Is It Psychological Science or Psychobabble?

It is a myth that most people use only about 10% of their brains.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

This is a myth. We use all parts of our brains every day

During your most vivid dreams, you body may be paralyzed.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

During our most vivid dreams, which occur during Rapid Eye Movement sleem (REM), the voluntary muscles in our body are paralyzed, except thos that control our eyes

Psychological stress can cause physical illness

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The link between mind and body can make you sick when you are under chronic stress.

The color red exists only as a sensation in the brain. There is no "red" in the world outside the brain.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

All sensations of color are created in the brain itself. Light waves do have different frequencies, but they have no color. Te brain interprets the various frequencies of light as different colors.

Bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder is caused by a conflict in the unconscious mind.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

There is no evidence at all that unconscious conflicts play a role in bipolar disorder.

Instead, the evidence suggests a strong biochemical component.

The newborn child's mind is essentially a "blank slate" on which everything he or she will know is "written" (learned) by experience.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The newborn child has a large repetoire of built-in abilities and protective reflexes. The "blank slate" myth also ignores the child's genetic potential.

Everything that happens to us leaves a permanent record in memory.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

There is no evidence that memory records all the details of our lives. There is reason to believe that most of the information around us never reaches memory and that what does reach memory often becomes distorted.

You are born with all the brain cells that you will ever have.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Some parts of the brain continue to create new cells throughout life.

Intelligence is a nearly pure genetic trait that is fixed at the same level throughout a person's life.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Intelligence is the result of both heredity and environment. Because it depends, in part, on environment, your level of intelligence can change throughout your life.

Polygraph ("lie detector") devices are remarkably accurate in detecting physical responses that reliably indicate when a suspect is lying.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Even the most expert polygrapher can incorrectly classify a truth-teller as a liar or fail to identify someone who is lying.

Objective evidence supporting the accuracy of lie detectors is meager.