chapter 1 & 2 textbook

Question 1

what are the nonscientific methods of acquiring knowledge?

Answer 1

method of tenacity
method of intuition
method of authority
rational method
empirical method

Question 2

define method of tenacity and it’s limitations

Answer 2

information is accepted as true because it has always been believed or superstition support it

one problem is that the info acquired might not be accurate like can’t teach an old dog new tricks

there is no method for correcting erroneous ideas even if the evidence is to the contrary. if a belief is widely accepted solely on the basis of tenacity it is very difficult to change

Question 3

define method of intuition and limitations

Answer 3

info is accepted as true because it “feel” right; hunch, gut feeling or instinct to answer questions
many ethical decision or moral questions are resolved by the method of intuition but the problem is that it has no mechanism for separating accurate from inaccurate knowledge

Question 4

define method of authority and limitations

Answer 4

a person relies on information or answers from an expert in the subject area

limitations

• authorities can be biased or subjective
• expertise can be generalized to our inquiry even if the expert isn’t an expert in this area
• accept info without question

Question 5

define rational method and limitations

Answer 5

aka rationalism
seeks answers by the use of logical reasoning

limitation
occurs when trying to think through a problem before they try out different solutions

Question 6

define empirical method and limitations

Answer 6

aka empiricism
attempts to answer questions by direct observation or personal experiences

uses observations or direct sensory experience to obtain knowledge

many facts/answers are available simply by observing the world around us (this is using the empirical method!) however it is tempting to place great confidence in our own observations

two observers can witness the exact same even and “see” two completely different things

Question 7

identify steps of scientific method

Answer 7

1. observe
2. hypothesis
3. use hypothesis to generate a testable prediction
4. Evaluate prediction by making systematic, planned observations (data collection)
5. use observations to support, refute or refine original hypothesis

Question 8

what is the difference between hypothesis and a prediction?

Answer 8

a hypothesis is a tentative answer that is intended to be tested and critically evaluated ; a statement that describes or explains the relationship between or among variables

a testable prediction takes a hypothesis and applies it to a specific observable real world situation

Question 9

what does it mean that the scientific method is empirical, public and objective?

Answer 9

empirical because answers are obtained by making observations

public because the scientific method makes observations available for evaluation by others like scientists that should be able to replicate the process and observations

objective because the observations are structured so that the researchers biases and beliefs do not influence the outcome of the study

Question 10

define scientific method

Answer 10

is an approach to acquiring knowledge that involves formulating specific questions and then systematically finding answers to the questions

Question 11

what are variables

Answer 11

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

forming a hypothesis usually begins by ID’ing other factors or variables

Question 12

what is deductive reasoning

Answer 12

use general conclusions to generate specific predictions

involves a decrease from many to a specific few

induction and deduction are complementary processes

Question 13

what is inductive reasoning

Answer 13

uses specific examples to generate general conclusions or hypotheses

involves an increase from a few to many

induction and deduction are complementary processes