Chapter 10 Study Questions

  1. What is the difference between science and technology?
  2. Why can’t science be considered an ideology?
  3. What is scientism? Provide an example to illustrate.
  4. Why is science a reliable way of acquiring knowledge?
  5. What are the five steps involved in the scientific method?
  6. How do scientists construct hypotheses to test theories? Provide an example to illustrate.
  7. What is a test implication? Use an example to illustrate.
  8. What are the two conditional arguments used as models for scientific testing?
  9. Why can’t scientific hypotheses be conclusively confuted? Use an example to illustrate.
  10. What does double-blind mean? Why are double-blind methods used in scientific testing?
  11. Why is replication of a scientific study important?
  12. What are the five criteria of adequacy? Identify and briefly explain each.
  13. What is the TEST formula and how is it used to evaluate theories?
  14. Can the TEST formula be used to evaluate extraordinary theories? Explain your answer.
  15. What is the error referred to as “leaping to the weirdest theory”? Why is this line of thinking fallacious?
  16. Are most paranormal phenomena logically possible? What does it mean for something to be logically possible?
  17. What is “cold reading” and how is it used by psychic readers to make it appear as if they have paranormal abilities?
  18. In evaluating extraordinary theories, explain the common error of believing that just because you can’t think of a natural explanation, a phenomenon must be paranormal. Provide an example to illustrate.
  19. What is the difference between logical and physical possibility? If a state of affairs is logically possible, must it be physically possible? Must it be actual?
  20. If a state of affairs is physically possible, must it be logically possible? If something is actual, must it be logically possible?
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