Let’s look now at how students responded to some of the specific items.

Students at the start of the introductory psychology course correctly and confidently identified these two statements:

Copyright © Cengage
Copyright © Cengage
However, the table below shows that students had a lot of misconceptions.

Statement

% of Intro Students Who Answered "True" at Start of Course

% of Intro Students Who Answered "True" at End of Course

% of Advanced Psych Student Who Answered "True"

If you’re unsure of your answer while taking a test, it’s best to stick with your initial hunch. [False]

52% (17)

33% (7)

45% (13)

Subliminal messages can be used to persuade others to purchase products. [False]

55% (18)

43% (9)

41% (12)

Immediate contact between a mother and infant after birth is critical for bonding. [False]

61% (20)

57% (12)

59% (17)
Research Application: Psychology Myths Part 3: Checkpoint
Assessment details
Total points: 0/3
Attempts left: 2
Assessment question

In this table, the numbers in parentheses show:


the number of students who confidently believed the statement is false, even though it’s true.


the number of students who confidently believed the statement is true, and it is true.


the number of students who confidently believed the statement is false, and it is false.


the number of students who confidently believed the statement is true, even though it’s false.
Assessment question

Which of the following statements is the best conclusion, based on these results?


On average, more than half of the students in this study endorse mistaken beliefs.


Psych majors don’t cover all these topics in their upper-level courses.


Students don’t learn enough in introductory psychology to make them change their minds.


Students have difficulty giving up false beliefs and misconceptions.
Assessment question

Only 21 of the 33 introductory psychology students who completed the questionnaire at the start of the semester completed it again at the end of the semester. Why is this information important when interpreting the results? Select the best response.


It doesn't take into account the advanced students or the students who had never taken a college psych course.


Some or all of the “missing” students may have taken a psychology course in high school that influenced their beliefs.


Some or all of the “missing” students may have corrected their misconceptions during the class.


Some or all of the “missing” students were probably psychology majors.