Questions and Answers on Family and Consumer Science - Assignment Example

2. What are assumptions in the scientific sense? An assumption, in the scientific sense, is a working hypothesis. Before going on with the experimentation, people usually make assumptions first to form a specific structure of an idea. Assumptions are usually several before an experiment begins, and gets reduced towards or by the end of the experiment. Fewer assumptions by the end of an experiment means that there is an increased understanding on the matter. 3. Briefly explain the goals or functions of science.

The primary goals of science are description, understanding, prediction, and control. Description is where the phenomena is defined, while understanding is where the occurrence of the phenomena is determined. Prediction is done by forecasting or through hypotheses. Finally, the aim to control a phenomena follows after truly understanding it. The function of science, on the other hand, is to provide a factual reasoning regarding an idea. 4. What is meant by the term “cumulative nature of science”?

Discoveries in science are interconnected and, to some extent, confirmation of its fundamental principles. This means that rejecting these fundamentals is synonymous to rejecting, and going through another process to understand, several previous successful researches and experiments. This is the cumulative nature of science. 5. Explain the importance of research having a theoretical base? It is impossible to do a research from all perspectives even on a single idea or matter. The theoretical base helps in establishing a standpoint, position, and a procedure on which the experiment will be based (Bryman, 2008, p.17). This means that creating a theoretical base is a step towards a clearer and narrowed research --- excluding other perspectives that might affect the research, while having the rationale for refusing to include these other perspectives. 6. Explain the basic ideas behind Wallace's Wheel.

Wallace's Wheel is a good illustration of the concept of how the knowledge base of science develops and grows. It points out how scientific theories and scientific experiments and researches continuously form and mold each other. 7. List and briefly define the categories, or “parts” of the research process. A typical research process has an introduction, a literature review, methodology, findings, and conclusion. The introduction should include information regarding the research such as primary objectives, benefits of the research, and even the researcher's background on the topic.

The literature review is an overview of past researches related to the current one. The methodology is where the explanation of the procedure for the research is done. Findings discusses the analysis of the gathered date, and the conclusion is the summary of the whole project. The conclusion also discusses whether the primary objectives were met, and if further researches are suggested (Bryman, 2008, p.33). 8. Explain the difference between basic research and applied research. A basic research is a product of the researcher's interest or curiosity in a concept or idea.

The main goal of this type of research is to expand the knowledge. On the other hand, applied research is a product of the need to answer the practical problems about almost anything. The main goal of this type of research is to improve human conditions (Bryman, 2008, p.26). 9. In a nutshell, explain human ecology theory.