PSYCH Myths

myth 1: most people only use 10% of their brain power

-brain tissue is expensive to grow and operate -hard to believe our body wouldn't find a way to use up this untouched power to survive -good, unused brain tissue is unlikely to remain on the sidelines for long -most parts of the brain can't be damaged without severe consequences to human function

myth 2: some people are left-brained and others are right-brained

-brain works in an integrated fashion -right and left operate separately when split, and some functions are deemed relatively better on one side, but this overall is not true

myth 32: the fact that a trait is heritable means we can't change it

-changing the environment can have an impact

myth 20: researchers have demonstrated that dreams possess symbolic meaning

-don't use dreams to make life decisions -dream interpretation is like trying to make meaning out of gibberish-it truly has no meaning -just a bunch of random messages -however, our daily thoughts and feelings can influence our dreams, and emotion plays a powerful role in dreaming

myth 31: raising children similarly leads to similarities in their adult personalities

-genes also play a significant role

myth 24: happiness is determined mostly by our external circumstances

-life circumstances certainly can affect our happiness in the short run -happiness in long run is surprisingly independent of what happens to us, virtually stays the same

myth 49: all effective psychotherapies force people to confront the "root" causes of their problems in childhood

-many different ways of psychotherapy -looking forward rather than backward

myth 16: if you're unsure of your answer when taking a test, it's best to stick with initial hunch

-more likely to change a wrong answer to a right answer than a right to a wrong -if we have a good reason to believe we are wrong, we should go with our head, not gut

myth 23: polygraph test is an accurate means of detecting dishonesty

-people differ in levels of physiological activity (some people may just sweat a lot and others not at all) -psychopaths are very good at lying -could actually be more nervous at the real, relevant questions, but that makes sense!! -examiners prone to confirmation bias > tendency to see what they expect to see

myth 27: opposites attract- we are most romantically attracted to people who differ from us

-people with similar traits are more likely to be attracted to each other

myth 13: individuals commonly repress the memories of traumatic experiences

-recovered memories can often be false

myth 29: men and women communicate in completely different ways

-some differences, but more alike than different

myth 35: people's responses to inkblots tell us a great deal about their personalities

-sometimes an inkblot is just an inkblot

myth 25: ulcers are caused primarily or entirely by stress

-stress may exert an indirect effect on ulcer formation by triggering behaviors such as alcohol use, lack of sleep, which makes ulcers more likely

myth 30: it's better to express anger to others than to hold it in

-taking out anger on someone turns up the heat -anger feeds aggression -b/c people sometimes feel better for a short time after they blow off steam, may reinforce aggression and the belief that catharsis works

myth 11: human memory works like a tape recorder or video camera, and accurately records the events we've experienced

-we often have discrepancies in our memories -we all have schemas, or an organized structure or mental model in memory -we have ability to recreate memories

myth 3: extrasensory perception (ESP) is a well-established scientific phenomenon

-we underestimate how probable many coincidences are

myth 33: low self-esteem is a major cause of psychological problems

higher self-esteem can actually have worse effects