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Diagnose how Dr. Lin's study suffers from the limitations of empiricism. Specifically, identify which aspect of the methodology represents restricted observation, and which aspect illustrates how senses or perceptual tools can be deceived.
Case context: Dr. Lin is conducting a study on nocturnal primate behavior. Due to equipment constraints, Dr. Lin can only observe the primates for one hour after sunset using night-vision goggles that produce blurry, green-hued images. Based on these observations, Dr. Lin concludes that the primates are completely inactive for the rest of the night. A colleague critiques this study, arguing that it relies too heavily on flawed empiricism.
Question: Diagnose how Dr. Lin's study suffers from the limitations of empiricism. Specifically, identify which aspect of the methodology represents restricted observation, and which aspect illustrates how senses or perceptual tools can be deceived.
Sample answer: Dr. Lin's study illustrates restricted observation because they are limited to observing the primates for only one hour after sunset, leaving the rest of the night unobserved. Additionally, the blurry, green-hued images from the night-vision goggles illustrate how tools of perception can be deceived or fail to provide accurate details, leading to an incorrect conclusion about the primates' overall activity.
Key points:
- Explain that the one-hour window represents restricted observation.
- Explain that the blurry night-vision images show how senses/perception can be deceived.
- Relate these issues to the overall failure of relying solely on unverified personal observations.
Rubric: The student must correctly identify that the one-hour observation window represents restricted observation, and that the blurry night-vision goggles represent how senses or observation tools can be deceived.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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