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

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

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

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

Answer 2

intuition

Question 3

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

Answer 3

confirmation bias

Question 4

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

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

Question 5

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.

Question 6

The scientific method involves gaining new knowledge through

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

Question 7

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

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

Question 8

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 9

Relying on the works of Plato and Aristotle for knowledge about the world is an example of what way of knowing?

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

Question 10

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 11

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 12

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

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

Question 13

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 14

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

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

Question 15

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

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

Question 16

______ 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 17

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

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

Question 18

What 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 19

Who was an influential scientist who used observations to understand the world?

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

Question 20

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 21

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

Question 22

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

Question 23

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

Question 24

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

Question 25

Knowledge gained in ________ studies can also feed back to basic researchers to help them refine their theories about how behavior works.

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

Question 26

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

Question 27

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

Question 28

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

Question 29

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

Question 30

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

Question 31

The ____________ provides) 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) cannons of science
B) cannons of phenomena
C) guide to science
D) guide to knowledge

Question 32

Research is the foundation of the field of psychology.

Question 33

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

Question 34

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 35

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

Question 36

What is external validity?

Question 37

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

Question 38

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

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