Question 1

You just discovered a nomadic people who have lived in the desert their whole lives.Their language contains over 20 words to describe the various types and textures of sand contained in their environment.According to research on linguistic determinism,what is the likely origin for all of these terms?

A)The people of the tribe created these terms in order to make finer distinctions among the various types of sand they encounter.
B)Their environment dictated that multiple terms be created to enhance their understanding.
C)Their thought processes enabled them to make finer distinctions among the different kinds of sand in their environment,so they were able to create a language that reflected their knowledge.
D)It is impossible to know if the language caused them to think differently about their environment,or if the way they perceive their environment caused them to create their language.

Accepted Answer

It is impossible to know if the language caused them to think differently about their environment,or if the way they perceive their environment caused them to create their language.

Question 2

If I am given 10 math problems,and I can and do solve the first nine in the same way,I may struggle with the tenth problem if it requires a different method to solve it.This best illustrates the concept of

A)the salience of surface properties.
B)thin slicing.
C)mental sets.
D)hindsight bias.

mental sets.

Accepted Answer

Mental sets refer to the tendency to approach a problem with a fixed way of thinking or a set of cognitive strategies that have been successful in the past. In this scenario, the individual has been using the same method for the first nine problems, which has become a mental set. However, when presented with a problem that requires a different method, the individual may struggle to break away from their mental set and try a new approach. This concept is closely related to functional fixedness, which is the tendency to see objects and ideas in a fixed and inflexible way.

Question 3

Young Jonah is learning to read,and his father writes MOMMY on a card and asks him to read it.When Jonah struggles,his father says,"Sound it out one letter at a time!" As Jonah does this,he eventually puts the sounds together and triumphantly shouts the correct word.What method has Jonah used to read this word?

A)Phonetic decomposition
B)Pragmatic delineation
C)Semantic structuring
D)Whole-word recognition

Phonetic decomposition

Accepted Answer

Jonah used the method of phonetic decomposition, which involves breaking down a word into its individual sounds and blending them together to form the complete word.

Question 4

Some believe that twins often share a secret and distinct language.Research suggests that&#10;A)cryptophasia is a true phenomenon for roughly half of all twins studied.&#10;B)most twins develop language more quickly than singletons,leaving them free to develop new languages.&#10;C)twins may be more susceptible to language delays,which appear to some observers as distinct language forms.&#10;D)the secret language of twins is referred to as homesign.

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that twins may experience language delays, which can sometimes be misinterpreted as them having a distinct or secret language.

Question 5

Which of the following is the most accurate statement regarding sign language and talking?&#10;A)Learning sign language speeds up the process of learning to talk.&#10;B)Deaf children who rely on sign language rarely acquire any true vocal skills.&#10;C)Children who are partially deaf and who use sign language have the worst chance of learning to talk because they use sign language as a &#34;crutch.&#34;&#10;D)Research has found that only deaf children who get cochlear implants ever truly learn to talk effectively.

Accepted Answer

Learning sign language can actually facilitate the process of learning to talk, especially in children who are deaf or hard of hearing. It provides a foundation for understanding language structure and communication, which can then be applied to spoken language.

Question 6

As symbolic systems of communication,most languages&#10;A)generally match sounds to the meaning of words.&#10;B)are arbitrary in the relationship between words and meaning.&#10;C)can be translated to another without impaired meanings of complex concepts.&#10;D)do not have concepts that are unique to just one particular language.

Accepted Answer

The relationship between words and their meaning is mostly arbitrary in most languages. For example, there is no inherent reason why the word "table" in English should refer to a piece of furniture with a flat surface and legs, rather than some other object or concept. This arbitrariness is a fundamental characteristic of language, making it different from non-symbolic systems of communication like animal calls or body language.

Question 7

Fred is on a popular TV game show where you can win $1,000,000.He is currently at $16,000 and is not totally certain if he knows the answer to the $32,000 question.His decision could be influenced if the host says "You can take the $16,000 and go home,and that's a lot of money," or "$32,000 is way more money than $16,000." There is a tendency for the contestants to do whatever the host suggests,and Fred will probably be no different.This is the effect of

A)an availability heuristic.
B)a representativeness heuristic.
C)an additive strategy.
D)framing.

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates the framing effect, which occurs when the way a decision is presented (or framed) influences the decision that is ultimately made. In this case, the host's suggestion is framing Fred's decision by making $16,000 sound like a lot of money and $32,000 sound like a significant increase. This framing may influence Fred to either take the $16,000 and play it safe or risk it and go for the $32,000.

Question 8

Our co-worker says,&#34;It's awful in here.&#34; To understand what she means,we must&#10;A)take into account extralinguistic information,such as location and facial expressions.&#10;B)examine the grammatical structure of her comment.&#10;C)examine the morphemes in the statement to determine the smaller units of meaning in the sentence.&#10;D)ignore nonverbal cues so that we are not distracted.

Accepted Answer

To understand the meaning behind the co-worker's statement, we need to take into account extralinguistic information, such as the location we are in and any nonverbal cues the co-worker may be giving, such as facial expressions or tone of voice. This will help us better interpret the meaning behind the statement. Examining the grammatical structure or morphemes in the statement would not necessarily give us the context we need to understand its meaning. Ignoring nonverbal cues could potentially lead to misinterpretation of the co-worker's intended message.

Question 9

It is possible to increase both our reading speed and comprehension,as long as our speed does not exceed _____ words per minute.&#10;A)100&#10;B)200&#10;C)300&#10;D)400

Accepted Answer

The answer of It is possible to increase both our...

Question 10

What problem-solving strategies are essentially mental shortcuts?&#10;A)Heuristics&#10;B)Algorithms&#10;C)Mnemonic devices&#10;D)Cognitive shortcuts

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are mental shortcuts, or rules of thumb, that allow us to solve problems quickly and efficiently by reducing the amount of cognitive effort needed. Algorithms, on the other hand, are step-by-step procedures that guarantee a correct solution but may be time-consuming. Mnemonic devices and cognitive shortcuts can be helpful in remembering information, but they are not necessarily problem-solving strategies.

Deck 8: Exsetntion: Thinking, Reasoning, and Language