research methods chapter 1

Which of the following is most clearly phrased as an empirical question?

Do Catholics believe in the reality of Hell?

Empirical questions

are answerable with objective data

When students assume that their textbook must be correct, they are relying on _________ as a way of knowing.

authority

According to Thomas Kuhn, it is generally a good thing for scientists to hang on to their pet theories tenaciously. Why?

by vigorously advocating their theory, it won't be abandoned without a thorough test

People are often helped as a result of their experiences with subliminal self-help tapes. One reason is motivational—having spent $30, they convince themselves of the value of the experience and work harder to bring about the desired outcome. This phenomenon is called

effort justification

As psychologists use the term, determinism means that

events can be predicted with greater than chance probability

Our experiences can be a valuable guide to the truth, but drawing firm conclusions from experience can be affected by our tendencies to ignore events that don't support our beliefs. That is, we sometimes

have a confirmation bias

To be data driven is to

insist on empirical support for assertions

A major characteristic of psychological science is its objectivity, which means that

observations can be verified by more than a single observer

The problem with relying on a belief that "experience is the best teacher" is that

our experiences might be limited and influenced by bias

Which of the following is true about pseudoscience?

pseudoscientific theories are flexible enough to account for any outcome and are therefore untestable as theories

Which of the following is an example of predicting behavior?

students with test anxiety should perform better on oral than written tests

Phrenology originated in the legitimate scientific attempt to

study localization of brain function

Which of the following is an example of describing behavior?

test anxious subjects left the exam sooner than non-anxious subjects

Which of the following is true about relying on authority as a way of searching for the truth?

the authority could be wrong

With which of the following attributes of scientific thinking is most likely to confuse and frustrate the general public?

the recognition that conclusions are tentative

Scientific thinking by psychologists is characterized by all of the following except

they are most interested in finding answers to the "big" questions (e.g., mind-body)

Why is it important for professional psychologists to be familiar with research methods?

they might need to perform an evaluation to determine the effectiveness of some agency program, they might need to critically evaluate the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of some new clinical treatment for depression

Which of the following is true about subliminal self-help tapes?

they rely only on supporting anecdotes for evidence, if they don't help, the fault lies with the person, not the tapes

Psychologists would conclude that frustration was a cause of aggression if it could be shown that

when frustration occurred, aggression also occurred with some regularity other explanations for the aggression could be ruled out under the circumstances the frustration preceded the aggression