Lesson 2 – Winter 2024

Comprehension Questions

According to the author, Prof. Kalat:

1) What is a workable definition of psychology?
A workable definition of psychology is the systematic study of behavior and experience
The things we've been through before affect our behavior.

2) What do most researchers think of the mind?

Most researchers consider mind a process, more like a fire than like the piece of wood that is undergoing
the fire.

3) What will you learn, ideally, from a psychology course? Explain in your own words
From psychology class, I will learn to think about what people can do behind their behavior before judging
them.

4) The author speaks of six themes: what are they? Give a small explanation (one sentence or one definition)
for each one.
1. It Depends= there was a point in psychology that every answer depended on.
2. Research Progress Depends on Good Measurement= If you they to measurement, they can give answer
easily because memory and sensory can measure.
3. Correlation Does Not Indicate Causation= two things tend to go together. We can give example cause and
effect correlation
4. Variations Among Individuals Reflect Both Heredity and Environment= Things that occur in the
environment can affect heredity. We can give fraternal twins as an example.
5. The Best Predictor of Future Behavior Is Past Behavior in Similar Situations= Past and future influence
each other. If we acquire a good habit in the past, it will continue in the future.
6. Some Statements in Psychology Reflect Stronger Evidence Than Others= it is important to know what
evidence supports an opinion.

5) Explain the experiment and the results of the study by Kimble, given by the author as an example of how
subtle points/differences can affect outcomes and conclusions reached by psychologists.
The experiment described by the author highlights how subtle environmental factors can influence behavior
in psychological studies. In this case, the difference in results between two psychology laboratories
conducting similar studies on human learning was attributed to the chairs the participants sat in. One group
sat in chairs from a retired dentist, inducing heightened anxiety due to the association with dental visits,
leading to altered behavior. This example underscores the importance of considering and controlling for all
possible influences in psychological research to ensure accurate and reliable results.

6) What does Sidney Brenner think about progress in science? Explain his ideas also in your own words.
Sidney brenner was quoted as saying “ progress in science depends on new techniques new discovers and
new ideas probably in that order “ these progress really important for measurable because if people have
problem psychologist use to desirable. Because understanding memory and sensory are easily if the use
measue

7) What is the difference between results obtained from research on memory and those obtained from
research on emotion and personality? Why is this the case?
Research progresses slowly because emotion and personality studies are difficult to measure. Solutions to
less certain problems are temporary.

8) What does the research of Degenhardt, Hall and Lynskey demonstrate about schizophrenia and the use of
alcohol, drugs, and tobacco? Which of the 6 principles mentioned above does it illustrate?
 this principle is correlation does not indicate causation. Even if we say that people with schizophrenia use
alcohol, cigarettes and drugs, this idea is wrong.

9) What are the two factors that have an effect on behaviour? How do we know this – from which research?
(Cite the authors and the year of the published research)

10) If you are a judge and give permission to someone who sold hashish under Unkapanı Bridge at midnight to
leave Silivrikapı Jail after just a few weeks with no punishment, what will he probably do? What principle
does this illustrate?
most likely the person will repeat the same crime. This principle can be the best predictor of future behavior
is past behavior in similar situations. what we said if people make wrong behavior in the past, this people
most probably will try these behaviors again in the future

11) What is an example of a conclusion or statement based on strong research that is given by the author?
What about one based on weak evidence?
Anyone who expresses an opinion should state his or her evidence so that orders can overule that opinion
in the light of newer better evidence

12) Give the three major philosophical problems related to psychology that the author provides and explain
each one briefly.
Three of the most profound are free will versus determinism, the mind–brain problem, and the nature–
nurture issue.
determinism = the assumption that everything that happens has a cause, or determinant, in the observable
world
The Mind–Brain Problem = the philosophical question of how experience relates to the brain.
The Nature–Nurture Issue = How do differences in behavior relate to differences in heredity and
environment workd

13) Give the definition of determinism, and explain it in your own words.
the assumption that everything that happens has a cause, or determinantany, in the observable world. If
the cause can observable and everything has cause. For example, you have a bad behavior, we can solve
this problem with use observable. Then we can call this event as a determinism.

14) Give the definition of free will and explain it in your own words.
The belief that behavior is caused by a person’s independent decisions is known as free will.

15) Who holds the idea that free will is merely an illusion? What reasons or proof do they provide to support
this?
Wegner say that free will I an illusion. Their reason is that when you have the conscious experience of
“deciding” to move a finger, the behavior is already starting to happen.

16) Give an example of behavior that is almost certainly predictable and not free
After a sudden unexpected lous noise I can predict you are deaf in a coma or paralyzed you will tense your
muscles. I can even be more precise and predict you will tense your neck muscles in less than a quarter of a
second

17) Give an example of behavior that is likely to happen, predictable but not necessarily one that will happen.
18) “Behaviors follow cause and effect”: What is the importance and significance of this statement in
psychology and research?
because we are influenced by the forces within us. For example, our personality affects what kind of job
choice we make. Every choice we make depends on a cause and effect.