Scientific Thinking
Which of the following best describes a scientific claim?
A. It’s based on personal experience.
B. It’s supported by testable and falsifiable evidence.
C. It’s repeated by many people.
D. It’s emotionally persuasive.
B. It’s supported by testable and falsifiable evidence.
Q: What is confirmation bias?
A. Believing the most recent information is correct
B. Seeking evidence that supports what we already believe
C. Trusting authority without question
D. Ignoring personal experience
B. Seeking evidence that supports what we already believe
Q: What fallacy is this: “If we allow students to retake one test, soon they’ll want to retake every test”?
A. Ad hominem
B. Straw man
C. Slippery slope
D. False dilemma
C. Slippery slope
Q: Which of the following is NOT a good indicator of a credible source?
A. Peer-reviewed publication
B. Anecdotal evidence
C. Clear methods and replication
D. Data-based conclusions
B. Anecdotal evidence
Q: “Ice cream sales and drowning rates both increase in summer.” What concept explains this?
A. Direct causation
B. Coincidence
C. Third-variable problem
D. Confounding causation
C. Third-variable problem
Q: What is the key purpose of using the scientific method in psychology?
A. To confirm common sense beliefs
B. To justify authority
C. To reduce bias and improve objectivity
D. To collect opinions
C. To reduce bias and improve objectivity
Q: Which bias involves overestimating how predictable an event was after it has occurred?
A. Anchoring bias
B. Availability heuristic
C. Hindsight bias
D. Representativeness heuristic
C. Hindsight bias
Q: What is the appeal to authority fallacy?
A. Trusting people with experience
B. Believing a claim is true just because an authority figure says so
C. Using research to back up a claim
D. Consulting experts in their field
B. Believing a claim is true just because an authority figure says so
Q: When reviewing claims in psychology, which of the following is most important?
A. Whether it aligns with your belief
B. Whether it’s easy to understand
C. Whether it is supported by empirical evidence
D. Whether your friends believe it
C. Whether it is supported by empirical evidence
Q: Which statement correctly shows the difference between correlation and causation?
A. Correlation proves one variable causes another
B. Correlation means there’s no connection
C. Correlation shows a relationship, not cause
D. Causation always implies correlation
C. Correlation shows a relationship, not cause
Q: Which of the following illustrates falsifiability in science?
A. "If this idea is wrong, there should be evidence showing that."
B. "It feels true, so we can assume it is."
C. "Many people believe this, so it must be correct."
D. "No matter what happens, this claim still holds."
A. "If this idea is wrong, there should be evidence showing that."
Q: Which cognitive bias might cause someone to remember only supportive information?
A. Hindsight bias
B. Anchoring bias
C. Confirmation bias
D. False consensus effect
C. Confirmation bias
Q: Which fallacy is present in the argument, “You can’t trust her opinion on health—she’s not even fit”?
A. False dilemma
B. Slippery slope
C. Ad hominem
D. Red herring
C. Ad hominem
Q: What’s the most reliable sign of a trustworthy psychological source?
A. Peer-reviewed research
B. Viral popularity
C. Anecdotal reports
D. A well-designed logo
A. Peer-reviewed research
Q: If two variables are correlated, what does that tell us?
A. One caused the other
B. They are statistically associated
C. They’re unrelated
D. It’s a proven theory
B. They are statistically associated
Q: What does replication in scientific research refer to?
A. Rewording another study
B. Repeating a study to test for consistent results
C. Rewriting a hypothesis
D. Publishing a result once
B. Repeating a study to test for consistent results
Q: What bias is at play when someone believes that plane crashes are common because they just saw one on the news?
A. Representativeness heuristic
B. Anchoring bias
C. Framing effect
D. Availability heuristic
D. Availability heuristic
Q: What fallacy is this: “If we allow phones in class, students will stop learning entirely”?
A. Circular reasoning
B. Slippery slope
C. Bandwagon
D. Appeal to tradition
B. Slippery slope
Q: A website says, “Our product works because thousands of customers say so!” What’s wrong with this claim?
A. It’s not recent
B. It’s anecdotal, not scientific
C. It’s too technical
D. It’s based on logic
B. It’s anecdotal, not scientific
Q: “People who sleep more tend to perform better on memory tests.” What is needed to confirm causation?
A. Correlation coefficient
B. Experimental evidence
C. A survey
D. A testimony
B. Experimental evidence
What is the principle of parsimony in scientific thinking?
A. Choose the explanation that involves the most steps
B. Use emotion to explain scientific results
C. Prefer the simplest explanation that fits the facts
D. Reject all previous explanations
C. Prefer the simplest explanation that fits the facts
Q: A person refuses to change their opinion even when faced with strong counterevidence. What is this called?
A. Belief perseverance
B. Confirmation bias
C. Hindsight bias
D. Framing effect
A. Belief perseverance
Q: What fallacy occurs when someone misrepresents an argument to attack it more easily?
A. Straw man
B. Ad hominem
C. False cause
D. Appeal to emotion
A. Straw man
Q: Which of the following is the best way to determine if a psychological claim is valid?
A. See if it feels convincing
B. Find a meme about it
C. Check peer-reviewed replicated research
D. Ask someone on social media
C. Check peer-reviewed replicated research
Q: A study finds that people who exercise more are less anxious. Which is a possible third variable?
A. Social media use
B. Motivation level
C. Shoe brand
D. Exercise intensity
B. Motivation level