In the First Chapter of the Textbook, What Is Psychology

question 36

Essay

In the first chapter of the textbook, What Is Psychology?, one of the critical thinking guidelines that we learned about was "Consider Other Interpretations." Before settling on one interpretation of the evidence, critical thinkers generate as many interpretations as possible. For example, an athlete wears a new pair of socks and then surpasses her own record for the number of baskets made during a game. Her socks become "lucky" and she makes sure to wear them for each basketball game. What type of reinforcement (from Chapter 7, Learning and Conditioning) explains the fact that she clings to her socks as a lucky charm? What other interpretations should she consider?

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Definitions:

Immigration Paperwork

Documents and forms required for a person to legally immigrate and reside in a new country.

Legal Undertaking

A formal promise or agreement, often legally binding, to perform a specific act or adhere to certain conditions.

Chinese Exclusion Act

A historical law enacted by the United States Congress in 1882 that prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers.

Komagata Maru

A 1914 incident in which a ship carrying Sikh, Muslim, and Hindu passengers was denied entry into Canada due to discriminatory immigration policies.