Deck 3: Philosophical Foundations of Research

Question 1

While perspectives toward the creation of knowledge have varied throughout the various philosophical foundations of science, one common shared belief was that true knowledge was paramount and infallible once supported by evidence.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The modernist perspective is that research is often tied to particular ideologies and further is used to reinforce power structures and to disenfranchise or oppress groups.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Mixed-methods research represents a blend of philosophical perspectives, including primarily those of logical positivism, critical modernism, and postmodernism.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Conservative interpretations of postmodernist thought can be observed through the perspectives of disability studies and other relativistic approaches to knowledge generation.

Question 5

Contemporary methods recognize that it is not possible to undertake research without some underlying theory and first principles, even if they are not made explicit.

Question 6

Most scientific approaches towards knowledge development in occupational therapy derive from the historical periods of classicism and postmodernism.

Question 7

The scientific parable of Newton devising his theory of gravity based on observations of the natural world (i.e., an apple falling on his head) is an example of what type of logic?

A) Creative
B) Deductive
C) Inductive
D) Circular

Question 8

Classicism may be attributed with developing some of the original principles of the scientific method. The principal problem with classicism was that:

A) Rigorous logic could not be applied to the deductive process, so principles could not be investigated.
B) The inductive stage required intuitive leaps, thus creating an inherently flawed foundation for subsequent deductive examination.
C) Deductive logic was viewed as a fallible form of developing knowledge.
D) Inductive logic stood in contrast to "obvious truths" in its explanation of the natural world.

Question 9

The philosophical foundations of research may be seen by their influence on contemporary research methods. Which of the following statements is true regarding this influence?

A) Classicism is reflected in qualitative approaches.
B) Postmodernism does not have an influence on contemporary research.
C) Quantitative approaches are consistent with the tradition of logical positivism.
D) Contemporary research approaches are most concerned with determining facts about the natural world.

Question 10

A researcher's preference toward adhering to a particular research approach for knowledge development is defined as his or her:

A) Philosophical orientation
B) Methodological preference
C) Manner of practice
D) Researcher philosophy

Question 11

Which of the following statements regarding the contemporary process for conducting research is false?

A) Research is part of an inductive-deductive process in which theory is derived from and tied back to the world through experimentation.
B) Logic is necessary to connect the concepts and propositions that make up a theory with each other and to connect them with the things in the world to which they refer.
C) Empirical research methods produce evidence that is inherently value-free and benign.
D) Research does not advance theory toward truth, but instead improves the way that any theory makes sense of the world.

Question 12

Please match description appropriate with philosophical perspectives

-The philosophy that argued that theory imparts meaning on, rather than extracts meaning from, the natural world. It is a creation of the human mind that makes sense of the world, and may be corrected through empirical research.

A) Classicism
B) Logical positivism
C) Critical modernism
D) Social constructivism
E) Contemporarism

Question 13

Please match description appropriate with philosophical perspectives

-The philosophy that argued that any theory is a possible, but not necessarily infallible, explanation; its ability to approach the truth is contingent on whether statements that are logically deduced from it hold up in the natural world.

A) Classicism
B) Logical positivism
C) Critical modernism
D) Social constructivism
E) Contemporarism

Question 14

Please match description appropriate with philosophical perspectives

-The philosophy that argued that pure logic may be used to connect the natural world to scientific knowledge, and that absolute truth may be developed through this process.

A) Classicism
B) Logical positivism
C) Critical modernism
D) Social constructivism
E) Contemporarism

Question 15

Please match description appropriate with philosophical perspectives

-The philosophy that argued that knowledge does not demonstrate facts regarding the natural world, but rather is created as a particular perspective of a particular group of people who have a particular purpose in mind.

A) Classicism
B) Logical positivism
C) Critical modernism
D) Social constructivism
E) Contemporarism