LITMIR.BIZ

      1 For each of the following statements, indicate the likely source of the belief:Teenagers are hormonally challenged.Because all little boys like to play rough, my boy will like to play rough.Overexposure to sunlight causes skin cancer.The sun sets in the west.Men never ask for directions.

      2 List and briefly describe the key elements of critical thinking.

      3 For each of the following questions, identify the goal of the research (i.e., description, explanation, prediction, or control):What are violent criminals like?Is there a connection between children’s diet and their school performance?Are violent criminals more likely than nonviolent criminals to have been abused as children?Can we develop programs to reduce the likelihood of criminal behavior in victims of child abuse?

      4 List and briefly describe each tenet of science. Also include why these tenets are important.

      5 List five questions that cannot be answered by science. For each question, discuss whether science ever could provide an answer and, if so, what would be needed.

      6 Briefly, what is the difference between a theory and a hypothesis? Can you provide an example of each?

      7 Are the following best described as descriptive or explanatory research questions? Why do you think so?What gambling strategies do men use?Is parenting style linked to self-esteem in adolescent children?

      8 Are the following best described as qualitative or quantitative research questions? Why do you think so?What are the major themes of the dreams of clinically depressed individuals?Do clinically depressed people exhibit more negative self-talk than nondepressed people do?

      9 Are the following best described as basic or applied research questions? Why do you think so?What learning styles do first-year psychology students use?Which learning style typically used by first-year psychology students is the most effective in performance outcomes?

      10 Are the following best described as longitudinal or cross-sectional research questions? Why do you think so?Do people become more tolerant as they age?Are young people more tolerant than middle-aged people?

      11 List one advantage of field research over laboratory research. List one advantage of laboratory research over field research.

      1 Peruse the letters to the editor of your local newspaper. Identify a letter that describes a belief that you suspect is based on one of the sources of beliefs discussed in this chapter. Why do you think this is the case?

      2 Obtain a copy of a popular magazine. Find an article of your choice that is based on opinion. Identify the sources of belief used by the author. Do you think the writer was a critical thinker? Explain your answer.

      3 Select a major psychological theory. Generate three testable hypotheses.

      4 Read a research paper in a scientific journal. Generate a testable hypothesis from the research.

      5 In our introductory psychology classes, we often do the following demonstration: We ask for eight or so volunteers. Each student is given a coin. We turn our back to the students and instruct them to clench the fist holding the coin and place the fist next to their head. We then ask them to try sending thoughts to us about which hand is holding the coin. We hem and haw for a while. We then tell the students to drop the hand and hold out both fists in front of them. We quickly turn around and identify which hand is the one holding the coin. We are always accurate. The students are required to generate a scientific hypothesis for our ability to do this. Use the steps of the scientific method to plan a way to test your hypothesis. Try to find more than one hypothesis that could explain our “magical” ability, and identify how you could test each.