PSYC 304 - RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY QUIZ 1
CONCEPTS
What is the difference between empirical and non-empirical methods of knowing about
behaviour? - Answer -Empirical: based on experience/knowledge found by the self;
intuition, science
Non-empirical: not based on experience/knowledge found by others; authority, logic
When is logic not a good way of knowing the truth? - Answer -When a statement is
logically valid but still not true because it assumes something to be the case that is not.
Describe two basic limitations of common sense as a way of knowing. - Answer -
Standards of common sense differ from time to time and from place to place according
to the attitudes and experiences of the culture.
The only criterion common sense recognizes for judging the truth of a belief or practice
is whether it works.
How do common sense and science differ? - Answer -We consider a scientific theory to
be fruitful if it predicts something that we did not expect, whereas common sense is
what is expected to occur.
What does "science is objective" mean? - Answer -Objective observations are those
made in such a way that any person having normal perception and being in the same
place at the same time would arrive at the same observation.
What are the characteristics of science? Explain. - Answer -Science is:
empirical - personal observation can be as good as logic in reaching a conclusion
objective - two individuals observing the same thing would draw the same conclusions
self-correcting - as new evidence is found, the science is updated
progressive - science moves forward toward truth, adding new information to what was
previously known
tentative - science never claims to have the whole truth on any question because new
information may make current knowledge obsolete at any time.
Parsiminous - strives to find the simplest explanation
Concerned with theory - science is concerned with finding out why things are the way
they are
What is the principle of parsimony in science? - Answer -A good scientist will always
prefer a simpler explanation to a more complex one, other things being equal.
Briefly describe the working assumptions of science. - Answer -Science assumes:
Reality - objects in the world exist apart from their being perceived by us
Rationality - the world is understandable by way of logical thinking
Regularity - `we assume that the world follows the same laws at all times and in all
places
, Discoverability - it is possible to find out how the world works
Causality - all events are caused
Describe the criteria for establishing a cause-and-effect relationship. - Answer -
Temporal precedence - the cause has to come before the event
Co-variation of cause and effect - when the cause is present, the effect happens
Probabilistic co-variation - there is a statistical association of a cause with an effect
Elimination of alternative explanations - there is no other possible explanation for the
effect except the cause
Briefly describe the three processes in the discovery of regularities. - Answer -The
description of behaviour - describe the phenomena considered to be important for the
science to deal with
The discovery of lawful relationships among aspects of behaviour - regularities that
appear in describing behaviours that form laws
The search for causes - most important goal in science
What is a law? Give an example of a law. - Answer -Law: a statement that certain
events are regularly associated with each other in an orderly way
Ex: The frustration-aggression law states that frustration causes aggression
Define a theory, both in broad terms and in strict terms. - Answer -Broad: a theory is a
statement or set of statements about the relationships among variables
Strict: that includes at least one concept that is not directly observed but that is
necessary to explain these relationships
According to Sir Karl Popper, can a theory be proven true? Why, or why not? - Answer
-Sir Karl Popper said that a scientific theory can never be proven true because there are
many false theories that can predict any given outcome.
What roles do theories play in science? - Answer -Organising knowledge and
explaining laws - in the absence of a theory, we simply have a collection of descriptions
and some laws
Predicting new laws - A fruitful theory not only explains many different laws that were
previously unrelated, but also suggests places to look for new laws.
Guiding research - A good theory suggests new experiments and helps researchers
choose alternative ways of performing them
What is a hypothesis? How is a hypothesis related to a theory? Give an example. -
Answer -Hypothesis: a statement assumed to be true for the purpose of testing its
validity
A hypothesis about a law involves certain assumptions about the theory underlying the
law. Conversely, it is impossible to test a theory without also testing some lawful
prediction of the theory.
Ex: if the overlapping pain centers theory of psychological pain is correct, and if we give
people a pain reliever like acetaminophen, then their hurt feelings should be relieved
CONCEPTS
What is the difference between empirical and non-empirical methods of knowing about
behaviour? - Answer -Empirical: based on experience/knowledge found by the self;
intuition, science
Non-empirical: not based on experience/knowledge found by others; authority, logic
When is logic not a good way of knowing the truth? - Answer -When a statement is
logically valid but still not true because it assumes something to be the case that is not.
Describe two basic limitations of common sense as a way of knowing. - Answer -
Standards of common sense differ from time to time and from place to place according
to the attitudes and experiences of the culture.
The only criterion common sense recognizes for judging the truth of a belief or practice
is whether it works.
How do common sense and science differ? - Answer -We consider a scientific theory to
be fruitful if it predicts something that we did not expect, whereas common sense is
what is expected to occur.
What does "science is objective" mean? - Answer -Objective observations are those
made in such a way that any person having normal perception and being in the same
place at the same time would arrive at the same observation.
What are the characteristics of science? Explain. - Answer -Science is:
empirical - personal observation can be as good as logic in reaching a conclusion
objective - two individuals observing the same thing would draw the same conclusions
self-correcting - as new evidence is found, the science is updated
progressive - science moves forward toward truth, adding new information to what was
previously known
tentative - science never claims to have the whole truth on any question because new
information may make current knowledge obsolete at any time.
Parsiminous - strives to find the simplest explanation
Concerned with theory - science is concerned with finding out why things are the way
they are
What is the principle of parsimony in science? - Answer -A good scientist will always
prefer a simpler explanation to a more complex one, other things being equal.
Briefly describe the working assumptions of science. - Answer -Science assumes:
Reality - objects in the world exist apart from their being perceived by us
Rationality - the world is understandable by way of logical thinking
Regularity - `we assume that the world follows the same laws at all times and in all
places
, Discoverability - it is possible to find out how the world works
Causality - all events are caused
Describe the criteria for establishing a cause-and-effect relationship. - Answer -
Temporal precedence - the cause has to come before the event
Co-variation of cause and effect - when the cause is present, the effect happens
Probabilistic co-variation - there is a statistical association of a cause with an effect
Elimination of alternative explanations - there is no other possible explanation for the
effect except the cause
Briefly describe the three processes in the discovery of regularities. - Answer -The
description of behaviour - describe the phenomena considered to be important for the
science to deal with
The discovery of lawful relationships among aspects of behaviour - regularities that
appear in describing behaviours that form laws
The search for causes - most important goal in science
What is a law? Give an example of a law. - Answer -Law: a statement that certain
events are regularly associated with each other in an orderly way
Ex: The frustration-aggression law states that frustration causes aggression
Define a theory, both in broad terms and in strict terms. - Answer -Broad: a theory is a
statement or set of statements about the relationships among variables
Strict: that includes at least one concept that is not directly observed but that is
necessary to explain these relationships
According to Sir Karl Popper, can a theory be proven true? Why, or why not? - Answer
-Sir Karl Popper said that a scientific theory can never be proven true because there are
many false theories that can predict any given outcome.
What roles do theories play in science? - Answer -Organising knowledge and
explaining laws - in the absence of a theory, we simply have a collection of descriptions
and some laws
Predicting new laws - A fruitful theory not only explains many different laws that were
previously unrelated, but also suggests places to look for new laws.
Guiding research - A good theory suggests new experiments and helps researchers
choose alternative ways of performing them
What is a hypothesis? How is a hypothesis related to a theory? Give an example. -
Answer -Hypothesis: a statement assumed to be true for the purpose of testing its
validity
A hypothesis about a law involves certain assumptions about the theory underlying the
law. Conversely, it is impossible to test a theory without also testing some lawful
prediction of the theory.
Ex: if the overlapping pain centers theory of psychological pain is correct, and if we give
people a pain reliever like acetaminophen, then their hurt feelings should be relieved
