Psychological Literacy Quiz

Explanation
Who wouldn’t want to believe that we all have 90% of untapped brain potential in us all? Unfortunately, this is not the case. Research indicates that pretty much all of our brain is used for a variety of functions. This includes memory, visual and auditory processing, emotion, and higher cognitive functioning such as complex problem solving. Otherwise we could all afford to ride our bike without helmets and suffer head trauma without losing any brain functionality. So don’t believe you have significant “brain machinery” that is not being used. Certainly we can improve our brain function, but this is usually through hard work and studying to get ahead in life.
Reference: Lilienfeld,S., Lynn,S.J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B.L. (2010). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behaviour. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell

Explanation
It’s hard enough for advertisers to impress people with blatant images let alone when they are barely detectable. Similarly, the band Judas Priest gained publicity through claims that satanic messages could be heard backwards in their heavy metal songs. However, in a controlled test, Vokey and Read (1985) found suggestibility and imagination were the key factors at work. Despite significant debunking of the idea by the scientific community, the belief that subliminal advertisements are effective pops up occasionally, such as in the 2000 U.S. presidential election.
Reference: Lilienfeld,S., Lynn,S.J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B.L. (2010). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behaviour. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell

Explanation
If you were abducted by an alien, research indicates that you would be likely to remember it. The concept of repressed memories, or dissociative amnesia, can be traced to Sigmund Freud’s belief that neuroses and hysteria are caused by sexual molestation in childhood. In fact, there is no mention of dissociative amnesia from a traumatic event in fiction or non-fiction since the 1800s. Moreover, often people remember traumatic events, such as natural disasters and war, all too well in the form of disturbing flashbacks. The concept has not been validated with experimental research – we can usually explain memory loss in terms of ordinary forgetfulness.
Reference: Lilienfeld,S., Lynn,S.J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B.L. (2010). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behaviour. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell

Explanation
Psychological research has shown that playing audios of complex information such as a new language, during your sleep, does not help you learn that complex information (even though you think it may). At most, it disturbs your sleep so that you need more of it!
Reference: Burton, L., Westen, D., & Kowalski, R.M. (2009). Psychology (2nd ed.). Milton, QLD: John Wiley & Sons.

Explanation
It would certainly be nice to change a pessimist into an optimist by assisting them with their cursive writing style, however research on the study of handwriting, or graphology, suggests that graphologists cannot predict a person’s personality better than chance factors. The same is true of astrology, which is also commonly misperceived to have a causal relationship to personality traits.
Reference: Lilienfeld,S., Lynn,S.J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B.L. (2010). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behaviour. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell

Explanation
Even eyewitnesses who get a good long look at a criminal often confidently identify the wrong perpetrator in a police line-up. How could this happen if our memories worked like a video camera? Shouldn’t we just be able to rewind and press play? Seems other factors, such as beliefs, needs, emotions and hunches get in the way of reproducing memories. In fact, our memories are more reconstructive than reproductive, meaning that our mental models, past learning and experiences influence what we choose to remember.
Reference: Lilienfeld,S., Lynn,S.J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B.L. (2010). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behaviour. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell

Explanation
The widespread assumption that you need a yin to your yang may make life much more exciting for you in the short term, however research indicates that we are much more likely to choose a partner who shares similar interests to ourselves. Similarity in personality traits, especially conscientiousness, is not only a predictor of initial attractiveness, but also marital stability and happiness. Being too different from our partner is a good predictor of relationship break-up and is unlikely to be a recipe for long-time love.
Reference: Lilienfeld,S., Lynn,S.J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B.L. (2010). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behaviour. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell

Explanation
Schizophrenia could possibly be one of the most misused psychological terms in existence. The term ‘schizophrenia’ was coined by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Blueler in 1911, meaning ‘split mind’. Since then, it has been confused with dissociative identity disorder (DID), once known as multiple personality disorder. Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental condition, where emotion and thoughts are split, resulting in confusion and a marked disruption in reality. It does matter that the term is continually misused. Trivialising this condition through lack of awareness only underestimates its severity, impact on families, and individuals’ need for treatment.
Reference: Lilienfeld,S., Lynn,S.J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B.L. (2010). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behaviour. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell

Explanation
Whilst you can probably see a bit better when you go out on a full moon, you are not more likely to get murdered, be in a car accident or be bitten by a rabid dog. Researchers have unearthed no good evidence of a "lunar effect," despite earlier flawed findings and ideas promoted by non-scientists. Why has this myth—and others about purely coincidental relationships—persisted? It is because people tend to remember events that confirm their beliefs and ignore those that don't (this is called confirmation bias). So if your house got burgled on a full moon, you will remember it and probably blame a lunatic (pun intended). Despite evidence to the contrary, police departments have been known to put more cops on duty when the moon is full.
Reference: Lilienfeld,S., Lynn,S.J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B.L. (2010). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behaviour. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell

Explanation
Fuelled by popular culture references and movie madness, if you have a mental illness you are not more likely to ‘go psycho’ and become a homicidal maniac in comparison to the rest of the population. Most major mental disorders, including anxiety disorders and major depression, are not associated with a heightened risk of physical aggression. Research suggests that even severe mental illness probably accounts for only 3-5% of violent crimes. Time to stop stereotyping?
Reference: Lilienfeld,S., Lynn,S.J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B.L. (2010). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behaviour. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell

Explanation
Men are not from Mars and women are definitely not from Venus. By using Cohen’s d statistic, which determines how large the difference between groups is, relative to the variability within these groups, interesting observations have been made. Not only do men talk pretty much the same number of words a day as women, they don’t interrupt more either. In fact, when women were in charge, studies found that they interrupted more than their male counterparts. Also, women are only slightly (statistically) more self-disclosing than men. However, research does suggest women are better than males at reading emotions from people’s faces. That’s why we need more female United Nation negotiators!
Reference: Lilienfeld,S., Lynn,S.J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B.L. (2010). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behaviour. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell

Explanation
Even though most people believe relieving anger is healthier than bottling it up, you are only more likely to get angry as a result. The catharsis belief that you feel better after letting off steam is just not true. Expressing anger is only helpful when it is accompanied by constructive problem-solving to address the source of anger. You won’t be able to do that when the next person cuts you off at the lights, so best to just forget about it and get on with your day.
Reference: Lilienfeld,S., Lynn,S.J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B.L. (2010). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behaviour. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell

Explanation
If you can choose where to have a 6 car pile-up, don’t choose a crowded city street. Research suggests you are more likely to receive help in an emergency if there are only one or a few people around. Two factors are at play here. The first, pluralistic ignorance, is the mistake of assuming that no-one shares your views. You may see someone lying down on a busy street for example and think, ‘Is she hurt?’. But when you notice no one else is doing anything, you think, ‘Oh, she must be sleeping or drunk’. The second factor, diffusion of responsibility, occurs because the individuals in the crowd feel less responsible for (and less guilty about) the victim’s outcome. A great point to note, is that research has also found that simply by being exposed to/aware of these bystander effects, you are more likely to assist in crowded emergencies.
Reference: Lilienfeld,S., Lynn,S.J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B.L. (2010). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behaviour. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell

Explanation
In contrast to the common beliefs that yellow or red are the best colours for visibility, perception researchers have found lime-green is best. When transport departments applied this scientific finding, the number of crashes involving the newly painted lime-green buses decreased.
Reference: Badcock, D.R., Hammond, G.R., Gillam, B., Brewer, N., Andrews, S. 2007, 'Psychology: The science of mind, brain, and behaviour', Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies Occasional Paper Series, N/A, 6, http://www.fasts.org/images/occasional-papers/fasts%20psych%20paper.pdf

Explanation
If only it was that easy! A correlation exists when two variables are related to each other. A positive correlation in this instance means that high scores on a self-esteem scale are associated with high grades at school. However, a correlation does not tell us whether a cause and effect relationship exists. For example, a third factor, such as parental support, may explain both factors. Even if there is no “third variable”, we do not know the direction of causation (e.g, high grades may cause high self-esteem). Reference: Stanovich, K. (2010). How to Think Straight About Psychology (9th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.