Chapter 1 Schools of Thought, Biases, Levels of Analysis

Question 1

Confirmation Bias

Answer 1

People tend to think highly of things they believe in, while they tend to downplay (look for flaws, credibility, etc) evidence that does not match what they believe; Restricting evidence that supports our own views makes us think we are right

Question 2

Failing to accurately judge source credibility

Answer 2

Think of the credibility: ie pill advertisements using a doctor will trick people into thinking it is more credible

Question 3

Misunderstanding or not using statistics

Answer 3

There might be a correlation between two things or a set chance, but you think otherwise: losing 4 rounds and thinking you’re due to win, smoking is bad but your aunt is still alive

Question 4

Seeing relationships that do not exist

Answer 4

Self Explanatory. Wearing a jersey to a basketball game does not help your team win, sleeping on a book will not help you study

Question 5

Making relative comparisons

Answer 5

Ie math 7x6x5…will yield a larger number than 5x6x7 because you make the relative comparison

Question 6

Accepting after the fact explanation

Answer 6

related to hindsight bias, when we are good explaining what caused an event after it happened rather than predicting it; thinking you can explain after it happened

Question 7

Taking mental shortcuts

Answer 7

Essentially jumping to certain assumptions. For example, a spike in child abduction reports will make you think that it has risen even though it might have not.

Question 8

Failing to see one’s own inadequacies (self-serving bias)

Answer 8

You think you’re better than the average person when in reality you’re not

Question 9

Dualism

Answer 9

Mind and body are separate yet intertwined

Question 10

Functionalism

Answer 10

Consciousness should be studied for function and not structure; what does it do rather than what is it made of; stream of thoughts considered together

Question 11

Structuralism

Answer 11

Studying an experience in individual parts - relies on introspection, which is describing every part of an experience 1. try describing a macbook to me

Question 12

Gestalt

Answer 12

the whole experience is not equal to the sum of its parts, anti-Structuralist

Question 13

Psychoanalytic

Answer 13

The study that behavior is caused by an unconscious that must be studied using psychoanalysis, Freud

Question 14

Behaviorism

Answer 14

Behavior should be studied as itself rather than the end result of other processes for all behavior is acquired through environment

Question 15

Humanistic

Answer 15

Anti-Freud, Anti-Behaviorist Humans determine their fate through free will, all humans can develop to potential

Question 16

Cognitive Revolution

Answer 16

Thinking should be best studied as information process, memory, learning etc

Question 17

Social Revolution

Answer 17

Lewin, Need to understand social pressures and individual levels to fully predict behavior

Question 18

Interactionist

Answer 18

Behavior is analyzed on a structural and gestalt perspective, while biologically determined with functionalism and integrating ideas of culture

Question 19

4 Levels of Analysis

Answer 19

Biological (brain processes, genetics, brain imaging, gene mechanisms)

Individual (Individual differences, perception, personality, language, memory, decision making)

Social (Interpersonal behavior, groups, relationships)

Cultural (Thoughts/actions of culture groups, norms)