Question 1

The scientific goal of control of behavior raises issues of

Accepted Answer

A)   ethics: Should we try to control behavior?
B)   practicality: Are we able to control behavior?
C)   options: What techniques should we use to control behavior?
D)   all of the above. D

Question 2

In theories, mediating variables

Accepted Answer

A)   are causes of other variables.
B)   are effects of other variables.
C)   come between two other variables in a causal chain.
D)   change or limit the relationship between a proposed causal variable its effect. C

Question 3

Which of the following is a reason that theoretical assumptions are not subject to empirical testing?

Accepted Answer

A)   Scientists' base their assumptions on their personal understanding of the world.
B)   Assumptions are abstract and so cannot be tested in the physical world.
C)   Many technologies that could be used to test the assumption are too expensive for practical use.
D)   Scientists cannot reasonably know and understand reality. B

Question 4

Name and define the four key values of science for Western scientists.

Accepted Answer

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Question 5

When you conduct research that tests a theory, a proposition from the theory becomes a(n) ________ in your research.

Accepted Answer

A)   independent variable
B)   unidimensional variable
C)   hypothesis
D)   operational definition

Question 6

List the three interrelated factors that define knowledge in behavioral science.

Accepted Answer

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Question 7

A theory that is useful

Accepted Answer

A)   provides guidance for solving problems relevant to people's everyday lives.
B)   stimulates research.
C)   generates constructive debate with proponents of opposing theoretical perspectives.
D)   does all of the above.

Question 8

As a goal of science, prediction consists of

Accepted Answer

A)   forecasting future events, such as by using Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT)  scores and high school grade point average (GP
A)   to predict GPA during the first year of college.
B)   formulating hypotheses to be tested in research.
C)   making predictions about the behavior of specific individuals.
D)   both a and b but not c.

Question 9

Someone who holds the logical positivist viewpoint on science is most likely to prefer the _______ as a research strategy.

Accepted Answer

A)   correlational study
B)   case study
C)   laboratory experiment
D)   quasi-experiment

Question 10

Distinguish between the terms specification and scope as they pertain to theories.

Accepted Answer

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Question 11

Explain why it is difficult for people to differentiate between well-established scientific findings and fringe scientific claims.

Accepted Answer

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Question 12

In theories, dependent variables

Accepted Answer

A)   are causes of other variables.
B)   are effects of other variables.
C)   come between two other variables in a causal chain.
D)   limit the relationship between a proposed causal variable and its effect.

Question 13

Professor Subedi proposes that there are two types of leadership-task-oriented and person-oriented-that are independent of each other, so that a person could be high on both types, low on both types, or high one type but low on the other. Professor Subedi views leadership as a ________ construct.

Accepted Answer

A)   unidimensional
B)   univariate
C)   multidimensional
D)   multifaceted

Question 14

Theoretical assumptions are

Accepted Answer

A)   speculations about a phenomenon that have no basis in fact.
B)   testable statements about relationships between variables.
C)   beliefs that are taken to be true and are not subject to empirical testing.
D)   ways of conceptualizing and studying the subject matter of a particular field of science.

Question 15

Which of the following researchers is MOST likely to take a social constructionist perspective?

Accepted Answer

A)   a neuroscientist studying how right- or left-handedness affects information processing
B)   a primatologist studying the longevity of animals in captivity
C)   a critical race theorist studying how institutional factors influence employment discrimination
D)   a clinical psychologist studying the effectiveness of a new anti-anxiety medication

Question 16

An effective way to teach people to debunk misconceptions about the results of scientific research is to

Accepted Answer

A)   make the scientific evidence that disconfirms the myth readily available.
B)   evaluate people's level of scientific knowledge and address their areas of weakness.
C)   teach critical thinking skills alongside the scientific method.
D)   begin teaching the scientific method in elementary school.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a component of behavioral science?

Accepted Answer

A)   theory
B)   statistics
C)   research
D)   application

Question 18

What is statistical conclusion validity?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is statistical conclusion validity?...

Question 19

________ deals with the adequacy of the operational definitions used in a study.

Accepted Answer

A)   External validity
B)   Internal validity
C)   Construct validity
D)   Statistical conclusion validity

Question 20

That we cannot directly observe relationships between hypothetical constructs but must draw conclusions about those relationships from our observation of operational definitions illustrates the issue of ________ in research.

Accepted Answer

A)   theoretical validity
B)   epistemological error
C)   descriptive failure
D)   inference

Exam 1: Behavioral Science