Question 1

The scientific method stresses the importance of _____________ as fundamental to developing explanations about the world.
A) similar methodologies
B) systematic observation
C) conceptual ideas
D) a good theoretical background

Accepted Answer

The scientific method emphasizes systematic observation as a critical aspect of developing explanations about the world. This involves using empirical evidence to formulate hypotheses and test them through careful experimentation and observation. While conceptual ideas and a theoretical background can be important in guiding scientific research, they are not sufficient on their own without empirical validation through systematic observation.

Question 2

The concept of observation dictates that outcomes of experimentation must be:
A) discernable
B) visible
C) independent
D) measurable

Accepted Answer

A,D

Question 3

Using the scientific method as an investigative tool would benefit which of the following (choose all that apply; if "e," only circle "e")
A) advancing major scientific theories
B) improving our relationships with significant others
C) evaluating teachers' efficacy of instruction
D) evaluating domestic policy decisions
E) all of these would benefit from the scientific method

Accepted Answer

The scientific method is a systematic way of learning about the world around us and solving problems. It can be applied broadly across disciplines, including advancing scientific theories, improving interpersonal relationships through understanding behaviors, evaluating teaching methods, and making informed policy decisions. Thus, all the options listed would benefit from the application of the scientific method.

Question 4

In general, a _____(a)_____ hypothesis is a prediction about the relationship between constructs, and guides the purposes of a research study; a _____(b)_____ hypothesis is a testable prediction about specific relationships and the direction of these relationships.
A) conceptual; conceptual
B) research; conceptual
C) conceptual; research
D) research; research

Accepted Answer

Option C correctly distinguishes between the two types of hypotheses. A conceptual hypothesis is broader and guides the general purposes of a study while a research hypothesis is narrow and testable prediction about specific relationships. Option A refers to both hypotheses as conceptual, which is inaccurate. Option B erroneously identifies the research hypothesis as a conceptual hypothesis. Option D incorrectly implies that both hypotheses are research hypotheses.

Question 5

Which of the following techniques is a common method of generating hypotheses? (circle all that apply)?
A) logical deduction from an established theory
B) case studies
C) personal beliefs about the relationship between variables
D) observations of seemingly paradoxical behavior

Accepted Answer

Logical deduction from an established theory and observations of seemingly paradoxical behavior are common methods of generating hypotheses.

Question 6

Which of the following examples is NOT an operationalization? (circle all that apply)
A) using liking to measure attraction
B) using photographs of models to determine ratings of attractiveness
C) using the amount of trash on the ground to assess adherence to social norms
D) using the galvanic skin response to measure stress

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following examples is NOT...

Question 7

Which of the following statements is characteristic of the concept of a "variable?" (circle all that apply)
A) it is the basic unit of observation in a scientific study
B) it is an attribute that differs among individuals
C) it must be operationalized to be considered a "variable"
D) it is an attribute that remains the same across all individuals

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following statements is characteristic...

Question 8

Benny and Jerome investigated whether people held different attitudes toward certain types of desserts. To do so, they had participants rank six types of desserts, with 1 = best and favorite, and 6 = worst, least favorite. This example would be considered a(n):
A) nominal scale
B) interval scale
C) ordinal scale
D) ratio scale

Accepted Answer

The ranking of the desserts creates an order, so this is an ordinal scale. A nominal scale would involve assigning a label or category to participants (e.g. male/female), an interval scale would have equal intervals between each value (e.g. temperature in degrees Celsius), and a ratio scale would have a true zero point (e.g. weight in kilograms).

Question 9

Researchers wanted to know the evolutionary advantages of being able to jump, so they measured the maximum height at which hundreds of species were able to jump. This measurement would be considered a(n):
A) ordinal scale
B) nominal scale
C) ratio scale
D) interval scale

Accepted Answer

Ratio scales have a true zero point, meaning that meaningful ratios can be formed between measurements. In this case, the height of a jump can be compared and calculated, making it a ratio scale.

Question 10

Which of the following statements is true regarding a theory?
A) scientists can eventually prove that a theory is true
B) successive replications of the same conceptual relationship, especially using different methodologies, strengthens a theory
C) successive hypothesis tests allow for the qualification or broadening of relationships that are encompassed by a particular theory
D) A and B
E) B and C
F) all of the above

Accepted Answer

A theory is a well-supported explanation of a natural phenomenon that has been extensively tested and supported by evidence. Scientists cannot prove a theory to be true, but they can support it with evidence. Successive replications of the same conceptual relationship, especially using different methodologies, strengthens a theory. Additionally, successive hypothesis tests allow for the qualification or broadening of relationships that are encompassed by a particular theory. Therefore, both options B and C are correct, making option E the best choice.

Question 11

The scientific method:
A) is a specific statistical technique
B) aims to control extraneous factors that may influence results
C) can be either subjective or objective
D) relies on systematic observation
E) can only be applied to scientific theories

Accepted Answer

The scientific method is a process of inquiry that involves observing, forming a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis through experimentation, and drawing conclusions. To ensure that the results are valid, scientists attempt to control extraneous factors that may influence the outcome of the experiment. This is known as experimental control. Additionally, the scientific method relies on systematic observation to gather data that can be used to test the hypothesis. Therefore, the best choice(s) are B and D.

Question 12

The key difference between a conceptual hypothesis and a research hypothesis is that:
A) conceptual hypotheses contain several simpler, sub-hypotheses
B) a research hypothesis offers a specific prediction in a given study
C) research hypotheses are more abstract than conceptual hypotheses
D) conceptual and research hypotheses offer competing explanations for the same phenomenon of interest

Accepted Answer

A conceptual hypothesis is a general idea or theory that has yet to be tested through research. A research hypothesis, on the other hand, is a specific prediction about the outcome of a particular study. Therefore, the key difference between the two is that a research hypothesis is more specific and offers a clear prediction, while a conceptual hypothesis is more general and has yet to be tested.

Question 13

Name and briefly describe two methods of hypothesis generation in social scientific research.
A) Deduction of expectation from theory
B) Conflicting findings
C) Observing paradoxical behavior
D) Attention to everyday behavioral tactics
E) Case studies

Accepted Answer

The answer of Name and briefly describe two methods of...

Question 14

A researcher decides to measure aggression by recording the number of shocks participants administer to a confederate. This constitutes:
A) operationalization of the conceptual variable
B) a constant
C) a research hypothesis
D) a perfectly defined measure of aggression

Accepted Answer

Operationalization is the process of defining a concept by specifying the operations or procedures used to measure it. In this case, the researcher is operationalizing the conceptual variable of aggression by measuring it as the number of shocks administered to a confederate.

Question 15

The process of multiple operationalization is most successful when:
A) diverse measures with non-overlapping sources of error are used
B) measures that are similar to each other are used to tap the same phenomenon
C) constructs are poorly defined
D) all measures used have similar sources of error
E) it is a specific statistical technique
F) it aims to control extraneous factors that may influence results
G) it can be either subjective or objective
H) it relies on systematic observation
I) it can only be applied to scientific theories

Accepted Answer

The answer of The process of multiple operationalization is most...

Question 16

The key difference between a conceptual hypothesis and a research hypothesis is that:
A) conceptual hypotheses contain several simpler, sub-hypotheses
B) a research hypothesis offers a specific prediction in a given study
C) research hypotheses are more abstract than conceptual hypotheses
D) conceptual and research hypotheses offer competing explanations for the same phenomenon of interest

Accepted Answer

A conceptual hypothesis is a broad statement that outlines the general ideas or concepts proposed to explain a phenomena of interest, without being specific. On the other hand, a research hypothesis is a specific prediction about the relationship between variables in a given study. Thus, the key difference between the two is that a research hypothesis is more specific and offers a testable prediction, while a conceptual hypothesis is a more general explanation of a phenomena.

Question 17

Name and briefly describe two methods of hypothesis generation in social scientific research.
A) Deduction of expectation from theory
B) Conflicting findings
C) Observing paradoxical behavior
D) Attention to everyday behavioral tactics
E) Case studies

Accepted Answer

The answer of Name and briefly describe two methods of...

Question 18

A researcher decides to measure aggression by recording the number of shocks participants administer to a confederate. This constitutes:
A) operationalization of the conceptual variable
B) a constant
C) a research hypothesis
D) a perfectly defined measure of aggression

Accepted Answer

This is an example of operationalization of the conceptual variable of aggression. The researcher has taken a broad and abstract concept, aggression, and defined it in a specific and measurable way, by counting the number of shocks given by participants, making it easier to study and quantify.

Question 19

The process of multiple operationalization is most successful when:
A) diverse measures with non-overlapping sources of error are used
B) measures that are similar to each other are used to tap the same phenomenon
C) constructs are poorly defined
D) all measures used have similar sources of error

Accepted Answer

Multiple operationalization is most successful when diverse measures with non-overlapping sources of error are used. This allows for greater reliability and validity of the results. Using measures that are similar to each other may cause issues with construct validity if the measures only capture a limited aspect of the construct. Similarly, using measures with similar sources of error may increase the chances of common method variance, which can also threaten the validity of the results. If constructs are poorly defined, using multiple operationalization may help to clarify the underlying concept, but it is not a guarantee for success.

Question 20

Explain three different ways scientists might go about generating hypotheses. Specifically, how do we, as scientists, initially develop hypotheses and research questions for scientific investigation, and what are three different methods of doing so?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain three different ways scientists might go...

Quiz 1: Basic Concepts

The scientific method stresses the importance of _____________ as fundamental to developing explanations about the world.

The concept of observation dictates that outcomes of experimentation must be:

Using the scientific method as an investigative tool would benefit which of the following (choose all that apply; if "e," only circle "e")

In general, a ___(a) _ hypothesis is a prediction about the relationship between constructs, and guides the purposes of a research study; a _(b) ___ hypothesis is a testable prediction about specific relationships and the direction of these relationships.

Which of the following techniques is a common method of generating hypotheses? (circle all that apply) ?

Which of the following examples is NOT an operationalization? (circle all that apply)

Which of the following statements is characteristic of the concept of a "variable?" (circle all that apply)

Benny and Jerome investigated whether people held different attitudes toward certain types of desserts. To do so, they had participants rank six types of desserts, with 1 = best and favorite, and 6 = worst, least favorite. This example would be considered a(n) :

Researchers wanted to know the evolutionary advantages of being able to jump, so they measured the maximum height at which hundreds of species were able to jump. This measurement would be considered a(n) :

Which of the following statements is true regarding a theory?

The scientific method:

The key difference between a conceptual hypothesis and a research hypothesis is that:

Name and briefly describe two methods of hypothesis generation in social scientific research.

A researcher decides to measure aggression by recording the number of shocks participants administer to a confederate. This constitutes:

The process of multiple operationalization is most successful when:

The key difference between a conceptual hypothesis and a research hypothesis is that:

Name and briefly describe two methods of hypothesis generation in social scientific research.

A researcher decides to measure aggression by recording the number of shocks participants administer to a confederate. This constitutes:

The process of multiple operationalization is most successful when:

Explain three different ways scientists might go about generating hypotheses. Specifically, how do we, as scientists, initially develop hypotheses and research questions for scientific investigation, and what are three different methods of doing so?

Quiz 1: Basic Concepts

The scientific method stresses the importance of _____________ as fundamental to developing explanations about the world.

The concept of observation dictates that outcomes of experimentation must be:

Using the scientific method as an investigative tool would benefit which of the following (choose all that apply; if "e," only circle "e")

In general, a _____(a) _____ hypothesis is a prediction about the relationship between constructs, and guides the purposes of a research study; a _____(b) _____ hypothesis is a testable prediction about specific relationships and the direction of these relationships.

Which of the following techniques is a common method of generating hypotheses? (circle all that apply) ?

Which of the following examples is NOT an operationalization? (circle all that apply)

Which of the following statements is characteristic of the concept of a "variable?" (circle all that apply)

Benny and Jerome investigated whether people held different attitudes toward certain types of desserts. To do so, they had participants rank six types of desserts, with 1 = best and favorite, and 6 = worst, least favorite. This example would be considered a(n) :

Researchers wanted to know the evolutionary advantages of being able to jump, so they measured the maximum height at which hundreds of species were able to jump. This measurement would be considered a(n) :

Which of the following statements is true regarding a theory?

The scientific method:

The key difference between a conceptual hypothesis and a research hypothesis is that:

Name and briefly describe two methods of hypothesis generation in social scientific research.

A researcher decides to measure aggression by recording the number of shocks participants administer to a confederate. This constitutes:

The process of multiple operationalization is most successful when:

The key difference between a conceptual hypothesis and a research hypothesis is that:

Name and briefly describe two methods of hypothesis generation in social scientific research.

A researcher decides to measure aggression by recording the number of shocks participants administer to a confederate. This constitutes:

The process of multiple operationalization is most successful when:

Explain three different ways scientists might go about generating hypotheses. Specifically, how do we, as scientists, initially develop hypotheses and research questions for scientific investigation, and what are three different methods of doing so?

In general, a ___(a) _ hypothesis is a prediction about the relationship between constructs, and guides the purposes of a research study; a _(b) ___ hypothesis is a testable prediction about specific relationships and the direction of these relationships.