370) In Chapter 2 you read about the controversy surrounding the reliability and validity of some widely used psychological tests. How does the example of using the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) to determine admission to university for non-native English speakers illustrate the importance of the critical thinking guideline “Don’t Oversimplify ” discussed in Chapter 1? 371) Unlike plays and poems scientific theories are not judged by how pleasing they are. Instead a theory must be backed by empirical evidence if it is to be taken seriously. Integrate this information from Chapter 2 with the critical thinking guideline “Avoid Emotional Reasoning ” which you studied in Chapter 1. 372) Which research method did Curtiss (1977 1982) rely upon when describing the development of Genie? Analyze what you know about the theory of critical periods of language development methods. What are the strengths and limitations of his approach? 373) When the authors refer to psychologists as scientists they do not mean that psychologists work with complicated gadgets and machines or wear white lab coats (although some do). The scientific enterprise has more to do with attitudes and procedures than it does with apparatus and apparel. Describe in detail the five key characteristics of the ideal scientist. 374) Is there a critical period for language? When the sad story of Genie was broadcast on television many people wondered what the future would hold for a 13-year-old girl who had survived on minimal physical care. What did psychologists learn about language acquisition through their efforts to teach language to Genie? In what ways does Genie’s story illustrate some drawbacks to the case study method? 375) The president of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is concerned after reading that during puberty children have increased needs for sleep. She wants to find out if other parents of middle-school children would support a later starting time for school. At one of the Tuesday night meetings she conducts a survey of the PTA members in order to address this question. When she asks those parents in support of the change to raise their hands she discovers that 85% of the parents support a later starting time. What information has she gained by conducting this survey? What shortcomings exist in her survey? 376) A researcher hypothesizes that adults will respond differently to the same baby depending on how the child is dressed. Her colleague on the other hand hypothesizes that boys and girls are treated equally and that only temperamental differences lead to differences in their handling. Design a research study to test their hypotheses. Provided a detailed explanation of how this study would be conducted. 377) For many years it was thought that a child’s fascination with the genitals of an anatomically realistic doll indicated sexual abuse of the child. Using this example explain why experiments usually require an experimental and a control condition. If you were designing an experiment to test this topic what would be the independent variable? What would be the dependent variable?
