Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

BECOMING AN 
INFORMED CONSUMER 
of Psychology
Thinking Critically About Psychology: 
Distinguishing Legitimate Psychology 
from Pseudo-Psychology
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R E C A P / E V A L U A T E / R E T H I N K
R E C A P
What are psychology’s key issues and controversies?
• Psychology’s key issues and controversies center on how 
much of human behavior is a product of nature or nur-
ture, conscious or unconscious thoughts, observable 
actions or internal mental processes, free will or deter-
minism, and individual differences or universal 
principles. (p. 23)
What is the future of psychology likely to hold?
• Psychology will become increasingly specialized, will 
pay greater attention to prevention instead of just 
treatment, will become more and more concerned 
with the public interest, and will take the growing 
diversity of the country’s population into account more 
fully. (p. 26)
E VA LU AT E
1.
The view that behavior is largely produced by factors be-
yond people’s willful control is known as 
.
2.
In the nature-nurture issue, nature refers to heredity, and 
nurture refers to the 
.
3.
Race is a biological concept, not a psychological one. True 
or false?
R E T H I N K
1.
“The fact that some businesses now promote their ability 
to help people ‘expand their minds beyond virtual reality’ 
shows the great progress psychology has made lately.” 
Criticize this statement in light of what you know about 
professional psychology and pseudo-psychology.
2.
From a social worker’s perspective: Imagine that you have a 
caseload of clients who come from diverse cultures, eth-
nicities, and races. How might you consider their diverse 
backgrounds when interacting with them and when 
assisting them with identifying and obtaining social 
services?