Louise has decided to conduct an experiment that is expected to show that an existing theory (the theory of cognitive dissonance) can explain why individuals who have cheated on an exam may later decide that it is OK to cheat. Her experiment is informed by .

Question

A.
the deductive method.

B.
the parsimonious method.

C.
the method of falsifiability.

D.
the inductive method.

Answer 1

A. the deductive method.

In this scenario, Louise is starting with an existing theory (the theory of cognitive dissonance) and designing her experiment to test a specific hypothesis that derives from that theory. This approach aligns with the deductive method, where researchers take general principles (from the theory) and apply them to specific instances (the behavior of individuals who have cheated on an exam).