Exam 3: Thinking About Theory and Research

The criterion of parsimony is most accurately described in which of the following statements?

All of the following have been identified as goals of theory EXCEPT

In the __________ approach, communication behavior is believed to be governed by forces that are predictable and able to be generalized.

Theory is defined as a _________ system of _________ with indications of the _________ among the concepts that help us to understand a phenomenon.

The scientific method follows

Nominal concepts are concepts that are observable.

When considering the role and influence of values in scholarly research, our authors argue that it is realistic to expect that research always be value-free.

In ____________ research, the focus is on generating knowledge and theory for its own sake.

Describe the elements of the systems approach. Provide a real-life example of a system by applying each of the elements in your description.

All of us in daily life think like researchers, using implicit, naïve theories to help us understand behavior.

The McAllister family has a rule that there will be no viewing of television after eight o'clock on school nights. Which of Lull's rules governing television viewing is represented by this rule?

Explain the difference between ontology, epistemology, and axiology. Write an original question to illustrate your understanding of each of these approaches.

According to the Wallace's wheel of science, most researchers tend to strictly adhere to either deductive or inductive logic, but never use both.

When scientists have disagreements about how we go about knowing and what counts as knowledge, there is a disagreement about

A researcher who has no concern for issues of control or ability to generalize, instead choosing focus on providing rich descriptions would be following the _________ approach.

__________ focuses on questions of the nature of reality and what we should be studying.

Most social science researchers do not seek covering law explanations; instead, they may seek "probabilistic" statements that can be said to have a certain degree of probability

Reliability is the opposite of validity.

At Westco Company, a mission statement is presented to all new employees promoting the philosophy that all departments depend on quality performance from one another for the success of the company as a unit. When one unit fails, others will suffer. Which of the following systems approach elements is being promoted in this mission statement?

While there is no universally accepted definition for theory, identify and explain the definition forwarded by our authors. Do you agree with this definition? Are there ideas or concepts you would like to add or subtract from this definition?