Chapter 3
Problem Identification and Hypothesis Formation
Multiple choice questions
1. Practical issues, like everyday experiences, can be a good
source of research ideas. However practical issues differ from
everyday experiences in that practical problems represent
problems that are relevant to a specific set of behaviors in a
specific context. Which of the following would not be considered a
practical issue?
a. Drivers regularly fail to stop at the stop sign on the corner of 8 th
and Main Street.
b. DUI (drunk driving) rates are on the rise despite stiffer
penalties in Washington State.
c. Employee moral is consistently low and absenteeism is high at
Joe’s Donut Shop.
* d. None of the above.
2. One source of ideas for research is past research. Why would
someone do a research project based on research someone else
has already done?
a. often, the technology has changed so rapidly that older
studies are no longer valid
b. too many published articles used qualitative research
methods when experiments were
really required
c. journals like to publish replication studies
*d. often, the results of a study creates more questions than it
answers
3. Why are psychological theories often a good source for
research ideas?
, a. because theories are basically everyday guesses about
reality that need empirical
verification
* b. because theories often make specific predictions about
relationships among variables that must then be tested
empirically
c. because theories are usually about esoteric issues with no
practical application, and research makes theory more
practical
d. because theories are often proposed in different forms by
rival scientists, and science needs to know which one is
correct
4. Dr. Nettles is interested in determining the factors that
increase productivity in the workplace. After reading the section
in you book on sources of research ideas, which source is Dr.
Nettles drawing from?
a. theory
* b. practical issues
c. everyday life
d. past research
5. A female psychologist is watching her children play in their
backyard. She observes one child sharing a toy with the other.
This sparks an idea to investigate the factors involved in sharing
in children. Which of the following sources of research ideas does
this example fall under? a. theory
b. practical issues
* c. everyday
life d. past
research
6. A "theory" is best defined as
, a. a researchers best guess about the
reality of the phenomenon he is studying.
b. a series of hypotheses not yet
supported by empirical evidence. * c. a group
of logically organized and deductively related
laws.
d. the best tentative solution to a specific problem, open to
change.
7. The “goal” function of a theory is to
*a. summarize existing knowledge.
b. summarize existing hypotheses.
c. suggest new hypotheses.
d. suggest new theories.
8. The “tool” function of a theory is to
a. summarize existing knowledge.
b. summarize existing hypotheses. * c. suggest new
hypotheses.
d. suggest new theories.
9. Overlooking research ideas because of personal preferences or
demographic influences is called ________ in research ideas.
a. testability
b. objectivity
c. manipulation
* d. bias
10. We can not use the scientific method to determine some
questions like “Is there a God?” But an interest in religious belief
can lead to ideas that can be translated into researchable
questions. Which of the following is NOT a researchable question
related to religion?
Problem Identification and Hypothesis Formation
Multiple choice questions
1. Practical issues, like everyday experiences, can be a good
source of research ideas. However practical issues differ from
everyday experiences in that practical problems represent
problems that are relevant to a specific set of behaviors in a
specific context. Which of the following would not be considered a
practical issue?
a. Drivers regularly fail to stop at the stop sign on the corner of 8 th
and Main Street.
b. DUI (drunk driving) rates are on the rise despite stiffer
penalties in Washington State.
c. Employee moral is consistently low and absenteeism is high at
Joe’s Donut Shop.
* d. None of the above.
2. One source of ideas for research is past research. Why would
someone do a research project based on research someone else
has already done?
a. often, the technology has changed so rapidly that older
studies are no longer valid
b. too many published articles used qualitative research
methods when experiments were
really required
c. journals like to publish replication studies
*d. often, the results of a study creates more questions than it
answers
3. Why are psychological theories often a good source for
research ideas?
, a. because theories are basically everyday guesses about
reality that need empirical
verification
* b. because theories often make specific predictions about
relationships among variables that must then be tested
empirically
c. because theories are usually about esoteric issues with no
practical application, and research makes theory more
practical
d. because theories are often proposed in different forms by
rival scientists, and science needs to know which one is
correct
4. Dr. Nettles is interested in determining the factors that
increase productivity in the workplace. After reading the section
in you book on sources of research ideas, which source is Dr.
Nettles drawing from?
a. theory
* b. practical issues
c. everyday life
d. past research
5. A female psychologist is watching her children play in their
backyard. She observes one child sharing a toy with the other.
This sparks an idea to investigate the factors involved in sharing
in children. Which of the following sources of research ideas does
this example fall under? a. theory
b. practical issues
* c. everyday
life d. past
research
6. A "theory" is best defined as
, a. a researchers best guess about the
reality of the phenomenon he is studying.
b. a series of hypotheses not yet
supported by empirical evidence. * c. a group
of logically organized and deductively related
laws.
d. the best tentative solution to a specific problem, open to
change.
7. The “goal” function of a theory is to
*a. summarize existing knowledge.
b. summarize existing hypotheses.
c. suggest new hypotheses.
d. suggest new theories.
8. The “tool” function of a theory is to
a. summarize existing knowledge.
b. summarize existing hypotheses. * c. suggest new
hypotheses.
d. suggest new theories.
9. Overlooking research ideas because of personal preferences or
demographic influences is called ________ in research ideas.
a. testability
b. objectivity
c. manipulation
* d. bias
10. We can not use the scientific method to determine some
questions like “Is there a God?” But an interest in religious belief
can lead to ideas that can be translated into researchable
questions. Which of the following is NOT a researchable question
related to religion?
