Deck 3: Weighing the Words

Question 1

Philosopher of science Abraham Kaplan said that:

A) theories predict that a specific type of communication triggers a particular response.
B) theory is a way of making sense out of a disturbing situation.
C) if there is no way to prove a theory false, then any claim that it's true is hollow.
D) the scope of a theory's application and its practical utility are inversely proportional.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The ________ states that given two plausible explanations for the same event, one should accept the less complex version.

A) scope of a theory
B) rule of parsimony
C) requirement of falsifiability
D) criterion of practical utility

Answer 2

B

Question 3

________ is defined as the requirement that a scientific theory be stated in such a way that it can be tested and disproved if it is indeed wrong.

A) Falsifiability
B) Predictability
C) Practical utility
D) Relative simplicity

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Interpretive scholarship is good when it:

A) allows us to predict how humans can interact effectively.
B) explains causal relationships in real-world situations.
C) offers fresh insight into the human condition.
D) separates a theorist's values from an observed phenomenon.

Question 5

Krippendorff's self-referential imperative for building theory states that:

A) individuals should unmask unjust communication practices that create gross imbalances of power.
B) theorists should attempt to identify communication patterns common to all people.
C) theories should explain why people do what they do.
D) individuals should include themselves as a constituent of their own construction.

Question 6

Which of the following criteria is least applicable to interpretive theory?

A) aesthetic appeal
B) ability to generate change
C) relative simplicity
D) agreement within a community of scholars

Question 7

When determining how people seek to find out about things, which of the following ways reveals the meanings, relationships, and possibilities that go beyond the information from people's senses and looks at the big picture, trying to grasp the essential patterns?

A) sensing
B) intuition
C) testing hypotheses
D) value clarification

Question 8

If a researcher tries to establish a cause-and-effect relationship by systematically manipulating one factor, the independent variable, in a tightly controlled situation to learn its effect on another factor, the dependent variable, he or she is conducting a(n):

A) survey.
B) experiment.
C) textual analysis.
D) All of the answers are correct.

Question 9

A method of participant observation designed to help a researcher experience a culture's complex web of meaning is called:

A) textual analysis.
B) cross-cultural immersion.
C) ethnography.
D) in-depth survey research.

Question 10

The most common form of textual research in the communication discipline is:

A) rhetorical criticism.
B) discourse analysis.
C) content analysis.
D) media scrutinizing.

Question 11

Critical theorists tend to reject any notion of permanent truth or meaning, and they use theory to reveal unjust communication practices that create or perpetuate an imbalance of power.

Question 12

A good objective theory is as complex as possible because its complexity binds it closely to the real world.

Question 13

A good objective theory is testable.

Question 14

A good interpretive theory can be identified by the amount of support it generates within a community of scholars who are interested and knowledgeable about the same type of communication.

Question 15

A good interpretive theory should be aesthetically appealing.

Question 16

Prediction differs from value clarification in that the former looks to the future, while the latter examines the past.

Question 17

There is no universally approved model; rhetoricians, critical theorists, and other interpreters repeatedly urge that interpretive theories should accomplish some functions.

Question 18

Interpretive theorists are constrained by the standard format for acceptable scientific writing, whereas objective theorists have more room for creativity.

Question 19

It is difficult to prove cause-and-effect relationships using the correlation data that surveys yield.

Question 20

________ is another name for relative simplicity.

Question 21

Outline the principal criteria for determining the value of an objective or interpretive theory.

Question 22

Compare the criteria for evaluating objective and interpretive theories. Do any similarities exist between them?

Question 23

A good objective theory is testable. How does this criterion relate to one's belief in God? Is it testable? If so, how? If not, should we cast such a belief aside?

Question 24

Describe some of the ethical implications of the interpretive and objective standards that make a good theory.

Question 25

Griffin presents six criteria for evaluating objective (scientific) theories and interpretive theories. For either objective or interpretive theories (your choice), list the six standards. You don't need to explain them; just list them.