Exam 1: Exstintion: What Is Psychology

Andi claims that phrenology was a pseudoscience rather than a science.The best support for her opinion is the fact that the theory wasn't empirically testable because:

Which modern psychological perspective emphasizes the role of unconscious influence on behavior?

Throughout psychology's history,various movements have emerged that do not fit neatly into any of the major perspectives.Name and briefly describe two of these influential movements in psychology.

Critical thinkers realize that all opinions are created equal.

The phrase "stream of consciousness" is most closely associated with William James.

Psychologists from the psychodynamic perspective would be likely to agree that the symptoms of anxiety may be caused by a chemical imbalance.

Which school of thought in psychology evolved into an elaborate theory of personality and method of psychotherapy?

When an assumption or belief keeps us from considering the evidence fairly,or causes us to ignore the evidence completely,it becomes a bias.Often a bias remains hidden until someone changes our belief and we get defensive.Describe how the 1998 book by Judith Rich Harris (The Nurture Assumption)questioned prevailing assumptions.

Critical thinking is defined as the ability and willingness to assess claims and make judgments on the basis of well-supported reasons and evidence,rather than emotion or anecdote.

Scholars of the past who wanted to understand human behavior tended to rely too heavily on empirical evidence.

Critical thinking also is referred to as negative thinking.

Because they relied on anecdotes rather than experiments,the forerunners of modern psychology were always wrong in their description of human behavior.

Vincent Ruggiero observed that,"The trigger mechanism for creative thinking is the disposition to be curious,to wonder,to inquire." Describe your reaction to this comment and then describe three questions that you have been curious about in regard to human nature.

"Can I recall events from my childhood accurately?" This question illustrates which of the following critical thinking guidelines?

A psychologist from the sociocultural perspective would be likely to note that cultures based on herding rather than agriculture tend to train boys to be aggressive.

Early psychologists who emphasized how behavior helps an organism adapt to its environment were known as structuralists.

"My memory of getting knocked down by a wave at Newport Beach could be based on what my parents told me later,not my own recollection." This example illustrates which of the following critical thinking guidelines?

Which of the following is NOT one of the eight essential critical-thinking guidelines?

One common form of oversimplification is argument by anecdote.Explain this type of critical thinking error.Create your own example of an argument by anecdote.

Not all psychologists feel they must swear allegiance to just one approach or perspective in psychology.