Quiz 1 Quantitative research methodology

Which example fits best with the concept of systematic observation?

• Observing everything you do in one day

• Asking every fourth person to enter the mall about their favorite sport and recording this.

• Observing every fourth person to enter the mall

A hypothesis must be:

• observed

• proven correct

• testable

What is the primary difference between a scientific theory and a scientific law?

• A theory explains why something happens and a law describes a pattern

• A theory describes a pattern and a scientific law explains why something happens

• A theory does not necessarily have a large body of supporting data

In contrast to Plato, Aristotle asserts that:

• the physical world around us does provide knowledge

• sensory experience is prone to errors

• only knowledge obtained through reasoning can lead to the truth

All swans that have been observed are white colored swans. Therefore one can conclude that all swans are white.

• This is a form of deductive reasoning

• This is an argument based on a false premise

• This is a form of inductive reasoning

According to logical positivism, the sentence "God exists" is meaningful only if:

• it is true by definition or can be verified through observation

• it is believed to be true, even if we don't know which observations can be used for verification

• the sentence has meaning for the person who utters it

A student wants to do a research project on a mother’s love for her child. How would a radical empiricist react to this idea?

• He or she would advise the student to develop a theory of love specific to this phenomena, i.e. the love of a mother for her child

• A mother’s love for her child cannot be subject to scientific analysis unless it can be shown to have a material, physical basis (e.g. brain activity associated with love)

• A mother’s love for her child can only be understood by a fellow mother and therefore this project should not be undertaken by someone who hasn’t yet started a family

The position that abstract concepts are merely words and that there is no independently accessible thing constituting the meaning of a word is known as

• nominalism

• realism

• idealism

Which of these statements is true?

• Positivists and interpretivists agree that science is empirical (studies produce data)

• Constructivism and interpretivism are linked with qualitative data

• both are true

If you prepared a study on the effects of text-messaging rather than talking on the phone on the quality of friendships, you would be conducting

• applied research

• fundamental and particularistic research

• fundamental and universalistic research