Myths vs. Facts
Humans only use 10% of their brains.
Myth - We use virtually all areas of our brain.
Which psychologist conducted the famous experiment where a baby named Little Albert was conditioned to fear a white rat?
John B. Watson
What is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour called?
Psychology.
Which mental health disorder is commonly associated with excessive worry, fear, and nervousness?
Anxiety disorder.
Who is known as the father of psychoanalysis?
Sigmund Freud.
Everyone has a dominant left or right brain that determines their personality.
Myth – Both hemispheres work together.
In the Stanford Prison Experiment, what roles were randomly assigned to participants?
Prison guards and prisoners.
What is it called when someone changes their behaviour or opinions to fit in with a group?
Conformity.
What disorder is characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest, and changes in sleep or appetite?
Major depressive disorder.
Which psychologist is famous for his hierarchy of needs, including physiological needs, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization?
Abraham Maslow.
Your memories are always accurate recordings of what happened.
Myth – Memories can change and become distorted over time.
What did Pavlov discover through his experiments with dogs and food?
Classical conditioning – dogs could learn to associate a neutral stimulus, such as a bell, with food and eventually salivate in response to the bell.
What is the term for learning through rewards and punishments?
Operant conditioning.
What disorder involves unwanted, repeated thoughts and repetitive behaviours or rituals?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Which psychologist developed the theory of classical conditioning through his experiments with dogs?
Ivan Pavlov.
Mental health disorders can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background.
Fact
In the Asch conformity experiments, what did participants often do when everyone else gave an obviously incorrect answer?
They conformed and gave the incorrect answer too.
What is the psychological phenomenon where people are more likely to help someone when other people are present?
The bystander effect (people may be less likely to help when others are around).
What disorder is commonly associated with difficulty maintaining attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity?
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Which psychologist developed the theory of cognitive development, focusing on how children think and learn as they grow?
Jean Piaget.
People with schizophrenia have multiple personalities.
Schizophrenia involves disruptions in thinking, perception, and experiences of reality, not multiple personalities.
Which psychologist conducted experiments where participants were instructed to give what they believed were painful electric shocks to another person?
Stanley Milgram.
What is cognitive dissonance?
The mental discomfort someone experiences when their beliefs, attitudes, or behaviours conflict.
What is the difference between a hallucination and a delusion?
A hallucination is a sensory experience without an external stimulus; a delusion is a strongly held false belief.
Which psychologist is associated with the theory of operant conditioning and the use of reinforcement and punishment?
B.F. Skinner.