Study Guide Chapter One
1. How is psychology a science?
a. Psychology is a science because it combines three aspects of science and thinking to
study behavior and mental processes. The three aspects are philosophy, physiology, and
phrenology which are considered the roots of psychology.
2. How does critical thinking feed a scientific attitude, and smarter thinking for everyday life?
a. Critical thinking feeds a scientific attitude and smarting thinking for everyday life by
examining assumptions, evaluating evidence, and assessing conclusions we make, in
comparison to simply trusting our human intuition, which can be unreliable and
inaccurate.
3. What are the three key elements of the scientific attitude, and how do they support scientific
inquiry?
a. The three key elements of the scientific attitude are curiosity, skepticism, and humility,
and they support scientific inquiry because:
i. Curiosity pushes the mind to ask questions rather than make assumptions about
things we do not know
ii. Skepticism forces humans to wonder why things happen the way they are and if
any evaluations, statements, research, or studies are true or false, or in need of
revision
iii. Humility ensures that any person performing scientific research or studies is
willing to admit that they are not always correct, or have the proper knowledge
of a subject, but is willing to put in the necessary effort to do so.
4. Describe what is involved in critical thinking.
a. Critical thinking involves examining assumptions, appraising a source, discerning hidden
biases, evaluating evidence, and assessing conclusions. Critical thinkers ask questions
and are open to the possibility that they or you might be wrong.
5. What were some important milestones in psychology’s early development?
a. Some important milestones in psychology’s early development include Windt’s creation
of the first research laboratory in 1879 in Leipzig Germany, and his writing of the first
psychology textbook. Another important milestone for women in psychology would be
Calkins becoming the first female president of the APA and Washburn being the first
female to receive a Ph.D.
6. What event defined the start of scientific psychology?
a. The event that defined the start of scientific psychology was William Wundt's first
psychological experiment. He created an experimental apparatus that measured the
time it took for people to press a telegraph key after hearing a ball drop. He assessed
the difference in time between people simply hearing the ball drop and people being
aware that they heard the ball drop.
1. How is psychology a science?
a. Psychology is a science because it combines three aspects of science and thinking to
study behavior and mental processes. The three aspects are philosophy, physiology, and
phrenology which are considered the roots of psychology.
2. How does critical thinking feed a scientific attitude, and smarter thinking for everyday life?
a. Critical thinking feeds a scientific attitude and smarting thinking for everyday life by
examining assumptions, evaluating evidence, and assessing conclusions we make, in
comparison to simply trusting our human intuition, which can be unreliable and
inaccurate.
3. What are the three key elements of the scientific attitude, and how do they support scientific
inquiry?
a. The three key elements of the scientific attitude are curiosity, skepticism, and humility,
and they support scientific inquiry because:
i. Curiosity pushes the mind to ask questions rather than make assumptions about
things we do not know
ii. Skepticism forces humans to wonder why things happen the way they are and if
any evaluations, statements, research, or studies are true or false, or in need of
revision
iii. Humility ensures that any person performing scientific research or studies is
willing to admit that they are not always correct, or have the proper knowledge
of a subject, but is willing to put in the necessary effort to do so.
4. Describe what is involved in critical thinking.
a. Critical thinking involves examining assumptions, appraising a source, discerning hidden
biases, evaluating evidence, and assessing conclusions. Critical thinkers ask questions
and are open to the possibility that they or you might be wrong.
5. What were some important milestones in psychology’s early development?
a. Some important milestones in psychology’s early development include Windt’s creation
of the first research laboratory in 1879 in Leipzig Germany, and his writing of the first
psychology textbook. Another important milestone for women in psychology would be
Calkins becoming the first female president of the APA and Washburn being the first
female to receive a Ph.D.
6. What event defined the start of scientific psychology?
a. The event that defined the start of scientific psychology was William Wundt's first
psychological experiment. He created an experimental apparatus that measured the
time it took for people to press a telegraph key after hearing a ball drop. He assessed
the difference in time between people simply hearing the ball drop and people being
aware that they heard the ball drop.
