quiz 1 - chapters 1 & 13a

Question 1

“truthiness”

Answer 1

stephen colbert’s term to represent the occasional tendency to accept an explanation/phenomenon simply because its a “gut” feeling

Question 2

availability heuristic

Answer 2

a mental shortcut strategy for judging the likelihood of an event or situation to occur based on how easily we can think of similar or relevant instances

Question 3

representativeness heuristic

Answer 3

a mental shortcut strategy for determining the likelihood of an event by how much it resembles what we consider to be a “typical” example of that event

Question 4

better-than-average effect

Answer 4

the tendency to overestimate our skills, abilities, and performance when comparing ourselves to others

Question 5

overconfidence phenomenon

Answer 5

the tendency to be overly confident in the correctness of our own judgment

Question 6

hindsight bias

Answer 6

a sense that we “knew it all along” after learning the actual outcome

Question 7

confirmation bias

Answer 7

a bias in which we only look for evidence that confirms what we arleady believe, thus strengthening

Question 8

focusing effect

Answer 8

a bias in which we emphasize some pieces of information while undervaluing others

Question 9

introspection

Answer 9

reflecting on our own thoughts and epxeirences to find relevant evidence

Question 10

“what you see is all there is” phenomenon

Answer 10

a failure to see the limitations of our immediate experience, making it difficult to predict alternative outcomes

Question 11

pleasure paradox

Answer 11

when an introspective analysis regarding a positive experience results in it becoming less enjoyable

Question 12

belief perseverance

Answer 12

maintaining a belief despite encountering contradictory factual information; often accomplished by interpreting information in a way that does not invalidate the original belief

Question 13

law of small numbers

Answer 13

extreme outcomes are more likely when considering a small number of cases

Question 14

outlier

Answer 14

a case or instance that is distinct from the majority of other cases; an oddball

Question 15

scientific method

Answer 15

a systematic approach for addressing questions of interest

Question 16

characteristics of a good scientist

Answer 16

skepticism, open-mindedness, objectivity, empiricism, creativity, communication

Question 17

skepticism

Answer 17

being doubtful leads to questioning which turns to research and thus, the discovery of truth

Question 18

open-mindedness

Answer 18

can not be overly cynical; must be willing to pursue unpopular/controversial ideas to gain a deeper understanding of our world

Question 19

objectivity

Answer 19

personal biases, feelings, beliefs, and prejudices must not get in the way of objective empirical evidence (having researchers or participants be “blind” to the hypothesis to maximize objectivity)

Question 20

empirical research

Answer 20

gaining knowledge with the use of systematic observation, experience, or measurement

Question 21

nonempirical research

Answer 21

gaining knowledge with the use of nonsystematic methods such as the examination of personal experiences and opinions

Question 22

creativity

Answer 22

studying human behavior and thought often requires creative or novel approaches

Question 23

communication

Answer 23

for information to benefit the world, findings must be shared, as the primary goal of science is to serve the common good

Question 24

replication

Answer 24

recreating another person’s study to see if the findings are the same

Question 25

basic research

Answer 25

research dedicated to expanding the existing knowledge on a topic

Question 26

applied research

Answer 26

research dedicated to solving a problem and helping people by improving their quality of life

Question 27

science denialism

Answer 27

the stubborn refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of established scientific findings

Question 28

FLICC

Answer 28

5 strategies used by denialists: fake experts, logical fallacies, impossible expectations, cherry picking, conspiracy theories

Question 29

pseudoscience

Answer 29

claims or beliefs that are misrepresented as being derived from the use of the scientific method

Question 30

“fake news”

Answer 30

news that is portrayed as true but has no basis in fact; shares characteristics with pseudoscience

Question 31

career skills

Answer 31

project management, problem solving, critical thinking skills, analytical skills, interpretation of numerical information, communication skills

Question 32

infographic

Answer 32

a graphic that synthesizes statistical information with aesthetically appealing visuals

Question 33

program evaluation

Answer 33

using the scientific method to assess whether an organized activity is achieving its intended objectives

Question 34

grants

Answer 34

monetary gifts given to help organizations meet a specific goal or objective

Question 35

grant writing

Answer 35

developing an application in which an organization provides specific information regarding a program’s goals along with evidence of the program’s effectiveness in order to receive monetary gifts

Question 36

needs evaluation

Answer 36

an assessment of which features of a program are most valuable and who they benefit the most

Question 37

process evaluation

Answer 37

an assessment of a general program operation, including whom the program serves and how the program delivers services to that population

Question 38

outcomes evaluation

Answer 38

an assessment of whether a program effectively produces outcomes that are consistent with stated objectives of goals

Question 39

planning phase

Answer 39

identify key stakeholders, describe the program, clarify the evaluation’s goal, create an education plan

Question 40

execution phase

Answer 40

gather the data & analyze data

Question 41

communication of results

Answer 41

form conclusions, make recommendations, report the results