Question 1

What does it mean to say that anthropologists approach the study of humanity from a biocultural perspective? How is this similar or different than your chosen field of study?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What does it mean to say that...

Question 2

For anthropologists, stories whose truth seems self-evident because the stories integrate personal experiences with wider assumptions about the world are called
A) Myths.
B) Scientific theories.
C) Folktales.
D) hypotheses.

Accepted Answer

Myths are narratives that are often considered self-evident truths within a culture because they integrate personal experiences with broader cultural beliefs and assumptions.

Question 3

Explanations of the world that are explicitly open-ended and self-correcting are called
A) Myths.
B) Scientific theories.
C) Folktales.
D) Hypotheses.

Accepted Answer

Scientific theories are explicitly open-ended and self-correcting, meaning that they are always subject to revision and refinement as new evidence is gathered.

Question 4

Basic understandings about the way the world works that are never questioned are called
A) assumptions.
B) evidence.
C) hypotheses.
D) theories.

Accepted Answer

Assumptions are basic understandings or beliefs that are accepted as true without questioning or proof.

Question 5

What observers can see when they observe a particular part of the world with great care is/are called
A) assumptions.
B) evidence.
C) hypotheses.
D) theories.

Accepted Answer

Evidence is what observers can see or measure when they observe a particular part of the world with great care. It is the data or information collected through observation.

Question 6

Statements that assert a particular connection between fact and interpretations are called
A) assumptions.
B) evidence.
C) hypotheses.
D) theories.

Accepted Answer

Hypotheses are statements that propose a connection between facts and interpretations, often serving as a starting point for further investigation or experimentation.

Question 7

The separation of observation and reporting from the researcher's wishes refers to
A) assumptions.
B) hypothesis building.
C) objectivity.
D) testability.

Accepted Answer

Objectivity refers to the separation of observation and reporting from the researcher's wishes.

Question 8

What sets science apart from other forms of explanation is that science is
A) empirical, open-ended, and self-correcting
B) experimental and concerned with facts
C) provable and valid
D) a form of language that creates verifiable propositions

Accepted Answer

Science is empirical, open-ended, and self-correcting because it relies on observation and experimentation, is open to new evidence and ideas, and continuously refines its theories and explanations based on new data.

Question 9

The capacity of scientific hypotheses to be matched against nature to see whether the hypotheses are confirmed or refuted is called
A) testability.
B) objectivity.
C) theory building.
D) evidence.

Accepted Answer

Testability refers to the ability of a hypothesis to be tested and potentially falsified through observation or experimentation, allowing it to be confirmed or refuted.

Question 10

If a hypothesis cannot be tested, it
A) can be used as an assumption.
B) is false.
C) can be used for evidence of other hypotheses.
D) cannot be considered scientific.

Accepted Answer

A hypothesis must be testable and falsifiable to be considered scientific. If it cannot be tested, it does not meet the criteria of scientific inquiry.

Question 11

A series of testable hypotheses that are linked up in a coherent manner in order to explain a body of material evidence is called
A) a set of assumptions.
B) a set of verifiable hypotheses.
C) a scientific theory.
D) an objective meaning structure.

Accepted Answer

A scientific theory is a set of testable hypotheses that are linked up in a coherent manner in order to explain a body of material evidence.

Question 12

An important multidisciplinary research program to rethink traditional assumptions about what science is and how it works began in the 1980s and is well established in the twenty-first century. This research program is called
A) positivism
B) science studies
C) genomics
D) laboratory ethnography

Accepted Answer

Science studies is a multidisciplinary research program that emerged in the 1980s to critically examine the practices, assumptions, and impacts of science and technology.

Question 13

Following scientists as they go about their everyday laboratory activities, studying the range of embodied skills that scientists must master to operate the technological apparatuses that make successful research possible, is an example of
A) positivism
B) science studies
C) genomics
D) laboratory ethnography

Accepted Answer

Laboratory ethnography involves observing and analyzing the daily practices and skills of scientists in their work environment, focusing on how they interact with technology and conduct research.

Question 14

When university students in the United States walk into a classroom on the first day, they observe the following facts: there is an adult standing in the front of the classroom with a folder open on a podium and a stack of papers on the desk. They link these facts with the following interpretation: this is the instructor. Linking fact and interpretation in this way is called
A) assuming.
B) objectivizing.
C) hypothesizing.
D) theorizing.

Accepted Answer

Hypothesizing involves making an educated guess or assumption based on observed facts, which is what the students are doing by linking the observed facts to the interpretation that the person is the instructor.

Question 15

When university students in the United States walk into a classroom on the first day, they observe that there is a person standing in the front of the classroom with a folder open on a podium and a stack of papers on the desk. Based on their experience, they decide that this must be the instructor. One student approaches the person and asks, "Are you the instructor?" The student's question is an example of
A) theory building.
B) an assumption.
C) testability.
D) hypothesis formation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When university students in the United States...

Question 16

The most powerful scientific theories are those
A) based on a series of powerful assumptions about the world.
B) whose hypotheses have been tested often and have never been falsified.
C) most closely tied to the nature of the reality they describe.
D) that combine both material and inferred evidence in new and effective ways.

Accepted Answer

The most powerful scientific theories are those whose hypotheses have been tested repeatedly and have never been falsified, as this demonstrates their robustness and reliability in explaining phenomena.

Question 17

Since total objectivity is impossible, should people choose the theories they like best?
A) Yes, since one theory is as good as any other.
B) Yes, since all theories are true to some degree.
C) No, since scientists will eventually discover the truth, even if they do not know it now.
D) No, since some theories better account for more important data than do others.

Accepted Answer

Some theories are better supported by evidence and account for more important data, making them more reliable and useful than others.

Question 18

Which of the following describes a key discovery of science studies research?
A) Successful scientific research is driven by technology
B) Successful scientific research is driven by individual scientists of genius
C) Successful scientific research inside laboratories depends on a range of "nonscientific" institutions and individuals outside the laboratory
D) Successful scientific research depends on maintaining a protective barrier between what goes on inside the laboratory and what goes on outside the laboratory.

Accepted Answer

Science studies research has shown that successful scientific research often relies on various external factors, including institutions and individuals outside the laboratory, highlighting the interconnectedness of science with broader societal elements.

Question 19

Define science and myth. How are these two concepts similar and different? Discuss why they are both useful concepts to understand humanity.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Define science and myth. How are these...

Question 20

Explain the definition for scientific theories. What is their role in the scientific process? Why are they taken seriously even when their hypotheses remain open to testing?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain the definition for scientific theories. What...

Quiz 1: What Is Anthropology

What does it mean to say that anthropologists approach the study of humanity from a biocultural perspective? How is this similar or different than your chosen field of study?

For anthropologists, stories whose truth seems self-evident because the stories integrate personal experiences with wider assumptions about the world are called

Explanations of the world that are explicitly open-ended and self-correcting are called

Basic understandings about the way the world works that are never questioned are called

What observers can see when they observe a particular part of the world with great care is/are called

Statements that assert a particular connection between fact and interpretations are called

The separation of observation and reporting from the researcher's wishes refers to

What sets science apart from other forms of explanation is that science is

The capacity of scientific hypotheses to be matched against nature to see whether the hypotheses are confirmed or refuted is called

If a hypothesis cannot be tested, it

A series of testable hypotheses that are linked up in a coherent manner in order to explain a body of material evidence is called

An important multidisciplinary research program to rethink traditional assumptions about what science is and how it works began in the 1980s and is well established in the twenty-first century. This research program is called

Following scientists as they go about their everyday laboratory activities, studying the range of embodied skills that scientists must master to operate the technological apparatuses that make successful research possible, is an example of

The most powerful scientific theories are those

Since total objectivity is impossible, should people choose the theories they like best?

Which of the following describes a key discovery of science studies research?

Define science and myth. How are these two concepts similar and different? Discuss why they are both useful concepts to understand humanity.

Explain the definition for scientific theories. What is their role in the scientific process? Why are they taken seriously even when their hypotheses remain open to testing?