Question 1

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.

Accepted Answer

The empirical approach to science requires that knowledge be based on observations. This means that data must be collected through experimentation, observation or other scientific methods. It is important to note that ideas based on intuition or authority figures may be examined and tested through empirical methods. Additionally, skepticism is necessary in science to ensure that data is accurate and reliable.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Relying on your own personal judgment is an act of intuition, as you are trusting your inner feelings and instincts without any external validation or evidence. Skepticism involves questioning and doubting information presented to you, while authority involves accepting information from a trusted source without question. Scientific understanding involves relying on empirical evidence and testing to confirm or disprove hypotheses, which may not necessarily align with one's personal judgment.

Question 3

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.

Accepted Answer

This statement implies that researchers are attempting to identify the cause of differences in guilt ratings, which is an example of explaining behavior. The other statements do not attempt to explain behavior, but rather describe observed differences or opinions.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

The first statement simply provides a factual piece of information about intelligence test scores, which is a description of behavior. The second statement compares intelligence test scores between two groups (children from smaller families vs. larger families), which is also a description of observed differences in behavior, not an explanation of why those differences exist.

Question 5

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.

Accepted Answer

The scientific approach provides an objective set of rules for gathering, evaluating, and reporting information, which is a major advantage over subjective ways of knowing. It also allows for the ruling out of intuition and authority as sources of ideas about behaviour, but it does not always lead to correct explanations, as scientific findings are always subject to revision and refinement. It also does not guarantee that the public will accept or agree with the findings.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

The inference is lacking evidence that eliminates alternative explanations for the observed relationship. It's possible that having a bigger home or more money leads to owning more cars, rather than owning more cars causing one to have a bigger home or garage.

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

Temporal precedence is the principle that relates to the order in which two events occur together. It is the idea that the cause must come before the effect.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

John's decision to purchase several copies of the new children's book is based on his intuition, which suggests that the availability of the book will be scarce in the future.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

Program evaluation research focuses on assessing the effectiveness of reforms and innovations in various settings, including government, industry, and mental health. Industrial and governmental research may focus on different aspects of these settings, while theory-oriented research focuses more on theoretical frameworks and models rather than practical applications. Therefore, program evaluation research is the best choice for this question.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Dave knows that when Ken drinks alcohol...

Question 11

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.

Accepted Answer

The scientific approach involves gathering empirical evidence through evaluation to determine whether the implemented intervention is having the intended effect. To effectively incorporate the scientific approach into program design, it is crucial to evaluate the program's effectiveness in achieving its intended outcomes. Therefore, the correct choice is B - the reward program should be evaluated to determine whether or not it is having the intended effect.

Question 12

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.

Accepted Answer

Claims that lack underlying scientific data but are presented in a way that appears scientific are known as pseudoscience. This refers to ideas or beliefs that are presented as scientific without adhering to the scientific method or lacking empirical evidence. Examples of pseudoscience include astrology, creationism, and some alternative medicine practices.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Covariation of cause and effect means that when the cause is present, the effect occurs, and when the cause is not present, the effect does not occur. This principle is crucial in determining the cause of behavior.

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

This statement is describing behavior by stating an observation about how people's eating habits may vary depending on their social context. It does not predict, explain, or determine the cause of the behavior.

Question 15

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.

Accepted Answer

Intuition is often subject to biases and personal beliefs, which can lead to inaccurate conclusions. The scientific approach, on the other hand, uses objective data to draw conclusions, reducing the impact of personal biases.

Question 16

The fundamental characteristic of the scientific approach is
A) intuition.
B) authority.
C) falsifiability.
D) empiricism.

Accepted Answer

Empiricism is the fundamental characteristic of the scientific approach. This means that scientific knowledge comes from observation and experimentation rather than intuition or authority. Falsifiability is also important in science, as scientific theories must be testable and able to be proven false.

Question 17

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.

Accepted Answer

The statement about plants growing more when exposed to music suggests a predictive relationship between two variables - music and plant growth. This aligns with the scientific goal of predicting behavior based on observable patterns and relationships. The other statements describe descriptive or correlational relationships but do not necessarily involve prediction.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

Observational analysis may be a useful tool in identifying a cause of a behavior, but it is not a requirement. The three requirements for identifying a cause are temporal precedence, covariation of cause and effect, and elimination of alternative explanations.

Question 19

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.

Accepted Answer

People are likely to believe information presented by a speaker who is seen as prestigious, trustworthy, and credible due to the authority they hold. When a person is perceived as an authority figure on a particular topic, their opinions and information are often trusted and viewed as accurate by others. This can be seen in various settings, such as in academic or professional environments, where experts are trusted and respected for their knowledge and experience.

Question 20

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

Accepted Answer

The first statement is predicting a relationship between two variables (SAT scores and college GPAs). 
The second statement is describing a difference between two groups (males and females) on a particular variable (quantitative SAT scores).

Quiz 1: Scientific Understanding of Behaviour

The empirical approach to science requires that

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

Which statement best illustrates the scientific goal of explaining behaviour?

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.

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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.

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

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

The fundamental characteristic of the scientific approach is

Which statement best illustrates the scientific goal of predicting behaviour?

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

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

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.