AP PSYCHOLOGY

RESEARCH METHODS THINKING CRITICALLY WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND DESCRIPTION

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
What is a theory?
A
a guess on how something works
B
a tested conclusion accepted as true
C
a story explaining how the world works
D
an assumption
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -In everyday use, the word “theory” often means an untested hunch, or a guess without supporting evidence. But for scientists, a theory has nearly the opposite meaning. A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can incorporate laws, hypotheses and facts.

Detailed explanation-2: -A scientific theory is accepted as a scientific truth, supported by evidence collected by many scientists. The theory of evolution by natural selection is a classic scientific theory.

Detailed explanation-3: -A theory is said to be accepted if it is taken as the best available description of its object. A theory is said to be accepted if it is taken as the best available description or prescription of its object.

Detailed explanation-4: -Theory is constructed of a set of sentences that are entirely true statements about the subject under consideration. However, the truth of any one of these statements is always relative to the whole theory.

Detailed explanation-5: -A scientific theory is a hypothesis that has been extensively tested, evaluated by the scientific community, and is strongly supported. Theories often describe a large set of observations, and provide a cohesive explanation for those observations. An individual cannot come up with a theory.

There is 1 question to complete.