Goals of Science

What is described as the first and most basic goal of science?

According to the chapter, which goal of science involves using information about the systematic relationship between two events to anticipate future occurrences?

What is considered the third and ultimate goal of science, focusing on determining the causes of behavior?

What type of research is conducted primarily to address a specific practical problem?

What is the primary purpose of basic research in psychology?

A researcher studies the effects of cell phone use on driving to inform new safety laws. What kind of research is this an example of?

If a psychologist conducts a study to understand the differences in talkativeness between sexes simply to gain knowledge, what type of research is this?

A researcher conducts a survey of medical marijuana patients and finds that the primary symptom they treat is pain. This finding is an achievement of which scientific goal?

A scientist notes that most medical marijuana patients use the substance for pain. They then state that a new individual seeking medical marijuana is likely experiencing pain. This statement represents which goal of science?

A study that investigates whether marijuana reduces pain by lowering inflammation or by reducing the distress associated with pain is attempting to achieve which goal of science?

What does the chapter suggest about the distinction between basic and applied research?

How can basic research, such as studying sex differences in talkativeness, have applied effects?

How can applied research, such as studying the effect of cell phone use on driving, contribute to basic science?

What is the source of the phenomena and theories that fill psychology textbooks?

When a researcher makes a prediction based on an observed regularity, the chapter notes that the prediction will not be perfect. What level of accuracy does it suggest is achievable?

Which of the following research questions best represents the scientific goal of 'description'?

Which of the following research questions best represents the scientific goal of 'explanation'?

The process of achieving the goal of 'description' relies heavily on what activity?

Scientific research in psychology is portrayed in the chapter as originating from what human tendency?

If a research study has no immediate or obvious practical problem it is trying to solve, but is instead focused on understanding the fundamental nature of memory, it would be classified as what type of research?

What is the relationship between the three goals of science (describe, predict, explain)?

If a researcher conducts a study and discovers a new insight into the basic processes of action, but the study was initially designed to solve a practical safety issue, this outcome demonstrates what principle from the chapter?

What does the chapter imply is a limitation of the scientific goal of prediction?

A survey conducted by Sexton, Cuttler, Finnell, and Mischley (2016) found that after pain, the next most common conditions medical marijuana patients use marijuana to treat are what?

Which statement best captures the essence of basic research as described in the chapter?

Which of the following would NOT be an example of achieving the scientific goal 'to describe'?

If basic research on memory processes leads to a new, effective teaching method for students with learning disabilities, this outcome illustrates what?

A political pollster surveys 1000 likely voters to determine what percentage of the electorate supports a particular candidate. This activity primarily serves which scientific goal?

The chapter states that scientific research continues because 'what we know right now only scratches the surface of what we can know.' This statement implies that the body of psychological knowledge is what?

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of applied research as described in the chapter?

If a researcher studies the fundamental principles of operant conditioning in rats to understand learning, this is an example of what?

A school district implements a new reading program and hires a psychologist to evaluate its effectiveness compared to the old program. This psychologist is primarily engaged in what type of research?

Which goal of science provides the necessary foundation for the other two goals?

The example of learning about 'people’s surprising tendency to obey those in positions of authority' in a psychology textbook refers to knowledge gained from what?

If a marketing firm conducts research to determine which of three advertisements is most effective at increasing sales for a product, this is an example of what?

A researcher states, 'Based on our findings, we believe that individuals with high levels of conscientiousness are more likely to meet project deadlines.' This statement is an example of which scientific goal?

Which term best describes the activity of determining the specific brain activity that underlies the experience of fear?

The value of the distinction between basic and applied research is described in the chapter as what?

If a study finds that 90 percent of drivers using a cell phone fail to notice a gorilla walking across the road in a simulation, while only 40 percent of non-users fail to notice it, this study is engaged in which goal of science?

What is the primary difference between basic and applied research according to the chapter?

Which of the three scientific goals is most concerned with understanding the 'underlying mechanisms and causal relationships'?

If a research project results in the enactment of new laws, it is most likely what type of research?

A study that carefully documents the daily routines of chimpanzees in the wild to catalog their social behaviors is primarily achieving which goal of science?

According to the chapter, what makes the distinction between basic and applied research 'not always clear-cut'?

An economist builds a model to forecast GDP for the next quarter based on current interest rates and inflation. This model-building is an attempt to achieve which scientific goal?

If a student in an introductory psychology course learns about the principles of classical conditioning, they are learning the product of what?

A study that seeks to determine why some people are more resilient to stress than others by examining their coping mechanisms and social support systems is primarily focused on which scientific goal?

What is a potential negative outcome if the distinction between basic and applied research is treated as too rigid?

A sports psychologist develops a new visualization technique to improve free-throw accuracy and tests it on a basketball team. This research is best classified as:

Which statement accurately reflects the chapter's view on the body of knowledge in psychology?