Research Methods: Chapter 1

What are the steps of the scientific method?

1) observe behavior/other phenomena 2) form a tentative answer/explanation (hypothesis) 3) use your hypothesis to generate a testable prediction 4) evaluate the prediction by making systematic, planned observations 5) use the observations to support, refute, or refine the original hypothesis 6) select a research design 7) conduct the study 8) evaluate the data 9) report the results 10) refine or reformulate your research idea

induction (inductive reasoning)

(process of generalization) reaching a general conclusion based on a few specific examples (ex: you eat a green apple and it is sour. you eat another one and it is sour, and so is the third. conclusion: all green apples are sour)

Which of the following is the best description of the scientific method? a. A circular process that leads to a final answer b. A linear process that moves directly to a final answer c. A circular process that leads to a tentative answer d. A linear process that leads to a tentative answer

C

What is meant by saying that science is objective?

Scientific answers are obtained without influence by the researcher's biases or beliefs

scientific method

a method of acquiring knowledge that uses observations to develop a hypothesis, and then uses the hypothesis to make logical predictions that can be empirically tested by making additional, systematic observations

the method of authority

a person relies on information or answers from an expert in the subject area (ex: teachers, textbooks, celebrities; limitations: could represent subjective, personal opinions and are often biased)

argument

a set of premise statements that are logically combined to yield a conclusion

hypothesis

a statement that describes or explains a relationship between or among variables (a proposal to be tested and evaluated)

pseudoscience

a system of ideas often presented as science but actually lacking some of the key components that are essential to scientific research (ex: astrology, aromatherapy)

method of faith

a variant of the method of authority in which people have unquestioning trust in the authority figure and, therefore, accept information from the authority without doubt or challenge (involves accepting another's views of the truth without verification)

qualitative research

based on making observations that are summarized and interpreted in a narrative report (don't measure individual scores, but make more holistic observations of behavior that result in narratives rather than averages)

quantitative research

based on measuring variables for individual participants to obtain scores, usually numerical values, which are submitted to statistical analysis for summary and interpretation

variables

characteristics or conditions that change or have different values for different individuals

What kind of reasoning uses a general statement to make conclusions about specific examples?

deductive

premise statement

describe facts or assumptions that are presumed to be true

A hypothesis is a _ statement

general

method of tenacity

holding on to ideas and beliefs simply because they have been accepted as facts for a long time or because of superstition (cliches, "opposites attract"; superstitions, "7 years of bad luck for broken mirror)

What kind of reasoning uses a few specific observations to produce a general hypothesis?

inductive reasoning

method of intuition

information is accepted as true because it "feels right" ("gut feeling")

Which method of acquiring knowledge is being used by students who are learning from teachers and textbooks?

method of authority

Which method of knowing is used when you find the address and phone number of a restaurant by googling the name of the restaurant?

method of authority (the internet)

A restaurant chef tried replacing rice with pasta in one of her recipes to see what would happen. Which method of acquiring knowledge is she using?

method of empiricism

Which method of acquiring knowledge is being used when people make decisions based on instinct or hunches?

method of intuition

Which method of knowing is being used by a student who believes that his performance on tests is influenced by wearing a lucky hat?

method of tenacity

The phrase "science is objective" means that scientific answers are:

not influenced by researcher bias

A researcher conducts a study in which 50 college students are assigned to different treatments and tested. In the study, the students are called:

participants

Last year Tim and his friend Jack were both too short to ride the roller coaster. Jack went to the park this year and was tall enough to ride. Tim knows that he is taller than Jack, so he knows that he will be able to ride the roller coaster as well. Which method of knowing is Tim using?

rational method

A distinction between science and pseudoscience is that:

science is based on hypotheses that are testable and refutable

rational method (rationalism)

seeking answers by logical reasoning (begin with a set of known facts or assumptions and use logic to reach a conclusion) (ex: Having scary times with a dog causes fear of dogs. Amy has a fear of dogs. Therefore, Amy had scary times with a dog in her past.)

A prediction is a _ statement

specific

Pseudoscience is based on:

subjective evidence

Using a sports star to sell clothing in a television commercial relies upon which nonscientific method of acquiring knowledge?

the method of authority

A young child believing everything that her kindergarten teacher says to be true is an example of:

the method of faith

How do quantitative research and qualitative research differ?

they generate different types of data

Deduction (deductive reasoning)

uses a general statement as the basis for reaching a conclusion about specific examples (all green apples are sour. if I eat a green apple now, it will be sour)

empirical method (empiricism)

uses observation or direct sensory experience to obtain knowledge (find the weight of the class by having them step on a scale and observing it)