The purpose of this exercise is to make you more aware of the different thought processes required by multiple-choice questions. During this exercise, you will begin to realize that you must truly understand, not merely memorize, the material presented in this class if you wish to perform well on your tests. I urge you to develop study techniques that will enable you to answer any of the following types of questions you may encounter in the tests given in this class. Please read the following passage, and then answer the questions that follow it.

This question involves all the cognitive skills measured by the first five questions, plus it requires you to evaluate the knowledge you have acquired so that you can produce a logical decision based on a thorough understanding of a relational concept (e.g., factors that affect the successful transfer of information from working memory to LTM) that can be used to explain an example of complex human behavior (e.g., forgetting).

How well did you perform on this quiz? (The answers appear at the bottom of this page.) If you performed well, you possess the ability to retain and understand the information you will encounter in this class. Now all you need is the motivation to work hard so you can actualize your high academic potential. If your performance on this quiz was less than spectacular-and you would like to avoid this type of performance on your classroom tests-then you should spend some time analyzing why you missed the questions that you did. If you are like most students who take this quiz and perform below their expectations, you probably answered the first two or three questions correctly, but then began to experience difficulty as you attempted to answer the later questions that required you to apply, compare, contrast, or evaluate your knowledge. If this is the case, give careful consideration to your personal understanding of what it means "to study" a textbook assignment. If studying means making sure that your eyes see every word in your assignment and memorizing the important terms and their definitions, then I urge you to change your idea of what it means "to study." To answer the later questions on this quiz, you must assume an active approach to studying in which you ask yourself some of the following questions as you progress through your reading assignment.

When you ask yourself these questions as you read an assignment-and read actively to discover the answers-you will be engaging in a method of study that will increase your comprehension of the material you are reading and increase the probability that you will perform well on tests. Take this exercise and its results seriously. If you find yourself performing more poorly in this class than you would like, review this exercise again as the class progresses. If your study skills are a bit rusty or if you have never really learned how to study, then the following suggestions about how to read a textbook for maximum comprehension, how to maximize note-taking efficiency, and how to maximize test-taking performance may help you reach your academic potential in this and other classes. I have been teaching classes in introductory psychology and study skills for more than 25 years, and this is the advice that I have found to be most valuable for my students who ask: "How can I do better in this class?"

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes, and for this reason psychology majors are typically interested in understanding how and why people behave in the manner that they do. This interest leads them to explore human behavior from a number of different perspectives and to use a variety of methods to search for the answers to their questions (Grissom, Jefferson, Larner, Wesner, & Appleby, 1991). "Psychology majors will acquire a solid knowledge base of psychological terms, concepts, principles, and theories; the ability to gather and synthesize information from a variety of sources; a familiarity with a wide range of psychological methods; the communication skills necessary to write and speak clearly and convincingly; the interpersonal skills that will lead you to understand and help others; and the critical thinking skills to help you apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the knowledge you acquire" (Marian College Psychology Department, 1997, p. 1). Developing these skills will enable a psychology major to prepare for graduate school, for a career, and for life after college.

Students are required to take many courses in order to successfully graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. As freshmen, psychology majors are expected to take General Psychology. This course is designed to introduce students to the full range of psychological thought and to help them make informed decisions about what electives in psychology to take in the future (Appleby, Camp, & Wittekind, 1997). During a psychology major's sophomore year, the student begins to become more involved in the methodological side of psychology. Statistical Methods and Experimental Methods in Psychology are both courses designed to help students choose and perform the statistical tests psychologists use to summarize, describe, and draw conclusions from the data they collect. Students also learn how psychologists design and carry out research projects in order to investigate the variables that affect behavior and mental processes (Appleby et al., 1997). As students arrive at their junior year, the required psychology courses start to focus on different aspects of psychology. Psychological Tests and Measurement, Psychology of Learning, and Social Psychology are a few of the courses that students may take during their junior year. In these courses, students will learn about different types of tests psychologists use to measure individual differences, what psychologists have discovered about how the behavior and mental processes of humans and animals change as a result of their environment, and how the behaviors and mental processes of individuals are influenced by others (Appleby et al., 1997). During the second semester of their junior year, they may also participate in an internship, directed research, or independent study in psychology. As students participate in these activities, they apply what they have learned in other psychology classes in a "hands-on" setting. Senior year is an exciting time for most psychology majors. Students are now at the point in which they must decide what path they will follow after they graduate. During this final year, psychology majors take courses such as History of Psychology and Senior Seminar in Psychology. In these courses students will learn how the principles, concepts, theories, and methods of psychology have evolved over the years, and they are also required to demonstrate the knowledge and skills that they have developed in their previous psychology classes in papers, discussions, group projects, and formal oral presentations (Appleby et. al., 1997).

In order to be successful as a psychology major, students must be able to use the critical thinking skill of retention to remember basic psychological terms, definitions, facts, principles, and sequences. Students may accomplish this task by writing key terms on flash cards and quizzing themselves on the vocabulary until they are sure that they have retained the desired information. Professors also help students to retain information by putting important words on the board, and authors make important words bold-faced in textbooks. A sample test question that requires a student to retain specific information would be "The scientific study of behavior and mental processes is known as _______. a) psychiatry b) psychology c) introspection d) psychoanalysis" (Appleby & Matlin, 1995, p. 23 ). In this question, a student must be able to retain what the definition of a particular word is in order to correctly answer the question. Professors evaluate whether or not a student has retained certain information by giving students objective tests such as multiple-choice, matching, or fill-in-the-blanks tests. Objective tests are used to see if a student is able to recognize the definitions of terms. Retention answers the basic questions of who, what, where, and when and is the most basic critical thinking skill. If psychology majors were unable to retain information, they would also be unable to comprehend the basic information associated with the retained information and would be completely lost in the class.

Comprehension involves understanding the meaning of material. In psychology, comprehension is needed to explain or translate the concept behind basic psychological principles, methods, and theories, and to understand what is required to do an experiment (Appleby, 1997). A sample question in which a student must use comprehension to successfully answer the question correctly is: "One disadvantage of the SAT is known as the restricted range problem. This problem refers to the fact that _______. a) the SAT measures only a restricted range of mental abilities b) not everyone who takes the SAT goes to college c) SAT scores often restrict the range of colleges to which students may apply d) students who take the SAT complain that its restricted range of questions prevents them from exhibiting their full range of abilities" (Appleby, 1997, p. 9). Comprehending the purposes, components, advantages, and disadvantages of psychological principles is necessary in order to answer questions, such as this one, correctly. Professors help students to comprehend information by giving examples of different theories and principles so that a student does not simply memorize them, but can understand and use them in different forms. Professors evaluate students by giving them objective tests such as multiple-choice tests or critical thinking projects in which they are required to identify or produce an original example of a method, principle, or theory. Comprehension answers the basic questions of why and how. If psychology majors could not comprehend the basic information conveyed in class, then they could not possibly apply that information to their own lives to solve problems.

Application is the ability to use learned material to solve problems. Psychology majors use application to learn how to use psychological principles and methods to change behaviors and mental processes. They also use application to solve problems using the scientific method. In psychology classes, students are given problems to solve such as essays or critical thinking projects. These problems are assigned in order to strengthen a student's critical thinking skill of application. One example of a critical thinking project that requires students to use the skill of application is: "Your best friend is extremely gullible. He recently read a magazine advertisement for a $500 correspondence course in hypnosis and meditation that is guaranteed to teach everyone to improve their memory, reclaim the lost joys of childhood, and reduce anxiety in threatening situations by revealing 'the magical keys that unlock the unconscious mind and produce peace and inner tranquility.' He has come to you for your advice about enrolling in the course because he trusts your judgment and he knows that you are enrolled in a psychology class in which the topics of hypnosis and meditation are covered. What advice will you give him? Should he borrow $500 to unlock his unconscious mind, or should he save his money and maintain he peace and inner tranquility by not going into debt? Support the advice you give your friend with specific information from your textbook" (Appleby, 1997, p. 12). This critical thinking project requires students to apply the knowledge they have learned in class (regarding hypnosis and meditation) to a real-life situation (giving a friend advice). Professors evaluate students on their use of this skill by giving them a problem or a paper that may ask the student to come up with a strategy to solve the problem on the basis of research that has already been performed. Application answers the basic questions of how and can a problem be solved. If psychology majors were unable to apply information, all of the information that they comprehend would be useless because the students would not be able to apply that information to real-life situations.

Analysis is the ability to understand a complex whole, be able to separate it into its basic units, and understand how those units interact with each other. Psychology majors must use analysis to understand how different systems in the body work independently and together with one another. Psychology majors must make use of analysis in order to understand how the sensory, working, and long-term memories work independently and together with one another. Professors help teach students to apply analysis in the classroom setting by asking students open-ended questions about how two things differ from one another and how they interact with each other. Evaluation of this critical thinking skill is done by assigning critical thinking projects such as: "Project yourself into the future. You are a Marian College graduate, and you have a job. Explain you job, give a specific example of how your job will require you to use each of the six critical thinking skills, and explain a specific negative consequence in you were unable to use each of them" (Appleby, 1997, p. 12). In this critical thinking project, students are asked to take a complex whole (their future profession) and break it up (how does a person use each of the six critical thinking skills in this line of work). Using analysis will prepare students to relate material that they may have never related before. If a person were unable to use analysis, they would not be able to do research, perform experiments involving research, or write a term paper.

Synthesis is the ability to combine separate parts into new and creative wholes. Psychology majors use synthesis to produce unique and creative psychological ideas, solutions, hypotheses, and theories. Psychology majors learn the critical thinking skill of synthesis by doing experiments involving research and collecting data to answer questions. Doing experiments requires a student to form a hypothesis, confirm or disprove that hypothesis, and come to a conclusion. In order to successfully do this, a student must combine separate parts (different research and experiments) in order to form a new and creative whole (combining research and results of experiments to form new conclusions). A sample question which involves a student to use the critical thinking skill of synthesis is: "Use the results of empirical research described in your text to answer the question: 'Does watching violent television cause children to behave more aggressively?'" (Appleby, 1997, p. 10). Professors evaluate students on this skill by assigning research papers where a student must gather information from different sources and put it together in an organized, persuasive manner. Psychology majors must master this critical thinking skill in order for them to be able to combine previously learned material in order to produce new and creative ideas. If psychology students could not use synthesis, they would not be able to write an effectively persuasive research paper.

Evaluation is the ability to assess the value of any given material for a specific purpose. Psychology majors must use evaluation in order to identify and use valid criteria and methods during the processes of assessment, diagnosis, and research . This critical thinking skill is acquired through the assessment of potential case studies and internships. Professors evaluate students on the use of this skill by presenting a problem to students, and asking them to come up with a conclusion. An example of a question requiring a student to use the critical thinking skill of evaluation is: "Determine the value of a TAT on the basis of its reliability, validity, and standardization." A person must also use evaluation in order to decide which approach would be most appropriate in treating a potential client. The acquisition of this critical thinking skill will prepare a psychology major to distinguish between fact and fiction, education and propaganda, relevant and irrelevant information, and rational and irrational beliefs about psychology (Appleby, 1997). Evaluation is the most complicated of the critical thinking skills, and because of that reason, evaluation tests are more prevalent at the junior-senior level of psychology.

A psychology major is required to use all of the critical thinking skills. Mastering these skills is essential to being successful in and graduating from college. After graduation with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, a person can choose from a wide variety of career paths because the field of psychology is so diverse. Some of the careers involving applied psychology are in human resources, advertising, research, health services, administration, teaching, and market research (Appleby, et al., 1997). Some of the careers involving more basic or technical psychology include market analyst, computer programmer, or psychometrician (Appleby et al., 1997). Of course an undergraduate may decide to go on to graduate school to attain a Masters, Ph.D., or specialized degree. Some of the career paths for a person who decides to attend graduate school may include: clinical psychologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, family counselor, director of clinic or agency, physician, lawyer, sports psychologist, human resources director, college professor, researcher, statistician, or consultant (Appleby et al., 1997). Of course these are not the only fields from which a psychology major can choose. A knowledge of the principles and methods of psychology--and the critical thining skills developed by psychology majors--are involved in virtually every career and, because of this, psychology majors are open to an endless selection of career paths.

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