1. Which of the following is not associated with use of the scientific method in psychological research? [TY2.1]

1. A commitment to producing knowledge through observation and experiment.
2. A commitment to basing knowledge exclusively on common sense and opinion.
3. A commitment to basing knowledge on empirical evidence.
4. A commitment to discovering truth.
5. A commitment to ensuring that findings are correctly interpreted.

2. Which of the following contribute to the development of knowledge and theory in psychology? [TY2.2]

1. Evidence that supports a hypothesis.
2. Evidence that contradicts a hypothesis.
3. Evidence that tests a hypothesis.
4. All of the above.
5. Answers (a) and (c) only.

3. Which of the following statements is true? [TY2.3]

1. If a finding is reliable it should be easy to replicate using the same procedures.
2. If a finding is reliable it will also be valid.
3. If a finding is reliable it will be important.
4. If a finding is reliable it must be an example of good scientific practice.
5. If a finding is reliable it has been correctly interpreted.

4. Which of the following statements is true? [TY2.4]

1. The major goal of science is to identify as many facts as possible.
2. The major goal of science is to develop as many theories as possible.
3. The major goal of science is to explain as many facts as possible with the smallest number of theoretical principles.
4. The major goal of science is to do as much research as possible with as little money.
5. Both (a) and (b).

5. Which of the following is not a widely accepted feature of good research? [TY2.5]

1. It should be public.
2. It should be cumulative.
3. It should be valid.
4. It should be reliable.
5. It should support a theory.

6. Which of the following statements is true? [TY2.6]

1. All research in psychology is concerned with the development of explanatory theory.
2. All research in psychology shows commitment to the scientific method.
3. All research in psychology uses the scientific method even if researchers do not believe in it.
4. The interpretation of all research in psychology is open to question, as with all scientific research.
5. None of the above.

7. After reading some research on the topic of students’ attitudes to university courses, Mark does a study to find out what students’ favourite subject at university is. In this he finds that final-year psychology students prefer studying psychology to any other subject. On this basis he concludes that psychology is the most popular subject. However, Jane argues that this conclusion is wrong as the research actually shows that students prefer the subject they end up studying. What is the basis of her objection to Mark’s research? [TY2.7]

1. The study is invalid.
2. The study is unreliable.
3. The study is non-cumulative.
4. The study is unparsimonious.
5. None of the above.

8. If an experimental finding is valid, which of the following statements is true?

1. It should be easy to replicate
2. It supports a researcher's experimental predictions
3. It supports a researcher's theory
4. It occurred for the reason hypothesised by the researcher
5. It will make a demonstrable contribution to scientific knowledge

9. Which of the following would not be of interest to a behaviourist?

1. A person's reaction to a flashing light.
2. Differences in various people's responses to a flashing light.
3. The cognitive processes associated with reaction to a stimulus.
4. The impact of a particular stimulus on behaviour.
5. The different behaviours that arise from exposure to different stimuli.

10. Which of the following is a physiological measure?

1. A measure of blood flow through a person's brain.
2. Details of a person's family tree.
3. A person's response to questions on a survey.
4. A person's response to questions in an experiment.
5. The preference a person shows for one stimulus rather than another.

11. Theory A explains phenomenon L, phenomenon M and phenomenon N using principles J and K. Theory B explains phenomenon L, phenomenon M, and phenomenon N using only principle K. Theory C explains phenomenon L and phenomenon N using principles J and K. Which of the following statements is true?

1. Theory A is the most parsimonious.
2. Theory B is the most parsimonious.
3. Theory C is the most parsimonious.
4. Theory A and Theory C are equally and most parsimonious.
5. Theory A and Theory B are equally and most parsimonious.

12. “An argument in which the thing to be explained is presented as the explanation (e.g. where memory ability is used to explain memory performance).” What type of argument is this a glossary definition of?

1. Conceptual argument
2. Convenient argument
3. Causal argument
4. Circular argument
5. Casual argument

13. “The goal of accounting for the maximum number of empirical findings in terms of the smallest number of theoretical principles.” This a glossary definition of which principle?

1. Maximization.
2. Parsimony.
3. Reliability.
4. Validity.
5. External validity.

14. “Formally, a statement about the causal relationship between particular phenomena (i.e. in the form ‘A causes B’). This is usually derived from a particular theory and designed to be tested in research.” Which construct is this a glossary definition of?

1. Prediction.
2. Deduction.
3. Hypothesis.
4. Conventional reasoning.
5. Deductive reasoning.

15. “Treating an abstraction as if it were a real concrete thing. In psychology this refers to the process and outcome of treating an empirical finding as if it were the straightforward expression of an underlying psychological process (e.g. seeing performance on intelligence tests as the expression of intelligence).” This a glossary definition of which process?

1. Reification.
2. Refutation
3. Concretization.
4. False consensus.
5. Exprimental artifice.