Psychology Myths Test: How Accurate Is Your Psychological Knowledge?

Separate psychological fact from fiction.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | Last Updated: March 19, 2026

Psychological myths are surprisingly common, even among well-educated individuals. Many popular beliefs about the brain, memory, mental illness, and human behavior sound convincing but aren’t supported by scientific evidence. This test helps uncover how these misconceptions may be influencing the way you think, judge, and make decisions.

The Psychology Myths & Facts Test explores widely held assumptions about topics such as intelligence, personality, relationships, and mental health. By reflecting on your level of agreement with each statement, you’ll gain insight into where your beliefs align with psychological science—and where misinformation may have taken hold.

If you’re curious about how beliefs shape perception and behavior, you may also find value in exploring our Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale and the Belief in Astrology Inventory, which examine how people form and maintain unverified beliefs.

Take The Psychological Misconception Questionnaire

For each statement, indicate how much you agree. For best results, answer honestly and trust your first instinct.

1. Hypnosis represents a completely different state of consciousness than being awake.

2. Inkblot tests can accurately measure personality characteristics.

3. Everyone who is dying goes through the same predictable emotional stages.

4. Facial expressions alone can reliably reveal when someone is lying.

5. Adolescence is typically a time of extreme emotional upheaval for most people.

6. Most adults experience a significant midlife crisis between ages 40 and 60.

7. Traumatic memories are always unconsciously blocked from awareness.

8. People are usually attracted to romantic partners who are very different from them.

9. Childhood sexual abuse almost always leads to severe personality problems later in life.

10. Hypnosis is an effective way to accurately recover forgotten memories.

11. Human memory records experiences much like a video camera.

12. Listening to classical music as a child produces lasting boosts in intelligence.

13. Polygraph tests are highly accurate at detecting lies.

14. Most people would refuse to harm another person even if instructed by an authority figure.

15. A person’s attitudes consistently predict how they will behave.

16. Children raised by same-sex parents are very likely to adopt the same sexual orientation.

17. People tend to rely primarily on either the left or right side of their brain.

18. The presence of more bystanders increases the likelihood that someone will help in an emergency.

19. Humans use only a small fraction of their brain’s full potential.

20. Most autistic individuals have exceptional or savant-like talents.

21. Amnesia usually causes people to lose all memories from early childhood.

22. Eyewitness accounts are one of the most dependable forms of criminal evidence.

23. Students learn best when teaching matches their individual learning style.

24. A person’s handwriting reliably reveals their personality traits.

25. Maintaining positive thoughts can significantly prevent serious illnesses like cancer.

26. Schizophrenia involves having multiple distinct personalities.

27. Analyzing dreams provides dependable insight into unconscious desires.

28. Rates of autism have risen dramatically over the past two decades due to new causes.

29. Intelligence is fixed at birth and cannot be changed much through effort or experience.

Now, enter your demographics to see how you stack up against others.

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References

Inspired by work by Hughes, S., Lyddy, F., & Kaplan, R. (2013). The impact of language and response format on student endorsement of psychological misconceptions. Teaching of Psychology, 40(1), 31–37.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does this scale take?
It takes a few minutes to complete.

Are my responses private?
Yes, all responses are anonymized and confidential.

Can I take this test more than once?
Yes, you can retake the test any time to see how your results may have changed.

Disclaimer

This scale is designed for entertainment purposes and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

Psychology Myths Test: How Accurate Is Your Psychological Knowledge?

Take The Psychological Misconception Questionnaire

Now, enter your demographics to see how you stack up against others.

References

Frequently Asked Questions

Disclaimer

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