Ch.1. The Process of Research

10. The goal of applied research is to understand the most fundamental processes of behavior and how they operate

f

11. One lab observation is enough to be sure about the knowledge we are gaining.

f

3. Some behaviors, such as mental processes, can be directly observed.

f

7. Relying on an authority to learn about behavior gives researchers a more accurate understanding of the causes of behaviors than other methods of gaining knowledge

f

20. ______ was an influential scientist who used observations to understand the world. a. Galileo b. Freud c. Richards d. Matson

a

21. The ______ canon helps scientists test their ideas more easily, because it is easier to develop a study that might falsify a simple explanation than to develop a study that might falsify a more complex explanation. a. determinism b. parsimony c. testability d. empiricism

b

22. Early neuroscientists (e.g., Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Meyers, 2007) conducted ______ research studies to understand how neurons function. a. complex b. basic c. confirmation d. applied

b

11. Deciding it must be raining because you hear thunder is an example of the ______ method of knowing? a. intuition b. authority c. observation d. deduction

d

16. One reason that Freud's theories of personality have not been more influential in the field of psychology is that ______. a. the theories do not specify causes for behavior b. the theories are not the simplest explanations for behavior c. the theories are too unusual d. the theories are difficult to falsify

d

23. When we ask people to complete a survey we are using ______ to learn about behavior. a. determinism b. parsimony c. testability d. empiricism

d

1. Observation is really what sets scientific fields apart from other fields of study.

t

12. It takes only a few studies with results inconsistent with an explanation of behavior to falsify it.

t

13. Making choices leads people to think more analytically study by Savani, Stephens, and Markus (2017) is an example of basic research.

t

38. Relying on common sense as a means of knowing about the world is referred to as the ______ method of knowing. a. intuition b. authority c. deduction d. observation

a

28. A psychologist investigating the research question "What type of work environment increases productivity of employees?" is most likely conducting ______ research. a. basic b. applied c. external d. internal

b

4. Research is the foundation of the field of psychology.

t

10. Deciding it must be raining because you felt it would rain today is an example of the ______ method of knowing? a. intuition b. authority c. observation d. deduction

a

12. A psychologist investigating the research question "Which neurotransmitters affect depressive behaviors?" is most likely conducting ______ research. a. basic b. applied c. external d. internal

a

2. The parsimony canon of the scientific method states that ______. a. the simplest explanation of a phenomenon is most likely to be correct b. observation is the best way of gaining new knowledge c. phenomena have observable causes d. explanations of phenomena should be able to be falsified if they are incorrect

a

24. The ______ provide(s) a general "how to" guide for psychologists designing research studies, because they help us conduct good tests of our explanations of the causes of behaviors and further our understanding of why certain behaviors occur. a. canons of science b. canons of phenomena c. guide to science d. guide to knowledge

a

27. A psychologist investigating the research question "How much information can we store in short-term memory?" is most likely conducting ______ research. a. basic b. applied c. external d. internal

a

29. Applications of ______ research may not be obvious when it is initially conducted. a. basic b. applied c. external d. internal

a

1. The empiricism canon of the scientific method states that new knowledge is gained from ______. a. authority figures b. observations c. intuition d. logic

b

13. A psychologist investigating the research question "Which type of therapy most effectively reduces depressive behaviors?" is most likely conducting ______ research. a. basic b. applied c. external d. internal

b

18. Relying on the works of Plato and Aristotle for knowledge about the world is an example of ______ method of knowing. a. intuition b. authority c. observation d. deduction

b

19. Seeking only evidence that supports our beliefs and ignoring evidence that contradicts those beliefs is ______. a. belief bias b. confirmation bias c. evidence bias d. contradictory bias

b

32. "I want to know what my pancreas does. I know that my pancreas produces hormones important for digestion because that is what my high school biology teacher told me." is an example of ______. a. intuition b. authority c. observation d. deduction

b

35. A reporter who is writing an article on an important issue may only interview experts that support their views on the issue. This is an example of ______. a. belief bias b. confirmation bias c. evidence bias d. contradictory bias

b

39. Watson is collecting data to study "Does sleeplessness cause anxiety?". This is an example of the ______ facet of the scientific method. a. empiricism b. determinism c. parsimony d. testability

b

6. External validity is ______. a. a type of research conducted in psychology b. the degree to which a study's results can be generalized to individuals and situations outside of the study c. the degree to which a study provides a good test of a causal prediction d. the degree to which the study accurately predicts results

b

8. Deciding that it must be raining because the weather person said it would rain today is an example of the ______ method of knowing? a. intuition b. authority c. observation d. deduction

b

14. ______ research investigates fundamental aspects of behavior, whereas ______ research investigates solutions for real-world problems. a. Internal; external b. External; internal c. Basic; applied d. Applied; basic

c

15. A study that investigates behavior as it naturally occurs in individuals would have a high degree of ______. a. basic research b. applied research c. external validity d. internal validity

c

17. The method of gaining knowledge that is most likely to yield accurate information is ______. a. intuition b. authority c. observation

c

3. The determinism canon of the scientific method states that ______. a. the simplest explanation of a phenomenon is most likely to be correct b. observation is the best way of gaining new knowledge c. phenomena have observable causes d. explanations of phenomena should be able to be falsified if they are incorrect

c

33. "I want to know how much sleep on average Americans get per night. I determine this by conducting a survey of Americans to learn that most Americans get an average of 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night" is an example of ______. a. intuition b. authority c. observation d. deduction

c

34. ______ is not a method of empiricism used to learn about behavior. a. Observing people in their normal environment b. Asking people to complete a survey c. Relying on common sense d. Asking people to come into a lab and complete a task on a computer

c

36. ______ factors can cause us to observe a particular behavior when we observe it only once and affects our result conclusions. a. Confirmatory b. Confounding c. Chance d. Conflicting

c

37. Human factors professionals use research to help understand the best way to ______. a. replicate work procedures b. define safety policy c. design products and interfaces d. understand employee morale

c

9. Deciding it must be raining because you look out the window and see rain falling is an example of the ______ method of knowing? a. intuition b. authority c. observation d. deduction

c

25. Knowledge gained in ______ studies can also help basic researchers refine their theories about how behavior works. a. complex b. basic c. confirmation d. applied

d

26. When one encounters reports of research in the media, asking questions to ascertain credibility would not include ______. a. Who were the research subjects? b. Was an appropriate sample tested? c. Was an appropriate method used to investigate the question? d. What is the gender of the researcher(s)?

d

30. "I want to know if my phone is on. I decide that it is because my phone is always on." is an example of ______. a. intuition b. authority c. observation d. deduction

d

31. "I want to know which direction I am facing. The Sun is setting to my right, and I know the Sun sets in the west, so I know that west is the direction where the Sun is setting." is an example of ______. a. intuition b. authority c. observation d. deduction

d

4. The testability canon of the scientific method states that ______. a. the simplest explanation of a phenomenon is most likely to be correct b. observation is the best way of gaining new knowledge c. phenomena have observable causes d. explanations of phenomena should be able to be falsified if they are incorrect

d

5. External validity is typically more important for ______ research than for ______ research. a. scientific; non-scientific b. non-scientific; scientific c. basic; applied d. applied; basic

d

7. The scientific method involves gaining new knowledge through ______. a. deduction B intuition c. authority d. observation

d

6. There are six primary facets or canons (i.e., rules or principles that guide a field of study) that define the scientific method.

f

8. The only goal of psychological research is to be able to explain behavior by understanding the causes of different types of behavior.

f

14. Assuming a link between two things means one caused the other is a common pitfall in behavioral research.

t

2. As you encounter descriptions of psychological research, you may find that not all research fits neatly into basic or applied categories.

t

5. The applications of basic research may not be obvious when it is initially conducted.

t

9. It takes many studies conducted in many different contexts that produce results consistent with an explanation of behavior to support it.

t