Chapter 1 Quiz: Why Psychology Matters

Answer all questions to the best of your ability before checking the answers in Appendix: answers-to-selected.md. This quiz includes comprehension questions, application questions, and critical thinking prompts.

Section A: Comprehension (10 points each)

1. What does "applied psychology" mean, as defined in this chapter?

a) The branch of psychology that studies how the brain works b) Taking what psychological science has learned about behavior and asking how it can help people live better c) Therapy conducted in workplace settings d) The study of applications on smartphones and their psychological effects

2. The "replication crisis" in psychology refers to:

a) The difficulty of copying psychological research papers b) The finding that many famous studies, when others tried to reproduce them, did not produce the same results c) A shortage of psychology research subjects d) A problem with computer systems used in psychological research

3. What does research on introspection, such as Wilson and Nisbett's studies, demonstrate?

a) That people are highly accurate at knowing their own motives b) That introspection is useless and should be abandoned c) That people often generate plausible-sounding reasons for their behavior that don't match the actual causes d) That therapy is more effective than self-reflection

4. The "fundamental attribution error" refers to:

a) A mistake in how psychological research is designed b) The tendency to attribute others' behavior to their internal dispositions while underweighting situational factors c) The belief that all psychology is common sense d) The error of treating correlation as causation

5. Walter Mischel's research on personality challenged the idea that:

a) Personality can be measured with questionnaires b) People carry stable traits that consistently predict their behavior across all situations c) Childhood experiences influence personality d) Genetics play any role in personality

6. Which of the following is NOT identified as a level of analysis in Chapter 1?

a) Cognitive b) Financial c) Biological d) Developmental

Section B: Application (15 points each)

7. Jordan spent Monday morning ruminating about a meeting interaction. Using the levels of analysis framework, identify TWO different levels that could help explain his behavior and describe what each level would focus on.

[Open response — see Appendix for sample answer]

8. A friend says: "I don't need to study psychology — I understand people fine, and besides, I know myself pretty well." Using the chapter's key arguments, how would you respond?

[Open response — include at least two specific points from the chapter]

9. Describe a situation from your own life where you made a dispositional attribution about someone's behavior. Looking back, what situational factors might you have overlooked? How does the person-situation framework apply?

[Open response — personal reflection, no sample answer provided]

10. A colleague tells you that psychology "isn't real science" because its findings often don't replicate. Using the chapter's discussion of scientific method, explain what a more nuanced response to this claim would be.

[Open response — see Appendix for sample answer]

Section C: Critical Thinking (20 points each)

11. The chapter argues that psychological self-knowledge is often uncomfortable — and that this discomfort is "the point." Do you agree? Why or why not? Is there a risk that making psychology too uncomfortable reduces people's willingness to engage with it?

[Open response — no single correct answer; evaluation based on reasoning quality]

12. Kahneman's System 1 / System 2 framework is described as useful for understanding biases, habits, and emotional reactions. But some psychologists argue this two-system framework is itself an oversimplification. What might be some limitations of the two-system model? Does oversimplification in a model reduce its usefulness?

[Open response — see Appendix for discussion points]

Section D: Reflection Questions (ungraded)

These questions have no right or wrong answers. They are meant to help you integrate the material personally.

R1. What concept from this chapter do you find most challenging to apply to yourself? Why?

R2. The chapter introduces Jordan and Amara as recurring characters. Which character do you find more recognizable in your own experience, and why?

R3. If you had to identify the one area of your own life where psychological literacy would be most useful, what would it be?

Answer Key Overview

Full sample answers to Sections A, B, and C are in appendices/answers-to-selected.md.

Section A answers: 1-b, 2-b, 3-c, 4-b, 5-b, 6-b

For Sections B and C, evaluate your answers against these criteria: - Does your answer use specific concepts from the chapter? - Does it go beyond restating the text to apply the concepts? - Does it show intellectual honesty — including acknowledging complexity?