Chapter 1 Notes

Question 1

6 Criteria of a scientific theory

Answer 1

1) generate research
2) falsifiable
3) organize and explain knowledge
4) does it suggest practical solutions to everyday problems
5) is it internally consistent
6) is it simple and parsimonious

Question 2

6 perspectives to discuss human nature

Answer 2

1) determinism vs free choice
2) pessimism vs optimism
3) causality vs teleology
4) conscious vs unconscious
5) biological vs social factors
6) uniqueness vs similarities in people

Question 3

personality originates from the word

Answer 3

persona: a theatrical mask worn by Roman actors in Greek dramas

Question 4

personality definition

Answer 4

a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to human behavior

Question 5

Traits

Answer 5

contribute to individual differences in behaviour, consistency of behaviour over time, and stability of of behaviour across situations

Question 6

Characteristics

Answer 6

temperament, physique, intelligence

Question 7

theory is

Answer 7

a set of RELATED ASSUMPTIONS that allow scientists to use logical deductive reasoning to formulate testable hypothesis

is MORE GENERAL than a hypothesis and may generate multiple hypotheses, educated guesses. A theory is too general to lend itself to direct verification

Question 8

flow from theory to hypothesis

Answer 8

(philosophy) general theory –> deductive reasoning –> particular hypothesis that can be tested

Question 9

philosophy is

Answer 9

the love of wisdom – is a broader term than theory

Question 10

epistemology is

Answer 10

branch of philosophy

the nature of knowledge

Theory relates most closely to this branch of philosophy, because it is a tool used by scientists in their pursuit of knowledge

Question 11

taxonomy is

Answer 11

a classification system, and classification is necessary to science. Taxonomies, however, do not generate hypotheses—a necessary criterion of a useful theory.

Question 12

psychology of science studies the

Answer 12

personal traits of scientists to see what impact on the theory

Question 13

reliability measures extent to which

Answer 13

the research yields consistent results

Question 14

validity measures

Answer 14

what it’s supposed to

Question 15

construct validity measures

Answer 15

hypothetical construct (extraversion, intelligence, aggressiveness, emotional stability)

Question 16

convergent construct validity is

Answer 16

when traits that are supposed to be grouped together appear in a correlational way (extravertedness with sociability)

Question 17

discriminant construct validity

Answer 17

discriminates between 2 people - someone extraverted has high scores on sociability than someone who is introverted

Question 18

predictive validity

Answer 18

test predicts future behavior

Question 19

Hypothesis

Answer 19

• A good theory is capable of generating many hypotheses. A hypothesis is an educated guess or prediction specific enough for its validity to be tested through the use of the scientific method
• more specific than the theories that give them birth

Question 20

Speculation

Answer 20

useful theory should be founded on both scientific evidence and controlled, imaginative speculation

Freud began to combine philosophical speculations with a primitive scientific method