Deck 1: Introduction, Acquiring Knowledge, and the Scientific Method

Question 1

A person who buys a lottery ticket because he just feels lucky is using
A)the method of empiricism.

A)the method of intuition.
B)the method of faith.
C)the method of tenacity.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

A limitation of using the method of empiricism is

A)people can be fooled so that they misperceive the world around them.
B)people see things accurately but misinterpret their perceptions.
C)the method of empiricism can be time consuming and even dangerous.
D)the other three choices are all limitations.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

When you "know" that you do not want to eat fried worms,even when everyone around you says that they taste great,your decision is based on

A)the method of empiricism.
B)the method of faith.
C)the method of tenacity.
D)the method of authority.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Magazine advertisements that use celebrities to sell makeup employ which method of acquiring knowledge?

A)tenacity
B)authority
C)empiricism
D)rationalism

Question 5

Which method of acquiring knowledge is being used by a person who says "I'll believe it when I see it?"

A)method of empiricism
B)rational method
C)method of authority
D)scientific method

Question 6

A patient who demands a second opinion before agreeing to surgery,is double-checking information obtained by the

A)method of authority.
B)rational method.
C)empirical method.
D)method of intuition.

Question 7

Which of the following is a potential problem with the method of authority?

A)A person may claim to be an expert when he or she really is not.
B)An "expert" answer may be only a personal,subjective opinion.
C)An expert may be giving answers outside his or her area of expertise.
D)The other three choices are all potential problems.

Question 8

Seeking answers by reading a chapter in a college textbook is an example of using the

A)method of empiricism.
B)rational method.
C)method of authority.
D)scientific method.

Question 9

A group of students in a cooking class is trying to find a faster way to bake a cake.They know that it takes 30 minutes to bake a cake at 350 degrees,so they figure that it should take only 15 minutes at 700 degrees.These students are using the _________ to solve the problem.

A) method of empiricism
B)rational method
C)method of authority
D)scientific method

Question 10

When your doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to your heart,the doctor is gathering information by using the

A)method of authority.
B)rational method.
C)empirical method.
D)method of intuition.

Question 11

Which method of acquiring knowledge is being used by students who are learning from teachers and textbooks?

A)method of empiricism
B)rational method
C)method of authority
D)scientific method

Question 12

A student who believes that his performance on tests is influenced by wearing a lucky hat is using
A)the method of empiricism.

A)the method of authority.
B)the method of faith.
C)the method of tenacity.

Question 13

A restaurant chef tried replacing rice with pasta in one of her recipes to see what would happen.Which method of acquiring knowledge is she using?

A)method of empiricism
B)rational method
C)method of authority
D)scientific method

Question 14

An explanation is empirical if it is

A)based on widely held beliefs.
B)based on logical deductions.
C)based on evidence of the senses.
D)based on respect for the source of the explanation.

Question 15

Visual illusions,such as the vertical/horizontal illusion,provide a demonstration of one problem with the _________ of knowing or acquiring knowledge.

A)rational method
B)method of authority
C)empirical method
D)scientific method

Question 16

When your doctor asks you whether you have been sleeping well at night,the doctor is gathering information by using the

A)method of authority.
B)rational method.
C)empirical method.
D)method of intuition.

Question 17

Finding the address and phone number of a restaurant by "googling" the name of the restaurant is and example of using the

A)method of empiricism.
B)rational method.
C)method of authority.
D)scientific method.

Question 18

The mode of inquiry that is called the method of faith is a variant of which other method of inquiry?

A)the method of empiricism
B)the rational method
C)the method of authority
D)the scientific method

Question 19

In a chemistry class,a group of students tried mixing two chemicals together to see what would happen.These students are using the _________ method to gather information.

A)empirical
B)rational
C)intuitive
D)scientific

Question 20

You find some mushrooms growing in your backyard and want to find out whether or not they are poisonous,so you eat a few and see what happens.This is an example of the ______ of knowing or acquiring knowledge.

A)rational method
B)method of authority
C)empirical method
D)scientific method

Question 21

Which of the following is not a basic characteristic of scientific research?

A)Scientific research is public.
B)Scientific research is empirical.
C)Scientific research is conducted in a laboratory.
D)Scientific research is objective.

Question 22

Using a general hypothesis to develop a testable predication involves the use of

A)induction.
B)deduction.
C)analysis.
D)synthesis.

Question 23

Which of the following describes a similarity between science and pseudoscience?

A)Both are based on objective observations.
B)Both are open to change when new data contradict old theories.
C)Both tend to use "scientific" jargon.
D)Both are based on hypotheses that are testable and refutable.

Question 24

Using observations of humans to form a hypothesis about human behavior is an example of

A)inductive reasoning.
B)deductive reasoning.
C)practical reasoning.
D)predictive reasoning.

Question 25

For which of the following questions would the scientific method be an appropriate method for seeking an answer?

A)How many angels can stand on the head of a pin?
B)Is abortion moral or immoral?
C)What conditions promote student learning in an elementary classroom?
D)How would life be different if the computer had never been invented?

Question 26

Although the scientific method incorporates several other methods of inquiry,which of the following is least likely to be a part of the scientific method?

A)the method of empiricism
B)the rational method
C)the method of tenacity
D)the method of authority

Question 27

The last step in the research process is

A)actually collecting the data.
B)using statistical techniques to evaluate the results.
C)replicating the study.
D)generating new questions or new hypotheses to restart the research process.

Question 28

Based on observations of his own children,Jean Piaget formed a general hypothesis about the cognitive development of all children.His hypothesis is an example of

A)inductive reasoning.
B)deductive reasoning.
C)practical reasoning.
D)predictive reasoning.

Question 29

A researcher conducts a study in which 50 college students are assigned to different treatments and tested.In the study,the students are called

A)research associates.
B)research cohorts.
C)research participants.
D)research subjects.

Question 30

A human who is observed,examined,and/or measured in a research study is called a

A)case.
B)confederate.
C)participant.
D)subject.

Question 31

A good hypothesis must

A)refer to variables that can be observed or measured.
B)make a positive statement about the existence of an effect or a relationship.
C)allow for the possibility that the observations will not support the hypothesis.
D)the other three choices are all characteristics of a good hypothesis.

Question 32

Based on limited experience with daises in my flower garden,I have concluded that these flowers require almost no care at all.This conclusion is an example of

A)inductive reasoning.
B)deductive reasoning.
C)practical reasoning.
D)predictive reasoning.

Question 33

A hypothesis is
A)a well developed and complete explanation of behavior.

A)considered to be unscientific and,therefore,not part of the scientific method.
B)a statement that describes the relationship between variables.
C)an unsupported guess about the causes of behavior.

Question 34

Pseudoscience is

A)based on testable and refutable hypotheses.
B)based on objective and unbiased evidence.
C)based on subjective evidence.
D)based on all the other options.

Question 35

Which of the following is not a good example of a hypothesis?

A)There is no relationship between fatigue and reaction time.
B)Increased sugar consumption leads to an increased level of activity.
C)Smaller class size is related to better academic performance.
D) A person's level of self-esteem is related to how long he or she will persist at a difficult task.

Question 36

A researcher decides to copy a study exactly.This is referred to as

A)empiricism.
B)replication.
C)control.
D)tenacity.

Question 37

A researcher conducts a study in which 50 rats are assigned to different treatments and tested.In the study,the rats are called

A)research associates.
B)research cohorts.
C)research participants.
D)research subjects.

Question 38

Which of the following is not a good example of a hypothesis?

A)Academic performance will improve if students begin classes earlier in the day.
B) There would be less racial tension today if Abraham Lincoln had not been assassinated.
C)Children can learn a new language faster than adults can.
D)People can respond faster to a sound stimulus than to a light stimulus.

Question 39

One step in the scientific method involves using a hypothesis to generate a testable prediction.This process is an example of

A)deduction.
B)induction.
C)reduction.
D)replication.

Question 40

In a testable hypothesis

A)the variables must be measurable.
B)the independent must be manipulated.
C)a theory is supported.
D)a theory is confirmed.

Question 41

You have dinner reservations at 7:30 at a restaurant that is 30 minutes away and it is already 7:20.Based in this information,you know that you are going to be late.This is an example of using the empirical method.

Question 42

In the scientific method,the actual research study is not done until after the researcher has formed a hypothesis and made a specific prediction.

Question 43

The method of tenacity is a nonscientific way of knowing.

Question 44

Pseudoscience is based on objective empirical evidence.

Question 45

A good hypothesis should make a positive statement about the existence of a relationship,a difference,or a treatment effect.

Question 46

Visual illusions demonstrate one problem with the method of empiricism.

Question 47

One difference between a scientific answer and answers gained by other methods is that the scientific answer is more likely to be an absolute or final answer.

Question 48

Based on a few students whom you know,you decide that art majors wear funky clothes and that physics majors tend to be nerds.This is an example of inductive reasoning.

Question 49

If the scientific method is being used to evaluate a hypothesis predicting a specific relationship between two variables,then it is essential that both variables can be measured.

Question 50

One critical component of the scientific method is that all answers or explanations must be demonstrated empirically.

Question 51

Using a hypothesis to predict how people will behave is an example of induction (or inductive reasoning).

Question 52

Part of the scientific method involves using a hypothesis to make predictions.

Question 53

Humans who participate in a research study are called research subjects.

Question 54

To find out whether it really is cold enough to make your tongue stick to a metal flagpole,you press your tongue against the flagpole.This is an example of using the empirical method.

Question 55

An important element of the scientific method is that research results should be made public.

Question 56

You know that birds and squirrels eat the mushrooms in your backyard every day and you know that they are healthy.Based on these two facts,you decide that the mushrooms are not poisonous.This is an example of the rational method.

Question 57

You find some mushrooms growing in your backyard and want to find out whether or not they are safe to eat,so you try eating a few mushrooms and see what happens.This is an example of using the empirical method of inquiry.

Question 58

A football player who knows that his performance will be better if he wears his lucky shirt is using the method of faith.

Question 59

Finding information in a textbook would be an example of using the rational method of inquiry.

Question 60

In the scientific method,the process of forming a hypothesis means that you are trying to find a possible explanation for the phenomenon that you have observed.

Question 61

Explain what it means to say that the scientific method or the research process can be viewed as a never ending circle or a spiral of steps rather than a linear process that leads to an end.

Question 62

Identify the basic steps in the scientific method and describe how the scientific method is used to answer questions such as,"Why are some marriages successful and others are not?"

Question 63

Distinguish between science and pseudoscience.

Question 64

Describe a problem that can arise when you are trying to obtain information using only the method of authority.How is this problem avoided in the scientific method?

Question 65

Distinguish between induction and deduction and describe how each is used in the scientific method.

Question 66

Describe how the rational method and the method of empiricism are both utilized as parts of the scientific method.

Question 67

Describe a problem that can arise when you are trying to obtain information using only the rational method.How is this problem avoided in the scientific method?