Adults' Knowledge of General Psychology

Abstract

This paper reports on two studies in which different adult populations who had not formally studied psychology completed multiple-choice tests derived from general psychology textbooks to evaluate specific knowledge of the discipline. The aim was to determine to what extent psychology was “common sense” and which personal characteristics, such as sex, education, and age, best predicted correct answers. In the first study, 114 students about to start a psychology degree, and 222 nonstudent adults, completed a 106-item questionnaire taken from a standard textbook. There was considerable variability in the extent to which participants checked the correct answer, with an overall average of only 56% (just above chance). There was no statistical difference between the two groups in knowledge overall or in any particular areas. A regression showed books read and belief in the scientific nature of psychology to be the best predictors of overall knowledge. In the second study, 94 first-year students at the beginning of their course and 136 student applicants completed a 114-item questionnaire derived from a different textbook, this time focusing on child development. There was no difference in the correct responses between a psychology-student and nonstudent group, with both groups getting around 53% of the answers correct. Interest in, and experience of, psychology did not predict total correct scores. Like previous studies in the area, the results failed to indicate any major variables that predict knowledge of psychological processes.