Deck 1: Social Science and Its Method

Question 1

Scientific knowledge is knowledge that has been:

A) systematically gathered, classified, related, and interpreted.
B) rediscovered and cherished as dogma.
C) found to be in agreement with popular opinion.
D) tested until it is perfect and then retained unchanged forever.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Some of the concerns of geography are ecology, climate, resources, and:

A) individual emotions.
B) demography.
C) monetary policy.
D) the theory of the state.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT included in cognitive science?

A) Economics
B) Psychology
C) Linguistics
D) Social anthropology

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Anthropology is the study of the relationship between:

A) environment and trading systems.
B) biological traits and socially acquired characteristics.
C) physics and biology.
D) marketing strategies and geography (climate and resource allocation systems).

Question 5

In the social sciences, very little use can be made of controlled experiments because the investigator:

A) cannot control the situations.
B) does not need this method.
C) knows too much about human behavior.
D) must not be part of the experiment.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT one of the nine steps of scientific research outlined in your text:

A) defining the problem before drawing conclusion.
B) reviewing the literature.
C) determining a time frame.
D) analyzing the results.

Question 7

Social science and natural science are both scientific but different in focus because:

A) natural science deals with the spiritual values of nature.
B) social science deals with all aspects of the group life of humans.
C) social science deals with matter and energy.
D) natural science does not deal with living things.

Question 8

Functionalist, conflict, exchange, and symbolic interaction are four major theoretical approaches that are:

A) mutually exclusive as theoretical approaches.
B) used together as a combined approach instead of being used separately.
C) necessarily independent of each other.
D) sometimes used in combination to study problems.

Question 9

Thomas Kuhn argued that scientific progression occurs by paradigm shifts. A paradigm is:

A) a scientific method and the technology that supports it.
B) a scientific record keeping method.
C) a scientific theory and the core of beliefs that surround it.
D) a way of understanding without evidence.

Question 10

There are many different social science disciplines with varying approaches but in understanding modern problems social scientists need to know:

A) which discipline is the best.
B) less about the past.
C) more about their own specialty.
D) how the social sciences interrelate.

Question 11

Joseph Holz's study of the implications of teen pregnancy concluded that whether or not mothers had borne a child in their teens made:

A) a major difference in their economic and social positions.
B) little difference in their economic and social positions.
C) a difference which was received well by conservatives.
D) a difference which was popular with both liberals and conservatives.

Question 12

The functionalist theory approach emphasizes:

A) how society reflects individuals' desires.
B) social reality as being more what people think and feel rather than actions.
C) energy procurement.
D) the interconnectedness of social life.

Question 13

The study of social arrangements to maintain peace and order within a given society is called:

A) economics.
B) anthropology.
C) geography.
D) political science.

Question 14

The "Delphic method" refers to:

A) social scientists having their interpretations reviewed by other specialists in the field.
B) social scientists having the freedom to make assumptions without peer review.
C) asking others outside of the social sciences to review ones interpretations.
D) drawing a conclusion only after a panel of recognized specialists agree it is valid.

Question 15

Scientific inquiry is possible in a society in which certain attitudes are developed and tolerated. These attitudes include curiosity, objectivity, and:

A) aggression.
B) accessibility.
C) skepticism.
D) complacency.

Question 16

Educated common sense:

A) has no place in science.
B) has been important in the past but is unnecessary today.
C) is important in the social sciences.
D) is better than any rules about science.

Question 17

The social science method that involves making a detailed examination and analysis of a particular issue or problem situation is called the:

A) comparative method.
B) case method.
C) historical method.
D) cross-cultural method.

Question 18

This is the field of human knowledge that deals with all aspects of the group life of human beings.

A) scientific knowledge.
B) humanities
C) natural science
D) social science

Question 19

Social scientists find statistics useful because of the:

A) possible insights into social problems and relationships.
B) ability to measure social welfare.
C) self-evident nature of statistical data.
D) lack of a necessity to interpret statistics.

Question 20

Modern science is based on the assumption that:

A) this is an orderly universe.
B) cause and effect are not important.
C) all phenomena are simple.
D) there are only two scientific laws.

Question 21

Paul Feurabend argues that the correct methodology is no methodology.

Question 22

All expressions of human culture are unrelated and independent.

Question 23

There are only disadvantages to the social sciences being specialized.

Question 24

The saga of Hans, the Thinking Horse is an example of why a good scientist must have both skepticism and imagination.

Question 25

Geography has practical applications related to trade patterns, settlement of populations, and aggression and acquisition.

Question 26

The function of social science is primarily to determine social values and goals.

Question 27

Science offers final explanations of the universe and its phenomena.

Question 28

During the Enlightenment people began to believe that society and culture are themselves the products of history and the evolution of culture. The Enlightenment is important in the origins of:

A) medieval science.
B) social science.
C) classical Greek philosophy.
D) the idea that civilization did not improve.

Question 29

New fields of social science are evolving such as cognitive science.

Question 30

Knowledge is made up of knowledge of human beings, including culture and products, and knowledge of the natural environment.

Question 31

Language is important in the communication of social scientific knowledge. Social scientists are aware that language:

A) should require layers of translation.
B) used in high theory must, of necessity, include specialty-specific jargon to enhance understanding.
C) embodies value judgments and preserves ways of looking at things.
D) used to convey brilliant ideas will be complex.

Question 32

Sociology is the study of the ways in which men and women make a living.

Question 33

Since its conception, social science has entwined two aspects. Sometimes it is simply trying to achieve a limited understanding of our place in the cosmos, and at other times it is trying to:

A) finalize an unlimited complete explanation of human total reality.
B) evolve into a theology of human behavior.
C) change society.
D) become a physical science.

Question 34

The Interdisciplinary Approach means:

A) there is no need for separate social sciences.
B) a group of scientists with different specialties work together on a common problem.
C) we will never need a unified social science.
D) all problems can be solved quickly.

Question 35

If the social sciences are ever going to have a united theory, it will be because people started thinking about the rules and how the various rules of the social sciences fit together.

Question 36

The Enlightenment established the "three humiliations" of human beings. These include:

A) the earth is the center of the universe.
B) we are not creatures of nature like other animals.
C) humans cannot guide or direct social change.
D) our reasoning ability is subject to passions and subconscious desires.

Question 37

Social science disciplines are clearly defined so that no two fields cover the same subjects.

Question 38

There is little agreement among specialists in a particular social science about what distinguishes their field from others.

Question 39

Scientific knowledge can be roughly grouped into two major fields - humanities and language arts.

Question 40

Controlled experiments play a very important role in the scientific method.

Question 41

What is the distinction between correlation and causation? Give a hypothetical example that might occur in social research to demonstrate each.

Question 42

One of the great problems in a democracy is getting the majority of people to reach substantial agreement on the major policies that should be followed to create a better society.

Question 43

Albert Einstein said that, "Theories should be as simple as possible, but not more so." Why and how is this important in understanding social science methods and the whole purpose of social science?

Question 44

Social scientists can have a great impact on policies by helping people to understand the issues.

Question 45

Today, the attempt to find patterns of social evolution that can be applied to all societies has been largely abandoned.

Question 46

What is the importance of knowing the interrelationships among social science disciplines?

Question 47

Social scientists basically use the same approaches and methods and discourage different disciplinary approaches.

Question 48

The scientific method is a set of beliefs all scientists use in the same way.

Question 49

Outline the nine steps of scientific research presented in your text as research methods of social science. What is the purpose of these methods?

Question 50

To a considerable extent, the social scientist must substitute careful observation and the process of abstraction for experiments.

Question 51

The processing speeds of computers double every two months according to Moore's Law.

Question 52

What is the difference between common sense and educated common sense? Why is the distinction important in science?

Question 53

The function of social science is not primarily to determine social objectives but instead to discover how our objectives can be achieved.

Question 54

The line between what is social science and what is natural science is fixed.

Question 55

Social scientists have more difficulty than physical scientists in being objective. This means that social science is much less scientific than is physical science.