Deck 1: Introduction, Acquiring Knowledge, and the Scientific Method

Question 1

A young child believing everything that her kindergarten teacher says to be true is an example of ____.

A) the method of faith
B) the rational method
C) the empirical method
D) the method of intuition

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which method of acquiring knowledge is being used when people make decisions based on instinct or hunches?

A) intuition
B) rationalism
C) tenacity
D) authority

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which potential problem can occur when the rational method is used?

A) People are not necessarily very good at logical reasoning.
B) It requires hands-on experience, so it can be messy or even dangerous.
C) There is no mechanism for testing the accuracy of the claims.
D) This method requires lengthy and difficult testing.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

A person who buys a lottery ticket because s/he just feels lucky is using the method of ____.

A) empiricism
B) faith
C) tenacity
D) intuition

Question 5

A limitation of using the method of empiricism is that ____.

A) people are generally not very good at reasoning
B) while perception is typically accurate, sensation is not
C) the process can be time consuming and often risky
D) there is no mechanism for validating conclusions

Question 6

Kenji believes that food poisoning causes food aversions, so when he finds out that his friend Brielle hates seafood, he assumes that Brielle must have had food poisoning after eating seafood sometime in her past. Kenji is using the ____.

A) method of empiricism
B) rational method
C) method of tenacity
D) scientific method

Question 7

Looking up your local weather report online is an example of using the ____.

A) empirical method
B) rational method
C) method of authority
D) scientific method

Question 8

An explanation is empirical if it is based on ____.

A) widely held beliefs
B) logical deductions
C) evidence of the senses
D) respect for the source

Question 9

A student who believes that his or her performance on tests is influenced by wearing a lucky hat is using the method of ____.

A) empiricism
B) faith
C) tenacity
D) authority

Question 10

What is a potential problem with the method of authority?

A) A person may claim to be an expert when he or she really is not.
B) An "expert" answer may be only a personal, subjective opinion.
C) An expert may be giving answers outside his or her area of expertise.
D) The other three choices are all potential problems.

Question 11

Using a sports star to sell clothing in a television commercial relies upon which nonscientific method of acquiring knowledge?

A) the method of tenacity
B) the method of authority
C) the empirical method
D) the rational method

Question 12

Which method of acquiring knowledge is being used by students who are learning from teachers and textbooks?

A) empiricism
B) rationalism
C) method of authority
D) scientific method

Question 13

Marisol just found out she is pregnant and tells everyone that she has a feeling she will have a girl.  In this case, Marisol is using the ____.

A) method of authority
B) rational method
C) empirical method
D) method of intuition

Question 14

When your doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to your heart, the doctor is gathering information by using the ____.

A) method of authority
B) rational method
C) empirical method
D) method of intuition

Question 15

When you "know" that you do not want to eat chocolate-covered crickets, even when everyone around you says that they taste great, your decision is based on the method of ____.

A) empiricism
B) faith
C) tenacity
D) authority

Question 16

Last year Tomas and his friend Jamie were both too short to ride the rollercoaster. Jamie went to the park this year and was tall enough to ride. Because Tomas is taller than Jamie, he thinks that he will be able to ride the rollercoaster as well. Tomas is using the ____ to answer his question.

A) method of empiricism
B) rational method
C) method of authority
D) scientific method

Question 17

An artist tries putting a freshly painted canvas outside during a rainstorm to see how the painting will change from the pattern of the raindrops. Which method of acquiring knowledge is she using?

A) method of empiricism
B) rational method
C) method of authority
D) scientific method

Question 18

Visual illusions, such as the vertical/horizontal illusion, provide a demonstration of one problem with the ____ method of knowing or acquiring knowledge.

A) rational
B) authority
C) empirical
D) scientific

Question 19

The mode of inquiry that is called the method of faith is a variant of which other method of inquiry?

A) empiricism
B) rationalism
C) the method of authority
D) the scientific method

Question 20

An explanation is rational if it is based on ____.

A) widely held beliefs
B) logical deductions
C) evidence of the senses
D) respect for the source of the explanation

Question 21

The third step of the scientific method uses a general hypothesis to develop a testable predication. This step involves the use of ____.

A) induction
B) deduction
C) analysis
D) synthesis

Question 22

A limitation of using the rational method is that ____.

A) there is no method for correcting erroneous ideas
B) there is no way to separate accurate from inaccurate knowledge
C) people often accept an expert's statement without question
D) people are generally not very good at reasoning

Question 23

How do quantitative research and qualitative research differ?

A) they generate different types of data
B) they rely on different nonscientific ways of knowing
C) one type involves data collection while the other does not
D) one type relies on hypotheses while the other relies on predictions

Question 24

Publicly repeating a study by copying the methods exactly is referred to as ____.

A) empiricism
B) replication
C) control
D) tenacity

Question 25

A hypothesis is a ____ statement and a prediction is a ____ statement.

A) specific; general
B) specific; specific
C) general; specific
D) general; general

Question 26

Lowell is very concerned about his grandmother, who has recently been diagnosed with dementia. He wants to learn more about it, and checks out the jacket quotes on some currently popular books. Which quote should reassure him that the book is based in science rather than pseudoscience?

A) "This book saved my wife from a lonely death in a nursing home!"
B) "Big Pharma does not want you to know about curing dementia!"
C) "From laboratory research to clinical trials: evaluating the treatment of dementia."
D) "Find out what REALLY causes dementia and why health agencies do not care."

Question 27

A researcher conducts a study in which 50 college students are assigned to different treatments and tested. In the study, the students are called ____.

A) associates
B) cohorts
C) participants
D) subjects

Question 28

What kind of reasoning uses a general statement to make conclusions about specific examples?

A) inductive
B) deductive
C) scientific
D) predictive

Question 29

In the scientific method, a prediction is evaluated by ____.

A) making systematic, planned observations
B) determining the hypothesis of best fit
C) logically evaluating the implications
D) using it to explain established phenomena

Question 30

Which of the following statements accurately describes the scientific method?

A) It involves hypotheses rather than predictions.
B) It relies solely on deductive reasoning.
C) It is a circular process that leads to a tentative answer.
D) It effectively combines intuition with empirical data.

Question 31

What is meant by the saying, "science is empirical?"

A) Scientific answers are based on direct observation.
B) Scientific answers are based on deductive reasoning.
C) Scientific answers are based on inductive reasoning.
D) Scientific answers are made available for evaluation by others.

Question 32

A distinction between science and pseudoscience is that ____.

A) science focuses on the theoretical, not the practical
B) science is based on hypotheses that are testable and refutable
C) science examines a topic that has never been investigated
D) science aims to make definite conclusions about a topic

Question 33

Based on observations of his own children, Jean Piaget formed a theory about the cognitive development of all children. This is an example of ____ reasoning.

A) inductive
B) deductive
C) practical
D) predictive

Question 34

When people make an observation, then form a hypothesis that explains the observation, and then make more observations to test the credibility of the hypothesis, they are using the ____.

A) empirical method
B) rational method
C) scientific method
D) method of authority

Question 35

A researcher conducts a study in which 50 rats are assigned to different treatments and tested. In the study, the rats are called research ____.

A) associates
B) cohorts
C) participants
D) subjects

Question 36

Using observations of a small number of humans to make a statement about human behavior in general is an example of ____ reasoning.

A) inductive
B) deductive
C) practical
D) predictive

Question 37

Pseudoscience is based on ____.

A) testable hypotheses
B) objective evidence
C) subjective evidence
D) refutable hypotheses

Question 38

The phrase "science is objective" means that scientific answers are ____.

A) based on direct observation
B) based on logical reasoning
C) not influenced by researcher bias
D) made available for evaluation by others

Question 39

Tiffany is researching methods used to treat autism spectrum disorders and begins by searching on the Internet. Which statement should make her suspicious that she is on a site rooted in pseudoscience?

A) The website focuses on testimonials from family members that describe seemingly miraculous cures.
B) The site contains links to research published in peer-reviewed journals that evaluate the treatment method.
C) The treatment methods described on the site are clearly defined, as are the expected outcomes.
D) The site provides clear explanations of how the treatment methods are tied to existing theories of the causes of autism.

Question 40

What kind of reasoning uses a few specific observations to produce a statement about a larger possible set of observations?

A) inductive
B) deductive
C) scientific
D) predictive

Question 41

In the scientific method, the process of forming a hypothesis means that you are trying to find a possible explanation for the phenomenon that you have observed.

Question 42

The method of intuition can be valuable when making ethical or moral decisions by doing what "feels" right.

Question 43

Based on a few students whom you know, you decide that art majors wear funky clothes and that physics majors tend to be nerds. This is an example of inductive reasoning.

Question 44

An important element of the scientific method is that research results should be made public.

Question 45

A football player who knows that his performance will be better if he wears his lucky shirt is using the method of faith.

Question 46

Research participants must be informed of all relevant aspects of the study, including any risks or dangers that may be involved.

Question 47

Clinton is using the empirical method when he decides to eat a handful of berries to see if they are poisonous.

Question 48

If you are a psychologist embarking on a research study, what should you do first?

A) identify an idea and search the literature to form the research question
B) form a testable, refutable hypothesis based on current theories
C) decide which individuals should participate and how they should be recruited
D) select a research and analytic strategy based on what is typically used

Question 49

Humans who participate in a research study are properly called research subjects.

Question 50

Using a hypothesis to predict how people will behave demonstrates the use of induction.

Question 51

A good hypothesis should make a statement about the existence of a relationship, a difference, or a treatment effect.

Question 52

Part of the scientific method involves using a hypothesis to make predictions.

Question 53

Finding information in a textbook is an example of using the rational method of inquiry.

Question 54

You have dinner reservations at 7:30 at a restaurant that is 30 minutes away and it is already 7:20, leading you to conclude that you are going to be late. This is an example of using the empirical method.

Question 55

Dallas is using the rational method when, upon seeing that birds eating certain berries do not die, concludes that the berries are not poisonous.

Question 56

Pseudoscience is based on objective, empirical evidence.

Question 57

In the scientific method, the actual research study is not done until after the researcher has formed a hypothesis and made a specific prediction.

Question 58

If the scientific method is being used to evaluate a hypothesis predicting a specific relationship between two variables, then it is essential that both variables can be measured.

Question 59

One critical component of the scientific method is that all answers or explanations must be demonstrated empirically.

Question 60

You have a terrible toothache, so you visit a dentist to find out what is wrong with your tooth. This is an example of using the method of authority.

Question 61

Distinguish between science and pseudoscience.

Question 62

Distinguish between induction and deduction and describe how each is used in the scientific method.

Question 63

Describe a problem that can arise when you are trying to obtain information using only the method of authority. How is this problem avoided in the scientific method?

Question 64

Explain what it means to say that the scientific method or the research process can be viewed as a never-ending circle or a spiral of steps rather than a linear process that leads to an end.

Question 65

Describe how the rational method and the method of empiricism are both utilized as parts of the scientific method.

Question 66

How do quantitative and qualitative research differ?

Question 67

One difference between a scientific answer and answers gained by other methods is that the scientific answer is more likely to be an absolute or final answer.

Question 68

Identify the basic steps in the scientific method, and describe how the scientific method is used to answer questions such as, "Why are some marriages successful and others are not?"