Deck 1: Scientific Understanding of Behaviour

Question 1

Martha observes which food item is purchased the most in the student cafeteria.Martha's behaviour best illustrates which goal of science?

A) Describing behaviour
B) Predicting behaviour
C) Determining cause of behaviour
D) Explaining behaviour

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which one of the following journal-article titles most likely represents an applied research study?

A) "Measurement of reaction times to different coloured lights"
B) "The influence of a food reward on maze running behaviour in kittens"
C) "Cognitive factors influencing logical reasoning"
D) "Increasing recycling of fast-food containers: A test at an amusement park"

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following characteristics is true of pseudoscience? The

A) hypotheses are testable.
B) claims rigorously consider conflicting evidence.
C) claims are stated using scientific-sounding terminology and ideas.
D) hypotheses are always falsifiable.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

An important component of the scientific approach is peer review.Which of the following is NOT a reason for employing peer review? It aims to

A) ensure that only the best research is published.
B) ensure that research with major obvious flaws will not be part of scientific literature.
C) allow publication of only those findings with which other researchers agree.
D) ensure that the best ideas are supported by research,and allows others to build upon the research thereby further advancing the field of study.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a goal of science?

A) Predicting behaviour
B) Describing behaviour
C) Determining the cause of behaviour
D) Eliminating behaviour

Question 6

The four goals of scientific research are to

A) describe,prescribe,eliminate,and undermine behaviour.
B) describe,prescribe,explain,and undermine behaviour.
C) describe,predict,eliminate,and determine the causes of behaviour.
D) describe,predict,explain,and determine the causes of behaviour.

Question 7

The statement,"Obese persons eat faster than non-obese persons" is an example of ________ behaviour;and the statement,"The different eating habits of obese and non-obese persons are caused by physiological factors" is an example of ________ behaviour.

A) explaining;predicting
B) explaining;describing
C) describing;explaining
D) predicting;explaining

Question 8

Professor White finds that students who read a daily newspaper display more knowledge of current events than students who do not read a daily newspaper.This identification of a cause of behaviour is an example of what type of evidence?

A) Cognitive awareness
B) Temporal precedence
C) Covariation of cause and effect
D) Elimination of alternative explanations

Question 9

When Dr.Jones attempts to determine reasons why female defendants are rated more leniently than male defendants,he is attempting to meet which goal of science?

A) Describing behaviour
B) Predicting behaviour
C) Determining cause of behaviour
D) Explaining behaviour

Question 10

A scientist states that "there is evidence for the existence of ghosts because she herself has felt their presence." This claim should

A) be accepted because she is also a scientist.
B) be accepted because she has personally felt their presence.
C) cause you to believe in ghosts.
D) result in you being skeptical about her claim.

Question 11

Which one of the following journal-article titles most likely represents an example of basic research?

A) "Teaching youths with autism to offer assistance"
B) "Encouraging recycling: An evaluation of a media campaign"
C) "Effect of situational factors on assessment of blame: A test of attribution theory"
D) "Effect of size and lettering style of signs on wayfinding accuracy in a hospital"

Question 12

The distinction between basic research and applied research is that basic research _____,while applied research _____.

A) relies more heavily on the fundamental sciences such as chemistry or biology;relies more heavily on the social sciences such as psychology or sociology
B) relies more heavily on the social sciences such as psychology or sociology;relies more heavily on the fundamental sciences such as chemistry or biology
C) concentrates on fundamental questions often of a theoretical nature;concentrates on identifying and resolving practical problems
D) concentrates on identifying and resolving practical problems;concentrates on fundamental questions often of a theoretical nature

Question 13

A Ph.D.student is interested in determining the fundamental causes of depression in humans.Her ultimate goal is that her research may one day result in new drugs to treat the disease.This is an example of what type of research.

A) Basic
B) Applied
C) Basic and applied
D) Neither basic nor applied

Question 14

When data fails to provide support for some idea that is advanced,we can say that _______ has occurred.

A) skepticism
B) peer review
C) an error
D) falsifiability

Question 15

Which statement best illustrates the scientific goal of describing behaviour?

A) A loud noise will gain a person's attention more than a soft noise will because the loud noise startles the person.
B) Puppies who drink milk will grow more than puppies who drink water because milk contains a greater amount of nutrients.
C) Alcohol consumption increases the likelihood of an automobile accident because it affects a driver's reaction time.
D) Jurors judge attractive defendants more leniently than unattractive defendants.

Question 16

The statement,"Participants in quiet environments score consistently higher on math achievement tests than participants in noisy environments" is an example of ________ behaviour;while the statement,"The difference between participants in quiet versus noisy rooms on math achievement scores occurs because there is less distraction in quiet rooms" is an example of ________ behaviour.

A) explaining;determining the cause of
B) explaining;predicting
C) describing;determining the cause of
D) describing;predicting

Question 17

Which one of the following statements is accurate?

A) Basic research is far more important than applied research.
B) Applied research is far more important than basic research.
C) Basic and applied research are both equally important.
D) Basic and applied research are both of less importance than theoretical research.

Question 18

Which of the following goals of science is most important for changing behaviour?

A) Description
B) Prediction
C) Determination of cause
D) Explanation

Question 19

When students assume that their textbook must be correct,they are relying on _________ as a way of knowing.

A) the a priori method
B) experience
C) creativity
D) authority

Question 20

Which one of the following journal article titles most likely represents an example of a basic research study?

A) "The effect of self-awareness on a cognitive reasoning task"
B) "Buying behaviour: The influence of item shelf placement in retail grocery stores"
C) "Increasing knowledge of dangers in the home: An online survey"
D) "A peer tutoring program as a method to increase cultural sensitivity"

Question 21

The empirical approach to science requires that

A) ideas based on intuition not be examined.
B) only knowledge presented by an authority figure be deemed correct.
C) knowledge be based on observations.
D) skepticism should be avoided when data are being presented.

Question 22

When you accept unquestionably what your own personal judgment tells you about the world,you are relying on _______.

A) skepticism
B) authority
C) intuition
D) scientific understanding

Question 23

Which statement best illustrates the scientific goal of explaining behaviour?

A) Females who commit a crime will be rated more leniently than males who commit the same crime.
B) Differences in assigned guilt ratings between attractive and unattractive defendants is due to a physical attractiveness stereotype.
C) Fourth grade boys run faster than fourth grade girls.
D) Men do not like to go shopping with women.

Question 24

The statement,"The average intelligence test score of children living in the Nation's capital city is 108" is an example of a(n)________ of behaviour;the statement "Children from smaller families have higher intelligence test scores than children from larger families" is an example of a(n)________ of behaviour.

A) explanation;description
B) description;description
C) explanation;explanation
D) description;explanation

Question 25

The advantage of employing the scientific approach over other ways of knowing about the world is that it

A) allows scientists to show that the explanations we make for the actions we observe are always correct.
B) allows one to rule out intuition and authority as sources of ideas about behaviour.
C) provides an objective set of rules for gathering,evaluating,and reporting information.
D) allows scientists the opportunity to show the public their findings are always correct.

Question 26

A researcher finds that people who own more than two cars have bigger homes,more garage space,and make more money than people who own only one or two cars.The researcher's inference that having more than two cars causes people to have homes with bigger garages is lacking which type of causal evidence?

A) Temporal precedence
B) Covariation of cause and effect
C) Elimination of alternative explanations
D) Historical precedence

Question 27

In determining the cause of behaviour,which principle considers the order in which two events occur together?

A) Temporal precedence
B) Covariation of cause and effect
C) Elimination of alternative explanations
D) Observational analysis

Question 28

John has decided to purchase several copies of a new children's book because he has a feeling that the availability of this book will be scarce in the future.Which of the following best explains John's behaviour?

A) Authority
B) Skepticism
C) Intuition
D) Empirical evidence

Question 29

A major area of applied research that evaluates the social reforms and innovations that occur in the government,industry,and mental health settings is _______ research.

A) industrial
B) governmental
C) program evaluation
D) theory-oriented

Question 30

Dave knows that when Ken drinks alcohol he becomes very talkative.This identification of a cause of behaviour is an example of what type of evidence?

A) Temporal precedence
B) Covariation of cause and effect
C) Elimination of alternative explanations
D) Observational analysis

Question 31

Administrators at the county's juvenile hall have implemented a reward program to decrease disruptive behaviour during meal times.The scientific approach would dictate that the program

A) address theoretical issues.
B) be evaluated to determine whether or not it is having the intended effect.
C) modify theoretical concepts.
D) integrate intuition in the design of the program.

Question 32

Claims that are made on the basis of evidence that is designed to appear scientific,but which lack underlying scientific data,are referred to as

A) fraud.
B) pseudoscience.
C) plagiarism.
D) illusory correlations.

Question 33

In determining the cause of behaviour,the principle of _____ considers that when the cause is present,the effect occurs;but,when the cause is not present,the effect does not occur.

A) temporal precedence
B) covariation of cause and effect
C) elimination of alternative explanations
D) observational analysis

Question 34

The statement "People eat more when they are alone than when they are with friends" is an example of _____ behaviour.

A) describing
B) predicting
C) explaining
D) determining the cause of

Question 35

The problem with using intuition to make conclusions about human behaviour is that

A) it is easy to draw erroneous conclusions because our biases affect our perceptions.
B) intuitions are never correct contrary to what people believe.
C) it rarely leads to meaningful insight.
D) it is more time-consuming than the scientific approach.

Question 36

The fundamental characteristic of the scientific approach is

A) intuition.
B) authority.
C) falsifiability.
D) empiricism.

Question 37

Which statement best illustrates the scientific goal of predicting behaviour?

A) People who live in warm climates have different attitudes about the environment than people who live in cold climates.
B) Females have more conservative attitudes towards casual sex than do males.
C) People drink more beer at a football games than at an opera.
D) Plants that are played music will grow more than plants that are not played music.

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for identifying a cause of a behaviour?

A) Temporal precedence
B) Covariation of cause and effect
C) Elimination of alternative explanations
D) Observational analysis

Question 39

People are likely to believe information presented by a speaker who is seen as prestigious,trustworthy,and credible because of a reliance on

A) intuition.
B) authority.
C) pseudoscientific information.
D) informational bias.

Question 40

The statement,"High school seniors with higher SAT scores will have higher college GPAs" is an example of ________ behaviour.The statement "Males have higher average quantitative SAT scores than do females" is an example of ________ behaviour.

A) predicting;describing
B) describing;predicting
C) explaining;describing
D) predicting;explaining

Question 41

Dr.Pentel conducts research to determine whether or not an after-school program improves school performance in fifth-grade children.Dr.Pentel is most likely engaged in _____.

A) basic research
B) theoretical research
C) topical research
D) a program evaluation

Question 42

One reason for why the use of intuition results in erroneous conclusions is

A) intuitions are never correct.
B) it is unethical to employ intuition in research.
C) we have a tendency to conclude that there must be a causal relationship when we observe the co-occurrence of two related events.
D) our perceptions are always incorrect.

Question 43

Determining the cause of behaviour is an important goal of science because

A) it is important to know the cause of behaviour if we want to change a behaviour.
B) we cannot predict behaviour without knowing the cause of behaviour.
C) we cannot describe behaviour without knowing the cause of behaviour.
D) it makes the scientist appear more credible.

Question 44

Which is NOT a characteristic of scientific inquiry as described by Goodstein's evolved theory of science?

A) Scientists must report their observations accurately to others.
B) Scientists search for observations that will verify their ideas about the world.
C) Science will grow when there is open exchange and competition among ideas.
D) Peer review of research is unnecessary with well designed studies.

Question 45

Accepting the information in a professor's lecture without question is a reliance on ______.

A) intuition
B) authority
C) scientific evidence
D) pseudoscientific information

Question 46

Determining the cause of a behaviour is difficult because

A) it is difficult to know the true cause or all causes of behaviour.
B) explanations that are initially satisfying may turn out to be inadequate.
C) satisfactory explanations may be discarded or revised as new evidence is gathered.
D) describing,predicting,explaining,and determining cause are all closely connected.

Question 47

Scientists use intuition and their positions of authority

A) to generate ideas for research.
B) to draw conclusions about behaviour.
C) under no circumstances.
D) whenever they need to replicate another scientist's findings.

Question 48

A general rule to help detect pseudoscience is to be highly ______ when scientific assertions are made based on evidence that is _____.

A) skeptical;vague
B) convinced;vague
C) skeptical;reputable
D) convinced;reputable

Question 49

The process by which scientists with expertise in a particular field judge the scientific merit of another's research within that same field is referred to as _____________.

A) intuition
B) peer review
C) skepticism
D) falsifiability

Question 50

Research studies designed to answer practical problems are referred to as

A) basic research.
B) applied research.
C) quantitative research.
D) didactic research.

Question 51

You have just read an article in a popular magazine that stated,"People who jog live longer than people who don't jog." As a scientist,you would probably

A) begin jogging.
B) accept the statement as true.
C) want to see the study that lead to this conclusion.
D) assume that the statement is false.