Deck 2: A: Thinking Critically With Psychological Science

Question 1

When provided with the unscrambled solutions to anagrams, people underestimate the difficulty of solving the anagrams. This best illustrates

A) confounding variables.
B) random assignment.
C) wording effects.
D) overconfidence.

Answer 1

overconfidence.

Question 2

Critical thinkers can best be described as

A) questioning.
B) cynical.
C) pessimistic.
D) impatient.

Answer 2

questioning.

Question 3

Thinking that she had outperformed most of her classmates, Glenda was surprised to receive just an average grade on her psychology test. Glenda's experience best illustrates

A) overconfidence.
B) hindsight bias.
C) intuition.
D) common sense.

Answer 3

overconfidence.

Question 4

In a random sequence of coin tosses, series of successive heads occur ________ often than people expect and series of tails occur ________ often than people expect.

A) more; less
B) less; more
C) more; more
D) less; less

Question 5

After predicting world events, such as whether Quebec would separate from Canada, mistaken experts maintained that they were "almost right." This attitude is an example of

A) overconfidence.
B) hindsight bias.
C) critical thinking.
D) empirical thinking.

Question 6

A psychologist notes that we are especially attracted to people whose traits are different from our own. This statement would seem unsurprising to students because

A) most students have often been attracted to people different from themselves.
B) this finding is consistent with common sense.
C) students are eager to interact with those who are different from themselves.
D) students, like everyone else, have a tendency to exaggerate their ability to have foreseen the outcome of past discoveries.

Question 7

Psychology experiments are typically designed to

A) test principles that help explain behavior.
B) observe behaviors that are unobservable outside the laboratory.
C) re-create the naturally occurring conditions that influence people's daily behaviors.
D) observe a truly random sample of human or animal behavior.

Question 8

The King James Version of the Bible was completed when William Shakespeare was 46 years old. In Psalm 46 of this translation, the forty-sixth word is "shake," and the forty-sixth word from the end is "spear." Before concluding that the biblical translators were trying to be humorous with these specific word placements, you would be best advised to recognize the danger of

A) reading too much into biblical passages.
B) engaging in empirical research.
C) assuming that most people share your opinions.
D) perceiving order in coincidental events.

Question 9

Dr. Donelian wants to reduce his students' perception that psychological experiments merely document the obvious. His best strategy would be to ask the students to

A) describe how experimental hypotheses were derived from basic psychological principles.
B) predict the outcomes of experiments before they are told the actual results.
C) explain the outcomes of experiments after they are told the actual results.
D) personally engage in scientific observation.

Question 10

Daniel and Donald are identical twins who were separated at birth and raised in different countries. When they were finally reunited for the first time as adults, the men were amazed to discover that they were both plumbers, both avid tennis players, and both addicted to chocolates. The men would be best advised to recognize the danger of

A) depending on empirical evidence.
B) attributing these three similarities to chance.
C) perceiving order in random events.
D) assuming that most people share their attitudes and interests.

Question 11

As scientists, psychologists adopt an attitude of skepticism because they believe that

A) people are unlikely to reveal what they are really thinking.
B) most commonsense ideas about human behavior are wrong.
C) claims about human behavior need to be supported with evidence.
D) events never occur randomly.

Question 12

According to Emily's grandfather, Adolf Hitler's obvious emotional instability made it clear from the beginning days of his international conflicts that Germany would inevitably lose World War II. The grandfather's claim best illustrates

A) hindsight bias.
B) critical thinking.
C) intuition.
D) overconfidence.

Question 13

Hindsight bias often leads us to place too much faith in

A) curious skepticism.
B) experimentation.
C) human intuition.
D) critical thinking.

Question 14

As students prepare for a test, they often believe that they understand the course material better than they actually do. This best illustrates

A) overconfidence.
B) intuition.
C) hindsight bias.
D) critical thinking.

Question 15

Hindsight bias most directly contributes to the perception that

A) psychological theories are simply reflections of researchers' personal values.
B) psychological experiments are simplified versions of reality.
C) psychological theories and observations are merely common sense.
D) psychology is potentially dangerous.

Question 16

Psychologists attempt to let the facts speak for themselves by using an approach that is best described as

A) empirical.
B) intuitive.
C) instinctual.
D) natural.

Question 17

A refusal to consider potential evidence that might conflict with one's preconceived ideas best illustrates a lack of

A) informed consent.
B) critical thinking.
C) hindsight bias.
D) overconfidence.

Question 18

When psychologists insist that "the rat is always right," they are emphasizing the scientific attitude of

A) humility.
B) respect for animals.
C) ecological sensitivity.
D) enthusiasm for animal research studies.

Question 19

Alexandra is told that research supports the value of cosmetic surgery for boosting self-esteem. Belinda is told that the esteem-enhancing value of cosmetic surgery has been refuted by research. Both women consider the research findings to be common sense. This best illustrates the power of

A) an empirical approach.
B) hindsight bias.
C) scientific humility.
D) critical thinking.

Question 20

The transmission of political practices and religious customs from one generation to the next best illustrates the importance of

A) critical thinking.
B) the empirical approach.
C) the scientific attitude.
D) culture.

Question 21

Psychologists report that genders differ in their risk of

A) alcohol use disorder.
B) depression.
C) eating disorders.
D) all of these problems.

Question 22

Psychologists occasionally deceive research participants about the true purpose of an experiment in order to prevent them from

A) worrying about the potential harm or discomfort they may experience.
B) realizing that their privacy is being violated.
C) deciding that they really don't want to take part in the experiment.
D) trying to confirm the experimenters' predictions.

Question 23

Scientists who defend the use of animals in experimental research typically claim that

A) the well-being of humans should be placed above the well-being of animals.
B) competent scientists have no justifiable reason to end the lives of animals.
C) animals should be used only in research that directly benefits the animals involved.
D) allegations that laboratory animals are sometimes exposed to stress are simply untrue.

Question 24

The personal values of psychologists are likely to influence their choice of

A) topics of investigation.
B) research methods.
C) explanatory theories.
D) all of these.

Question 25

Psychologists study animals because

A) they want to understand how different species think and behave.
B) animal physiology is often simpler and easier to understand than human physiology.
C) it is more permissible to conduct certain types of research with animals than with humans.
D) of all of these reasons.

Question 26

Ethical principles developed by the American Psychological Association and the British Psychological Society urge psychological investigators to

A) forewarn potential research participants of the exact hypotheses that the research will test.
B) avoid the use of laboratory experiments when the behaviors of interest can be directly observed in natural settings.
C) ensure that research participants give informed consent before participating in the research.
D) avoid the use of monetary incentives in recruiting people to participate in research.

Question 27

The principle of informed consent is most directly relevant to people's right to

A) choose whether they wish to participate in a research study.
B) know whether they are assigned to an experimental or control group.
C) replicate the results of a research study.
D) be fully debriefed following their participation in research.