Question 1

Propositions __________.

Accepted Answer

Propositions relate a subject and a predicate, expressing a statement or sentence that can be evaluated as true or false. Choice A is incorrect because propositions are meant to be evaluated as true or false, so they cannot be neither. Choice C is incorrect as analogical representations refer to a different concept. Choice D is incorrect as propositions express relationships between subject and predicate, not just a combination of concepts.

Question 2

Research participants were shown an ambiguous picture they had never seen before. Depending on its orientation, the picture can look like either a duck or a rabbit. The picture was removed, and the participants were then asked to imagine the image and to describe what it looked like: all "saw" either a duck or rabbit. An additional finding was that __________.

Accepted Answer

The inability to reverse the mental image once it has been perceived in one way highlights the rigidity of mental imagery for some individuals, indicating that once an ambiguous figure is interpreted in a certain way, it can be difficult to reconceptualize it differently in the mind.

Question 3

In the sentence "The zebra is suspicious of the zookeeper," the phrase "is suspicious of the zookeeper" serves as __________.

Accepted Answer

"The zebra" is the subject, and "is suspicious of the zookeeper" is the predicate, which includes the verb "is" and the object "suspicious of the zookeeper." Therefore, the phrase "is suspicious of the zookeeper" serves as the predicate.

Question 4

A participant in an image-scanning task is asked to mentally "travel" on four different journeys from a single given location. Which journey would take the most time to make?

Accepted Answer

The journey of 5 miles would take the most time to make as it is the longest distance to travel out of the given options.

Question 5

Research on spreading activation would suggest that, if you first see the word nurse, you will more quickly identify the word

Accepted Answer

Spreading activation theory suggests that concepts are represented in our minds as nodes, and related nodes are connected by associations. When we encounter a stimulus such as the word "nurse," the activation spreads to related concepts, such as "doctor," which are connected via semantic networks in our minds. Therefore, the most likely word to be identified quickly after seeing "nurse" is a concept that is strongly connected, such as "doctor."

Question 6

Nodes get activated whenever a person thinks about any idea. The activation then spreads to neighboring nodes, like a current spreads through a network of wires. There are, however, limits on this spread of activation, such as __________.

Accepted Answer

Activation will dissipate as it spreads outward, meaning that the further away the node is from the initial activation, the weaker the activation will be. This limits the spread of activation. Choices B, C, and D are not accurate descriptions of activation spreading in the mind.

Question 7

Participants are asked to judge whether a string of letters forms a word in English. The first string they receive is the word violin. On a subsequent list of words, results show that the participants are substantially faster at answering "Yes" to the word piano than to the word toilet or basket. What does this result exemplify?

Accepted Answer

This result exemplifies semantic priming, which occurs when the perception of one stimulus influences the response to another stimulus with which it is semantically related. In this case, the prior presentation of the word "violin" primes the related concept of musical instruments, making it easier for participants to quickly recognize "piano" as a word. The slower response times for "toilet" and "basket" suggest that they were not semantically related to the priming stimulus, leading to slower processing times.

Question 8

In a lexical decision task in which subjects must judge whether or not a string of letters forms a word in English, subjects are first shown the string BANANA. According to research on spreading activation, which of the subsequent strings will take the least time to be judged to be a real word?

Accepted Answer

According to spreading activation theory, seeing the word BANANA activates related concepts in memory. APPLE, being a semantically related fruit, will likely be recognized faster due to this activation.

Question 9

Research participants are asked to judge whether or not a string of letters forms a word in English. They are first given the string CABBAGE. According to research on spreading activation, which of the subsequent strings will take the least time to be judged to be a real word?

Accepted Answer

According to spreading activation theory, words that are semantically related or share similar features are more quickly recognized. "CARROT" is semantically related to "CABBAGE" as both are vegetables, so it will be recognized faster.

Question 10

A statement relating a subject and a predicate is called a(n) __________.

Accepted Answer

A proposition is a statement or assertion that expresses a judgment or opinion about a subject. It contains a subject and a predicate, and it can be true or false. Options A, B, and C are not relevant to the definition of a proposition.

Question 11

Research participants examined and memorized a map of a fictitious island, then imagined a black speck zipping from one location on that map to another. Results suggested that __________.

Accepted Answer

The question suggests that participants imagined the black speck "traveling" from one location to another. The results suggest that the time it took the speck to "travel" was proportional to the distance covered, which is consistent with the idea that people tend to mentally simulate movement in a way that reflects the physical properties of space.

Question 12

Research on semantic priming __________.

Accepted Answer

Research on semantic priming has shown that related words facilitate the processing and recognition of a target word. This means that if a word like "horse" is presented before the word "saddle," the recognition of "saddle" will be faster compared to when "house" is presented before "saddle."

Question 13

Which of the following is the term for "shortcut" judgment strategies?

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are mental shortcuts or strategies that simplify and speed up decision making. They can be helpful, but they can also lead to errors in judgement, especially in complex situations where more deliberate thinking (System II thinking) may be necessary. Syllogisms are logical arguments that involve deductive reasoning, while insights are sudden realizations or breakthroughs in thinking.

Question 14

Propositions are __________.

Accepted Answer

Propositions are statements that express a complete meaning and relate a subject and a predicate. They can be either true or false.

Question 15

Research participants are separated into two groups. Participants in group 1 are asked to think of an animal beginning with the letter "p." Participants in group 2 are asked to think of a vegetable beginning with the letter "p." Immediately after, both groups are asked to think of an animal that begins with the letter "d." The responses on this final "d" task are timed. What will the results show?

Accepted Answer

The spreading activation model of memory suggests that when a concept is activated, the activation spreads to related concepts. Therefore, participants in group 1, who were already thinking about animals, would respond more quickly to the task of thinking of an animal beginning with "d" because their minds are already primed for thinking about animals, compared to group 2, who were thinking about vegetables.

Question 16

A participant views an ambiguous drawing that can look like either a man or a rat for a few seconds. After the drawing is removed, the subject is asked to describe the visual image from memory. What will the subject most likely describe?

Accepted Answer

The subject will most likely describe what was perceived originally, either a man or a rat. This is because the image was only presented for a few seconds, and the brain tends to hold onto the initial interpretation of an ambiguous image.

Question 17

In the spreading activation network model of memory, ideas are represented __________.

Accepted Answer

Ideas are represented by nodes in the spreading activation network model of memory. Nodes are connected by paths that represent the strength of associations between the ideas. Activation spreads from one node to another, influencing the likelihood of recall or recognition of the associated idea.

Question 18

When you solve a crossword puzzle using certain mental shortcuts, you are using cognitive strategies called __________.

Accepted Answer

The cognitive strategies used in solving a crossword puzzle are usually heuristics, which are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that simplify decision-making and problem-solving. These strategies are not always guaranteed to be accurate or optimal, but they can often help to reduce the cognitive load and speed up the solving process. Algorithms are a set of precise rules or procedures for solving a problem, which may not be applicable in this context. System II processes refer to deliberate, effortful thinking, which may not be necessary or efficient for solving a crossword puzzle. Associative linking methods refer to techniques for memory retrieval, which may be helpful in remembering related words or clues, but not necessarily in solving the entire puzzle.

Question 19

Research participants are asked to estimate the distance between a city on the East Coast of the United States and one on the West Coast of the United States, and next a city on the East Coast of the United States and one in the Midwest. What will the results show?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Research participants are asked to estimate the...

Question 20

Which of the following is an advantage of the use of heuristics?

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are often efficient, meaning that they can lead to quick decisions or solutions. However, they are not guaranteed to be correct and may not result in the best possible solution. Therefore, option A, C, and D are not correct advantages of heuristics.

Quiz 9: Thinking