Deck 1: Psychological Research: the Whys and Hows of the Scientific Method

Question 1

One reason that Freud's theories of personality have not been more influential in the field of psychology is that ______.

A) the theories do not specify causes for behavior
B) the theories are not the simplest explanations for behavior
C) the theories are too unusual
D) the theories are difficult to falsify

Answer 1

the theories are difficult to falsify

Question 2

The determinism canon of the scientific method states that ______.

A) the simplest explanation of a phenomenon is most likely to be correct
B) observation is the best way of gaining new knowledge
C) phenomena have observable causes
D) explanations of phenomena should be able to be falsified if they are incorrect

Answer 2

phenomena have observable causes

Question 3

Deciding it must be raining because you hear thunder is an example of the ______ method of knowing?

A) intuition
B) authority
C) observation
D) deduction

Answer 3

deduction

Question 4

The parsimony canon of the scientific method states that ______.

A) the simplest explanation of a phenomenon is most likely to be correct
B) observation is the best way of gaining new knowledge
C) phenomena have observable causes
D) explanations of phenomena should be able to be falsified if they are incorrect

Question 5

______ was an influential scientist who used observations to understand the world.

A) Galileo
B) Freud
C) Richards
D) Matson

Question 6

The empiricism canon of the scientific method states that new knowledge is gained from ______.

A) authority figures
B) observations
C) intuition
D) logic

Question 7

External validity is typically more important for ______ research than for ______ research.

A) scientific; non-scientific
B) non-scientific; scientific
C) basic; applied
D) applied; basic

Question 8

______ research investigates fundamental aspects of behavior, whereas ______ research investigates solutions for real-world problems.

A) Internal; external
B) External; internal
C) Basic; applied
D) Applied; basic

Question 9

Deciding it must be raining because you look out the window and see rain falling is an example of the ______ method of knowing?

A) intuition
B) authority
C) observation
D) deduction

Question 10

Relying on the works of Plato and Aristotle for knowledge about the world is an example of ______ method of knowing.

A) intuition
B) authority
C) observation
D) deduction

Question 11

A psychologist investigating the research question "Which type of therapy most effectively reduces depressive behaviors?" is most likely conducting ______ research.

A) basic
B) applied
C) external
D) internal

Question 12

The testability canon of the scientific method states that ______.

A) the simplest explanation of a phenomenon is most likely to be correct
B) observation is the best way of gaining new knowledge
C) phenomena have observable causes
D) explanations of phenomena should be able to be falsified if they are incorrect

Question 13

Seeking only evidence that supports our beliefs and ignoring evidence that contradicts those beliefs is ______.

A) belief bias
B) confirmation bias
C) evidence bias
D) contradictory bias

Question 14

Deciding that it must be raining because the weather person said it would rain today is an example of the ______ method of knowing?

A) intuition
B) authority
C) observation
D) deduction

Question 15

Deciding it must be raining because you felt it would rain today is an example of the ______ method of knowing?

A) intuition
B) authority
C) observation
D) deduction

Question 16

The scientific method involves gaining new knowledge through ______.

A) deduction
B) intuition
C) authority
D) observation

Question 17

The method of gaining knowledge that is most likely to yield accurate information is ______.

A) intuition
B) authority
C) observation
D) deduction

Question 18

A psychologist investigating the research question "Which neurotransmitters affect depressive behaviors?" is most likely conducting ______ research.

A) basic
B) applied
C) external
D) internal

Question 19

A study that investigates behavior as it naturally occurs in individuals would have a high degree of ______.

A) basic research
B) applied research
C) external validity
D) internal validity

Question 20

External validity is ______.

A) a type of research conducted in psychology
B) the degree to which a study's results can be generalized to individuals and situations outside of the study
C) the degree to which a study provides a good test of a causal prediction
D) the degree to which the study accurately predicts results

Question 21

Applications of ______ research may not be obvious when it is initially conducted.

A) basic
B) applied
C) external
D) internal

Question 22

Observation is really what sets scientific fields apart from other fields of study.

Question 23

"I want to know how much sleep on average Americans get per night. I determine this by conducting a survey of Americans to learn that most Americans get an average of 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night" is an example of ______.

A) intuition
B) authority
C) observation
D) deduction

Question 24

When one encounters reports of research in the media, asking questions to ascertain credibility would not include ______.

A) Who were the research subjects?
B) Was an appropriate sample tested?
C) Was an appropriate method used to investigate the question?
D) What is the gender of the researcher(s)?

Question 25

Knowledge gained in ______ studies can also help basic researchers refine their theories about how behavior works.

A) complex
B) basic
C) confirmation
D) applied

Question 26

"I want to know if my phone is on. I decide that it is because my phone is always on." is an example of ______.

A) intuition
B) authority
C) observation
D) deduction

Question 27

The ______ canon helps scientists test their ideas more easily, because it is easier to develop a study that might falsify a simple explanation than to develop a study that might falsify a more complex explanation.

A) determinism
B) parsimony
C) testability
D) empiricism

Question 28

______ factors can cause us to observe a particular behavior when we observe it only once and affects our result conclusions.

A) Confirmatory
B) Confounding
C) Chance
D) Conflicting

Question 29

Watson is collecting data to study "Does sleeplessness cause anxiety?". This is an example of the ______ facet of the scientific method.

A) empiricism
B) determinism
C) parsimony
D) testability

Question 30

Relying on common sense as a means of knowing about the world is referred to as the ______ method of knowing.

A) intuition
B) authority
C) deduction
D) observation

Question 31

A psychologist investigating the research question "What type of work environment increases productivity of employees?" is most likely conducting ______ research.

A) basic
B) applied
C) external
D) internal

Question 32

"I want to know which direction I am facing. The Sun is setting to my right, and I know the Sun sets in the west, so I know that west is the direction where the Sun is setting." is an example of ______.

A) intuition
B) authority
C) observation
D) deduction

Question 33

A reporter who is writing an article on an important issue may only interview experts that support their views on the issue. This is an example of ______.

A) belief bias
B) confirmation bias
C) evidence bias
D) contradictory bias

Question 34

A psychologist investigating the research question "How much information can we store in short-term memory?" is most likely conducting ______ research.

A) basic
B) applied
C) external
D) internal

Question 35

"I want to know what my pancreas does. I know that my pancreas produces hormones important for digestion because that is what my high school biology teacher told me." is an example of ______.

A) intuition
B) authority
C) observation
D) deduction

Question 36

Human factors professionals use research to help understand the best way to ______.

A) replicate work procedures
B) define safety policy
C) design products and interfaces
D) understand employee morale

Question 37

______ is not a method of empiricism used to learn about behavior.

A) Observing people in their normal environment
B) Asking people to complete a survey
C) Relying on common sense
D) Asking people to come into a lab and complete a task on a computer

Question 38

Early neuroscientists conducted ______ research studies to understand how neurons function.

A) complex
B) basic
C) confirmation
D) applied

Question 39

When we ask people to complete a survey we are using ______ to learn about behavior.

A) determinism
B) parsimony
C) testability
D) empiricism

Question 40

The ______ provide(s) a general "how to" guide for psychologists designing research studies, because they help us conduct good tests of our explanations of the causes of behaviors and further our understanding of why certain behaviors occur.

A) canons of science
B) canons of phenomena
C) guide to science
D) guide to knowledge

Question 41

Research is the foundation of the field of psychology.

Question 42

Relying on an authority to learn about behavior gives researchers a more accurate understanding of the causes of behaviors than other methods of gaining knowledge.

Question 43

One lab observation is enough to be sure about the knowledge we are gaining.

Question 44

As you encounter descriptions of psychological research, you may find that not all research fits neatly into basic or applied categories.

Question 45

The only goal of psychological research is to be able to explain behavior by understanding the causes of different types of behavior.

Question 46

How is falsifiability used in psychological science? Define and explain.

Question 47

It takes many studies conducted in many different contexts that produce results consistent with an explanation of behavior to support it.

Question 48

Assuming a link between two things means one caused the other is a common pitfall in behavioral research.

Question 49

Explain why the scientific method is not used to determine if an afterlife exists after death.

Question 50

It takes only a few studies with results inconsistent with an explanation of behavior to falsify it.

Question 51

What is external validity?

Question 52

There are six primary facets or canons (i.e., rules or principles that guide a field of study) that define the scientific method.

Question 53

For behaviors, such as mental processes, that cannot be directly observed (e.g., thoughts or memories) how do psychologists use empiricism for inferring information about these behaviors?

Question 54

Some behaviors, such as mental processes, can be directly observed.

Question 55

Making choices leads people to think more analytically study by Savani, Stephens, and Markus (2017) is an example of basic research.

Question 56

What is the difference between basic and applied research? In what ways do these types of research interact in the field of psychology?

Question 57

What are the four canons of the scientific method? Explain how each canon is used in scientific research.

Question 58

The applications of basic research may not be obvious when it is initially conducted.

Question 59

The goal of applied research is to understand the most fundamental processes of behavior and how they operate.

Question 60

How do the goals of basic and applied research differ? Provide an example of a research question for each type of research.