Exam 2: The Nature of Science

Which of the following is an example of a scientific question?

An observer of street corner groups finds that more acts of vandalism are committed by same-sex groups than by mixed-sex groups. She speculates that the propensity to commit publicly deviant acts is a product of competition for recognition among peers of equal status. This is an example of

In science, evidence is always open to change through reinterpretation or possible contradiction by new evidence.

Qualitative researchers tend to assume that there is an objective reality that exists independent of the investigator.

Qualitative researchers tend to reject the natural sciences as a model of social scientific inquiry.

What is the primary difference between deductive and inductive logic?

The confirmation of a particular prediction is sufficient to prove a theory.

The authors of the textbook take the position that

The public nature of science safeguards scientific objectivity.

In his study Suicide, Durkheim

Because of the human element in science, some scholars believe that it is impossible to detect and eliminate sources of bias in scientific inquiry. Present a rebuttal to this criticism. Be sure to point out how biases and errors often are identifiable and correctable because the nature of scientific inquiry enables its own critique.

The ultimate goal of scientific inquiry is

Durkheim found that predominantly Catholic nations had lower suicide rates than predominantly Protestant nations, and that married people had lower suicide rates than single people. Noting that both Catholics and married people are more socially integrated than their counterparts, he theorized that the more socially integrated a group, the lower its suicide rate. What type(s) of reasoning is this?

According to Durkheim's theory of suicide, the more socially integrated a group, the lower its suicide rate. Catholics are more socially integrated than Protestants. Therefore, the suicide rate is lower among Catholics than among Protestants. What type(s) of reasoning is this?

Describe how Durkheim used both deductive and inductive reasoning in his study of suicide. Be sure to give specific details of the study as these relate to each form of reasoning.

Which of the following is not among qualitative researchers' criticisms of using the natural sciences as a model for social scientific inquiry?

Which phrase best captures the meaning of "objectivity" as it applies to scientific inquiry?

The textbook describes science as a "product" and a "process." What is the essential defining product of science? What is the best overall description of the scientific process?

A concept is an idea or abstract notion usually communicated by words.

The textbook describes science as both a product and a process. The "process" consists of