Name: __________________________ Date: _____________
1. Describe the elements of the three-door problem and explain what lessons we can learn about research from understanding
the problem and how people reacted to it.
2. There are at least five ways by which we acquire knowledge. Select three of these approaches. Define each of them, and give
a specific example of the approach to acquiring knowledge.
3. Describe the positive and negative aspects of acquiring knowledge via reliance on authority.
4. One pitfall in acquiring knowledge known to psychologists is “confirmation bias.” Define this term and apply it to a person's
efforts to gather information as a basis for buying a new car this year.
5. What are the four major goals of science? Define each goal and apply each one to the following situation: The state police
have asked psychologists for their help in gathering data that will help reduce crime in a high-crime neighborhood.
6. There are several reasons that developing theories and explaining behavior are complex tasks. Describe these major reasons
and give a concrete example of each of them.
7. What is the major difference between a “hypothesis” and a “theory”? Apply the two terms to a psychologist's efforts to
understand how technology affects learning in a college environment.
8. One of the keys to acquiring knowledge is to state claims so that they meet the criterion of falsifiability. What does this term
mean? Give a specific example of a falsifiable and non-falsifiable claim.
9. What are two reasons that operational definitions are so important to researchers? Give an operational definition for each of
the following: depression, anxiety, and passion.
10. The scientific method is not a single method of conducting research. Rather, it is a set of characteristics that typify how
scientists collectively go about acquiring and applying knowledge. Discuss the characteristics of science that are described in
the text and give an example of each.
11. How are applied and basic research related to one another? Give an example of each from the following: the structure of the
sleep cycles across the night in the average adult.
12. Suppose you decide that you are interested in pursuing a career in psychology, emphasizing research. Give three ideas that
would help you enhance your credentials for possible admission to graduate school in the future.
13. Describe at least three of the critical thinking questions you might pose when faced with a claim in the media, via friends, or
other sources.
14. Anecdotal evidence is frequently encountered in everyday life. Explain what anecdotal evidence is, why it is persuasive, and
problems associated with it.
15. Which of these themes is NOT central to science and the research process that is highlighted in the three-door problem?
A) the need for sound reasoning
B) the importance of gathering relevant data in an organized manner
C) the need for plausible alternative explanations
D) the willingness to modify our beliefs when it becomes apparent that they are wrong
16. What is the primary reason the author introduces the three-door problem?
A) to introduce students to the three goals of scientific research
B) to describe the three methods psychologists use to conduct research
C) to provide insight into how people acquire knowledge and beliefs
D) to present an analogy that illustrates how research affects real-life decisions
17. As part of a research requirement in an introductory psychology class, Alex is taking part in the three-door game in which he
might win a car or a goat. After selecting one of the three doors, he has a choice of staying with his current door or switching.
What is the BEST advice that you would give Alex in order to increase his chance of winning?
A) It is best to switch.
B) Go with your first hunch, do not switch.
C) If you switch, your odds of winning are only 50–50, so stay put.
D) Your selection makes no difference, as the game is rigged in favor of the “house.”
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