Deck 1: Psychology, Science, and You

Question 1

Psychology and biology are both share the scientific assumption that

A) our physical needs are the root of all behavior.
B) behavior follows general rules.
C) creativity is best left to artists.
D) unconventional ideas should be rejected.

Answer 1

behavior follows general rules.

Question 2

Which statement is a scientist most likely to make

A) "Stop being so skeptical!"
B) "You're too open-minded!"
C) "Never speculate!"
D) "Make statements that can be disproven!"

Answer 2

"Make statements that can be disproven!"

Question 3

Untestable statements are:

A) vague
B) wrong
C) counterintuitive
D) useful

Answer 3

vague

Question 4

Testable statements

A) may be disproven
B) are correct
C) are intuitive
D) are made "after-the-fact"

Question 5

Which statement is most representative of a reason that a scientist would reject a claim:

A) "It just doesn't make sense!"
B) "That's not what the experts say!"
C) "That goes against the objective evidence!"
D) "If that were true, it would be kept secret!"

Question 6

Testable statements tend to include

A) operational definitions
B) specific predictions
C) neither a nor b
D) both a and b

Question 7

Which term/phrase in this list does NOT belong with the others?

A) operational definition
B) prediction
C) scientific
D) untestable

Question 8

When you define "intelligence" as a score on an IQ test, you are

A) being vague
B) being skeptical
C) offering an operational definition
D) being open-minded

Question 9

If you define happiness as a person's response to the question, "On a 1 (not at all) to 5(extremely) scale, how satisfied are you with your life?," you are

A) using an operational definition
B) using an after-the-fact explanation
C) making a testable statement
D) being a vague statement

Question 10

If human behavior follows general rules, which of the following statements is most likely to be true?

A) Psychologists will be able to predict human behavior perfectly
B) Psychologists will be able to completely control individual behavior.
C) Everyone will behave the same.
D) Psychologists will find general rules of human behavior.

Question 11

When psychologists repeat another's study, they are very likely to get the same pattern of results. The fact that psychologists are just as likely as physicists to get the same pattern of results is testimony to psychologists'

A) skepticism
B) objectivity
C) creativity
D) open-mindedness

Question 12

Which statement best reflects the role of speculation in science?

A) Speculation has no place in the scientific method.
B) Speculation is often the starting point for useful hypotheses.
C) Speculation always leads to questionable conclusions.
D) Science is little more than well reasoned speculation.

Question 13

From a scientific viewpoint, the statement "The soul and the brain are the same thing" is

A) falsifiable
B) vague
C) untrue
D) untestable

Question 14

Margaret loves being a kindergarten teacher. Her father claims that Margaret is good with children because she grew up with several younger siblings.

A) Her father's statement provides scientific evidence for why Margaret loves teaching.
B) Her father's statement is untestable because it is an after-the-fact explanation.
C) Her father's statement is unscientific because it is untestable.
D) both b and c

Question 15

The statement, "ESP is impossible" demonstrates

A) a lack of skepticism
B) a failure to be open minded
C) a proven fact
D) an after-the-fact explanation

Question 16

Psychology

A) rejects common sense
B) refuses to consider claims that were not discovered scientifically
C) does not question objective evidence
D) has been extremely productive

Question 17

Psychology became a science when psychologists began to

A) charge fees for their services
B) get college degrees
C) use computers
D) use objective evidence to test hypotheses
E) consider physiological influences on behavior

Question 18

Predicting a person's behavior in a given situation is usually

A) simple, once you know the rules
B) impossible
C) difficult because there are so many opinions about why a person might behave in a given way
D) difficult because there are so many rules that may affect a person's behavior in a given situation

Question 19

If you can not predict whether Fred will buy Girl Scout cookies at the mall on Sunday, but you can accurately predict that 50% of the people will buy Girl Scout cookies at the mall on Sunday, you should conclude that

A) The behavior of buying Girl Scout cookies is governed by several rules
B) You are looking at the wrong behavior
C) The behavior of buying Girl Scout cookies behavior does not follow general rules
D) The behavior of buying Girl Scout cookies too complicated to study scientifically

Question 20

Love can

A) not be studied scientifically because it cannot be measured
B) not be studied because it cannot be directly observed
C) be studied by looking at observable behaviors, such as pupil dilation, that indicate the presence of love
D) be observed directly just by looking at someone

Question 21

Science is

A) self-correcting
B) biased
C) systematic series of opinions
D) subjective

Question 22

Research is important to science because it will

A) verify what we already know
B) prove our position
C) objectively test our beliefs
D) uncover absolute truth

Question 23

Psychology is considered a science because it

A) gains information using modern technology
B) accepts what seems reasonable
C) relies on objective observation
D) studies animal as well as human behavior

Question 24

Psychology is best defined as

A) the study of human behavior.
B) the study of the relationship between mind and behavior.
C) the study of human and animal behavior.
D) the scientific study of behavior.

Question 25

Understanding research can help you

A) evaluate information
B) create information
C) detect misinformation
D) all of the above

Question 26

Psychologists use the scientific method to uncover simple rules that explain, describe, and predict behavior.

Question 27

Scientists believe in objective facts because they know from past experience that we can't always accept people's subjective opinions.

Question 28

Counterintuitive ideas should not be studied because they are usually wrong.

Question 29

As long as you have a good secondhand source, it is not important for you to be able to read the original source and come to your own conclusions.

Question 30

One of the most important reasons for you to be able to critically read firsthand research reports is to help you identify unsupported claims.

Question 31

Most television and newspaper journalist have extensive training in research methodology.

Question 32

Your mastery of research methodology will help you in any career that requires the ability to collect, analyze, and communicate information.

Question 33

If you are interested in knowing the truth, your best tool is an understanding of the scientific method.

Question 34

Science's emphasis on objective, observable evidence encourages it to be productive, as well as skeptical, yet open-minded.

Question 35

The number of important psychological research discoveries is decreasing every year.

Question 36

List six characteristics of the scientific approach. Explain how each characteristic applies to psychology.

Question 37

How can the scientific method help you in your everyday life?