Module 2 - Thinking Critically With Psychological Science

Question 1

What are the three phenomena that proves we can’t fully rely on intuition and common sense?

Answer 1

Hindsight bias, judgmental overconfidence, tendency to perceive patterns in random events

Question 2

Define hindsight bias

Answer 2

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it (AKA I-knew-it-all-along phenomena)

Question 3

Define critical thinking

Answer 3

Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.

Question 4

How does the scientific attitude contribute to critical thinking?

Answer 4

(1) Curiosity about the world around us
(2) Skepticism toward various claims and ideas
(3) Humility about one’s understanding

Question 5

What does psychological science focus more on than particular behaviours?

Answer 5

Seeking general principles (in experiments) that help explain many behaviours

Question 6

Define culture

Answer 6

The enduring behaviours, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next.

Question 7

Define informed consent

Answer 7

An ethical principle that research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate

Question 8

Define debriefing

Answer 8

The post-experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants

Question 9

How are human and animal research participants protected?

Answer 9

Animal protection legislation, laboratory regulation and inspection, and local ethics committees serve to protect human and animal welfare. Ethical principles developed by the APA and other organizations urge researchers using human participants to obtain informed consent, to protect them from harm and discomfort, to treat their personal information confidentially, and to fully debrief all participants.