn how to handle money. Researcher B says that people who got allowances as children are more financially responsible adults because they are responsible people in general … which is why their parents gave the allowances in the first place. Which of the following best describes this state of affairs?

A) The researchers share the same hypothesis but are proposing different phenomena.
B) The researchers agree on the phenomenon but disagree about the theory.
C) The researchers have the same theory but different hypotheses.
D) The researchers are taking different perspectives on the same theory.

Question 26

Which of the following is the best example of a phenomenon?

A) Smiling people are generally evaluated more positively than non-smiling people.
B) Sam, a male waiter, drew a smiley face on a check and got a particularly poor tip.
C) Smiling people put us in a good mood, causing us to be more likely to help smiling people.
D) Smiling is a fundamental human behavior.

Question 27

According to the textbook, what is the purpose of theories (other than accurately describing the world)?

A) organizing research results
B) predicting what will happen in new situations
C) generating new research
D) all of the above

Question 28

For every _____ there are many plausible _____.

A) fact; phenomena
B) theory; researchers
C) phenomenon; theories
D) researcher; variables

Question 29

Historically, what has happened to the kinds of theories that scientific psychologists prefer?

A) They have become more speculative.
B) They have become less formal.
C) They have become narrower.
D) They have become broader.

Question 30

A hypothesis takes which of the following general forms?

A) If Theory T is true, then Result R should be observed.
B) If Model M is true, then Phenomenon P is correct.
C) If Phenomenon P has been observed, then Theory T is supported.
D) If Result R is observed, then Phenomenon P is supported.

Question 31

Which of the following is true of the terms perspective, framework, theory, model, and hypothesis?

A) They all mean exactly the same thing.
B) Only theory and model are true scientific terms.
C) Researchers often use them interchangeably.
D) None of them can be tested.

Question 32

How does a framework differ from a theory?

A) A framework is usually more specific than a theory.
B) A framework is usually more general than a theory.
C) A framework cannot be tested but a theory can.
D) A framework can be tested but a theory cannot.

Question 33

The difference between phenomena and theories is essentially the same as the difference between which of the following?

A) observations and models
B) correlational studies and experiments
C) significant and nonsignificant results
D) models and hypotheses

Question 34

In general, what do researchers conclude when their hypotheses are confirmed?

A) It is time to switch to a new research topic.
B) They have proven their theory.
C) Their theory now has more support.
D) Nothing because a hypothesis cannot ever be confirmed.

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT one of the three dimensions along which psychological theories vary?

A) framework
B) scope
C) theoretical approach
D) formality

Question 36

A theory that explains a behavior primarily in terms of why it happens is which of the following?

A) a mechanistic theory
B) a typology
C) a functional theory
D) a hypothesis

Question 37

The theory that attributes subitizing to the recognition of patterns like triangles and squares is a good example of which of the following?

A) a functional theory
B) a very narrow theory
C) a very broad theory
D) a highly informal theory

Question 38

Which of the following describes Zajonc's famous theory of social facilitation and inhibition?

A) observation by others  arousal  enhancement of dominant response
B) observation by others  evaluation apprehension  increased motivation or withdrawal
C) observation by others  memories of past successes or failures  better or worse performance
D) observation by others  anxiety  faster or slower performance

Question 39

Which of the following is an example of a highly formal theory?

A) drive theory
B) ACT-R
C) cognitive dissonance theory
D) social facilitation

Question 40

As a general rule, every phenomenon has which of the following?

A) no real explanation
B) one clear explanation
C) many plausible explanations
D) one discoverer

Question 41

Which of the following results supported the ease-of-retrieval theory of how people make judgments about themselves?

A) Assertiveness judgments were easier for people to make than passiveness judgments.
B) More intelligent people judged themselves to more assertive than less intelligent people-but only when they had to make their judgments quickly.
C) People judged how assertive they were very quickly and accurately.
D) People judged themselves to be more assertive when they recalled 6 times that they were assertive than when they recalled 12 times that they were assertive.

Question 42

Consider the phenomenon that married people tend to report greater happiness than unmarried people. Consider also the theory that this happens because having children causes people to be happier. Explain how you might use the hypothetico-deductive method to test this theory.

Question 43

How does the scientific meaning of the word "theory" differ from the everyday language meaning of the word "theory?"

Question 44

Explain how a theory that is inaccurate can still be scientifically useful.

Question 45

In the hypothetico-deductive method, what is the relationship between a theory and a hypothesis?

Question 46

In what general ways would a functional theory of the fear of heights differ from a mechanistic theory of the fear of heights?

Question 47

What are the pros and cons of informal and formal theories? When might each one be preferred to the other?

Question 48

What is the first thing that you should do in constructing a new theory?

A) Create a set of mathematical equations that might account for the phenomena of interest.
B) Understand the phenomena of interest in detail, along with any existing theories of them.
C) Conduct at least four to six new empirical studies.
D) Decide which type of theory you want to construct.