Psychology Module 4

The news media reported that a new pesticide was not harmful to humans. Which of the following statements best exemplifies critical thinking in response to this report? a. "I think I will try this pesticide on my own garden to kill pests." b. "I don't like to use pesticides, but this one is safe." c. "I think I'll use this product, but I think I'll wear gloves." d. "I wonder who funded this study?" e. "I don't believe this study because I got a rash after using this poison on my garden."

"I wonder who funded this study?"

What is the advantage of researchers using an empirical approach in evaluating the accuracy of eyewitness testimony? a. Researchers would experience greater overconfidence in their findings. b. Such an approach allows researchers to set aside their critical thinking and explore their intuition. c. Under controlled conditions, researchers collect evidence that may justify a cause-effect conclusion. d. The empirical approach fosters conditions necessary for hindsight bias to occur. e. Researchers may greatly overestimate eyewitness recollections when using the empirical approach.

Under controlled conditions, researchers collect evidence that may justify a cause-effect conclusion.

Which of the following questions most likely could be answered using an empirical approach? a. Is human nature basically good or evil? b. What causes aggression? c. What happens after we die? d. How will style choices change in the future? e. What is the basis of faith?

What causes aggression?

Which two questions exemplify the scientific attitude? a. What do you mean? How do you know? b. Who believes you? What are their qualifications? c. How common is this answer? How many people agree? d. Is this an established truth? How long has it been considered fact? e. Which truths does this agree with? Which truths does it contradict?

What do you mean? How do you know?

Historians of science describe which three attitudes as the basis of the scientific viewpoint? a. intelligence, dedication, thoroughness b. morality, detail-orientation, cynicism c. achievement-oriented, intellectual, empirical d. curiosity, skepticism, humility e. atheism, humanism, cognition

curiosity, skepticism, humility

Basing decisions or conclusions on observable evidence describes which of the following? a. hindsight bias b. confirmation bias c. empirical approach d. overconfidence e. operational definition

empirical approach

Sasha believes that she is a very good driver. Her belief leads her to take unnecessary risks, such as driving too fast and cutting in front of other drivers. Sasha's driving appears to be affected by a. hindsight bias b. overconfidence c. intuition d. illusory correlations e. empiricism

overconfidence

When provided with the uscrambled solution to anagrams, people underestimate the difficulty of solving the anagrams by themselves. This best illustrates a. illusory correlation b. hindsight bias c. the placebo effect d. wording effects e. overconfidence

overconfidence

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 naturalistic observation. e. survey students living on campus.

predict the outcomes of experiments before they are told the actual results.

Critical thinkers can be best be described as a. questioning b. cynical c. overconfident d. pessimistic e. impatient

questioning

Formulatinmg testable hypotheses before conducting research is most directly useful for restraining a thinking error know as a. random sampling b. the hindsight bias c. overconfidence d. illusory correlation e. random assignment

the hindsight bias