Deck 16: Epilogue Biases and Limitations of Experimental Psychology

Question 1

Which one of the following statements best explains the meaning of "science as liberal"?

A) Scientific results often challenge political and religious orthodoxy.
B) The majority of scientists are liberal in political outlook.
C) Scientists are attracted to research on liberal topics.
D) Scientific research is often supported by liberal groups.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The psychological research that contributed to the Supreme Court's decision to desegregate schools in the 1950s

A) Illustrates "science as liberal"
B) Illustrates "science as conservative"
C) Illustrates biases in government
D) Illustrates the limited funding available for research

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The type of research being funded is often subject to _________ pressure

A) Peer
B) Political
C) Departmental
D) Institutional

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which one of the following statements is most true about science as a human enterprise?

A) Science is mainly a conservative enterprise.
B) Science is mainly a liberal enterprise.
C) Science is both a conservative and liberal enterprise.
D) Scientists are just as biased as other members of society.

Question 5

Which statement most accurately reflects the susceptibility of science to bias?

A) Science is more biased than most human activities.
B) Science is just as biased as any other human enterprise.
C) Science is a social enterprise and is subject to all types of human bias.
D) Science has built in mechanisms that prevent bias.

Question 6

Because psychological knowledge is incomplete, it is also

A) Liberal
B) Conservative
C) Tentative
D) Topical

Question 7

Some politicians would like to limit the peer review process for funding of grants to topics they believe are morally correct. This would have the effect of

A) Potentially give rise to more sound results
B) Encourage dialogue between scientists
C) Allowing the politicians to determine what research is done
D) Making it easier to accomplish science

Question 8

Corporate sponsored research runs the risk of being biased because

A) The experimenters do not randomly select their participants
B) The experimenters do not treat people equally
C) The experimenters may benefit financially from their findings
D) The experimenters often repeat the same test

Question 9

All of the following may be considered practical limitations of science except:

A) Many of the problems we face in society are far too complex to study with present day methods.
B) Some scientific research is too costly to conduct.
C) Scientists are often forced to investigate problems that appear to have solutions rather than the most important ones.
D) Science is not well suited to study questions concerning ultimate values

Question 10

Corporate sponsored research runs the risk of being biased because

A) The experimenters do not randomly select their participants
B) The experimenters do not treat people equally
C) The experimenters may feel pressure to produce results that will benefit the sponsor
D) The experimenters often repeat the same test

Question 11

The powerful agencies that fund research tend to

A) Direct the topic of research, often to further their own purposes
B) Limit IRB approval for psychological research
C) Limit the application process for funding
D) Prohibit those without a Ph.D from applying for funds

Question 12

The APA Task Force on External Funding Sources produced

A) A list of all of the funding agencies in the United States
B) A list of all the APA members receiving funding in the United States
C) A guide as to whether or not certain funding should be accepted
D) A guide to the application constraints associated with funding sources

Question 13

One source of conservatism in science is provided by

A) green building initiatives
B) a drastic increase in per capita spending
C) defense contracting
D) science's dependence on financial support

Question 14

By documenting what is statistically common, the psychologist is contributing to

A) The human experience
B) The definition of what is normal
C) World peace
D) A median view of science

Question 15

The amount of money available for federally funded research in the United States

A) Is limited by the President
B) Is part of the congressional budget process
C) Is increasing at a rate much higher than inflation
D) Falls solely under the jurisdiction of the Defense Department

Question 16

All of the following may be considered essential limitations of science except:

A) Science must remain agnostic about some questions concerning religious values.
B) All science is tentative.
C) Science is incomplete.
D) Science is necessarily an esoteric discipline.

Question 17

Funding from private industry is a potential source of bias for research because

A) IRB approval is not necessary for this research
B) future funding for research may depend on the results that a psychologist finds
C) the researchers receive money for their work
D) sufficient funds are not available from this source to do the work properly

Question 18

Much of the research in the United States is funded by

A) Government grants
B) Universities
C) The media
D) Private citizens

Question 19

Caution should be exercised when discussing scientific observations of behavior because

A) These results can be misinterpreted as the way that people should behave
B) These results can bias people for future experimental participation
C) These results are seldom accurate
D) These results generally lack external validity

Question 20

Which one of the following statements best explains the meaning of "science as conservative"?

A) The results of scientific research generally tend to support the status quo.
B) The majority of scientists are conservative in political outlook.
C) Scientists are less affected by what is going on in the world around them.
D) The dependence of scientists on outside support of their research subjects them to political pressure.

Question 21

Identify and describe the essential and practical limitations of science.

Question 22

What does the effort society is putting into solving health problems say about science as a conservative enterprise, and science as a liberal enterprise?

Question 23

Science must remain unbiased about

A) God
B) Questions of values
C) Masculinity and femininity
D) All of the above

Question 24

Discuss the major responsibilities of the scientist as a member of society. Give an example in which a scientist is living up to their responsibilities.

Question 25

One of the more lively sources of debate concerns the proper balance between

A) Science and religion
B) Scientific objectivity and social responsibility
C) Cultural relativity and values
D) Conservatism and liberalism

Question 26

Discuss how our inability to solve such current health problems as AIDS, cancer, drug and alcohol addiction, and schizophrenia, reflects the limitations of science.

Question 27

One of the limits of science comes from the fact that science is

A) Incomplete
B) Parsimonious
C) Progressive
D) Based on empiricism

Question 28

All of the following may be considered privileges of the scientist except that scientists are:

A) reasonably well paid
B) exempt from public scrutiny
C) accorded much prestige
D) given free rein to investigate problems they set for themselves

Question 29

All of the following may be considered responsibilities of the scientist except: Scientists are obligated to

A) study only those problems that have practical significance.
B) inform and educate the public about their research findings.
C) respond to the public's concerns about research.
D) critically examine the ideas of other scientists.

Question 30

Discuss the political and social pressures on science and scientists to find results compatible with particular viewpoints. Give examples.