Question 1

Following extensive training,the use of symbols by common chimpanzees has failed to show the flexibility of human language.Greater success has been demonstrated in studies using

Accepted Answer

Bonobos have shown greater success in studies involving the use of symbols, with some individuals demonstrating lexical and grammatical abilities. Dolphins have also shown some language-like abilities, but the question specifically asks about the use of symbols. Zebras and wombats have not been studied in this context.

Question 2

The ability to find a way to express new ideas or different ways of expressing old ideas demonstrates what feature of language?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ability to find a way to...

Question 3

An expert chess player and a beginner both look at a picture of chess pieces arranged on a board in a random manner.Then they try to draw that position from memory.Which one (if either)will remember better,and why?

Accepted Answer

Since the chess pieces are arranged in a random manner, neither the expert nor the beginner have any prior familiarity with the pattern. Therefore, both are equally likely to remember the position well or poorly. Additionally, retroactive interference would not come into play as there is no pre-existing memory for either individual to interfere with.

Question 4

Beginning in the 1920s,some chimpanzees were raised by psychologists in their homes as they would raise a child.What were these researchers attempting to discover?

Accepted Answer

The researchers were attempting to discover whether chimpanzees could learn language by raising them in human homes as if they were children.

Question 5

"Mary chased the man" and "The man was chased by Mary" have

Accepted Answer

"Mary chased the man" and "The man was chased by Mary" have different surface structures but the same deep structure, indicating that they are derived from the same underlying meaning. Therefore, they have two surface structures but only one deep structure.

Question 6

Common chimpanzees who have learned to use sign language or visual symbols that represent words

Accepted Answer

Common chimpanzees who have learned to use sign language or visual symbols primarily use their symbols to make requests, rather than for other forms of communication such as describing things or forming new sentences.

Question 7

Research examining language abilities in chimpanzees suggests that chimps can

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that chimpanzees can learn to use many symbols in sign language and communicate with humans in this way. They have also demonstrated an understanding of spoken language, but their ability to produce spoken words is limited. While language acquisition in chimpanzees is not as advanced as in humans, they are capable of learning and using language to a certain extent.

Question 8

The sentence "Never threaten someone with a chain saw" can mean at least two very different things.This sentence has one __________ and at least two __________.

Accepted Answer

This sentence has one surface structure (the literal meaning of the sentence) and at least two deep structures (potential metaphorical meanings). Therefore, the best answer is B, which correctly orders the structures from surface to deep. Choices A, C, and D refer to different approaches to grammar and do not accurately describe the relationship between the sentence's structures.

Question 9

Psychologists working with chimpanzees have been __________ to teach them how to speak and __________ to teach them how to use sign language.

Accepted Answer

Psychologists have been unable to teach chimpanzees how to speak due to the physical limitations of the chimpanzees' vocal apparatus, but they have been able to teach them how to use sign language, leveraging their ability to communicate through gestures.

Question 10

Transformational grammar is a

Accepted Answer

Transformational grammar is a system for converting a deep structure (the underlying meaning of a sentence) into a surface structure (the actual words used to express that meaning). It is used to analyze the structure of sentences in a language, rather than translating between languages or changing verb tense.

Question 11

Which of the following sentences has the same deep structure as the sentence "John is easy to please"?

Accepted Answer

The deep structure of the sentence is "it is easy to please John", which has the subject "it" and the predicate "is easy to please John". The other options do not have the same deep structure as they either negate the subject or have completely unrelated content.

Question 12

According to transformational grammar,what is the relationship between the deep structure of a sentence and its surface structure?

Accepted Answer

Two sentences can have the same underlying deep structure but be expressed differently at the surface level, reflecting the idea that the deep structure represents the core semantic relations, which can be realized through various syntactic forms in the surface structure.

Question 13

The system for converting a deep structure into a surface structure in a language is called ____ grammar.

Accepted Answer

The process of converting a deep structure into a surface structure in a language is known as transformational grammar. This approach to language analysis was developed by linguist Noam Chomsky and focuses on the rules and principles that govern how sentences are formed in the mind of a speaker. Therefore, the most appropriate option is A) transformational grammar.

Question 14

Transformational grammar is the set of rules we learn for

Accepted Answer

Transformational grammar is focused on the process of making and interpreting sentences, including the rules for changing sentence structures and meanings. It goes beyond simply changing verb tenses or translating foreign words. While adjusting speech patterns to fit different audiences may involve language transformations, it is not specifically what transformational grammar refers to.

Question 15

The underlying logic of the language is called the

Accepted Answer

The underlying logic of the language refers to the deep structure, which is the abstract representation of the underlying meaning of a sentence. Transformational grammar is a theory that explains how the deep structure is transformed into the surface structure. Situational grammar is not a recognized linguistic term. Therefore, the best choice is C.

Question 16

Modern psychologists who study how we use language believe that

Accepted Answer

Modern psychologists believe in the theory of generative grammar, which proposes that humans have an innate capacity to learn rules for making and interpreting sentences. This means that we do not simply memorize all the sentences we will ever use, but rather, we use a set of rules to combine words into meaningful sentences. Therefore, option C is the best choice. Option A is incorrect because thought involves more than just language, and there is evidence to suggest that we can think without using words. Option B is mostly false, as while we may memorize some commonly-used phrases, we are also able to create new sentences that we have never heard before. Option D is incorrect because while some primates have been taught to understand and produce basic forms of language, they do not possess the same linguistic capabilities as human beings.

Question 17

The sequence of words as they are actually spoken or written is called the ____ of language.

Accepted Answer

The sequence of words as they are actually spoken or written is the surface structure of language.

Question 18

You are asked to determine which of two people is an expert chess player.(The other one is a beginner. )You could quickly do so by answering the following question:

Accepted Answer

Memorizing the positions of pieces as they might occur during a game requires knowledge and experience in actual gameplay, and is a skill that an expert chess player would likely possess. The other choices (A, B, D) do not necessarily reflect expertise in chess playing.

Question 19

In the 1960s and 1970s Gardner and Gardner were able to teach a chimpanzee (named Washoe)to communicate by

Accepted Answer

Gardner and Gardner were able to teach a chimpanzee named Washoe to communicate through sign language in the 1960s and 1970s.

Question 20

What were the results of studies beginning in the 1920s,in which chimpanzees were raised by psychologists in their homes?

Accepted Answer

The studies found that the chimpanzees raised by psychologists in their homes showed limited understanding of language and were not able to speak. This was seen as evidence that language acquisition requires biological predisposition and cannot be simply taught through environmental exposure.

Quiz 8: Cognition and Language