Deck 1: D: Psychology and Scientific Thinking

Question 1

When students begin to read through their introductory psychology textbook,they are often surprised to learn that

A)common-sense explanations abound in the field of psychology.
B)many of their beliefs about the causes of thoughts and behaviours are incorrect.
C)psychology is a unique field of study separate from philosophy and biology.
D)psychologists do not study people's everyday behaviours.

Answer 1

many of their beliefs about the causes of thoughts and behaviours are incorrect.

Question 2

According to the authors,psychology is a method for

A)determining simple answers to complex questions.
B)restating common-sense findings in a more convoluted manner.
C)gaining deeper insight into how and why people think and act a certain way.
D)knowing how to turn people from maladaptive to adaptive actions,feelings,and thoughts.

Answer 2

gaining deeper insight into how and why people think and act a certain way.

Question 3

Suppose you were one of the early graduate students in the newly developed field of psychology.Your mentor is interested in discovering the answers to questions such as "Why is the ability to forget helpful?" "How do emotions assist us in social situations?" and "Why is self-presentation a useful technique for gaining social rewards?" Your mentor's approach is most consistent with the __________ perspective.

A)psychoanalytic
B)behaviourist
C)functionalist
D)structuralist

Answer 3

functionalist

Question 4

Evaluating personal relationships and the way we relate to other people involves the __________ level of analysis.

A)biological
B)social-cultural
C)psychological
D)interpersonal

Question 5

Canadian researcher Dr.Turnkey wants to examine personality traits associated with helping behaviour across different cultures outside of North America.He designs a survey and then has it translated into different languages and administers it to persons from other cultures.Dr.Turnkey is using a(n)__________ approach to cross-cultural psychology.

A)etic
B)emic
C)apophenic
D)pareidolic

Question 6

The lasting contribution of the psychological school of thought known as structuralism is

A)its findings that underscored the importance of unconscious mental processes in daily life.
B)the importance it placed on systematic observation in studying consciousness.
C)its concern with developing a scientific model of human learning.
D)its concern with understanding the adaptive purposes of consciousness.

Question 7

The term __________ refers to the use of everyday sources to understand and explain human behaviour.

A)common sense
B)psychology
C)popular psychology
D)experimental psychology

Question 8

Trying to explain complex human behaviours,like violence,in terms of one causal factor,such as genes or video games,fails to acknowledge that

A)biological roots to behaviour are more important than other causes.
B)actions are multiply determined.
C)individual differences prevent us from making any conclusions.
D)behaviour is always reciprocally determined.

Question 9

What early American psychologist yearned to create a periodic table of the elements of consciousness?

A)Edward Titchener
B)Sigmund Freud
C)B.F.Skinner
D)William James

Question 10

Johanna is a researcher in Spain,where she conducts research on how Spanish culture shapes body image in young Spanish teenaged girls.Johanna is using a(n)__________ approach to cross-cultural psychology.

A)etic
B)emic
C)apophenic
D)pareidolic

Question 11

What technique involves trained observers who carefully reflect and report on their own mental experiences?

A)Spiritualism
B)Introspection
C)Psychicism
D)Empiricalism

Question 12

The phenomenon of __________ was one criticism of structuralism because it demonstrated that some important aspects of human psychology lie outside conscious awareness.

A)introspection
B)insight
C)imageless thought
D)natural selection

Question 13

What early psychologist was most concerned with developing answers to basic questions about our mental experiences?

A)Wilhelm Wundt
B)John B.Watson
C)Sigmund Freud
D)Joseph Jastrow

Question 14

Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection significantly influenced __________,which aimed to understand the adaptive purposes of psychological characteristics.

A)psychoanalysis
B)behaviourism
C)functionalism
D)structuralism

Question 15

__________ refers to the fact that we mutually influence each other's behaviour.

A)Mutual exclusion
B)Kin selection
C)Reciprocal determinism
D)Naive realism

Question 16

What influence did psychology need to break away from in order to establish itself as a discipline and be free of associations with studying the spirit or soul?

A)Spiritualism
B)Philosophy
C)Psychicism
D)Introspection

Question 17

Psychology was once similar to which of the following disciplines?

A)Theology
B)Journalism
C)Philosophy
D)Biology

Question 18

With its concern on the adaptive functions provided by the various psychological systems,evolutionary psychology is most like what early psychological school of thought?

A)Behaviourism
B)Structuralism
C)Psychoanalysis
D)Functionalism

Question 19

A psychologist is often skeptical of claims suggesting

A)that a person's future behaviour is often difficult to predict accurately.
B)a particular behaviour is the result of a single causal factor.
C)a person's culture is a strong influence on his or her everyday thoughts and behaviours.
D)people are influenced by others' thoughts and behaviours.

Question 20

What individual is often credited with establishing the first psychological laboratory,thus establishing psychology as an experimental science?

A)Sigmund Freud
B)Wilhelm Wundt
C)William James
D)John B.Watson

Question 21

Nico is meeting with his academic adviser.He wishes to pursue a career where he'll work to diagnose and treat mental disorders.Nico aspires to be a(n)

A)clinical psychologist.
B)school psychologist.
C)experimental psychologist.
D)forensic psychologist.

Question 22

Which theorist and perspective is correctly matched?

A)Structuralism - William James
B)Behaviourism - Jean Piaget
C)Functionalism - Charles Darwin
D)Cognitivism - John B.Watson

Question 23

Which theoretical approach argues that we learn by grasping the underlying nature of problems and attaining insight?

A)Cognitivism
B)Behaviourism
C)Functionalism
D)Psychoanalysis

Question 24

A researcher who studies the relationship between brain functioning and various thought processes,such as remembering or planning,would belong to what field of psychology?

A)Evolutionary psychology
B)Cognitive neuroscience
C)Psychoanalysis
D)Behaviourism

Question 25

A classmate tells you the following: "It's not how a teacher answers your question that matters but how you interpret his or her attempt at answering your question that leaves you satisfied or unsatisfied with his or her answer." This statement fits most closely with ideas from the school of thought known as

A)psychoanalysis.
B)cognitivism.
C)structuralism.
D)behaviourism.

Question 26

The phrase "black box psychology" is associated with which theoretical framework?

A)Functionalism.
B)Psychoanalysis.
C)Behaviourism.
D)Structuralism.

Question 27

The Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)was established in __________.

A)1910
B)1939
C)1953
D)1974

Question 28

All types of psychology involve

A)interactions between patients and therapists.
B)treating people's behavioural and emotional problems.
C)the use of scientific methods.
D)replicating what is already known via common sense.

Question 29

The greatest proportion of psychologists are found working

A)in K-12 schools.
B)in self-employed,clinical practices.
C)for a governmental agency.
D)at universities and four-year colleges.

Question 30

Evolutionary psychology

A)focuses on animal behaviour.
B)provides easily testable hypotheses.
C)has solved the nature-nurture debate.
D)applies Darwin's theory of natural selection to human and animal behaviour.

Question 31

You are listening in on a discussion among a group of psychology majors.One major says that field will only move forward if we use objective methods for understanding the principles that guide human actions.This statement is most consistent with

A)functionalism.
B)psychoanalysis.
C)behaviourism.
D)structuralism.

Question 32

The belief that much of our everyday psychological life is filled with symbols is associated with what theoretical framework?

A)Cognitivism
B)Behaviourism
C)Functionalism
D)Psychoanalysis

Question 33

If you were to do a presentation on "Psychology's Great Debates," you would be most likely to make which of the following points?

A)Research indicates that most people possess a remarkable insight into the underlying cause(s)of their behaviour.
B)Different human behaviours result from levels of nature and nurture influences.
C)Psychologists consider the "mind" to be nothing more than brain and nervous system activity.
D)Evidence suggests that free will is illusory to some extent.

Question 34

Which theoretical framework posited that our interpretation of rewards and punishments is a crucial determinant of our behaviour?

A)Behaviourism
B)Psychoanalysis
C)Structuralism
D)Cognitivism

Question 35

What psychological school of thought was most concerned with the influence of external factors on an organism's or a person's actions?

A)Behaviourism
B)Structuralism
C)Cognitivism
D)Psychoanalysis

Question 36

Which of the following ideas is the most compelling evidence against the idea of free will?

A)Most of people's behaviour is deliberate and controlled.
B)Recent brain imaging studies have shown that readiness potential and conscious intention to behave co-occur.
C)We select when,where,and how to assert our option to engage in one behaviour rather than in another.
D)People often lack direct access to the causes of their behaviour.

Question 37

Early thinkers in philosophy and psychology believed that we are shaped exclusively by our environments.These thinkers would endorse which of the following concepts?

A)Natural selection
B)Tabula rasa
C)Imprinting
D)Imageless thought

Question 38

Which perspective was among the first to focus on the need for objective research?

A)Cognitivism
B)Behaviourism
C)Functionalism
D)Psychoanalysis

Question 39

The key to understanding human behaviour,according to Sigmund Freud,was to focus on __________ and the __________ level of the human mind.

A)external factors;unconscious
B)external factors;conscious
C)internal psychological processes;unconscious
D)internal psychological processes;conscious

Question 40

If you were an evolutionary psychologist,which statement would you support concerning how people select romantic partners?

A)Mate selection is a completely biological process dictated by physiological arousal,and it has little to do with environmental factors.
B)Men and women choose mates in the same manner according to the social values that are followed in a person's culture.
C)The difference between men and women in the cost of mating leads to different strategies and preferences in choosing a mate.
D)Males are more selective about mates than females as they want to assure that every woman they have sexual relations with can potentially provide them with offspring.

Question 41

If a psychologist were to develop a theory of cognitive development,he or she would want his or her theory to explain __________ observations.

A)a substantial number of
B)very few
C)a moderate number of
D)a small number of

Question 42

The tendency to look for supportive evidence rather than actively seeking out contradictory evidence is known as

A)the availability heuristic.
B)the hindsight bias.
C)the confirmation bias.
D)belief perseverance.

Question 43

Members of the scientific community believe that psychology is best considered to be a

A)science.
B)weak science.
C)hard science.
D)soft science.

Question 44

We trust our common sense and may believe in popular psychology claims because we are prone to

A)the confirmation bias.
B)naive realism.
C)logical fallacies.
D)communalism.

Question 45

Modern psychology is best considered to be a

A)series of contradictions to be sorted out.
B)science.
C)collection of pieces of folk wisdom.
D)therapeutic process.

Question 46

When a psychologist mentions the term scientific theory,he or she is referring to something that

A)explains a single event.
B)is no better an explanation than another person's opinion.
C)refers to an educated guess.
D)explains a wide range of observations.

Question 47

Douglas believes that females are more polite and respectful than males.He easily recalls examples of this and constantly points out situations to others that support this belief.However,he often ignores evidence to the contrary.Douglas's belief about gender differences in socially appropriate behaviour is maintained through

A)the representativeness heuristic.
B)the confirmation bias.
C)belief perseverance.
D)the hindsight bias.

Question 48

To believe that everyone admitted to a mental institution is necessarily crazy (or they wouldn't be there)demonstrates

A)belief perseverance.
B)the availability heuristic.
C)healthy skepticism.
D)confirmation bias.

Question 49

Suppose Dr.Fish has a theory that says you cannot live without two working eyes.To demonstrate this is true,Dr.Fish brings to you hundreds of living people,each of whom has two working eyes.This demonstrates

A)the availability heuristic.
B)the hindsight bias.
C)the confirmation bias.
D)belief perseverance.

Question 50

Let's suppose someone holds a door open for you and you wonder "do they have a crush on me?" So you start to observe their behaviour with others,to see if they hold others' doors open or show courtesy and politeness in other circumstances.Your wonderment on the possibility of a crush is best thought of as a(n)

A)theory.
B)prediction.
C)hypothesis.
D)outcome.

Question 51

To explain a wide range of observations,a psychologist might make mention to a(n)

A)rational hypothesis.
B)empirical hypothesis.
C)empirical theory.
D)scientific theory.

Question 52

__________ are general explanations,whereas __________ are specific predictions derived from these explanations.

A)hypotheses;theories
B)theories;hypotheses
C)biases;heuristics
D)heuristics;biases

Question 53

A scientific theory is considered __________ if it explains a __________ number of observations.

A)useful;large
B)useful;small
C)precise;large
D)precise;small

Question 54

Police interrogators often assume that persons brought in for questioning have important knowledge about the crime in question.If this leads an interrogator to ask questions that assume the guilt of a particular individual rather than asking questions that would exonerate him or her,__________ may occur.

A)belief perseverance
B)the availability heuristic
C)confirmation bias
D)the anchoring and adjustment heuristic

Question 55

When people watch a debate,they often point out the internal contradictions,flaws in logic,and hypocrisy in positions they oppose while glossing over the same shortcomings for positions they support.This is an example of

A)belief perseverance.
B)the availability heuristic.
C)healthy skepticism.
D)confirmation bias.

Question 56

In science,a scientific theory is defined as a(n)

A)personal understanding of natural laws.
B)testable prediction about the natural world.
C)explanatory device for scientific findings.
D)educated opinion about the natural world.

Question 57

In science,an explanatory device for scientific findings is called a(n)

A)scientific theory.
B)scientific hypothesis.
C)empirical theory.
D)rational theory.

Question 58

According to the authors,__________ is the "mother of all biases."

A)the confirmation bias
B)the availability heuristic
C)belief perseverance
D)the hindsight bias

Question 59

To believe that a ragged-looking man with a shopping cart is necessarily impoverished demonstrates

A)belief perseverance.
B)the availability heuristic.
C)healthy skepticism.
D)confirmation bias.

Question 60

In Alice in Wonderland,the Cheshire Cat tells Alice that "most everyone's mad here.I'm mad,you're mad." And Alice protests,"But how do you know I'm mad?!" "Because," says the Cat,"if you weren't,you wouldn't have come here." So Alice begins to look for other examples of madness in the strange world,demonstrating

A)belief perseverance.
B)the availability heuristic.
C)confirmation bias.
D)the anchoring and adjustment heuristic.

Question 61

Suppose a teacher hears from the principal at the start of the school year that an especially "weak" student will be admitted to their class.From September to October,the teacher indeed sees that this student struggles with assignments.In November,the principal states that the student admitted to the class was actually quite strong.But even after knowing this,the teacher still grades the student poorly.This is an example of

A)the representativeness heuristic.
B)the hindsight bias.
C)belief perseverance.
D)the availability heuristic.

Question 62

When attempting to differentiate between useful and useless information from popular psychology,what is a good rule of thumb to follow?

A)Trust nothing that you read or hear in the media about psychology.
B)Insist on evidence to accurately evaluate all claims.
C)All popular psychology claims are misinformation.
D)Common sense is often correct;go with your gut.

Question 63

In research reports,we often see the terms "suggests," "appears," or "raises the possibility that" a finding is correct but also acknowledges that we might be incorrect.The authors refer to this as

A)naive realism.
B)a prescription for humility.
C)falsifiability.
D)Occam's razor.

Question 64

Which of the following categories involves claims that are always untestable (and therefore unfalsifiable)?

A)Pseudoscience
B)Metaphysics
C)Science
D)Psychology

Question 65

Suppose you hear that Mr.Banker was arrested for stealing money;to your friends,you have few good things to say about Mr.Banker.But at the trial,the charges are shown to be false.However,you are still suspicious and wary of Mr.Banker.This is an example of

A)the representativeness heuristic.
B)the hindsight bias.
C)belief perseverance.
D)the availability heuristic.

Question 66

Despite the fact that scientific research has found no support or basis for the belief of "the hot hand" in baseball,basketball,or golf,the idea still persists among athletes,sports commentators,and fans.This is a classic example of

A)belief perseverance.
B)scientific illiteracy.
C)the hindsight bias.
D)gullibility.

Question 67

Recall from your text that researchers gave students false feedback about their abilities to distinguish between false and real suicide notes.At the conclusion of the study,the researchers informed the students that their feedback was in no way related to their actual performance.However,on a subsequent task where the students had to estimate their performance on a similar task,they used this false feedback to guide their estimates.This is an example of

A)belief perseverance.
B)overconfidence.
C)confirmation bias.
D)the hindsight bias.

Question 68

According to the authors,__________ of the claims made by self-help proponents have been scientifically examined.

A)roughly half
B)many
C)none
D)few

Question 69

Gregg's nose itches as he is walking toward his telephone to call someone.Gregg phones his friend Maurice who tells him,"Man,we were just talking about you.That's freaky!" Gregg takes this as support for the folk wisdom "your nose itches when people are talking about you." In reality,this is an example of the confirmation bias because

A)Gregg is not a scientist and therefore cannot answer the question.
B)Gregg failed to consider the times where his nose itched and no one was talking about him.
C)the folk wisdom "your nose itches when people are talking about you" is an unfalsifiable question.
D)Gregg continues to believe this even though no evidence for it exists.

Question 70

Pretend that you are a participant in a study on deception detection,and after several trials,the experimenter gives you feedback that you are a "wizard" at detecting deception and score better than the average student.You are then asked to complete a few more trials of deception judgments.At the end of the study,the experimenter tells you that the feedback was bogus and your performance was average and around the same level as everyone else who has participated in the study.Despite this,you are still convinced that you were better at determining when people were lying better than other participants.In this example,you would be engaging in

A)confirmation bias.
B)disinterestedness.
C)belief perseverance.
D)the disconfirmation bias.

Question 71

Unlike science and pseudoscience,metaphysics involves claims that are always

A)unjustifiable.
B)unfalsifiable.
C)derived from rational thought.
D)derived from empirical observation.

Question 72

Claims that involve the existence of God,the soul,or the afterlife reflect __________ claims that are __________.

A)religious;replicable
B)metaphysical;unfalsifiable
C)pseudoscientific;correlations
D)scientific;risky predictions

Question 73

Which of the following is not a metaphysical claim?

A)People can communicate with individuals that have passed away.
B)The existence of the afterlife has been proven by science.
C)Meditation can help to alleviate stress responses.
D)Astrological signs guide the events in the universe.

Question 74

Who claimed that science and religion are entirely different and nonoverlapping realms of understanding the world,where science deals with testable claims about the natural world and religion deals with untestable claims about moral values?

A)Gould
B)Popper
C)Freud
D)Skinner

Question 75

What percentage of self-help books contain claims that are scientifically untested?

A)30
B)45
C)70
D)95

Question 76

Imagine that you see the textbook authors on television talking with Larry King about popular psychology.What point are you most likely to hear them make?

A)Psychology and medicine often marginalize those with ideas that differ from conventional wisdom.
B)Self-help therapies are rigorously tested before people can write books about them.
C)All information from popular psychology and/or self-help is useless.
D)Beware of claims of miracle cures without supporting evidence.

Question 77

Milo and Shirley are taking a trip on a cruise ship for their twentieth wedding anniversary.They believe they made it to this milestone because they know each other so well.During the trip,they take part in a game show where they find out they don't know each other as well as they thought.However,they still maintain they are very much in tune with the other's needs and thoughts.This is an example of

A)the representativeness heuristic.
B)the hindsight bias.
C)belief perseverance.
D)the availability heuristic.

Question 78

__________ offers safeguards against cognitive biases;__________ does not.

A)Natural science like physics;pseudoscience.
B)Natural science like physics;social science like psychology
C)Pseudoscience;science in general
D)Science in general;pseudoscience

Question 79

Which of the following statements would the authors find the most worrisome?

A)Pseudoscience seems to be so much more interesting and engaging than science.
B)The majority of North Americans do not believe in the existence of ghosts or witches.
C)Being open-minded about topics associated with pseudoscience is no big deal.
D)Science cannot answer all of the questions I am interested in,such as "Why am I here?" or "What is my life's purpose?"

Question 80

__________ represents a set of claims that seem scientific but really are not.

A)Pseudoscience
B)Metaphysics
C)Metacognition
D)Religion