Question 1

Which of the following is found in science but not in pseudoscience?

Accepted Answer

A)  The presence of difficult-to-understand jargon or technical information
B)  Reliance on anecdotal evidence to support one's theory of human behaviour
C)  Amazing,counterintuitive claims
D)  Self-correction of incorrect hypotheses and theories

Question 2

Dr.Cunningham finds that people who take herbal supplements that profess to improve memory scored,on average,15 percent higher on a memory test relative to groups who did not take herbal supplements or placebos.However,other researchers have tried to study this effect and have not duplicated his findings.What principle of critical thinking does this example demonstrate the importance of?

Accepted Answer

A)  Falsifiability
B)  Occam's razor
C)  Replicability
D)  Extraordinary claims

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 4

Which philosopher suggested a useful theory had to be falsifiable?

Accepted Answer

A)  Karl Popper
B)  William Occam
C)  Aristotle
D)  Plato

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

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 6

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 7

Unlike science and pseudoscience,metaphysics involves claims that are always

Accepted Answer

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

Question 8

__________ offers safeguards against cognitive biases;__________ does not.

Accepted Answer

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 9

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 10

According to the example in the book about receiving a phone call from a friend shortly after thinking of him or her,we often

Accepted Answer

A)  actively seek out parsimonious explanations for complicated problems.
B)  overestimate how unusual certain patterns of coincidental information really are.
C)  prefer skepticism to conspiracy theory explanations about presidential assassinations.
D)  chalk up coincidences as being due to chance rather than to supernatural events.

Question 11

The greatest proportion of psychologists are found working

Accepted Answer

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

Question 12

Someone who accepts claims on the basis of supportive scientific evidence is a

Accepted Answer

A)  skeptic.
B)  cynic.
C)  rationalist.
D)  empiricist.

Question 13

A key aspect of scientific skepticism is

Accepted Answer

A)  reliance on authority.
B)  narrow-mindedness.
C)  dogmatic belief.
D)  critical thinking.

Question 14

Modern psychology is best considered to be a

Accepted Answer

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

Question 15

Suppose a child watches an adult throw a doll at the wall,immediately followed by a harsh scolding by another adult.When left alone with the doll,the child does not play with it aggressively.Before you reach a conclusion that the child has learned that aggressive behaviour leads to a scolding,you think that perhaps the child simply did not learn the aggressive behaviour and thus couldn't demonstrate it.By this,you have demonstrated the need to

Accepted Answer

A)  create unfalsifiable theories.
B)  create parsimonious theories.
C)  rule out competing explanations.
D)  remember that correlation equals causation.

Question 16

Which of the following is not a metaphysical claim?

Accepted Answer

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 17

One evening,when he couldn't sleep,Mr.Bradley turned on the television and saw an infomercial for a new sleep aid.As a critical thinker,Mr.Bradley should be most cautious about this new product if

Accepted Answer

A)  the product had been subjected to an experimental study and the scrutiny of a peer-review process.
B)  the results of research connect the efficacy of the sleep-aid to other widely accepted scientific findings.
C)  its makers discuss the scientific investigations that have compared it to other effective sleep aids rather than relying on testimonials of those with insomnia.
D)  its makers claim it has been "proven" to induce sleep in one-third the time of competing sleep aids.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 20

What famous American psychologist heavily influenced the field of advertising?

Accepted Answer

A)  B.F.Skinner
B)  John B.Watson
C)  William James
D)  Carl Rogers

Exam 1: D: Psychology and Scientific Thinking

Unlike science and pseudoscience,metaphysics involves claims that are always

Correct Answer
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According to the example in the book about receiving a phone call from a friend shortly after thinking of him or her,we often

Correct Answer
verified

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

Correct Answer
verified

Which philosopher suggested a useful theory had to be falsifiable?

Correct Answer
verified

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

Correct Answer
verified

A key aspect of scientific skepticism is

Correct Answer
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Someone who accepts claims on the basis of supportive scientific evidence is a

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

Correct Answer
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The greatest proportion of psychologists are found working

Correct Answer
verified

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

Correct Answer
verified

One evening,when he couldn't sleep,Mr.Bradley turned on the television and saw an infomercial for a new sleep aid.As a critical thinker,Mr.Bradley should be most cautious about this new product if

Correct Answer
verified

Which of the following is not a metaphysical claim?

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

Correct Answer
verified

Modern psychology is best considered to be a

Correct Answer
verified

What famous American psychologist heavily influenced the field of advertising?

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Which of the following is found in science but not in pseudoscience?

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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offers safeguards against cognitive biases; does not.

Correct Answer
verified

Exam 1: D: Psychology and Scientific Thinking

Unlike science and pseudoscience,metaphysics involves claims that are always

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

According to the example in the book about receiving a phone call from a friend shortly after thinking of him or her,we often

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which philosopher suggested a useful theory had to be falsifiable?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A key aspect of scientific skepticism is

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Someone who accepts claims on the basis of supportive scientific evidence is a

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The greatest proportion of psychologists are found working

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

One evening,when he couldn't sleep,Mr.Bradley turned on the television and saw an infomercial for a new sleep aid.As a critical thinker,Mr.Bradley should be most cautious about this new product if

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is not a metaphysical claim?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Modern psychology is best considered to be a

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What famous American psychologist heavily influenced the field of advertising?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is found in science but not in pseudoscience?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

__________ offers safeguards against cognitive biases;__________ does not.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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offers safeguards against cognitive biases; does not.

Correct Answer
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