Deck 41: Psychology in Action: Enhancing Creativity

Question 1

A problem is presented in the textbook that involves arranging six matches to make four triangles.The triangles must be the same size,and each side must be equal to the length of one match.Most people are initially unable to solve this problem because they assume incorrectly that the matches must be arranged on a flat surface rather in a three- dimensional pyramid shape.This incorrect assumption illustrates how which of the following can be a major barrier to creative thinking?

A)a mental set
B)divergent thinking
C)a prototype
D)incubation

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Fixations and functional fixedness are specific types of

A)insight learning.
B)divergent thinking.
C)prototypes.
D)mental sets.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

When you approach a problem-solving situation by asking a group to produce as many ideas as possible without criticism,you are

A)maximizing a cognitive set.
B)encouraging groupthink.
C)reducing the tendency toward creativity.
D)encouraging brainstorming.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is a major barrier to creative thinking and can lead us to see a problem in preconceived terms that impede our problem-solving attempts?

A)forming a mental set
B)divergent thought
C)using analogies
D)brainstorming

Question 5

Dr.Selman is using a method in her class that encourages creative thinking and that involves having the students to produce as many ideas as possible without fear of criticism.Dr.Selman is using

A)brainstorming.
B)groupthink.
C)the representativeness heuristic.
D)a mental set.

Question 6

In order to find new ways to open a can,a group leader asks his team of inventors to think of "opening," in general, rather than asking them to come up with a better way to open a can.In doing so,this group leader will

A)encourage creativity since he broadly defined the problem.
B)discourage creativity because he defined the problem too broadly.
C)encourage the use of mental sets,thus,encouraging creativity.
D)prevent incubation of the problem,thus,discouraging creativity.

Question 7

A supervisor is given the problem to design a better doorway and presents this task to his employees by asking them to "devise ways to define separate areas for living and working." The supervisor's revised task for his employees will

A)encourage creativity by broadly defining the problem.
B)discourage creativity because the problem has been defined too broadly.
C)encourage creativity by quickly creating mental sets.
D)prevent incubation of the problem and discourage creativity.

Question 8

The tendency to perceive a problem in a way that blinds us to possible solutions is called

A)a mental set.
B)divergent thought.
C)a prototype.
D)brainstorming.

Question 9

When ideas are freely generated during brainstorming,it

A)leads to faulty logic.
B)results in the cognitive overload effect.
C)leads to functional fixedness.
D)enhances creativity.

Question 10

In order to arrive at a creative solution to a problem,it is often useful to

A)get to the specifics of the problem quickly.
B)define the problem as narrowly as possible.
C)break mental sets and challenge assumptions.
D)discard as many impractical suggestions as quickly as possible.

Question 11

You are asked the following tricky question,"A farmer had 19 sheep.All but 9 died.How many sheep did the farmer have left?" To answer this question,you must

A)utilize a mental set.
B)define the problem narrowly.
C)actively challenge your assumptions.
D)look for analogies within the problem.

Question 12

You are asked the following tricky question,"If there are 12 one­cent candies in a dozen,how many two­cent candies are there in a dozen?" To answer this question correctly,you must

A)utilize a mental set.
B)define the problem narrowly.
C)actively challenge your assumptions.
D)look for analogies within the problem.

Question 13

The key to brainstorming is to

A)form mental sets early in the problem-solving process.
B)use convergent thinking first and then divergent thinking.
C)keep the production of ideas separate from their evaluation.
D)use a narrow framing of the problem.

Question 14

Which of the following would NOT encourage creativity?

A)breaking mental sets and challenging assumptions
B)defining the problem broadly
C)looking for analogies and delaying evaluation
D)utilizing convergent thinking under time pressure

Question 15

Mary has to write a major term paper in psychology.So,she begins by writing as many ideas as she can think of regarding the topics that interest her most in psychology.She lets her imagination run wild,seeking unusual,remote,and wild ideas.She will modify and combine these ideas freely and will not criticize any of the ideas until she has elaborated or improved on the most promising ideas.Mary is using which of the following techniques in choosing a topic for her term paper?

A)convergent thinking
B)brainstorming
C)algorithmic reasoning
D)"thin­slicing"

Question 16

Seek unusual,remote,or wild ideas;record ideas as they come;modify or combine ideas freely;and absolutely do not criticize ideas until later are ways to successfully promote

A)the formation of mental sets.
B)groupthink.
C)brainstorming.
D)"thin­slicing."

Question 17

A problem is presented in the textbook that involves connecting nine dots arranged in a square using four continuous lines drawn without lifting the pencil.Most people are initially unable to solve this problem because they assume incorrectly that they are not allowed to extend the lines beyond the square formed by the dots.This incorrect assumption illustrates how which of the following can be major barrier to creative thinking?

A)incubation
B)divergent thinking
C)a prototype
D)a mental set

Question 18

Which of the following statements about enhancing creativity is TRUE?

A)It helps creativity to be evaluated on your solutions or ideas as soon as possible.
B)Restating the problem in different ways tends to produce more creative solutions.
C)Trying to hurry or forcing a solution tends to encourage creative thought.
D)Following an algorithmic approach will lead to more idea generation.

Question 19

Regarding how creativity can be encouraged,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)Many studies of creativity show that "genius" and "eminence" owe as much to persistence and dedication as they do to inspiration.
B)Encouraging mental sets can lead you to see the world from a more creative perspective.
C)To encourage creativity,seek varied input by randomly looking up words in the dictionary and relating them to the problem.
D)If you are feeling hurried by a sense of time pressure,you are almost always less likely to think creatively.

Question 20

When brainstorming is applied to individual problem solving,the essential point to remember is to

A)suspend judgment.
B)use convergent thinking.
C)set a short time limit.
D)list the ideas outloud.

Question 21

Since many "new" problems are really old problems in new clothing,most problems become easier to solve when we

A)isolate ourselves and focus intently and persistently on the problem.
B)make a very quick decision since intuitive thinking is very creative.
C)dig deeper into a problem with logic.
D)look for analogies to represent the problem.

Question 22

Regarding how to live creatively,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)People who think in conventional ways cannot live intelligent,successful,or fulfilling lives.
B)Creative thinking can add spice to life and lead to exciting personal insights.
C)To live creatively,one must start doing more of what you really enjoy,less of what you dislike.
D)To live more creatively,you must be ready to seek new ways of doing things.

Question 23

You are having trouble solving a problem.So,you randomly look up words in a dictionary,scan a newspaper,and take a walk.These activities

A)are ways to seek varied input to solve your problem.
B)will help you narrow the parameters of your problem.
C)distract your focus and should be avoided.
D)will create mental sets that will enhance creativity.

Question 24

You are asked to come up with new ways to clean oil off a beach,so you look in the dictionary at randomly selected words,such as weed,rust,poor,magnify,foam,coal,etc,and try to relate them to the problem and see what thoughts they trigger.You are

A)seeking varied input to solve your problem.
B)narrowing the parameters of your problem.
C)distracting your focus,and this should be avoided.
D)creating mental sets that will enhance your creativity.

Question 25

Csikszentmihalyi states that we should "make a commitment to doing things well,seek challenges,follow what sparks our interests,take time for thinking and relaxing,and start doing more of what we really enjoy and less of what we dislike." If we follow these recommendations,he believed we will become

A)self-actualized.
B)more able to dig deeper into logic.
C)more creative.
D)more independent and less controlled by others.

Question 26

Defining the problem broadly,allowing time for incubation,seeking varied input,and looking for analogies are ways to

A)aid mechanical problem-solving.
B)enhance creativity.
C)dig deeper with logic.
D)create mental sets.

Question 27

Which of the following psychologists states that one can become more creative by "making a commitment to do things well,seeking challenges,following what sparks one's interests,and taking time for thinking and relaxing"?

A)Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi
B)Howard Gardner
C)Malcolm Gladwell
D)Nalini Ambady

Question 28

Imagining how another person would view the problem and asking "silly" or playful questions are ways to

A)restate the problem in different and novel ways.
B)create mental sets that must be avoided.
C)narrowly define a problem so it can be clearly understood.
D)prevent incubation of the problem.

Question 29

Looking for analogies to a problem

A)is an effective way to represent a problem.
B)helps to define the problem more narrowly.
C)encourages one to criticize solutions and discard unworkable ideas.
D)encourages the formation of mental sets.

Question 30

In order to be creative,one needs time to revise or embellish initial solutions,which allows time

A)to create mental sets.
B)to "thin­slice" the solution.
C)for incubation.
D)for consolidation.

Question 31

In the first stages of creative thinking,it is important to

A)to form a mental set as quickly as possible.
B)avoid criticizing one's efforts.
C)define the problem narrowly and concisely.
D)discard as many impractical and unworkable suggestions as possible.

Question 32

According to your textbook,which of the following questions would be the LEAST likely to lead to a creative solution?

A)How would other people,such as a child,psychologist,or artist look at this problem?
B)What is the one best answer for solving this problem?
C)What are the parts of the problem and how are they related?
D)If the problem were alive,what would it look like?

Question 33

Mandy has been commissioned to paint a mural representing her hometown.Mandy walks around the town,looks in the archives at the local newspaper,and talks to town residents about their memories of living in the town.To solve the problem of what to paint,Mandy is

A)creating mental sets that will enhance her creative production.
B)narrowing her parameters regarding her problem.
C)looking for analogies regarding her problem.
D)seeking varied input to encourage creativity.

Question 34

If you wanted to enhance creativity,you should

A)isolate yourself and focus intently and persistently on the problem.
B)make a very quick decision since intuitive thinking is very creative.
C)dig deeper into a problem with logic.
D)look for analogies to represent the problem in a different way.

Question 35

If you are feeling hurried by a sense of time pressure,you are almost always

A)less likely to create mental sets.
B)less likely to think creatively.
C)more likely to come up with workable solutions to problems.
D)more likely to define a problem broadly.

Question 36

Johannes Gutenberg,creator of the printing press,realized while at a wine harvest that the mechanical pressure used to crush grapes could also be used to imprint letters on paper,which illustrates that incubation is especially fruitful when you

A)are exposed to external cues that relate to the problem.
B)are allowed time to "thin­slice" possible solutions.
C)develop a prototype through convergent thinking.
D)can create mental sets from external cues.

Question 37

Exposing yourself to a wide variety of information is a good way to encourage

A)mental sets.
B)"thin­slicing."
C)divergent thinking.
D)convergent thinking.

Question 38

Randomly looking up words in a dictionary is a way to seek varied input and enhance creativity,according to creativity researcher

A)Nalini Ambady.
B)Edward de Bono.
C)Malcolm Gladwell.
D)Howard Gardner.

Question 39

According to your textbook,which of the following questions would be the LEAST likely to lead to a creative solution?

A)What can I extract from the known information?
B)Is any part of the problem pretty or ugly or stupid or friendly?
C)What is the one best answer to this problem?
D)Is this in any way like a problem I've solved before?

Question 40

Which of the following tends to inhibit creativity in the initial stages?

A)defining problems broadly
B)allowing time for incubation
C)worrying about the correctness of solutions
D)exposing oneself to a wide variety of information

Question 41

An effective way to break mental sets is to frame the problem as narrowly as possible.

Question 42

Fixations and functional fixedness are specific types of mental sets.

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT one of Csikszentmihalyi's recommendations about how to become more creative?

A)Try to surprise at least one person every day.
B)Make a commitment not to worry about doing things well.
C)Start doing more of what you really enjoy,less of what you dislike.
D)Try to look at problems from as many viewpoints as you can.

Question 44

Randomly looking up words in a dictionary is a way to seek varied input and enhance creativity,according to creativity researcher __________.

Question 45

The tendency to perceive a problem in a way that blinds us to possible solutions is called a mental .

Question 46

Briefly describe five of the seven suggestions for promoting divergent thinking and enhancing creative problem solving.

Question 47

Even when solutions are based on rapid insight,one needs to be able to revise or embellish these initial solutions.Therefore,one needs to allow time for the stage of creative thought that proceeds on a subconscious level,which is
__________.

Question 48

Which of the following is one of Csikszentmihalyi's recommendations about how to become more creative?

A)Complete unpleasant tasks before the more enjoyable ones.
B)Make a commitment not to worry about doing things well.
C)Always look for the shortcuts within any project.
D)Try to surprise at least one person every day.

Question 49

Exposing yourself to a wide variety of information is a good way to encourage creativity,which requires
thinking.

Question 50

Psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi believes that one can become more creative by starting to do more of what you really enjoy and less of what you dislike.

Question 51

People who think in conventional ways cannot live intelligent,successful,and fulfilling lives.

Question 52

List Psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi's eight recommendations for living more creatively.

Question 53

Csikszentmihalyi's recommendation for becoming more creative include which of the following?

A)Make a commitment to doing things well.
B)Take time for thinking and relaxing.
C)Find something that surprises you every day.
D)All of these are ways to become more creative.

Question 54

If you are feeling hurried by a sense of time pressure,you are almost always more likely to think more creatively.

Question 55

Dr.Ramen is using a method for encouraging creative thinking that separates the production and evaluation of the ideas.Dr.Ramen is using .