The Scientific Method in Psychology

Question 1 of 13

1

"Information is gained through direct observation or experiment." What is this known as?

Select one of the following:

Experimental methods
Objectivity
Empirical methods
Scientific snobbery
Observational skills

Explanation

Question 2 of 13

1

"Scientists strive to not let their expectations affect the observations and measurements they record." What is this known as?

Select one of the following:

Empirical methods
Objectivity
Omniscience
Independent observations
Observer bias
Naive optimism

Explanation

Question 3 of 13

1

"One way to demonstrate the validity of an observation or experiment is to repeat it. If the outcome is the same, this affirms the 'truth' of the original results." What is this known as?

Select one of the following:

Reliability
Empirical methods
Flatulence
Replicability
Repeatability
Test-retest method

Explanation

Question 4 of 13

1

"One aim of science is to construct collections of general principles to help us understand and predict natural phenomena." What is this known as?

Select one of the following:

Theory construction
Empirical methods
Objectivity
Predictive validity
Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard who ever lived
Hypothesis construction

Explanation

Question 5 of 13

1

"In order to demonstrate a causal relationship, scientists must make tests fair by varying only one factor and standardising all other factors." What is this known as?

Select one of the following:

Hypothesis testing
Empirical methods
BDSM
Control testing
Fair testing
Standardisation

Explanation

Question 6 of 13

1

What is induction?

Select one of the following:

Reasoning from the particular to the general
Reasoning from the general to the particular
A type of heating
Reasoning from pre-existing theories to prove the truth or non-truth of something
A psychic power
Evaluating all existing literature on a topic

Explanation

Question 7 of 13

1

What is deduction?

Select one of the following:

Reasoning from pre-existing theories to prove the truth of somethingelse
Reasoning from many facts about one things to discover a single fact about something else
Reasoning from the particular to the general
Reasoning for dummies
Sherlock Holmes
Reasoning from the general to the particular

Explanation

Question 8 of 13

1

What arguments support the idea that psychology is a science?

Select one or more of the following:

Psychology uses the scientific method - psychologists generate models that can be falsified and conduct well-controlled experiments to test these
Psychology is a popular, well taught subject in schools and is counted as a science subject at university
Psychology lacks the objectivity and control of other sciences - problems such as experimenter bias and demand characteristics compromise validity
Qualitative research such as that used in some psychological research can still follow the scientific method
Psychology has no single paradigm
Your face is a pseudoscience

Explanation

Question 9 of 13

1

What arguments are used to suggest that psychology is not a science?

Select one or more of the following:

Psychology lacks the objectivity and control of other sciences - problems such as experimenter bias and demand characteristics compromise validity
Psychology is founded on the psychodynamic approach which is unscientific and unfalsifiable
Science takes a nomothetic approach, seeking to make generalisations, but this is inappropriate in psychology, which takes the idiographic approach and treats all individuals as unique
There is a strange man peering in through the window please make it stop.
Psychology has no single paradigm, unlike other sciences
Science tries to reduce natural phenomena to their most simple explanation, however, human behaviour is very complex and trying to reduce it to a simpler form results in reductionism

Explanation

Question 10 of 13

1

What is an abstract?

Select one of the following:

A review of studies related to the area being investigated
A statement of what the researcher wants to investigate and their hypotheses
A summary of all the other sections of the report, including the aim of the study
The beginning section of a peer review
The researcher's evaluation of their study
A type of art movement made popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Explanation

Question 11 of 13

1

What is an introduction?

Select one of the following:

A statement of what the research is aiming to investigate, hypotheses, and a review of existing theories/studies on the topic
A summary of all the other sections of the report
A section of the report where the researcher introduces himself and lists his credentials
A themed costume party for sufferers of dwarfism in which everyone accidentally came as Frodo Baggins
An exact description of the methods used
The beginning section of the report

Explanation

Question 12 of 13

1

What is included in the method?

Select one of the following:

Descriptive and inferential statistics
A tasty but out of date pie
A short explanation of the way the experimenter carried out the study
An exact description of what the experimenter did, in order for others to be able to replicate the study, including sample, procedures, instructions and ethical considerations
An exact description of the methods of studies that were discussed earlier in the report
I can't think of another possible answer

Explanation

Question 13 of 13

1

What is included in the discussion?

Select one of the following:

A psychologist who was not involved with the study independently and non-biasedly comments on it
Three potatoes, some tumeric, half a cauliflower and a pinch of salt
Exact description of what the experimenter did, in order for others to be able to replicate it, including sample, procedures, instructions and ethical considerations
References
Happy tree friends
Explanations of observed behaviour and conclusions, suggestions for future research, evaluation of own research, application of research to hypotheses and comparison with background studies

	Created by otaku96 over 9 years ago

A Levels Psychology (Research Methods) Quiz on The Scientific Method in Psychology, created by otaku96 on 29/04/2015.

The Scientific Method in Psychology

Question 1 of 13

"Information is gained through direct observation or experiment." What is this known as?

Select one of the following:

Explanation

Question 2 of 13

"Scientists strive to not let their expectations affect the observations and measurements they record." What is this known as?

Select one of the following:

Explanation

Question 3 of 13

"One way to demonstrate the validity of an observation or experiment is to repeat it. If the outcome is the same, this affirms the 'truth' of the original results." What is this known as?

Select one of the following:

Explanation

Question 4 of 13

"One aim of science is to construct collections of general principles to help us understand and predict natural phenomena." What is this known as?

Select one of the following:

Explanation

Question 5 of 13

"In order to demonstrate a causal relationship, scientists must make tests fair by varying only one factor and standardising all other factors." What is this known as?

Select one of the following:

Explanation

Question 6 of 13

What is induction?

Select one of the following:

Explanation

Question 7 of 13

What is deduction?

Select one of the following:

Explanation

Question 8 of 13

What arguments support the idea that psychology is a science?

Select one or more of the following:

Explanation

Question 9 of 13

What arguments are used to suggest that psychology is not a science?

Select one or more of the following:

Explanation

Question 10 of 13

What is an abstract?

Select one of the following:

Explanation

Question 11 of 13

What is an introduction?

Select one of the following:

Explanation

Question 12 of 13

What is included in the method?

Select one of the following:

Explanation

Question 13 of 13

What is included in the discussion?

Select one of the following:

Explanation