Question 1

Which of the following do you think would be most applicable to a gambler who is betting on a football game?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following do you think...

Question 2

Speed-reading programmes have been "all the rage", as they have promised to increase your ability to read and comprehend at incredible levels. Some have even claimed to increase their reading speed to 30 000 words per minute. Research, however, has found that their actual reading speed is not nearly this high, and that their comprehension of what they read "tested miserably". Which principle of critical thinking is this problematic for?

Accepted Answer

The principle of extraordinary claims states that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. The claim of increasing reading speed to 30,000 words per minute is an extraordinary claim that requires extraordinary evidence to be credible. The fact that research has found that the actual reading speed is not nearly this high, and that their comprehension is poor, suggests that the claims are not credible, making this problematic for the principle of extraordinary claims.

Question 3

One explanation for schizophrenia holds that schizophrenic individuals have difficulty in filtering their attention. This is most closely related to the concept of

Accepted Answer

The answer of One explanation for schizophrenia holds that schizophrenic...

Question 4

According to your authors, which cognitive heuristic is most salient in the formation of stereotypes?

Accepted Answer

The authors state that the representativeness heuristic is most salient in the formation of stereotypes. This heuristic involves categorizing someone or something based on how well they match our existing mental prototype of that category, which can often lead to stereotyping.

Question 5

Discuss the ways in which cognitive economy may be implicated in various forms of discrimination.

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The answer of Discuss the ways in which cognitive economy...

Question 6

Provide an example of how cognitive economy benefits you.

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The answer of Provide an example of how cognitive economy...

Question 7

Speed-reading programmes are popular because they are based on a scientifically-valid relationship that exists between reading speed and comprehension. When examining this relationship, however, we must remember which conceptual precept?

Accepted Answer

The relationship between reading speed and comprehension is based on correlation, meaning that there is a relationship between the two, but it cannot be assumed that an increase in speed causes an increase in comprehension. It is important to remember the difference between correlation and causation when examining this relationship. Replicability, falsifiability, and Occam's Razor are not directly relevant to this relationship.

Question 8

________ help us draw conclusions and solve problems in a "fast and frugal" way.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ________ help us draw conclusions and solve...

Question 9

John Gottman and his colleagues were able to predict divorce rates of couples with startling accuracy using techniques related to the concept of ________.

Accepted Answer

John Gottman and his colleagues were able to predict divorce rates of couples with startling accuracy using techniques related to the concept of thin slicing, which involves making quick judgments about someone or something based on limited information.

Question 10

Many people drew faulty conclusions about the relative safety of air travel compared to automobile travel in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Such poor reasoning was the result of ________.

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is a cognitive bias in which people judge the likelihood of events based on how easily they can recall examples of those events. In the case of the September 11 attacks, the intense media coverage of the event made it easier for people to recall incidents of terrorism involving airplanes, leading them to mistakenly believe that air travel was less safe than automobile travel.

Question 11

Benny and Darla are driving to a concert downtown. Benny decides to drive one route, and Darla does not object. When they get stuck in traffic, Darla mumbles, "I just knew it would have been faster if we'd gone my way". What sort of heuristic is Darla employing?

Accepted Answer

Darla is using the hindsight bias, which is the tendency to believe, after an event has occurred, that one would have predicted or expected the outcome. She thinks she "knew" her route would have been faster after seeing the result of Benny's choice.

Question 12

Cognitive economy serves an adaptive function for humans, but does so at a price. Discuss the benefits and potential liabilities of cognitive economy.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cognitive economy serves an adaptive function for...

Question 13

As noted in both Chapters 2 and 8, human beings tend to be cognitive ________; that is, we economise mentally in a variety of ways that reduce our mental effort.

Accepted Answer

The answer of As noted in both Chapters 2 and...

Question 14

Nigel is out on a blind date. He decides after only five minutes with this new woman that he likes her. Is this snap decision a wise one?

Accepted Answer

Our mental shortcuts, or heuristics, can often lead to accurate judgments about people, as they are based on accumulated experiences and instincts.

Question 15

What problem-solving strategies are essentially mental shortcuts?

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are mental shortcuts or problem-solving strategies that rely on easily accessible information and prior experiences to arrive at a quick, but not necessarily perfect or accurate, solution. Algorithms, on the other hand, are step-by-step procedures that guarantee a correct solution but may be time-consuming. Mnemonic devices are memory aids, while cognitive biases are systematic errors in thinking or judgment.

Question 16

What term do psychologists use to describe our tendency to search for evidence that supports our belief and to ignore evidence that might disprove it?

Accepted Answer

Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek and remember information that confirms our existing beliefs, while disregarding or minimizing information that is contrary to our beliefs. This bias can lead to narrow-minded thinking and prevent individuals from considering alternative viewpoints.

Question 17

In the movie Grumpier Old Men, the oldest character claims that he has had bacon, alcohol, and cigarettes every day for his entire adult life and that none of these behaviours has harmed him. If you were to go out now and start doing these behaviours because you felt they were, in fact, safe, you'd be falling prey to the ________.

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is when people make decisions based on how easily they can recall similar instances, rather than on actual statistical evidence. In this case, the character's anecdotal evidence might lead someone to incorrectly assume these behaviors are safe.

Question 18

The term cognitive ________ is used to reflect the fact that human beings seek to reduce their mental effort as much as possible, while still being able to make accurate decisions.

Accepted Answer

The term "cognitive miser" refers to the tendency of humans to conserve mental energy by using shortcuts or simplified strategies to make decisions efficiently.

Question 19

Jay, a popular TV show host, made a joke regarding Hyundai Getz's and the dangers of owning them because of their "perceived" tendency to blow up. Many Getz owners took issue with Jay's view as presented, in part due to a fear that they could never re-sell their car. Jay's very public joke and its potential to affect peoples' perceptions is an example of a(n)________.

Accepted Answer

Jay's joke is an example of the availability heuristic, as it is based on the easily accessible and salient information of a few incidents of Getz cars catching fire, rather than a comprehensive analysis of the actual risk. This can potentially influence people's perceptions and decisions, such as the fear of owning or reselling a Getz. The other options are not relevant to this scenario.

Question 20

Dan recently watched a television programme about rabies, and those animals that are typically carriers of the disease. Last night, when he stepped outside to call his cat, he saw a stray dog wandering across his yard. The animal acted strangely and came straight towards him. Dan immediately decided it must have rabies. He made his decision based on ________.

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is a cognitive bias that occurs when people make judgments based on information that is easily accessible in their memory. In this case, Dan has recently watched a television programme about rabies, so the information about rabies is easily accessible in his memory. As a result, he is more likely to believe that the stray dog has rabies, even though there is no other evidence to support this belief.

Quiz 8: Thinking, Reasoning and Language