Chapter 1: The Science of Psychology

Question 1

emotion-based compass; “relying on your gut”

Answer 1

Intuition

Question 2

to accept a new idea or concept because the person delivering information is viewed as an authority figure. Examples include doctors, parents, media, and priests.

Answer 2

Authority

Question 3

using logic and reasoning to acquire new knowledge. Example: I think that all swans are white and that this is a swan, I can infer that the swan must be white

Answer 3

Rationalism

Question 4

acquiring knowledge via observation and experience

Answer 4

Empiricism

Question 5

a process of systematically compiling and evaluating evidence to test ideas and answer questions

Answer 5

The Scientific Method

Question 6

the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment

Answer 6

Science

Question 7

learning based on observation— scientists learn about the natural world systematically, by carefully planning, making, recording, and analyzing observations of it

Answer 7

Systematic empiricism

Question 8

questions about the way the world is; can be answered by systematically observing it

Answer 8

Empirical questions

Question 9

activities, and beliefs that are claimed to be scientific by their proponents—and may appear to be scientific at first glance—but are not

Answer 9

Pseudoscience

Question 10

scientific claim that must be expressed in such a way that there are observations that would—if they were made—count as evidence against the claim

Answer 10

Falsifiable

Question 11

knowledge accessible to the public

Answer 11

Public knowledge

Question 12

make careful observations to elaborate on what you note in an experiment

Answer 12

Describe

Question 13

using information from observation to infer whether or not an event will take place

Answer 13

Predict

Question 14

involves determining the causes of what takes place/behavior occurring

Answer 14

Explain

Question 15

conducted primarily for the sake of achieving a more detailed and accurate understanding [of human behavior], without necessarily trying to address any particular practical problem (take Mehl’s work)

Answer 15

Basic research

Question 16

research conducted primarily to address some practical problem.
(take Milgram’s experiment and how it offers insight into how people fall placid in the presence of perceived authority)

Answer 16

Applied research

Question 17

Intuitive beliefs about people’s behavior, thoughts, and feelings

Answer 17

Folk psychology

Question 18

mental shortcuts in forming and maintaining our beliefs

Answer 18

Heuristics

Question 19

the tendency to focus on cases that confirm our intuitive beliefs and to disregard cases that disconfirm our beliefs

Answer 19

Confirmation bias

Question 20

pausing to consider alternatives and to search for evidence—especially systematically collected empirical evidence—when there is enough at stake to justify doing so

Answer 20

Skepticism

Question 21

accepting that there are many things that we simply do not know

Answer 21

Tolerance for uncertainty

Question 22

an academic degree earned through intensive study of a particular discipline and the completion of a set of research studies that contribute new knowledge to the academic literature

Answer 22

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Question 23

the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and related problems

Answer 23

Clinical practice of psychology

Question 24

a treatment that has been shown through systematic observation to lead to better outcomes when compared to no-treatment or placebo control groups

Answer 24

Empirically-supported treatment