You may use any sources you like to complete this exam. You are not allowed to ask anyone to help you with it. Answer any 5 of the following questions with two or three paragraph answers for each. Type your answers below each questions. 1. Some people argue that psychology is just common sense. How do psychologists respond to this claim? What is it that psychologist do, as scientists, that goes beyond common sense and casual observation?
Psychologists use the the concepts of hindsight bias, our tendency to perceive patterns in random events, and judgmental overconfidence to respond to those that argue that psychology is just common sense. Hindsight bias is the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it. …show more content…
One example of selective attention can be seen in the cocktail party effect. The cocktail party effect is your ability to attend to only one voice among many. If someone addresses you by name, your selective attention refocuses and directs your attention onto the person who is addressing you by name.
Another example of selective attention can be seen in the distracted driving scenario. When people choose to talk on the phone or use a music player or GPS while driving, their selective attention shifts back and forth between the road and the device. This selective attention puts you at a higher risk for getting into an accident. Drivers who were conversing with a passenger in the car were less likely to get into an accident than drivers who were talking on the phone or using an electronic device while driving.
In class we demonstrated the effects of talking on the phone while driving through a simulation on the computer. When we combined the reaction times of each student in the class while talking on the phone and not talking on the phone, we found that students who weren’t on the phone had smaller reaction times than when they were on the phone. This simulation demonstrated the importance of safe driving as well as the principals behind selective
Psychologists use the the concepts of hindsight bias, our tendency to perceive patterns in random events, and judgmental overconfidence to respond to those that argue that psychology is just common sense. Hindsight bias is the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it. …show more content…
One example of selective attention can be seen in the cocktail party effect. The cocktail party effect is your ability to attend to only one voice among many. If someone addresses you by name, your selective attention refocuses and directs your attention onto the person who is addressing you by name.
Another example of selective attention can be seen in the distracted driving scenario. When people choose to talk on the phone or use a music player or GPS while driving, their selective attention shifts back and forth between the road and the device. This selective attention puts you at a higher risk for getting into an accident. Drivers who were conversing with a passenger in the car were less likely to get into an accident than drivers who were talking on the phone or using an electronic device while driving.
In class we demonstrated the effects of talking on the phone while driving through a simulation on the computer. When we combined the reaction times of each student in the class while talking on the phone and not talking on the phone, we found that students who weren’t on the phone had smaller reaction times than when they were on the phone. This simulation demonstrated the importance of safe driving as well as the principals behind selective