EDF 6437 FINAL EXAM PRACTICE TEST
2025/2026 /100 Questions with Answers
Bolded and Rationales in Italics
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS AND ATTITUDES OF SCIENCE
1. The belief that accurate knowledge can be acquired through observation is
known as:
• A) Determinism
• B) Empiricism
• C) Parsimony
• D) Materialism
Answer: B
Rationale: Empiricism is the fundamental belief that knowledge comes from
objective observation and measurement. It opposes relying on logic, intuition, or
tradition alone. Determinism is the belief that behavior is lawful, materialism
holds that controlling variables are in the physical realm, and parsimony favors the
simplest explanation.
2. The philosophy that every event, action, and decision results from something
independent of human will is known as:
• A) Empiricism
• B) Parsimony
• C) Determinism
, • D) Experimentation
Answer: C
Rationale: Determinism is the philosophical position that the world is a lawful and
orderly place where all events, including human behavior, have identifiable causes.
This principle underlies the scientific study of behavior—if behavior were random,
it could not be studied or changed.
3. The Attitudes of Science include all of the following EXCEPT:
• A) Determinism
• B) Empiricism
• C) Experimentation
• D) Subjectivity
Answer: D
Rationale: The scientific attitudes include determinism, empiricism,
experimentation, replication, parsimony, and philosophic doubt. Subjectivity is not
a scientific attitude—science seeks to reduce subjectivity through objective
measurement.
4. Which attitude of science suggests that simple explanations should be ruled
out before considering more complex ones?
• A) Empiricism
• B) Parsimony
• C) Determinism
• D) Philosophic doubt
Answer: B
Rationale: Parsimony is the principle that the simplest, most logical explanation
,should be considered first before more complex or abstract explanations are
pursued. This is also known as Occam's Razor.
5. The three levels of scientific understanding are:
• A) Observation, prediction, and replication
• B) Description, prediction, and control
• C) Empiricism, determinism, and experimentation
• D) Hypothesis, testing, and conclusion
Answer: B
Rationale: The three levels of investigation in science are description (collecting
observations and facts), prediction (repeated observations revealing
relationships), and control (the highest level—demonstrating functional relations).
6. Which section of a peer-reviewed research article contains the purpose of the
research and rationale for why it is important?
• A) Methods
• B) Results
• C) Introduction
• D) Discussion
Answer: C
Rationale: The Introduction section defines the purpose of the research, explains
the rationale based on previous knowledge, reviews relevant literature, and
presents the research questions. Most citations in a research article appear in the
Introduction.
7. When consuming research, the recommended order to read sections is:
, • A) Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion
• B) Results, Methods, Discussion, Introduction
• C) Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion
• D) Discussion, Results, Methods, Introduction
Answer: B
Rationale: Experts recommend reading research articles in this order: Results first
(to see what was found), then Methods (to understand how), then Discussion (for
interpretation), and Introduction last (to understand the background). This helps
readers evaluate the findings objectively before being influenced by author bias.
8. The Research Design that involves systematic manipulation of an independent
variable to measure its effect on a dependent variable is called:
• A) Correlational research
• B) Qualitative research
• C) Experimental research
• D) Descriptive research
Answer: C
Rationale: Experimental research involves controlled comparison of some measure
of the phenomena of interest (dependent variable) under two or more different
conditions, where one factor at a time (independent variable) differs from one
condition to another.
9. A controlled comparison of a dependent variable under two or more
conditions in which one factor differs is the definition of a(n):
• A) Correlation
• B) Experiment
2025/2026 /100 Questions with Answers
Bolded and Rationales in Italics
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS AND ATTITUDES OF SCIENCE
1. The belief that accurate knowledge can be acquired through observation is
known as:
• A) Determinism
• B) Empiricism
• C) Parsimony
• D) Materialism
Answer: B
Rationale: Empiricism is the fundamental belief that knowledge comes from
objective observation and measurement. It opposes relying on logic, intuition, or
tradition alone. Determinism is the belief that behavior is lawful, materialism
holds that controlling variables are in the physical realm, and parsimony favors the
simplest explanation.
2. The philosophy that every event, action, and decision results from something
independent of human will is known as:
• A) Empiricism
• B) Parsimony
• C) Determinism
, • D) Experimentation
Answer: C
Rationale: Determinism is the philosophical position that the world is a lawful and
orderly place where all events, including human behavior, have identifiable causes.
This principle underlies the scientific study of behavior—if behavior were random,
it could not be studied or changed.
3. The Attitudes of Science include all of the following EXCEPT:
• A) Determinism
• B) Empiricism
• C) Experimentation
• D) Subjectivity
Answer: D
Rationale: The scientific attitudes include determinism, empiricism,
experimentation, replication, parsimony, and philosophic doubt. Subjectivity is not
a scientific attitude—science seeks to reduce subjectivity through objective
measurement.
4. Which attitude of science suggests that simple explanations should be ruled
out before considering more complex ones?
• A) Empiricism
• B) Parsimony
• C) Determinism
• D) Philosophic doubt
Answer: B
Rationale: Parsimony is the principle that the simplest, most logical explanation
,should be considered first before more complex or abstract explanations are
pursued. This is also known as Occam's Razor.
5. The three levels of scientific understanding are:
• A) Observation, prediction, and replication
• B) Description, prediction, and control
• C) Empiricism, determinism, and experimentation
• D) Hypothesis, testing, and conclusion
Answer: B
Rationale: The three levels of investigation in science are description (collecting
observations and facts), prediction (repeated observations revealing
relationships), and control (the highest level—demonstrating functional relations).
6. Which section of a peer-reviewed research article contains the purpose of the
research and rationale for why it is important?
• A) Methods
• B) Results
• C) Introduction
• D) Discussion
Answer: C
Rationale: The Introduction section defines the purpose of the research, explains
the rationale based on previous knowledge, reviews relevant literature, and
presents the research questions. Most citations in a research article appear in the
Introduction.
7. When consuming research, the recommended order to read sections is:
, • A) Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion
• B) Results, Methods, Discussion, Introduction
• C) Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion
• D) Discussion, Results, Methods, Introduction
Answer: B
Rationale: Experts recommend reading research articles in this order: Results first
(to see what was found), then Methods (to understand how), then Discussion (for
interpretation), and Introduction last (to understand the background). This helps
readers evaluate the findings objectively before being influenced by author bias.
8. The Research Design that involves systematic manipulation of an independent
variable to measure its effect on a dependent variable is called:
• A) Correlational research
• B) Qualitative research
• C) Experimental research
• D) Descriptive research
Answer: C
Rationale: Experimental research involves controlled comparison of some measure
of the phenomena of interest (dependent variable) under two or more different
conditions, where one factor at a time (independent variable) differs from one
condition to another.
9. A controlled comparison of a dependent variable under two or more
conditions in which one factor differs is the definition of a(n):
• A) Correlation
• B) Experiment
