Chapter 1

Question 1

Science

Answer 1

A set of methods used to collect information about phenomena in a particular area of interest and build a reliable base of knowledge about them.

Question 2

Scientist

Answer 2

Someone who does science

Question 3

Basic Research

Answer 3

Conducted to investigate issues relevant to the confirmation or disconfirmation of theoretical or empirical position.

Question 4

Applied Research

Answer 4

Somewhat different from that of basic research

Question 5

Confirmation Bias

Answer 5

The human tendency to seek out information that confirms what is already believed is known

Question 6

Protoscience

Answer 6

A term given to science at the edges of current scientific understanding

Question 7

Pseudoscience

Answer 7

Literally means “false science,” a set of ideas but forth as scientific when they are not scientific

Question 8

Scientific Explanation

Answer 8

An explanation based on the application of accepted scientific methods

Question 9

Parsimonious Explanation

Answer 9

The one that explains behavior with the fewest number of assumptions

Question 10

Commonsense Explantations

Answer 10

Loose explanations that are based on our own sense of what is true about the world around us

Question 11

Belief-Based Explanation

Answer 11

Explanations based on belief are accepted because they come from a trusted source or appear to be consistent with the larger framework of belief

Question 12

Pseudoexplanation

Answer 12

Positions, theories, and explanations that do nothing more than provide an alternative label for the behavioral event

Question 13

Circular Explanation (Tautology)

Answer 13

Does not provide a true explanation but rather merely provides another label (instinct) for a class of observed behavior (aggression).

Question 14

Method of Authoriy

Answer 14

When you use expert sources (whether books or people)

Question 15

Rational Method

Answer 15

Descarte’s method. Depends on lovgical reasoning rather than on authority or the evidence of one’s senses

Question 16

Scientific method

Answer 16

1. ) Observing a phenomenon
2. ) Formulating tentative explanations or statements of cause and effect
3. ) Further observing or experimenting (or both) to rule out the alternative explanations
4. ) Refining and retesting the explanations

Question 17

Variable

Answer 17

Any characteristic or quantity that can take on two or more values

Question 18

Deductive Reasoning

Answer 18

Deriving a specific hypothesis (in this case) from general ideas.

Question 19

Pilot Study

Answer 19

A miniature version of the study