Understanding Psychology as a Science

What are some common images associated with science and research?

• Books, pens, and paper

• Cars, planes, and trains

• Mountains, rivers, and forests

• Beakers, liquids, atoms, and molecules

Why do some people view psychology as less scientific?

• Because it only studies animals

• Because it doesn't involve any research

• Because it doesn't use any scientific methods

• Because it focuses on subjective feelings and emotions

What is a primary focus of research in psychology?

• Studying the movement of planets

• Studying the human experience and behavior

• Studying chemical reactions

• Studying the behavior of animals

How does psychological research challenge common sense?

• By suggesting that common sense is never useful

• By confirming that gut feelings are always right

• By showing that intuition can be unreliable

• By proving that all instincts are always correct

What is hindsight bias?

• The ability to foresee future events

• The belief that one predicted an event after it happened

• The tendency to remember only positive outcomes

• The tendency to forget past events

Why is research vital in psychology?

• Because it relies solely on intuition

• Because it only studies physical phenomena

• Because it helps understand and correct overconfidence

• Because it confirms all common beliefs

What is one criticism of psychology mentioned in the transcript?

• It only studies non-human subjects

• It doesn't involve any experimentation

• It is based on common sense

• It is too focused on physical sciences

What is the role of empirical research in psychology?

• To confirm all gut feelings

• To provide evidence-based conclusions

• To eliminate the need for scientific methods

• To focus solely on subjective experiences

What defines a scientific discipline?

• The topics it studies

• The methods and processes it uses

• The number of researchers involved

• The amount of funding it receives

How do psychologists draw conclusions in their research?

• By consulting astrology

• By relying on intuition

• By using evidence and data

• By guessing outcomes