Chapter 1: Psychology and Science

MULTIPLE CHOICE

	1.	The statement, "My textbook states that frustration causes aggression," illustrates which one of the following ways of knowing?
a.	authority	c.	science	
b.	common sense	d.	logic	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 3

	2.	Accepting the information in an instructor’s lecture without examining the book or asking about the source of the ideas is an example of which way of knowing about behavior?
a.	Authority	c.	Science	
b.	Intuition	d.	Logic	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 3

	3.	Which one of the following statements best describes the major limitation of authority as a way of knowing?  Authorities
a.	are sometimes dishonest	
b.	do not use scientific methods	
c.	are often wrong	
d.	often rely too heavily on intuitive methods	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 3

	4.	Which one of the following statements best describes the major limitation of authority as a way of knowing?  Authorities
a.	do not use logic	
b.	often disagree among themselves	
c.	are typically hypocritical	
d.	rely solely on science	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 3

	5.	Which of the following are nonempirical ways of knowing?
a.	Authority and logic	c.	Authority and Science	
b.	Intuition and Science	d.	Logic and intuition	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 3

	6.	Consider the following statement:  "If negative emotions cause aggression, and if frustration induces a negative emotion, then frustration must cause aggression."  This statement illustrates which one of the following ways of knowing?
a.	science	c.	common sense	
b.	authority	d.	logic	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 4

	7.	The statement “If it rains, then there will be no baseball game” is
a.	Logically valid and true	
b.	Logically valid and false	
c.	Not logically valid, but true	
d.	Logically valid, and dependent upon the first clause for truth	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 4

	8.	Which of the following are empirical ways of knowing?
a.	Authority and logic	c.	Authority and Science	
b.	Intuition and Science	d.	Logic and intuition	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 4	MSC:	WWW

	9.	The statement, "It seems to me that frustration causes aggression," illustrates which one of the following ways of knowing?
a.	intuition	c.	introspection	
b.	authority	d.	science	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 4

	10.	When we size up strangers within just a few moments of meeting them, we rely on which way of knowing?
a.	intuition	c.	introspection	
b.	authority	d.	science	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 4

	11.	The problem with common sense as a way of knowing is
a.	There’s no problem with common sense	
b.	Standards of common sense vary according to the culture	
c.	It is a nonempirical method of knowing	
d.	It is not based on formal logic	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 5	MSC:	WWW

	12.	A major problem with common sense as a way of knowing is
a.	It cannot predict new knowledge	
b.	It is not based on authority	
c.	It is a nonempirical method of knowing	
d.	There is no problem with common sense	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 5

	13.	The theory of obesity that makes the prediction that there should be situations in which overweight people eat less than average-weight people is
a.	Based on common sense	c.	Nonempirical	
b.	Counterintuitive	d.	Based on authority	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 5	MSC:	WWW

	14.	The last stage of the scientific method (fifth step) is
a.	Defining the problem	c.	Communicating the findings	
b.	Collecting data	d.	Formulating a hypothesis	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 7

	15.	The first stage of the scientific method is
a.	Defining the problem	c.	Communicating the findings	
b.	Collecting data	d.	Formulating a hypothesis	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 7

	16.	A discipline that crosses the boundaries of science is called a
a.	Hub discipline	c.	Discourse discipline	
b.	Informal discipline	d.	Communicative discipline	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 7

	17.	Because Psychology has some sub-disciplines that share many of the same ideas as biology and mathematics, it is said to be a
a.	Science	c.	Discourse community	
b.	Hub discipline	d.	Communicative discipline	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 7

	18.	When we state that science is empirical, we mean
a.	That someone we believe told us about it	
b.	That it can be observed directly	
c.	That it is subject to logic	
d.	That we feel it’s right in our “guts”	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 8

	19.	Which one of the following statements is the most subjective?
a.	Professor Dolittle announced that the experiment was a success.	
b.	Three of the participants reported feelings of anxiety.	
c.	Professor Dolittle's assistant thinks the experiment was a success.	
d.	All participants were present on the final day of the experiment.	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 8

	20.	Which one of the following statements is the most objective?
a.	Sarah thinks the baby is running a fever.	
b.	The students arrived according to schedule.	
c.	Many of the students appeared to be inattentive.	
d.	The professor dislikes inattentive students.	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 8

	21.	Science is
a.	self-correcting	c.	progressive	
b.	parsimonious	d.	all of these	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 9

	22.	If we explain the reason that a mother cat licks and cleans her kittens of the fluids that cover them when they are born by saying that the fluids tastes good, which is probably the simplest explanation, we are addressing which aspect of science?
a.	Parsimony	c.	Progressive nature	
b.	Self-correcting nature	d.	Concern with theory	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 10

	23.	The suggestion to take an aspirin to relieve a headache would be considered_________ while ___________ would be concerned with the reason that the aspirin works.
a.	Science, technology	c.	Parsimonious, excessive	
b.	Technology, science	d.	Law, theory	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 10

	24.	Which one of the following statements best explains the difference between science and nonscience?  Science relies more on
a.	Empiricism	c.	Authority.	
b.	Objectivity	d.	Logic	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 11

	25.	Which one of the following is not a working assumption of science?
a.	infallibility	c.	causality	
b.	rationality	d.	discoverability	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 12

	26.	The doctrine that objects perceived have an existence outside the mind is referred to as
a.	common sense	c.	realism	
b.	regularity	d.	determinism	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 12

	27.	The assumption of rationality means that
a.	all events are believed to have causes	
b.	the universe follows the same laws in all times and places	
c.	the universe follows laws that may be understood by way of logical thinking	
d.	the world is not just the way it appears	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 13

	28.	The assumption of regularity refers to the notion that
a.	events in the world, including behavior, are lawful and orderly	
b.	reasoning is the basis for solving all problems	
c.	all events occur as a result of preceding events	
d.	it is impossible to discover solutions to complex problems	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 13

	29.	The assumption of discoverability refers to the notion that
a.	events in the world, including behavior, are lawful and orderly	
b.	reasoning is the basis for solving all problems	
c.	all events occur as a result of preceding events	
d.	it is impossible to find solutions to complex problems	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 13

	30.	The fact that the order in which something occurs is important in establishing a cause and effect relationship is called
a.	Temporal precedence	c.	Co-variation of cause and effect	
b.	A Sequence effect	d.	An order effect	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 14

	31.	Determinism is the doctrine that all events
a.	are caused	
b.	take place in recurring patterns	
c.	have an existence outside the mind	
d.	can be understood	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 14

	32.	A law may best be defined as a statement that certain events
a.	are caused by preceding events	
b.	are regularly associated with each other	
c.	explain one or more events	
d.	occur regularly	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 17

	33.	Mr. Manear, a high school literature teacher, noticed that his students always did better on tests if he had given them study questions the day before than if he had not.  "Aha," he said, "giving study questions facilitates student learning."  Mr. Manear had discovered a
a.	theory	c.	concept	
b.	hypothesis	d.	law	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 17

	34.	A ________ describes events that occur with great regularity.
a.	theory	c.	construct	
b.	law	d.	generalization	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 17

	35.	A statement describing the relationship between two or more events is called a
a.	theory	c.	concept	
b.	principle	d.	law	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 17

	36.	The statement, "Interviewers rate job applicants more favorably when they wear a nice suit than when they wear casual clothes" is an example of a:
a.	Theory of behavior	c.	Explanation of behavior	
b.	Hypothesis	d.	Law	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 17

	37.	Broca’s discovery of the speech area of the brain may have involved asking all of the following questions except
a.	Did the loss of speech cause the stroke?	
b.	What did the stroke victims who were unable to speak have in common?	
c.	How did stroke victims who were unable to speak differ from others?	
d.	Did the severity of the speech problem vary with the size of the affected brain area?	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 18

	38.	Which is not an obstacle to finding the cause of some effect?
a.	We often overlook the real cause.	
b.	Some events are just coincidences	
c.	Sometimes the real cause is another event correlated with the suspected cause.	
d.	Causes sometimes happen after their effects.	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 18	MSC:	WWW

	39.	The ultimate goal of science is the development of ________ to explain _________
a.	Technology, science	c.	Laws, theories	
b.	Science, technology	d.	Theories, laws	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 19

	40.	"I wonder why study questions help students learn,"  Mr. Manear said.  "Perhaps it is because they direct students' attention to relevant information, so that it is appropriately processed and stored in their memories."  Mr. Manear had developed a
a.	theory	c.	construct	
b.	hypothesis	d.	concept	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 19

	41.	Which one of the following is not a major factor in judging a theory?  A theory must
a.	provide a guide for systematizing and interrelating laws	
b.	combine individual bits of empirical information into a set of constructs that provide for greater understanding	
c.	help identify the proper questions to be asked in the context of specific research	
d.	not decrease in usefulness in the light of new knowledge	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 19

	42.	A good theory
a.	is logical	
b.	matches common sense	
c.	eventually becomes a law	
d.	provides an explanation for a large number of events	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 22

	43.	Which is not a way to judge a good theory?  How well it
a.	agrees with common sense	c.	predicts new laws	
b.	explains existing laws	d.	guides research	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 22

	44.	Which one of the following is not a major role of a theory?
a.	to organize knowledge	c.	to predict new laws	
b.	to explain laws	d.	to describe behavior	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 22

	45.	The statement, "A pleasant fragrance increases ratings of job applicants because the scent creates a positive emotional state in the interviewer" is an example of a:
a.	Law	c.	Prediction of behavior.	
b.	Description of behavior.	d.	Theory of behavior.	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 22

	46.	Which of the following is NOT true of theories?
a.	Explain currently known facts.	c.	Generate new knowledge.	
b.	Rarely change once formulated.	d.	Explain laws	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 22

	47.	Mr. Manear mused, "If I teach my students better ways to identify key elements in the literature they're reading, this should also improve their test scores."  This statement is an example of
a.	theory	c.	law	
b.	hypothesis	d.	converging operation	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 24

	48.	Speculations about the relationship between two or more variables are called
a.	hypotheses	c.	concepts	
b.	constructs	d.	generalizations	

ANS:	A	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 24	MSC:	WWW

	49.	Consider the following partial hypothesis: If frustration causes aggression, then....  Which one of the following completes the statement by providing the best operational definition for the two concepts in bold?
a.	Preschool children who are prevented from playing with a favorite toy will display aggressive behavior.	
b.	Preschool children who become frustrated will hit other children.	
c.	Preschool children who are prevented from playing with a favorite toy will hit other children.	
d.	Frustration among children leads to aggressive behavior.	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 25

	50.	When defining a term or concept operationally, it is important to
a.	consult a dictionary for the exact definition	
b.	state the means of measuring the term or concept	
c.	include the common use of the term or concept	
d.	consult the literature to determine how the term or concept has been defined in previous studies	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 25

	51.	Which one of the following terms best illustrates an operational definition?
a.	punishment -- harsh or injurious treatment for an offense	
b.	learning -- acquiring knowledge or skill	
c.	thirst -- eighteen hours without access to water	
d.	anxiety -- state of being uneasy, apprehensive or, worried	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 25

	52.	The term converging operations means using different _______ to define a concept.
a.	theories	c.	operational definitions	
b.	sources in the literature	d.	hypotheses	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 26

	53.	The idea that scientific progress does not proceed in a straightforward manner, but rather consists of normal science, followed by shifts to other ways of thinking, is Kuhn’s concept of a ____________
a.	Theory	c.	Law	
b.	Hypothesis	d.	Paradigm	

ANS:	D	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 26

	54.	A pervasive way of thinking that is dominated by all of the theories assumed to be true by scientists at any given time is called ______________
a.	A law	c.	Social Construction	
b.	A paradigm	d.	Temporal precedence	

ANS:	B	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 26

	55.	Social Construction, as applied to science,
a.	Refers to the progressive nature of science	
b.	Refers to hypothesis testing	
c.	Refers to the claim that science deals with the beliefs of scientists, rather than reality	
d.	Refers to shifts in world beliefs	

ANS:	C	PTS:	1	REF:	p. 27

ESSAY

	1.	A certain teacher finds it helpful to use multimedia materials in presenting information and content to students.  However, she finds herself being criticized by other teachers who rely primarily on textbooks to present information to students.  Outline a scientific approach you might use to help this teacher gain information to help her decide if her teaching system is effective enough to continue.

ANS:	
Will vary, but all should contain the parts of the scientific method: Define the problem, develop a hypothesis, collect and analyze the data, draw conclusions, and report the findings.

PTS:	1

	2.	A researcher is interested in conducting a study to determine the effects of individualizing instruction on the scholastic performance of junior high school participants.  What terms would require operational definitions?  Provide examples of operational definitions for these terms.

ANS:	
Will vary, but the terms requiring operational definitions are:  Individualizing instruction, scholastic performance, and junior high school.

PTS:	1

	3.	Consider the question:  "What should be the objectives of civics instruction in the senior high school?"  Discuss how this question can be formulated into a research problem.  Develop a satisfactory statement of the research problem, or provide an argument for why this is not a researchable question.

ANS:	
Will vary

PTS:	1

	4.	Explain how the requirements for establishing a law differ from the requirements for establishing a cause and effect relationship.

ANS:	
A law is a statement that certain events are regularly associated with each other.  Laws do not have to state cause-effect relationships between events; any regular relationship is a law. In order to establish a cause and effect relationship, the criteria of temporal precedence, co-variation of cause and effect, and elimination of alternative explanations must all be met.

PTS:	1

	5.	Consider the following incomplete statements of a research problem.  Rewrite each of the statements.   Be specific enough so that it becomes an acceptable statement of a research problem.
a. Attitudes and academic achievement
b. Behavior modification with children who are hyperactive
c. The use of behavioral objectives in teaching history
d. Accountability and attitude of professors toward college or university administration

ANS:	
Will vary

PTS:	1

	6.	Some theories suggest that the tendency to abuse alcohol is inherited because alcoholism tends to run in families.  Theories play three critical roles in the development of science.  List these three roles, then determine whether the inheritance theory of alcoholism can act in these roles effectively.

ANS:	
Will vary, but the three roles of a theory are 
(1) organizing knowledge and explaining laws
(2) predicting new laws
(3) guiding research.

PTS:	1