Deck 1: Social Science and Its Methods

Question 1

The study of social arrangements to maintain peace and order within a given society is called:

A) economics.
B) anthropology.
C) geography.
D) political science.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

What is the importance of knowing the interrelationships among social science disciplines?

Answer 2

It is important to know the interrelationships among social science disciplines because of the complexity of expressions of human culture. If you look at an aspect of human life from the perspective of only one discipline, you are likely to miss things. In other words, to understand psychology, sometimes you have to understand sociology and vice versa.

Question 3

Language is important in the communication of social scientific knowledge. Social scientists are aware that language:

A) should require layers of translation.
B) used in high theory must, of necessity, include specialty-specific jargon to enhance understanding.
C) embodies value judgments and preserves ways of looking at things.
D) used to convey brilliant ideas will be complex.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The "Delphi method" refers to:

A) social scientists having their interpretations reviewed by other specialists in the field.
B) social scientists having the freedom to make assumptions without peer review.
C) asking others outside of the social sciences to review one's interpretations.
D) drawing a conclusion only after a panel of recognized specialists agrees that it is valid.

Question 5

What happens when scientists have a strong opinion on policy?

A) They should conduct their scientific experiments in order to confirm their opinions on policy.
B) They cannot express that opinion because science has no place in policy.
C) Science becomes the basis for policy initiatives.
D) It leads to a loss of objectivity.

Question 6

Explain the role of the Impartial Spectator in Social Science.

Question 7

Since its conception, social science has entwined two aspects. Sometimes it is simply trying to achieve a limited understanding of our place in the cosmos, and at other times it is trying to:

A) finalize an unlimited, complete explanation of human total reality.
B) evolve into a theology of human behavior.
C) change society.
D) become a physical science.

Question 8

How are the generalizations or laws that social scientists can make related to those that a physical scientist can make?

A) They can only be applied in theoretical, not practical, situations.
B) Physical scientists use the laws of social science to substantiate their theories.
C) All laws of social science are derived from the laws of physical science.
D) They are less definite and certain.

Question 9

Social scientists find statistics useful because of the:

A) possible insights into social problems and relationships.
B) ability to measure social welfare.
C) self-evident nature of statistical data.
D) lack of a necessity to interpret statistics.

Question 10

Thomas Kuhn argued that scientific progression occurs by paradigm shifts. A paradigm is:

A) a scientific method and the technology that supports it.
B) a scientific record-keeping method.
C) a scientific theory and the core of beliefs that surrounds it.
D) a way of understanding without evidence.

Question 11

Joseph Hotz's study of the implications of teen pregnancy concluded that whether or not mothers had born a child in their teens made:

A) a major difference in their economic and social positions.
B) little difference in their economic and social positions.
C) a difference which was received well by conservatives.
D) a difference which was popular with both liberals and conservatives.

Question 12

Educated common sense:

A) has no place in science.
B) has been important in the past but is unnecessary today.
C) is important in the social sciences.
D) is better than any rules about science.

Question 13

The social science method that involves making a detailed examination and analysis of a particular issue or problem situation is called the:

A) comparative method.
B) case method.
C) historical method.
D) cross-cultural method.

Question 14

What is the distinction between correlation and causation? Give a hypothetical example that might occur in social research to demonstrate each.

Question 15

Albert Einstein said, "Theories should be as simple as possible, but not more so." Why and how is this important in understanding social science methods and the whole purpose of social science?

Question 16

What is the difference between common sense and educated common sense? Why is the distinction important in science?

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT one of the general rules
(heuristics) that guide the application of social science in policymaking outlined in your text?

A) Recognize your inherent bias and adjust for it.
B) Be humble.
C) Place greater emphasis on practical outcomes instead of scientific theories.
D) Distinguish differences in interpretation of facts from differences in normative judgments.

Question 18

The Enlightenment established the "three humiliations" of human beings. These include:

A) the earth is the center of the universe.
B) we are not creatures of nature like other animals.
C) humans cannot guide or direct social change.
D) our reasoning ability is subject to passions and subconscious desires.

Question 19

The Interdisciplinary Approach means:

A) there is no need for separate social sciences.
B) a group of scientists with different specialties work together on a common problem.
C) we will never need a unified social science.
D) all problems can be solved quickly.

Question 20

Anthropology is the study of the relationship between:

A) environment and trading systems.
B) biological traits and socially acquired characteristics.
C) physics and biology.
D) marketing strategies and geography
(climate and resource allocation systems).

Question 21

There are only disadvantages to the social sciences being specialized.

Question 22

Geography has practical applications related to trade patterns, settlement of populations, and aggression and acquisition.

Question 23

There is little agreement among specialists in a particular social science about what distinguishes their field from others.

Question 24

New fields of social science are evolving, such as cognitive science.

Question 25

Scientific knowledge is knowledge that has been:

A) systematically gathered, classified, related, and interpreted.
B) rediscovered and cherished as dogma.
C) found to be in agreement with popular opinion.
D) tested until it is perfect and then retained unchanged forever.

Question 26

Social science disciplines are clearly defined so that no two fields cover the same subjects.

Question 27

Sociology is the study of the ways in which men and women make a living.

Question 28

Social science and natural science are both scientific but differ in focus because:

A) natural science deals with the spiritual values of nature.
B) social science deals with all aspects of the group life of humans.
C) social science deals with matter and energy.
D) natural science does not deal with living things.

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT included in cognitive science?

A) Economics.
B) Psychology.
C) Linguistics.
D) Social anthropology.

Question 30

Science offers final explanations of the universe and its phenomena.

Question 31

In the social sciences, very little use can be made of controlled experiments because the investigator:

A) cannot control the situations.
B) does not need this method.
C) knows too much about human behavior.
D) must not be part of the experiment.

Question 32

Knowledge is made up of knowledge of human beings, including culture and products and knowledge of the natural environment.

Question 33

Modern science is based on the assumption that:

A) this is an orderly universe.
B) cause and effect are not important.
C) all phenomena are simple.
D) there are only two scientific laws.

Question 34

During the Enlightenment, people began to believe that society and culture are themselves the products of history and the evolution of culture. The Enlightenment is important in the origins of:

A) medieval science.
B) social science.
C) classical Greek philosophy.
D) the idea that civilization did not improve.

Question 35

Scientific inquiry is possible in a society in which certain attitudes are developed and tolerated. These attitudes include curiosity, objectivity, and:

A) aggression.
B) accessibility.
C) skepticism.
D) complacency.

Question 36

Scientific knowledge can be roughly grouped into two major fields: humanities and language arts.

Question 37

This is the field of human knowledge that deals with all aspects of the group life of human beings.

A) Scientific knowledge.
B) Humanities.
C) Natural science.
D) Social science.

Question 38

If the social sciences are ever going to have a unified theory, it will be because people started thinking about the rules and how the various rules of the social sciences fit together.

Question 39

All expressions of human culture are unrelated and independent.

Question 40

There are many different social science disciplines with varying approaches, but in understanding modern problems, social scientists need to know:

A) which discipline is the best.
B) less about the past.
C) more about their own specialty.
D) how the social sciences interrelate.

Question 41

Argumentation for the sake of heaven only serves to hinder the creation of policies based on the findings of the social sciences.

Question 42

The scientific method is a set of beliefs all scientists use in the same way.

Question 43

Because it is so difficult to experiment in social science, some people have insisted that it is not science.

Question 44

The function of social science is not primarily to determine social objectives but instead to discover how our objectives can be achieved.

Question 45

The line between what is social science and what is natural science is fixed.

Question 46

The Veil of Ignorance plays a key role in the policy implications of social science.

Question 47

The saga of Hans, the Thinking Horse, is an example of why a good scientist must have both skepticism and imagination.

Question 48

Paul Feyerabend argues that the correct methodology is no methodology.

Question 49

The function of social science is primarily to determine social values and goals.

Question 50

Today, the attempt to find patterns of social evolution that can be applied to all societies has been largely abandoned.

Question 51

To a considerable extent, the social scientist must substitute careful observation and the process of abstraction for experiments.

Question 52

Social scientists basically use the same approaches and methods and discourage different disciplinary approaches.

Question 53

Some of the concerns of geography are ecology, climate, resources, and:

A) individual emotions.
B) demography.
C) monetary policy.
D) the theory of the state.

Question 54

Phronesis is a type of knowledge that relies solely on logic, rationality, and empirical proofs.

Question 55

Controlled experiments play a very important role in the scientific method.