Exam 1: Science and Pseudoscience in Psychology

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

Curtis is considering buying a new workout machine that promises weight loss at twice the rate of other machines. When Curtis questioned such a claim with the manufacturer, the customer service representative stated this was a new system and previous research on weight loss was not applicable. This example illustrates which warning sign of pseudoscience?

Occam's Razor is another name for what critical-thinking principle?

Entire fields of psychology focus on the ________ that distinguish one person's interaction with the world from another's.

The ________ model attempts to bridge the gap between psychologists who believe clinical practice should be a science, and those who believe it should be an "art".

Professor Clark gives her students an assignment to develop hypotheses on global warming. To be consistent with a scientific method, students should develop their hypotheses based on

A key characteristic of a pseudoscience is that incorrect theories are

Jan decides to read a self-help book that is designed to help her get control over her eating habits and experience rapid "perfectly healthy" weight loss. Though the advice is very useful, Jan should be cautious in believing the results of this inventory because the results

A sceptic is one who

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

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

Illustrate how the confirmation bias has created a problem for a friend or family member in the past.

What is an important limitation of anecdotal evidence in developing scientifically sound treatments or procedures?

Dr Shaver is conducting an experimental research study to determine the effect of a specific medication on stomach pain. Despite the fact that he should use a "double blind" approach to avoid the influence of any bias, he tells himself, "I won't fall for any experimenter bias. I am more objective than most researchers." Which fallacy is Dr Shaver committing?

Analyse how the sins of pseudoscience are often examples of violations of the principles of critical thinking.

If a psychologist were to develop a theory of cognitive development, he or she would want the theory to explain ________ observations.

Dr Wolpe designs an experimental test of his theory of aggression against a competing theory. After conducting the appropriate statistical tests, he finds that the data are better explained by the competing theory. His willingness to accept the evidence that another theory is superior is a characteristic of

Walter and Lisa are driving their new car from Adelaide to Darwin. Walter insists on doing most of the driving because he claims to be the "much better driver". When they get to their destination, the car dashboard reports that they got 8 kilometres per 100 litres of petrol during the trip. Walter brags that, as the better driver, he knows how to get more out of the same amount of petrol. Lisa smiles and decides not to mention that the new car has a more fuel-efficient engine. Which error is Walter making by taking credit for the higher fuel economy on this trip?

Psychologists most interested in the physiological bases of behaviour are known as

During a class discussion on the effects of daycare on later social adjustment, Dr Barnes frequently reminded her students to focus on the scientific evidence rather than on their feelings about daycare. Dr Barnes is promoting ________ in his students.