Deck 2: Theories

Question 1

A synonym for 'proposition' is

A) condition
B) universal statement
C) stylized fact

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What is the role of 'conditions' in theoretical explanations?

A) conditions relate the propositions to the phenomena to be explained
B) conditions state whether hypotheses are true or not
C) conditions are the hypotheses that explain the phenomena

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Consider the following two statements: (A) 'The higher one's education, the higher one's income' and (B) 'In the year 1980 men were on average higher educated than women in France'. Which statement is a proposition?

A) Statement (A)
B) Statement (B)
C) Statement (A) and (B)

Answer 3

A

Question 4

A theory does not ...

A) explain phenonema
B) predict new phenonema
C) evaluate phenonema

Question 5

A tautology is a statement which is:

A) logically true
B) logically false
C) highly informative

Question 6

A theory's 'information content' is made up of:

A) empirical success and truth
B) conditions and hypotheses
C) theoretical precision and scope

Question 7

A typology is the same as:

A) a theoretical tool
B) a way of classifying reality
C) a stylized fact

Question 8

Which of the following best describes these propositions: P1: "Students who study less than 10 hours will fail the test" P2: "Students who study less than 10 hours will fail the test and the presentation"

A) P1 has higher theoretical precision and broader scope than P2.
B) P1 has same theoretical scope as P2, but P1 has higher theoretical precision than P2
C) P1 has same theoretical precision as P2, but P1 has larger theoretical scope than P2

Question 9

A deeper explanation is the same as

A) Type of explanation which has a high degree of empirical success
B) Type of explanation that specificies the ultimate causes of social phenomena
C) Type of explanation in which one proposition is explained by another, more general, proposition

Question 10

Read carefully through the following three statements: "(1) Today, it rains in the Netherlands. (2) Today, people who are outside in the Netherlands become wet. (3) When it rains in a country, all people in that country get wet. " Which of the three statements is the "proposition"?

A) statement (1)
B) statement (2)
C) statement (3)

Question 11

Which of the following is an example of a moderation effect?

A) Education has a strong, positive effect on happiness
B) The positive effect of education on happiness is stronger among men than among women
C) Education has a positive effect on happiness, because of higher income

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of a 'tautology'?

A) It is possible that tomorrow the crime rate differs between the US and Canada
B) The crime rate in Germany will increase in the next 10 years
C) There is a positive association between alcohol use and delinquent activities

Question 13

Which of the following ingredients is not true for a relationship to be classified as causal:

A) the cause should precede the effect
B) the independent and dependent variable must be associated with each other
C) the relationship between the independent and dependent variable should be fully mediated

Question 14

What is the advantage of using a theory schema instead of a conceptual model?

A) a theory schema clearly identifies the propositions, conditions and hypotheses
B) a theory schema consists of abstract symbols, which makes it possible to be more precise about the strength of the expected relationships
C) a theory schema can handle more complicated relationships, such as indirect effects and bidirectional effects