Unit 1: (Chapter 1 p.1 psychology as a science)

Question 1

What are the 6 things that characterize science according to the text?

Answer 1

-Science is parsimonious
-Science is tentative
-Science is objective
-Science is empirical
-Science is self correcting
-Science is progressive

Question 2

What does the text mean when it says that science is parsimonious?

Answer 2

Science prefers to leans on the simplest explanation possible

Question 3

What does the text mean when it says that science is tentative?

Answer 3

Science does not claim that it has the full answer to any phenomenon categorically. An idea will hold tentatively until a more reliable one replaces it

Question 4

What does the text mean when it says that science is empirical?

Answer 4

Science relise on observation

Question 5

What does the text mean when it says that science is objective?

Answer 5

Objective observations are those made in such a way that any person having normal perception and being in the same place at the same time would arrive at the same observation.

Question 6

What does the text mean when it says that science is self correcting?

Answer 6

The conclusions that science draws are modified as it fails against challenges. A scientific principle will shift as new ideas, information and perspective cause it to fail.

Question 7

What does the text mean when it says that science is progressive?

Answer 7

Science is meant to take steps towards truth. It is intended to make progress towards the ultimate goal of understanding reality.

Question 8

What does it mean that science is concerned with theory?

Answer 8

Science needs a theory to explain why something works, it is insufficient for science to just say something works.

Question 9

Define empirical methods and provide examples

Answer 9

Methods of knowing that require experience like science and intuition

Question 10

Define non-emperical methods and provide examples.

Answer 10

Methods of knowing that do not require experience such as authority and logic.

Question 11

Define: authority. Give an example of an authority figure for yourself? Who do you believe about what topics?

Answer 11

knowledge from someone else’s experience (p5)

Question 12

Define: logic

Answer 12

based on deductive or inductive reasoning.

Question 13

Define: intuition

Answer 13

spontaneous perception or judgment not based on reasoned mental steps (p4)

Question 14

Define: common sense. What type of knowing classifies common sense?

Answer 14

practical intelligence shared by a large group of people (p4)

It is a type of intuition which is a type of empirical knowing

Question 15

Define: science

Answer 15

a way of obtain- ing knowledge by means of objective observations

Question 16

Define: Realism. What is the difference between this and common sense realism?

Answer 16

the philosophy that objects perceived have an existence outside the mind

Common-sense realism says that things are just the way they seem:

Question 17

Define: rationality

Answer 17

a view that reasoning is the basis for solving problems

Question 18

Define: regularity

Answer 18

a belief that phenomena exist in recur- ring patterns that conform with universal laws

Question 19

Define: discoverability

Answer 19

the belief that it is possible to learn solutions to questions posed

Question 20

Define: determinism

Answer 20

the doc- trine that all events hap- pen because of preceding causes

Question 21

Define: emperical

Answer 21

Based on experience (p. 2)

Question 22

Define: parsimony

Answer 22

using the simplest possible explanation

Question 23

What is the difference between empirical and non-empirical methods of knowing about behaviour?

Question 24

When is logic not a good way of knowing the truth?

Question 25

Describe two basic limitations of common sense as a way of knowing.

Question 26

How do common sense and science differ?

Question 27

List the steps of the scientific method (6)

Answer 27

problem identification, hypothesis formulation, research design, data collection, data analysis, and communication of results.

Question 28

What are the three criteria required to establish a cause and effect relationship?

Answer 28

1) temporal precedence, 2) co-variation of cause and effect, 3)elimination of alternative explanations

Question 29

What are the working assumptions of science? (5)

Answer 29

Scientists assume: (1) that the world has an existence outside our mind; (2) that the world can be understood by logical reasoning; (3) that the world follows the same laws at all times and at all places; (4) that we can discover how the world works; and (5) that every event has a cause.

Question 30

Define temporal variance

Answer 30

The cause must come before the event

Question 31

Define co variation of cause and effect

Answer 31

When the cause is introduced, the effect occurs