Question 1

Which statement is TRUE about heritability?

Accepted Answer

A)  High heritability means an ability is largely genetically determined and not subject to learning and other environmental influences. 
B)  There is a genetic influence for some characteristics across the population as measured in the population. 
C)  When heritability is high, it means that some trait is largely inherited and that genes are causing a behavior. 
D)  A high heritability score indicates that there is a genetic determination for some characteristic. 
A)  High heritability means an ability is largely genetically determined and not subject to learning and other environmental influences. 
B)  There is a genetic influence for some characteristics across the population as measured in the population. 
C)  When heritability is high, it means that some trait is largely inherited and that genes are causing a behavior. 
D)  A high heritability score indicates that there is a genetic determination for some characteristic.

Question 2

Whenever numerous high-quality research studies provide support for both sides of a scientific question, it is a good idea to:

Accepted Answer

A)  examine how the question is conceived and to suspect a false dichotomy. 
B)  suspect that the people examining the question are making poor arguments. 
C)  question the wisdom of the experts who are making the arguments. 
D)  persist with the question, because research shows that strategy will lead to a solution. 
A)  examine how the question is conceived and to suspect a false dichotomy. 
B)  suspect that the people examining the question are making poor arguments. 
C)  question the wisdom of the experts who are making the arguments. 
D)  persist with the question, because research shows that strategy will lead to a solution.

Question 3

The review of the literature by Piliavin (2008) provides which kind of evidence about altruism and empathy?

Accepted Answer

A)  Scientific authority based on research on helping 
B)  The results from mostly quasi-experiments that are not trustworthy 
C)  The opinion of a scientist who is likely showing confirmation bias 
D)  Expert opinion from an unrelated domain 
A)  Scientific authority based on research on helping 
B)  The results from mostly quasi-experiments that are not trustworthy 
C)  The opinion of a scientist who is likely showing confirmation bias 
D)  Expert opinion from an unrelated domain

Question 4

In terms of reducing the bystander effect, it may be especially effective for college students to learn about the tendency for an individual to help less when others are available to help because:

Accepted Answer

A)  college students do not want to get involved in the problems of other individuals whom they encounter. 
B)  college students do not often notice occasions for helping, so bringing those occasions to their attention can increase their helping. 
C)  research has shown that learning about the bystander effect tends to incline college students to help. 
D)  the developmental phase associated with college attendance makes college students particularly prone to increases in altruism. 
A)  college students do not want to get involved in the problems of other individuals whom they encounter. 
B)  college students do not often notice occasions for helping, so bringing those occasions to their attention can increase their helping. 
C)  research has shown that learning about the bystander effect tends to incline college students to help. 
D)  the developmental phase associated with college attendance makes college students particularly prone to increases in altruism.

Question 5

The BEST explanation for why an individual is more reluctant to help others when the individual thinks that many people are available to help is that people:

Accepted Answer

A)  are especially apathetic when other people are around to help. 
B)  are more afraid when others are around who might observe that the individual could do something to help. 
C)  show more diffusion of responsibility when more people are around who could help. 
D)  do not understand probability and believe someone in need will more likely get help when more people are around. 
A)  are especially apathetic when other people are around to help. 
B)  are more afraid when others are around who might observe that the individual could do something to help. 
C)  show more diffusion of responsibility when more people are around who could help. 
D)  do not understand probability and believe someone in need will more likely get help when more people are around.

Question 6

In the 1960s and 1970s, activists confronted other people with the expression, "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem." Those who voiced this extreme position may have been committing which thinking error?

Accepted Answer

A)  Arguing from ignorance 
B)  Making a false dichotomy 
C)  Failing to make an argument 
D)  Engaging in circular reasoning 
A)  Arguing from ignorance 
B)  Making a false dichotomy 
C)  Failing to make an argument 
D)  Engaging in circular reasoning

Question 7

If a researcher investigates the evolution and genetics of helping behavior, this researcher is taking a _____ perspective.

Accepted Answer

A)  social psychological 
B)  basic psychological 
C)  biopsychological 
D)  historical 
A)  social psychological 
B)  basic psychological 
C)  biopsychological 
D)  historical

Question 8

An active process that involves broadening one's understanding by seeing a question from a different viewpoint is called:

Accepted Answer

A)  objective looking. 
B)  visualizing. 
C)  perspective taking. 
D)  philosophizing. 
A)  objective looking. 
B)  visualizing. 
C)  perspective taking. 
D)  philosophizing.

Question 9

Bryan and Test (1967) conducted an experiment in which a randomly assigned group of drivers were more likely to help if they had first observed another driver helping a person on the road than those in a group who had not observed another driver helping. This study:

Accepted Answer

A)  provides strong support that altruism is found in the behavior of ordinary citizens. 
B)  provides a weak kind of evidence because it was a quasi-experiment. 
C)  does not support the claim that people are either altruistic or egoistic. 
D)  shows that helping may depend on observing another person helping. 
A)  provides strong support that altruism is found in the behavior of ordinary citizens. 
B)  provides a weak kind of evidence because it was a quasi-experiment. 
C)  does not support the claim that people are either altruistic or egoistic. 
D)  shows that helping may depend on observing another person helping.

Question 10

A researcher hypothesized that people who show more helping behavior do this because they are more helpful than less helpful people. This hypothesis is BEST described as:

Accepted Answer

A)  adequate because it compares at least two different conditions. 
B)  good because it compares conditions and has an independent variable and a dependent variable. 
C)  not very good because it seems to involve circular reasoning. 
D)  not very good because it seems to involve reasoning from ignorance. 
A)  adequate because it compares at least two different conditions. 
B)  good because it compares conditions and has an independent variable and a dependent variable. 
C)  not very good because it seems to involve circular reasoning. 
D)  not very good because it seems to involve reasoning from ignorance.

Question 11

Sibicky, Schroeder, and Dovidio (1995) compared participants who were induced to feel empathy with participants who were not so induced. Those who were induced to feel more empathy gave fewer hints to help other participants when they were told that the hints could harm the other participants later in the experiment. This finding:

Accepted Answer

A)  supports the claim that genuine empathy can lead to helping that is sensitive to the needs of others and not simply motivated to avoid feeling bad. 
B)  supports the idea that empathy leads to helping that is motivated by the desire to avoid feeling bad and, therefore, is actually selfish. 
C)  is inconsistent with the idea that there is a biological basis to empathy. 
D)  shows that empathy is actually unrelated to peoples' motives for helping. 
A)  supports the claim that genuine empathy can lead to helping that is sensitive to the needs of others and not simply motivated to avoid feeling bad. 
B)  supports the idea that empathy leads to helping that is motivated by the desire to avoid feeling bad and, therefore, is actually selfish. 
C)  is inconsistent with the idea that there is a biological basis to empathy. 
D)  shows that empathy is actually unrelated to peoples' motives for helping.

Question 12

The study by Romer, Gruder, and Lizardo (1986) found that altruistic people tended to help more when not given a reward. If this finding is interpreted to mean that altruistic people find it more internally rewarding to help when they are not given an external reward, this supports the conclusion that people are:

Accepted Answer

A)  basically altruistic, in the sense that they helped when they could. 
B)  basically selfish, because even altruistic people were getting an internal reward. 
C)  are unselfish, because they helped even when they did not get a reward. 
D)  basically unselfish, because all altruistic people helped when they could. 
A)  basically altruistic, in the sense that they helped when they could. 
B)  basically selfish, because even altruistic people were getting an internal reward. 
C)  are unselfish, because they helped even when they did not get a reward. 
D)  basically unselfish, because all altruistic people helped when they could.

Question 13

Modern research on genetics and the influence of the environment on gene expression suggests that the nature versus nurture question involves creating a(n):

Accepted Answer

A)  unwarranted assumption. 
B)  false dichotomy. 
C)  argument from possibility. 
D)  circular argument. 
A)  unwarranted assumption. 
B)  false dichotomy. 
C)  argument from possibility. 
D)  circular argument.

Question 14

Which is a common psychological misconception that people have about heritability?

Accepted Answer

A)  High heritability means a trait or ability is largely genetically determined and cannot change or be influenced by learning and experience. 
B)  Heritability is similar to correlation and, therefore, shows an association between genetic factors and behavior. 
C)  A high heritability score means there is a genetic influence for some characteristic across the population as measured in the population. 
D)  A high heritability score does not mean that behavior is controlled by genes or inheritance. 
A)  High heritability means a trait or ability is largely genetically determined and cannot change or be influenced by learning and experience. 
B)  Heritability is similar to correlation and, therefore, shows an association between genetic factors and behavior. 
C)  A high heritability score means there is a genetic influence for some characteristic across the population as measured in the population. 
D)  A high heritability score does not mean that behavior is controlled by genes or inheritance.

Question 15

Philosophers and religious authorities have often argued that people should help others in need. This statement relates to a _____ question about helping.

Accepted Answer

A)  cognitive 
B)  values 
C)  improvisational 
D)  descriptive 
A)  cognitive 
B)  values 
C)  improvisational 
D)  descriptive

Question 16

The finding that people are more likely to help kin suggests that people:

Accepted Answer

A)  have evolved the capacity to be altruistic to people in general. 
B)  learn to help through reinforcement or social learning. 
C)  will help for purely altruistic reasons. 
D)  will help under certain conditions, such as when they are related. 
A)  have evolved the capacity to be altruistic to people in general. 
B)  learn to help through reinforcement or social learning. 
C)  will help for purely altruistic reasons. 
D)  will help under certain conditions, such as when they are related.

Question 17

Jaime says, "Theo is a selfish person because he never volunteers to help." Jack asks, "Why does Theo never volunteer to help?" Jaime replies, "Because he is selfish." Which thinking or argumentation error does Jaime show?

Accepted Answer

A)  Confirmation bias 
B)  Arguing from ignorance 
C)  After-the-fact reasoning 
D)  Circular reasoning 
A)  Confirmation bias 
B)  Arguing from ignorance 
C)  After-the-fact reasoning 
D)  Circular reasoning

Question 18

The findings that people are more likely to help when they are rewarded, are in a good mood, or have just observed someone else helping provide the best support for the conclusion that people:

Accepted Answer

A)  are altruistic except in unusual circumstances. 
B)  are not simply altruistic, so that helping may depend on other factors. 
C)  sometimes help because helping is just the right thing to do. 
D)  show empathy for others and are mostly helpful for unselfish reasons. 
A)  are altruistic except in unusual circumstances. 
B)  are not simply altruistic, so that helping may depend on other factors. 
C)  sometimes help because helping is just the right thing to do. 
D)  show empathy for others and are mostly helpful for unselfish reasons.

Question 19

Given that the heritability of empathy was found to be high (in one study, .72), which interpretation of these findings is MOST appropriate with regard to the question of whether people are basically selfish?

Accepted Answer

A)  Empathy is inherited, and environmental influences contribute only approximately 28% to helping. 
B)  Empathy is largely genetically determined and not subject to learning and other environmental influences. 
C)  Altruism and empathy are largely inherited and cause people to help more if they have the genes for these traits. 
D)  There is a genetic influence of empathy on individual differences measured in the population related to helping behavior. 
A)  Empathy is inherited, and environmental influences contribute only approximately 28% to helping. 
B)  Empathy is largely genetically determined and not subject to learning and other environmental influences. 
C)  Altruism and empathy are largely inherited and cause people to help more if they have the genes for these traits. 
D)  There is a genetic influence of empathy on individual differences measured in the population related to helping behavior.

Question 20

From a critical thinking perspective, myside bias is a problem with thinking because it:

Accepted Answer

A)  shows that an individual does not know how to make a basic argument. 
B)  is selfish and shows that an individual does not care about other people. 
C)  is one-sided and does not take into account other views on a question. 
D)  is a kind of circular reasoning that does not lead to anything new. 
A)  shows that an individual does not know how to make a basic argument. 
B)  is selfish and shows that an individual does not care about other people. 
C)  is one-sided and does not take into account other views on a question. 
D)  is a kind of circular reasoning that does not lead to anything new.

Which statement is TRUE about heritability?

Whenever numerous high-quality research studies provide support for both sides of a scientific question, it is a good idea to:

The review of the literature by Piliavin (2008) provides which kind of evidence about altruism and empathy?

In terms of reducing the bystander effect, it may be especially effective for college students to learn about the tendency for an individual to help less when others are available to help because:

The BEST explanation for why an individual is more reluctant to help others when the individual thinks that many people are available to help is that people:

In the 1960s and 1970s, activists confronted other people with the expression, "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem." Those who voiced this extreme position may have been committing which thinking error?

If a researcher investigates the evolution and genetics of helping behavior, this researcher is taking a _____ perspective.

An active process that involves broadening one's understanding by seeing a question from a different viewpoint is called:

Bryan and Test (1967) conducted an experiment in which a randomly assigned group of drivers were more likely to help if they had first observed another driver helping a person on the road than those in a group who had not observed another driver helping. This study:

A researcher hypothesized that people who show more helping behavior do this because they are more helpful than less helpful people. This hypothesis is BEST described as:

Modern research on genetics and the influence of the environment on gene expression suggests that the nature versus nurture question involves creating a(n):

Which is a common psychological misconception that people have about heritability?

Philosophers and religious authorities have often argued that people should help others in need. This statement relates to a _____ question about helping.

The finding that people are more likely to help kin suggests that people:

Jaime says, "Theo is a selfish person because he never volunteers to help." Jack asks, "Why does Theo never volunteer to help?" Jaime replies, "Because he is selfish." Which thinking or argumentation error does Jaime show?

The findings that people are more likely to help when they are rewarded, are in a good mood, or have just observed someone else helping provide the best support for the conclusion that people:

Given that the heritability of empathy was found to be high (in one study, .72), which interpretation of these findings is MOST appropriate with regard to the question of whether people are basically selfish?

From a critical thinking perspective, myside bias is a problem with thinking because it:

Introduction to Critical Thinking in Psychology and Everyday Life

Deductive Reasoning, Prediction, and Making Assumptions

Inductive Reasoning in Psychology and Everyday Life

Critical Thinking and Scientific Reasoning

Pseudoscience, Science, and Evidence-Based Practice

Errors in Attention, Perception, and Memory That Affect Thinking

Can the Mind Leave the Body the Mindbrain Problem

Critical Thinking and the Internet

Emotion, Motivated Reasoning, and Critical Thinking

Judgment, Decision Making, and Types of Thinking

Superstition, Magic, Science, and Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking in Clinical Reasoning and Diagnosis

Language, Writing, and Critical Thinking

Filters

Exam 10: Critically Analyzing a Psychological Question: Are People Basically Selfish

Which statement is TRUE about heritability?

Whenever numerous high-quality research studies provide support for both sides of a scientific question, it is a good idea to:

The review of the literature by Piliavin (2008) provides which kind of evidence about altruism and empathy?

In terms of reducing the bystander effect, it may be especially effective for college students to learn about the tendency for an individual to help less when others are available to help because:

The BEST explanation for why an individual is more reluctant to help others when the individual thinks that many people are available to help is that people:

In the 1960s and 1970s, activists confronted other people with the expression, "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem." Those who voiced this extreme position may have been committing which thinking error?

If a researcher investigates the evolution and genetics of helping behavior, this researcher is taking a _____ perspective.

An active process that involves broadening one's understanding by seeing a question from a different viewpoint is called:

Bryan and Test (1967) conducted an experiment in which a randomly assigned group of drivers were more likely to help if they had first observed another driver helping a person on the road than those in a group who had not observed another driver helping. This study:

A researcher hypothesized that people who show more helping behavior do this because they are more helpful than less helpful people. This hypothesis is BEST described as:

Modern research on genetics and the influence of the environment on gene expression suggests that the nature versus nurture question involves creating a(n):

Which is a common psychological misconception that people have about heritability?

Philosophers and religious authorities have often argued that people should help others in need. This statement relates to a _____ question about helping.

The finding that people are more likely to help kin suggests that people:

Jaime says, "Theo is a selfish person because he never volunteers to help." Jack asks, "Why does Theo never volunteer to help?" Jaime replies, "Because he is selfish." Which thinking or argumentation error does Jaime show?

The findings that people are more likely to help when they are rewarded, are in a good mood, or have just observed someone else helping provide the best support for the conclusion that people:

Given that the heritability of empathy was found to be high (in one study, .72), which interpretation of these findings is MOST appropriate with regard to the question of whether people are basically selfish?

From a critical thinking perspective, myside bias is a problem with thinking because it:

Introduction to Critical Thinking in Psychology and Everyday Life

Deductive Reasoning, Prediction, and Making Assumptions

Inductive Reasoning in Psychology and Everyday Life

Critical Thinking and Scientific Reasoning

Pseudoscience, Science, and Evidence-Based Practice

Errors in Attention, Perception, and Memory That Affect Thinking

Can the Mind Leave the Body the Mindbrain Problem

Critical Thinking and the Internet

Emotion, Motivated Reasoning, and Critical Thinking

Judgment, Decision Making, and Types of Thinking

Superstition, Magic, Science, and Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking in Clinical Reasoning and Diagnosis

Language, Writing, and Critical Thinking

Filters