| Assignment Number 5 Discussion/Writing Assignment Chapter 2. How psychologists do research (50-67) |
Student
Name _____________________ Date due: 9-15-04 Introduction to Psychology 101-03 Hal S. Bertilson, Ph.D. |
| If this paper is late and you believe it may qualify as an excused absence please explain | __________________________________ |
| Late papers. Unexcused late papers may be turned in for one-half credit for the written portion of the assignment. |
| Spacing. Papers must be typed, double spaced. |
| 8-1/2 X 11 paper. In order to make handling papers easy and to ensure that none are misplaced, all papers are expected to be 8-1/2 X 11 inches, stapled, and with no torn, spiral notebook edges. |
| Please staple the questions to your answers or write out the questions as well as the answers. Having the questions available in the small group will facilitate discussion. |
| Critical Thinking Exercise: CAN SCIENCE ANSWER THIS QUESTION? | ||
| Psychology is an empirical science: that is, its knowledge is obtained through observation, experimentation, and measurement. Some questions cannot be measured empirically and are, therefore, outside the realm of science. | ||
| 1. | Decide whether scientific research can answer the questions below and respond "yes" or "no" to each question. Do not try to answer the question itself. Just say whether or not scientific research can, in principle, address the question. | |
| 2. | Briefly explain why each question is, or is not, a good candidate for scientific inquiry. | |
| 3. | For the questions that can be studied scientifically, identify what the independent and dependent variables would be in the experiment. This assignment may not require two pages. | |
| a. | Is abortion on demand bad for society? | |
| b. | Do people talk more after they have eaten than they do when they are hungry? | |
| c. | Does jogging lead to a positive mental attitude? | |
| d. | Are the incomes of doctors related to the grades they make in medical school? | |
| e. | Which emotion is stronger, love or anger? | |
| f. | Are breast-fed babies more alert than bottle-fed babies? | |
| g. | Will people be more moral in the year 20220 than they are now? | |
| h. | Are people who commit suicide remorseful after they have done it? | |