Deck 7: Cognition and Mental Abilities

Question 1

The linguistic relativity hypothesis suggests that ________.

A) perception of surface structure precedes deep structure in understanding a sentence
B) we decide which objects belong to a concept according to what is most probable or sensible, given the facts at hand
C) one's language determines the pattern of one's thinking and view of the world
D) one's thinking and view of the world determines the structure of one's language

Answer 1

one's language determines the pattern of one's thinking and view of the world

Question 2

A mental representation of a sensory experience is known as a(n) ________.

A) cognition
B) concept
C) heuristic
D) image

Answer 2

image

Question 3

The belief that thought and experience are determined by language is known as linguistic ________.

A) objectivism
B) determinism
C) absolutism
D) exclusivity

Answer 3

determinism

Question 4

Researchers have found that ________ influenced by culture.

A) language, but not thought, is
B) thought, but not language, is
C) both language and thought are
D) neither language nor thought are

Question 5

The process whereby we acquire and apply information is known as ________.

A) intelligence
B) learning
C) cognition
D) perception

Question 6

In a recent study that required men and women to respond to gender-neutral and gender- specific pronouns, ________ responded more quickly to stimuli that contained traditional gender stereotypes than to stimuli that contained nontraditional stereotypes.

A) men, but not women
B) women, but not men
C) both women and men
D) neither men nor women

Question 7

The language rules that determine how sounds and words can be combined and used to communicate meaning within a language are ________.

A) syntax
B) morphemes
C) grammar
D) semantics

Question 8

The particular words and phrases that make up a sentence are its ________ structure.

A) simple
B) surface
C) complex
D) deep

Question 9

The system of rules that governs how we assign meaning to the morphemes we use is called ________.

A) phonology
B) semantics
C) syntax
D) regularization

Question 10

"The exam today was difficult." "Today, the exam was difficult." These two sentences all exhibit the same ________.

A) linguistic universals
B) deep structure
C) linguistic relativity
D) surface structure

Question 11

Hyde's research found that female workers were likely to be rated least positively when the term ________ was used to describe workers in general.

A) "they"
B) "he or she"
C) "she"
D) "he"

Question 12

The three most important building blocks of thought are ________.

A) language, images, and concepts
B) motivations, feelings, and language
C) concepts, algorithms, and heuristics
D) semantics, phonemes, and morphemes

Question 13

By themselves, phonemes are ________.

A) syntactical
B) units of prototypes
C) units of meaning
D) meaningless

Question 14

When you wish to understand a sentence, you must start with listening to the speech sounds that make up the words and phrases, decipher the meaning of each of the words and phrases, and eventually interpret the idea conveyed by the sentence. This is sometimes called a(n) ________.

A) transaction
B) heuristic
C) interpolation
D) transformation

Question 15

The basic sound units of any language are called ________.

A) phonemes
B) semantics
C) morphemes
D) sound bites

Question 16

The two main components of grammar are ________.

A) prototype construction and linguistic relativity
B) semantics and syntax
C) phonemes and morphemes
D) top-down processing and bottom-up processing

Question 17

Prefixes, suffixes, and words are examples of ________.

A) phonemes
B) semantics
C) morphemes
D) subjugations

Question 18

The smallest meaningful units in a language are ________.

A) processors
B) semantics
C) phonemes
D) morphemes

Question 19

There is a rule in the English language that adjectives come before nouns. This rule is an example of ________.

A) phonetic fluidity
B) linguistic relativity
C) syntax
D) semantics

Question 20

Use of a histogram, in which each item has a bar representing how much it costs, is an example of a(n) ________.

A) image
B) concept
C) algorithm
D) classification prototype

Question 21

Rules of thumb that do not guarantee a solution but may help bring one within reach are called ________.

A) algorithms
B) functional sets
C) heuristics
D) problem states

Question 22

Using the criteria of meaningfulness, displacement, and productivity, ________.

A) only mammals and birds have their own language
B) only other mammals have their own language
C) only humans have their own language
D) most other species have their own language

Question 23

Most concepts that people use in thinking ________.

A) allow them to generalize but not to think abstractly
B) accurately account for critical differences among various images
C) are fuzzy and overlap with one another
D) depend on the capacity of short-term memory

Question 24

Non-human animals communicate primarily through ________.

A) phonemes
B) morphemes
C) images
D) signs

Question 25

Ralph cannot generate an accurate list of critical differences between mice and rats, but he can still use the concepts of mice and rats in his thinking. This is because he has ________.

A) confused the concepts of rats and mice
B) developed phonemes for rats and mice
C) developed prototypes for rats and mice
D) developed morphemes for rats and mice

Question 26

The type of thinking required to solve problems requiring a creative, flexible, or inventive solution is ________ thinking.

A) divergent
B) functional
C) circular
D) convergent

Question 27

Human infants first demonstrate mirror-recognition at ________ months of age.

A) 1 to 6
B) 6 to 12
C) 12 to 18
D) 18 to 24

Question 28

Mental categories for classifying specific objects, people, and experiences are known as ________.

A) evaluations
B) images
C) reflections
D) concepts

Question 29

Researchers who taught a gorilla named Koko to use sign language found that through age 5 her vocabulary was ________ the spoken vocabulary of a human 5-year-old and was ________ than the vocabulary of a deaf 5-year-old child using sign language.

A) smaller than; larger than
B) smaller than; about the same as
C) about the same as; larger than
D) smaller than; smaller than

Question 30

Andrea enters her Spanish class and sits down in anticipation of her first exam. When the professor hands out the paper, she sees that the exam is multiple-choice. What type of thinking will be necessary for her to do well on the test?

A) convergent thinking
B) divergent thinking
C) circular thinking
D) functional thinking

Question 31

Problem representation is ________.

A) an alternative to using algorithms
B) interpreting or defining a problem
C) a specific type of heuristic
D) a specific type of decision making

Question 32

The mirror test with animals has been used primarily to test for ________.

A) light sensitivity
B) depth perception
C) visual acuity
D) self-awareness

Question 33

Jack had never met a professor before he went to college. However, from what he had heard, he developed a mental image of all professors being male, absent-minded, middle-aged, wearing glasses and tweed sports jackets, smoking a pipe, and speaking with a British accent. This mental image is best described as a(n) ________.

A) compensatory model
B) concept
C) algorithm
D) heuristic

Question 34

After problem interpretation, the next step in problem solving is ________.

A) selection of a solution strategy
B) a short period of trial and error
C) creation of subgoals
D) a means-end analysis

Question 35

Numerous studies indicate that animals ________.

A) are incapable of thought
B) have fully humanlike cognitive capacities
C) have some humanlike cognitive capacities
D) are capable of some primitive thought, but have no humanlike cognitive capacities

Question 36

When a person thinks of a concept such as "bird," the person usually ________.

A) constructs a mental list of key attributes of a bird
B) has to identify the particular type of bird before a concept of a bird can be generated
C) thinks of a prototype of a bird that captures for them the essence of the concept
D) eliminates all the attributes of being a nonbird

Question 37

Honeybees communicate through the use of ________.

A) the sounds made by vibrating their wings
B) their stingers, to touch other bees in the hive
C) pheromones
D) an intricate waggle dance

Question 38

Ken knows that the radius of a circle is 5 feet, but he needs to calculate the diameter. The most effective solution strategy he can use involves a(n) ________.

A) heuristic
B) algorithm
C) noncompensatory model
D) means-end analysis

Question 39

James is watching Danielle's cats for the weekend, so Danielle left her keys with James. She forgot to tell him which key opened the door, and he cannot reach her. She only has about seven keys on the key ring. The best strategy for James to use in this situation would be ________.

A) heuristics
B) information retrieval
C) trial and error
D) hill-climbing

Question 40

By age 5, speaking and hearing human children have a vocabulary of between ________ words.

A) 100 and 500
B) 500 and 900
C) 1,000 and 5,000
D) 5,000 and 10,000

Question 41

In taking a multiple-choice test, you first read the question and try to develop an answer. Then you check to see if your answer is one of the choices. If it's not, you try to eliminate any obviously wrong alternatives, and finally try to find the best answer from among those that remain. This problem-solving strategy is an example of ________.

A) top-down processing
B) an algorithm
C) functional fixedness
D) a heuristic

Question 42

The process of moving continuously closer to a final goal without ever digressing or going backward is ________.

A) hill climbing
B) stepwise incrimination
C) functional fixedness
D) subgoal activation

Question 43

Which of the following is the best example of hill climbing?

A) playing roulette at a casino without keeping track of your winnings or your losses
B) working out a solution to a puzzle game
C) constructing a model airplane
D) spending $100 impulsively while shopping

Question 44

The tendency to perceive and approach problems in certain ways is called ________.

A) noncompensatory modeling
B) mental set
C) prototypical idealization
D) means-end analysis

Question 45

Sue is taking her physics final on Friday, and is attempting to study by thinking first about what the professor said the exam would look like and encompass, so she can craft her study material and guide similarly. What heuristic strategy best describes what Sue is completing?

A) means-end analysis
B) hill climbing
C) working backward
D) algorithm

Question 46

A problem-solving strategy in which an individual or a group produces numerous ideas and evaluates them only after all ideas have been collected is called ________.

A) critiquing
B) brainstorming
C) functional analysis
D) convergent thinking

Question 47

Failing to see that a wrench can also be used to hammer a nail is an example of ________.

A) functional fixedness
B) reproductive thinking
C) positive transfer
D) learned helplessness

Question 48

Emilio is an IT consultant for several different companies. One company hired him to install a firewall against a newly discovered cyber-threat, and it took him 45 hours to complete. Another company asked him to do something similar, and it only took him 30 hours. The most likely reason for his faster solution this time is ________.

A) mental set
B) creating subgoals
C) hill-climbing
D) means-end analysis

Question 49

Numerous studies have found that subtle changes in the way in which information is presented ________.

A) barely affect a person's final decision in a minor way
B) can dramatically affect a person's final decision
C) have no effect on a person's final decision
D) rarely affect a person's final decision

Question 50

An admissions director for a college decides to keep the existing admissions policy since 80% of the students admitted eventually graduate. Unknown to her, 90 percent of the rejected applicants would also have been successful graduates. Her decision- making process is hampered by ________.

A) the representativeness heuristic
B) the availability heuristic
C) hill-climbing
D) creating subgoals

Question 51

The decision-making process that involves making a decision on the basis of certain features that are similar to a stereotyped model is called ________.

A) compensatory decision modeling
B) hill-climbing
C) the availability heuristic
D) the representativeness heuristic

Question 52

Gary is assigned to write a history paper. Instead of writing it all in one sitting, he breaks the assignment up into a series of separate tasks that include choosing a topic, doing the research, preparing an outline, writing the first draft, editing, etc. His strategy is best described as ________.

A) hill climbing
B) using algorithms
C) creating subgoals
D) means-end analysis

Question 53

The tendency to look for evidence in support of a belief and to ignore evidence that would disprove a belief is called the ________.

A) representativeness heuristic
B) idealized cognitive model
C) confirmation bias
D) availability heuristic

Question 54

A special kind of problem solving in which we already know all the possible solutions or choices is ________.

A) divergent thinking
B) convergent thinking
C) functional thinking
D) decision making

Question 55

A heuristic strategy that combines hill climbing and subgoals is ________.

A) information retrieval
B) working backward
C) trial and error
D) means-end analysis

Question 56

An important aspect of a compensatory decision-making model is ________.

A) a brief period of trial and error
B) the elimination-by-aspects tactic
C) working backward from the goal to the givens
D) weights assigned to the various criteria

Question 57

Margo can't close the window in her office, and a strong wind has come up. She complains to John that her papers are blowing around and she can't find a paperweight. John takes the empty heavy coffee mug from her bookshelf and puts it on top of her papers to anchor them. Margo has been suffering from ________.

A) inadequate means-end analysis
B) functional fixedness
C) noncompensatory modeling
D) working backward

Question 58

A seemingly arbitrary flash "out of the blue," where the solution to a problem suddenly becomes apparent to you, but you do not consciously know how you "figured it out," is called ________.

A) brainstorming
B) a mental set
C) insight
D) priming

Question 59

Clayton is looking for a house to buy. As he looks at different houses, he weighs the different features that each offers. For instance, while he prefers a brick house, he saw a wooden house that had a better floor plan, a reasonable price, and was in a good school district. Clayton decides that the wooden house is a better buy despite not being made of brick. His decision-making style involved the use of a ________.

A) means-end analysis
B) noncompensatory model
C) compensatory model
D) functional mind set

Question 60

The perspective from which we interpret information before making a decision is known as ________.

A) framing
B) hill climbing
C) counterfactual thinking
D) priming

Question 61

The methods of test-retest and split-half are used to measure ________.

A) test norms
B) validity
C) reliability
D) construct accuracy

Question 62

Gardner and his associates are known for proposing the ________.

A) triarchic theory of intelligence
B) generalized theory of intelligence
C) theory of multiple intelligences
D) theory of emotional intelligence

Question 63

Thurstone proposed ________ distinct mental abilities.

A) five
B) seven
C) three
D) nine

Question 64

The current version of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale measures ________ kinds of mental abilities.

A) 4
B) 15
C) 2
D) 7

Question 65

According to Sternberg, the ability to find solutions to personal problems involves ________ intelligence.

A) practical
B) analytical
C) creative
D) exponential

Question 66

Tests that minimize or eliminate the use of words are ________.

A) performance tests
B) aptitude tests
C) achievement tests
D) IQ tests

Question 67

Kerstin is 8 years old and has just immigrated from Sweden. She is placed in a third-grade class, but she does not do well. Her teacher sends her to the school psychologist for intelligence testing. Noting that Kerstin does not speak English very well, the psychologist chooses a culture-fair test and administers the ________.

A) WAIS-IV
B) Seguin Form Board
C) Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test
D) Stanford-Binet

Question 68

Which of the following situations exemplifies a proper mode of administration or use of an intelligence test?

A) Individual administration of the WISC-IV to a graduate school applicant.
B) Individualized administration of the WAIS-IV to an adult college applicant.
C) Group administration of the WAIS-IV to graduate school applicants.
D) Group administration of the Sequin Form Board to test for mental retardation.

Question 69

A major difference between the Stanford-Binet test and the WAIS is that the ________.

A) WAIS measures only verbal ability
B) Stanford-Binet test is made especially for the elderly
C) Stanford-Binet test measures a wider range of abilities
D) WAIS is made especially for adults

Question 70

In general, research has shown that multitasking often ________.

A) increases accuracy
B) slows down thinking
C) reduces stress
D) has no effect

Question 71

After his football team wins a close game on a very risky play that rarely works, Greg says, "I KNEW that play would win the game for us." In reality, he wasn't at all sure it would work until after the play was completed. His thinking is an example of ________.

A) hindsight bias
B) counterfactual thinking
C) framing
D) the confirmation bias

Question 72

The Seguin Form Board is an example of a(n) ________.

A) achievement test
B) verbal aptitude test
C) performance test
D) culture-fair test

Question 73

A school psychologist has written a test to predict success in algebra. She administers the test on Monday to ten students. Wednesday, she administers the same test again to the same ten students. She is attempting to ________.

A) measure environmental effects on student test performance
B) get an estimate of criterion-related validity
C) get an estimate of content validity
D) establish the test's reliability

Question 74

Ruby received a score of 90 on an intelligence test. Two days later she received a score of 55 on a different form of the same test. The test was apparently lacking in ________.

A) validity
B) reliability
C) culture-fairness
D) content-relations

Question 75

The ability of a test to measure what it sets out to measure is ________.

A) reliability
B) correlation coefficient
C) standard deviation
D) validity

Question 76

How effectively people perceive and understand their own feelings and the feelings of others, and can regulate and manage their own feeling-related behaviors is ________ intelligence.

A) maturational
B) empathic
C) emotional
D) emotive

Question 77

Terman introduced the concept of ________.

A) IQ
B) content validity
C) mental age
D) basal age

Question 78

Charles Spearman believed that ________.

A) intelligence and creativity seldom go together
B) people who are intelligent in one area are usually intelligent in other areas, too
C) people exhibit specific and varied degrees of intelligence in different areas
D) people who are intelligent in math are often not intelligent in verbal skills

Question 79

Robert is applying for a job as a legal secretary. In addition to testing his secretarial skills, the law firm is most likely to test his general intelligence by administering the ________.

A) WAIS-IV
B) Stanford-Binet
C) Binet-Simon
D) WISC- IV

Question 80

Thinking about alternative realities and things that never happened is known as ________.

A) framing
B) hindsight
C) the confirmation bias
D) counterfactual thinking