Question 1

Karl is posting signs on campus and he ran out of tape to put up the last sign.He could not figure out another way to put up the sign even though he was chewing gum and could have used the gum to put up the sign.Karl most likely does not come up with this solution because of

Accepted Answer

Functional fixedness is the tendency to think about an object in terms of its most common use, and not consider other potential uses. In this case, Karl is only thinking of gum as something to chew, and not considering its potential use as an adhesive.

Question 2

To buy cheese,Bobby goes to a large store with a big selection of cheeses.Ted goes to a much smaller store with only a few choices of cheeses.Who is more likely to buy cheese,and why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of To buy cheese,Bobby goes to a large...

Question 3

You are studying for your exam when the electricity goes out.In order to have enough light to read your textbook,you put your cell phone in front of the page and use the light from the screen to read the book.You were able to successfully study for your exam because you avoided

Accepted Answer

By using the light from the cell phone screen in a way that is not its primary or original function, the person was able to overcome functional fixedness, which is the tendency to think of objects only in terms of their typical or intended use.

Question 4

Annie needs to take her cat to the vet but she does not have a carrier.She remembers that once she took her guinea pig to the vet in a pot.But she knows the cat will not fit in a pot so she cannot use this previous strategy.Annie is having a hard time solving the problem because of

Accepted Answer

Annie is experiencing a mental set, which is a tendency to approach a problem in a particular way based on her previous experiences or assumptions. In this case, her previous experience of using a pot to transport her pet to the vet is influencing her thinking and preventing her from considering alternative solutions.

Question 5

Cara is a mechanic.She fixes three cars that will not start by replacing their batteries.When a fourth car is brought in and will not start,she assumes the problem is the battery.Cara's assumption is based on

Accepted Answer

This is an example of a mental set, where Cara assumes that the problem with the fourth car is the same as the previous three. She is stuck in a certain way of thinking and does not consider other possibilities.

Question 6

Steve is trying to determine whether it will rain this Saturday.He quickly remembers that it has rained the past three Saturdays.If he uses this information to make his decision,he will be using the __________ heuristic.

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic refers to making a decision based on information that is easily accessible or readily available in memory. In this case, Steve is using his memory of the past three Saturdays to make a prediction about whether it will rain this Saturday. Therefore, the best choice is D, availability.

Question 7

When solving a problem using insight,the solution is reached

Accepted Answer

Insight is characterized by the sudden realization of a solution to a problem, often without conscious awareness of the mental processes leading up to it.

Question 8

When a friend asks for a restaurant recommendation,you quickly remember the place you ate in last night,and suggest that restaurant to her.You most likely thought of that restaurant due to the __________ heuristic.

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic refers to the tendency to make decisions based on the information that comes to mind most easily. In this case, the restaurant that was eaten at the night before is likely at the top of the individual's mind, making it the most available option to recommend to their friend.

Question 9

When we encounter a difficult problem,thinking about the problem in a new way can help solve it.This technique is known as

Accepted Answer

Restructuring involves looking at a problem from a new perspective or rearranging information to find a solution. It is a way of breaking out of established patterns of thinking and can be useful in solving difficult problems. The other choices, using a mental set, functional fixedness, and using an analogy, may also be helpful in problem-solving, but they do not specifically involve thinking about a problem in a new way.

Question 10

Marco wants to get an A on his exam.To do this,he divides up the material into small sections and focuses on learning a different section every day until he knows all of the material for the exam.Marco is using __________ to achieve his goal of getting an A on his exam.

Accepted Answer

Marco is using subgoals by breaking up the material into smaller sections and focusing on one section at a time to ultimately achieve his goal of getting an A on his exam.

Question 11

You get to your car and realize you have lost your keys.So you think of the last time you saw your keys and retrace your steps from that point.You are using the problem-solving technique of __________ to help find your keys.

Accepted Answer

The problem-solving technique being used in this scenario is working backward, which involves retracing your steps from the last point you remember having your keys in order to find them. Subgoals involve breaking down a larger problem into smaller, more manageable parts, analogy involves using a comparison to solve a problem, and insight involves suddenly realizing the solution to a problem. None of these techniques are applicable in this scenario.

Question 12

Using an analogy to help solve a problem is most likely to occur when the problem

Accepted Answer

Analogy involves drawing comparisons between similar situations or problems. Therefore, using an analogy to solve a problem is most likely to occur when the problem is similar to another problem.

Question 13

When John uses his knowledge to reason,make decisions,and adapt to environmental challenges he is

Accepted Answer

Intelligence involves using knowledge and reasoning to adapt to challenges and make decisions. The other answer choices (avoiding mental set, showing insight, avoiding functional fixedness) are related to specific cognitive processes, but do not fully capture the concept of intelligence as described in the prompt.

Question 14

Sam always buys one specific brand of cell phones because she believes that brand is the most reliable.Sam is using __________ to decide what cell phone to buy,which may help her save time picking out her next cell phone.

Accepted Answer

Sam is using a heuristic, a mental shortcut or rule of thumb, to quickly decide what cell phone to buy based on her belief that a specific brand is the most reliable. This can save her time compared to using formal reasoning or an algorithm to evaluate all the available options.

Question 15

While moving into a new apartment,Cole needed to hold the door open but he did not have a doorstop.Cole only had his heavy potted plant available and at first could not see how this would be useful.Then he realized he could use the plant as a doorstop to hold the door open.Cole solved this problem by

Accepted Answer

Cole overcame functional fixedness by realizing that the potted plant could serve a different function (as a doorstop) than its usual purpose.

Question 16

Josie has decided that she wants to become a doctor,but she feels overwhelmed when she thinks about how many years of school it will take to become a doctor.She could manage this feeling by breaking the process into smaller pieces.If she did this,she would be using

Accepted Answer

Breaking down a long-term goal into smaller, more manageable subgoals is a common strategy for achieving success in various fields. It helps reduce anxiety and allows a person to focus on one step at a time, ultimately leading to the achievement of the long-term goal.

Question 17

When you meet Joe,he tells you that he loves math and building computers and robots.You decide that Joe must be an engineering student and not a liberal arts student,even though there are more liberal arts students at your school.In making this decision,you have just used

Accepted Answer

The representativeness heuristic is used when we make judgments based on the degree to which something fits an existing prototype or stereotype. In this case, Joe's interests fit the stereotype of an engineering student, so the decision was made based on this heuristic.

Question 18

Fred,a high school senior,wants to be a lawyer.To achieve this goal,Fred realizes he will have to first graduate from law school.He also knows that to go to law school,he will have to first graduate from college.So,he decides that his first step toward his goal of being a lawyer is to apply to college.To solve his problem Fred is using

Accepted Answer

Fred is using subgoals by breaking down his ultimate goal of becoming a lawyer into smaller, manageable steps, starting with applying to college.

Question 19

After struggling to solve a physics problem,you take a break for lunch.When you go back to work on the problem,the solution suddenly pops into your head.In this case you used __________ to solve the problem.

Accepted Answer

The sudden "pop" of the solution indicates that insight was used to solve the problem.

Question 20

Josh is having trouble deciding which of two pairs of shoes to buy.Donna tells him that when she could not decide which of two sweaters to buy,she decided to buy both sweaters.Josh realizes that buying both pairs of shoes will solve his problem as well.Josh __________ to solve his problem.

Accepted Answer

Josh used an analogy by recalling how Donna solved her dilemma with two items and applying it to his own situation with two pairs of shoes.

Quiz 8: Thinking and Intelligence