Exam 1: Introduction to Scientific Research

Sometimes science seems to go through a period of chaos where the current beliefs, concepts and practices, or fundamental beliefs that are typically shared by scientists are questioned and start being replaced by another set of fundamental beliefs. This period is referred to by Kuhn as _________science.

Control is an objective of psychological science. In this context, control refers to

Logical positivists advocated _________as an important scientific method.

Which of the characteristics of scientific research indicates the reliability of operational definitions?

Which of the following are important characteristics of scientific research in psychology?

Tom was experiencing dizziness just before he ate his lunch and noted that after he started eating his dizziness disappeared. From this he inferred that dizziness was due to a lack of nutrition and whenever someone complained of dizziness he encouraged them to eat. His inference that dizziness is due to lack of nutrition demonstrates what reasoning process?

_________science is governed by a single paradigm, while_________ science may be a time of shifting from one paradigm to another.

Dr. Haynes finds that in her laboratory, bacterium X can be killed with antibiotic Y. However, Dr. Swensson does not observe this same result in her laboratory. What is the most plausible explanation for why this happened?

Dr. Stokley has derived a hypothesis from Skinner's Theory of Operant Conditioning. Dr. Stokley wants to collect factual information and evidence to test his hypothesis. Which of the following refers to the process he will use?

Social Learning theory states that "we learn from others." This broad theory has lead to the testing of many specific hypotheses such as "Children learn manners from their parents." This is an example of what type of reasoning?

Theory plays an important role in science. Which of the following is NOT generally seen as a function of theory?

Holding factors such as temperature, lighting, and seating arrangement constant during experimental testing supports which of the following characteristics of scientific research?

Today many scientists rely on a hybrid approach to hypothesis testing that includes both ________and ___________.

Which of the following is the best example of using inductive reasoning?

Psychologists use the concept of determinism to mean

The fact that researcher have found that changes in serotonin levels cause changes in mood supports which is the belief that there are causes of mental process.

"Good" candidates for becoming scientists are those who have all of the following characteristics EXCEPT

Developing theories, laws, and generalizations to help our understanding of human behavior supports which basic assumption of scientific research?

Which of the following is a disadvantage of the intuitive approach to acquiring knowledge?

Which of the following is a reason for taking a Research Methods course?