Question 1

Some people believe Friday the 13th is unlucky because they can remember times when they had bad experiences on that day but tend to forget times when nothing bad happened.Their reasoning is an example of illusory correlations.It is also an example of the use of

Accepted Answer

The belief that Friday the 13th is unlucky is based on the availability heuristic, where people rely on easily available examples (such as bad experiences on that day) to form judgments or beliefs, rather than considering all the evidence. This can lead to the perception of illusory correlations, where people mistakenly believe there is a relationship between two things (Friday the 13th and bad luck) even if the evidence does not support it.

Question 2

Not considering using an item (e.g.dime)in a non-traditional way (e.g.as a screwdriver)is an example of

Accepted Answer

Functional fixedness is the tendency to see objects as only serving their traditional purposes and not considering alternate uses for them. The other options listed are not relevant to this scenario.

Question 3

Most people would prefer to take some action that would save 200 lives than an action that has a one-third chance of saving 600 lives.Which of the following procedures is most likely to get them to change their minds?

Accepted Answer

Reframing the question to focus on avoiding a loss rather than saving lives can influence decision-making due to loss aversion, where losses are felt more strongly than gains. This can make the riskier option more appealing if it is seen as avoiding a greater loss.

Question 4

Students are told that "2-4-6" is one example of a rule;they are asked to determine what the rule is.Many students assume the rule is "three consecutive even numbers" and fail to check whether 1-3-5 is also an example of the rule,or even 1-10-11.What mistake in reasoning have they made?

Accepted Answer

The students have made the mistake of confirmation bias, which is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses, while giving disproportionately less consideration to alternative possibilities. In this case, they only look for patterns that match their initial assumption (three consecutive even numbers) and fail to test or consider examples that could disprove their hypothesis.

Question 5

Critical thinking can best be defined as

Accepted Answer

Critical thinking involves careful analysis and evaluation of evidence for and against a conclusion or argument. It involves questioning assumptions, considering alternative perspectives, and drawing well-reasoned conclusions based on the available evidence. The other answer choices do not fully capture the essence of critical thinking.

Question 6

Subjects in an experiment were shown photographs of a scene and were asked to identify the scene.Some subjects were shown two versions (the first one extremely out of focus and the second slightly out of focus)while others saw only the second,slightly blurry photo.What were the results and why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Subjects in an experiment were shown photographs...

Question 7

Critical thinking involves

Accepted Answer

Critical thinking involves evaluating both evidence for and against a conclusion in order to come to an informed decision or opinion. B and C only consider one side of the evidence, while D assumes the conclusion is correct without questioning it.

Question 8

Fox and Crow are both thirsty.They come upon a large crock with some water in it,but cannot lift the pitcher or reach down to the water.There happens to be a bucket of baseballs nearby and Fox steps back to throw the baseballs to try to break the crock.Crow reminds him that this will only spill the water,and uses the more clever solution of dropping the baseballs into the crock to raise the water level to within reach.Fox's problem was

Accepted Answer

Fox's problem is functional fixedness, which is the inability to see an object's potential for a different use beyond its traditional use. Fox only saw the baseballs as objects to throw or hit, rather than considering their potential for raising the water level in the crock to reach the water.

Question 9

In one study experts made predictions of U.S.and world politics over the next several years.How accurate were their predictions,compared to the predictions the general public might make,and how confident were they in their predictions?

Accepted Answer

Studies, including those by Philip Tetlock, have shown that experts are often no more accurate than the general public in making predictions about political events, but they tend to be much more confident in their predictions.

Question 10

The willingness to do something we wouldn't otherwise choose to do because of money or effort already spent is termed the

Accepted Answer

The willingness to continue with something even if it may not be the best decision, because of the money or effort already invested in it, is called the sunk cost effect. This term is commonly used in economics and decision-making. The other options, availability heuristic, confirmation bias, and self-serving bias, are different cognitive biases that can affect decision-making but do not specifically refer to the willingness to continue with something because of previous investment.

Question 11

When given a comparable choice between a certain outcome and a risky outcome,people generally choose the

Accepted Answer

This is consistent with the concept of loss aversion, where people tend to be more risk taking in situations where they are facing potential losses, but more risk averse in situations where they are facing potential gains. Therefore, people will generally choose a certain outcome when facing potential gains to avoid the risk of losing them, while they will take more risks when facing potential losses, in the hope of avoiding them.

Question 12

Functional fixedness is a special case of the:

Accepted Answer

Functional fixedness is a cognitive bias that limits a person to using an object only in the way it is traditionally used, which is a specific form of confirmation bias. Confirmation bias involves favoring information that confirms previously existing beliefs or biases, and functional fixedness is a manifestation of this as it confirms the traditional or known uses of an object, ignoring other potential uses.

Question 13

Research by cognitive psychologists has found that people who make a career of predicting events in world politics (news analysts,government officials,talk-show hosts,etc. )

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that predictions made by news analysts, government officials, and talk show hosts are generally not very accurate. This is because world politics is complex and difficult to predict with certainty, even for experts in the field.

Question 14

People are most likely to be overconfident in the accuracy of their predictions when predicting

Accepted Answer

People are more likely to be overconfident in their own abilities and accomplishments, leading them to believe that they can accurately predict their own future outcomes.

Question 15

Someone tells you that if you say "abracadabra" every morning you will stay healthy.You say it daily,and,sure enough,you stay healthy.You conclude that saying this magic word really does ensure health.What error in thinking have you made?

Accepted Answer

The individual is making a premature commitment to the hypothesis that saying "abracadabra" ensures good health without any further evidence or consideration of alternative explanations. They have not considered the possibility of coincidence or other factors that may be contributing to their health.

Question 16

In one study,people who make their living predicting world events (government officials,foreign policy professors,newspaper columnists,etc. )were asked to predict U.S.and world politics over the next several years.Those who were most accurate were more likely than others to

Accepted Answer

Those who were most accurate in their predictions tended to have reservations about the accuracy of their predictions. This suggests a level of humility and openness to complexity, which can lead to more nuanced and careful analysis, improving prediction accuracy.

Question 17

You are given a candle,a box of matches,a few thumbtacks,and a very short piece of string with the instruction to mount the candle on a wall.It never occurs to you that you could empty the matchbox and tack it to the wall as a platform for the candle because of

Accepted Answer

The answer of You are given a candle,a box of...

Question 18

Under which circumstances are people most likely to take a gamble?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Under which circumstances are people most likely...

Question 19

The tendency to look for evidence supporting one particular hypothesis and not considering other possibilities is known as the

Accepted Answer

Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses, while ignoring or underemphasizing other possible explanations. This can lead to faulty reasoning and prevent one from considering alternative viewpoints or evidence.

Question 20

You develop the belief (hypothesis)that your significant other wants to break up with you.You have a phone conversation in which your significant other sounds stressed out but says several nice things about you.According to the confirmation bias,you are most likely to

Accepted Answer

Confirmation bias leads individuals to pay more attention to evidence that supports their existing beliefs, in this case, the belief that the significant other wants to break up, thus focusing on the stressed tone rather than the nice comments.

Quiz 8: Cognition and Language