Question 1

You overhear two people arguing about whether or not a given actor is talented. The first person says they spent all night finding examples of movies that actor has appeared in which they consider to be great. The second person considers the list and, while agreeing all those movies are great, points out there are far more movies that actor has been featured in that are absolutely terrible. The second person admits they didn't spend any time considering examples of their bad acting. What kind of faulty thinking does this example demonstrate?

Accepted Answer

The example demonstrates confirmation bias, where the first person only seeks out information that supports their pre-existing belief (the actor's talent) and ignores evidence that contradicts it (the actor's poor performances).

Question 2

You are trying to decide where to eat lunch and reason that anywhere with a long lineup must have high demand, which probably means it has good food. You decide to eat somewhere with a long line, yet unfortunately don't consider the food to be very good. You come to realize the long lineup was probably actually related to their slow service, not the quality of their food. What mistake have you made?

Accepted Answer

The mistake made was failing to consider alternative explanations for the long lineup, such as slow service, instead of assuming it was solely due to the quality of the food.

Question 3

The concept of Tabula Rasa is most similar to _____.

Accepted Answer

Tabula Rasa, a theory proposed by philosopher John Locke, suggests that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that all knowledge comes from experience and perception. This concept is most similar to a hard drive with nothing on it, implying a clean slate or an empty state ready to be filled with data or experiences.

Question 4

While reading a magazine, Jordan sees an advertisement that claims that a new weight loss pill will help anyone lose weight without exercising. The advertisement includes a picture of a woman when she was obese and another picture of her looking thin and fit. Though the pictures are very compelling, Jordan knows that she needs to examine advertisements critically. Which of the following questions best represents critical thinking?

Accepted Answer

Question D encourages critical thinking by prompting consideration of alternative explanations for the woman's weight loss, rather than accepting the advertisement's claim at face value.

Question 5

Dewayne is taking a psychology class. He isn't really interested in discussions about the unconscious, childhood influences, or the way different structures in the brain work. Instead, he is interested in the purpose of certain psychological mechanisms. For example, he wonders why we feel disgusted by a food that made us sick or why some emotions are the same all over the world but others aren't. Dewayne is thinking most like a

Accepted Answer

Dewayne's interest in the purpose of psychological mechanisms aligns with the functionalist perspective, which focuses on the function or purpose of consciousness and behavior.

Question 6

After encountering a number of patients who had physical problems without any apparent physical cause, Sigmund Freud reasoned that the causes must be psychological and beyond his patients' conscious awareness. For example, one of his patients, a woman named Anna O., sometimes developed paralysis in her limbs, even though there was nothing physically wrong with her. Based on his observations, Freud eventually developed a theory he called psychoanalysis. What was Freud actually analyzing?

Accepted Answer

Freud's psychoanalysis focuses on internal, mostly unconscious psychological forces, exploring how unconscious thoughts and feelings can manifest in various symptoms and behaviors.

Question 7

Astrid's friend Evan is taking a psychology course. He tells her all about Sigmund Freud's psychodynamic perspective, John Watson's behavioural perspective, and Abraham Maslow's humanistic perspective. Astrid becomes frustrated, because some of the perspectives seem to say the same thing, just in different ways. "What's the point of all the different perspectives?" she asks Evan. "Why not use just one?" Evan should tell her that

Accepted Answer

Different perspectives in psychology emerge from its diverse historical roots, with each emphasizing various aspects of human behavior, reflecting the complexity and multifaceted nature of the field.

Question 8

Which of these concepts is most closely associated with psychodynamic therapy?

Accepted Answer

Free association is a technique used in psychodynamic therapy to explore the unconscious mind by allowing patients to freely share thoughts and feelings.

Question 9

Wynda is interested in understanding how to design control panels for consumer products (computers, cars, etc.) in such a way that they are as easy and intuitive to use as possible. Which type of research should Wynda pursue?

Accepted Answer

Applied research is focused on finding practical solutions to real-world problems, such as designing user-friendly control panels for consumer products. This type of research applies scientific principles to develop technologies or products that meet specific needs.

Question 10

Which of these is not one of the primary levels of analysis discussed in your textbook?

Accepted Answer

The primary levels of analysis typically discussed in textbooks related to psychology, sociology, or environmental studies include biological, psychological, and environmental. Descriptive is not categorized as a primary level of analysis; it is more of a method or approach to research rather than a foundational level of analysis.

Question 11

How, according to the British empiricists, was knowledge acquired?

Accepted Answer

British empiricists, such as John Locke, David Hume, and George Berkeley, believed that knowledge comes from sensory experience and observation, emphasizing that all human knowledge is founded in empirical evidence.

Question 12

The modern problem of the relationship of mind to body stems from the thought of René Descartes, a 17th-century French philosopher and mathematician, who gave __________ its classical formulation. Beginning from his famous Cogito, ergo sum (Latin: "I think, therefore I am").

Accepted Answer

René Descartes is known for formulating the mind-body problem in terms of dualism, which posits that the mind and body are fundamentally different in nature, with the mind being non-physical and the body being physical.

Question 13

Justin is trying to decide which nutritional supplement he should buy if he wants to gain muscle mass as quickly as possible. He sees lots advertised online but isn't sure which ones actually work. From a scientific approach, Justin should make a decision about which one to buy based on

Accepted Answer

Empirical evidence refers to information acquired by observation or experimentation. Scientifically, decisions should be based on empirical evidence because it provides objective, measurable, and verifiable data that can support the effectiveness of a nutritional supplement for gaining muscle mass.

Question 14

Jane Goodall created one of the most trailblazing studies of primates in modern times when she dwelled with Tanzanian chimps to observe their behavior. Dr. Goodall's goal was to __________ chimps' behaviour.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Jane Goodall created one of the most...

Question 15

Sometimes we can feel our heart rate increase when we think about stressful things. Other times we may notice our heart starts beating more rapidly in response to some stimuli (e.g. while watching a scary movie) and attribute the change to fear. These examples demonstrate the concept of _____.

Accepted Answer

These examples illustrate mind-body interactions, where psychological or emotional factors (such as stress or fear) can have a direct impact on physical processes, in this case, heart rate.

Question 16

Temira tells her roommate, Carmella, that she recently read that people who paint their rooms blue get better grades. Carmella knows that painting their room will be a lot of work. Therefore, she asks Temira where she got her information and what evidence her sources had for their conclusion. She also wonders if there might not be another reason that people with blue rooms have higher grades-for example, maybe smart people prefer the colour blue. What skill is Carmella using?

Accepted Answer

Carmella is using critical thinking by questioning the source of the information, the evidence supporting the conclusion, and considering alternative explanations for the observed phenomenon.

Question 17

Imagine that you are renovating your kitchen. You begin by deciding on all of the individual features you want, reasoning that if you choose the best option in each category (appliances, cabinets, tiles, etc.) it will result in the best possible kitchen for you. Your friend suggests it is important to consider how all the individual pieces come together because some things work better/worse than others in combination (e.g. a large dining room table may not work well without a large enough kitchen). This idea relates to a phrase that is commonly associated with which school of thought?

Accepted Answer

The phrase your friend mentions relates to the Gestalt school of thought, which emphasizes that the whole of anything is greater than its parts. This principle suggests that in understanding the kitchen's design, one should consider the entire setup's functionality and aesthetics rather than just focusing on individual elements. Gestalt psychology focuses on how people integrate and perceive visual information, and it can be applied to various aspects of life, including interior design, indicating that the overall experience is more than just the sum of its parts.

Question 18

Chloe is interested in better understanding how her mental processes work. She reflects on the internal processes taking place and records them in her journal. Chloe is __________________, the same approach the ___________ used.

Accepted Answer

Chloe is using introspection, a method where individuals examine and report their own internal thoughts and feelings. This approach was primarily used by structuralists, who aimed to understand the structure of the mind by analyzing the introspective reports of their subjects.

Question 19

After Liang has gone on three or four dates with the same person, he finds himself coming up with reasons why he doesn't like her. He has done this with everyone he has dated since his parents were divorced two years ago. He tells himself that his parents' divorce has nothing to do with his own behaviour and tells his friends that he simply is yet to meet a woman who meets his standards. A psychodynamic therapist might say that Liang

Accepted Answer

A psychodynamic therapist would likely interpret Liang's pattern of finding faults in his partners after a few dates as a defense mechanism. This behavior could be an unconscious effort to avoid the anxiety and potential pain associated with intimate relationships, possibly stemming from the trauma of his parents' divorce. This interpretation aligns with psychodynamic theories that emphasize unconscious processes and defense mechanisms in explaining behavior.

Question 20

A college student, works a part-time job at the college cafeteria, and volunteers at the Student Centre. What task will help the student keep up his grades while balancing his job and volunteering activities as well?

Accepted Answer

Prioritizing tasks is essential for managing time effectively, especially when balancing studies, work, and volunteering. It helps in focusing on what is most important, thereby maintaining or improving grades.

Quiz 1: Psychology: the Science of Behaviour