Question 1

Assume that you have a drawer that contains 19 black socks and 13 blue socks.What is the minimum number of socks that you must take from the drawer to insure that you have a matching pair? The answer is 3 socks.Most people have difficulty determining the answer because:

Accepted Answer

The irrelevant information in this question is the specific numbers of black and blue socks. The key to solving the problem is realizing that after picking one black and one blue sock, the next sock will always match one of the previously picked socks, regardless of its color.

Question 2

Words such as "tree," "water skiing," and "assertive" are considered to be the fundamental units of semantic memory and are all examples of:

Accepted Answer

The fundamental units of semantic memory are concepts, which are mental representations of objects, events, and ideas. Morphemes refer to the smallest units of meaning in language, phonemes are the smallest units of sound in language, and prototypes are typical or idealized examples of a concept.

Question 3

Which of the following statements about science is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

Science involves both inductive and deductive reasoning at different stages of the scientific process. Inductive reasoning involves starting with specific observations and making more general conclusions, while deductive reasoning involves starting with general principles or theories and making specific predictions or observations. Both forms of reasoning are important for scientific inquiry and are used in different ways by scientists.

Question 4

Charlotte had seen many beautiful diamonds before but she had never seen a purple diamond.Therefore Charlotte reasoned that purple diamonds do not exist.Charlotte's reasoning may be in error because it leads to a likelihood rather than a certainty.This is called ______________ reasoning.

Accepted Answer

Charlotte's reasoning is based on a limited sample size and may not be representative of all diamonds in existence. Inductive reasoning involves making generalizations based on specific observations or experiences, which is what Charlotte is doing.

Question 5

Based on research in communication,which of the following is evidence disputing the position that animals exhibit true language?

Accepted Answer

The fact that Nim Chimpsky often imitated his trainer's previous signs suggests that he was not using true language, but rather simply mimicking and repeating what he had learned through conditioning. This undermines the argument that animals exhibit true language. Meanwhile, choices A, B, and C suggest that some animals can exhibit some level of communication and understanding, which would support the idea that animals have some language-like abilities. However, none of these choices necessarily provide evidence for "true language."

Question 6

A psychologist has a theory that a certain mood disorder is largely due to a deficiency of the neurotransmitter ACS2.The psychologist believes that if the theory is correct then increasing the levels of ACS2 in people with that mood disorder will reduce their symptoms of the mood disorder.To test that hypothesis,the psychologist conducts a well-designed experiment.This example best represents:

Accepted Answer

This experiment represents deductive reasoning because the psychologist started with a specific theory (deficiency of ACS2 causing the mood disorder), and tested that theory through an experiment designed to confirm or refute it. The hypothesis is being tested through a cause-and-effect relationship, which is characteristic of deductive reasoning.

Question 7

Before they ran any actual experiments,Darley and Latané based the development of their theory of diffusion of responsibility on the highly publicized murder of Kitty Genovese and a few other similar instances.This would represent an instance where science is utilizing __________ reasoning.

Accepted Answer

Inductive reasoning involves making generalizations based on specific observations or examples. In this case, Darley and Latané used specific examples of bystander inaction in high-profile cases to develop their theory of diffusion of responsibility, which suggests that people are less likely to take action in emergency situations when they believe others are also present who could help.

Question 8

All of the following were discussed as factors that can interfere with the correct application of deductive reasoning EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Conflicts with the availability heuristic were not discussed as a factor that can interfere with the correct application of deductive reasoning. Distraction by irrelevant information, the belief bias, and the failure to apply deductive rules to new situations were all discussed as potential interfering factors in deductive reasoning.

Question 9

A classic problem called,"The Crow and the Trains" requires that you determine the total distance a crow would fly while flying back and forth between two converging trains.If you initially conceptualized it as a distance problem,it was very difficult to solve but if instead you framed the problem in terms of _________,it was relatively easy to arrive at the solution.

Accepted Answer

If you framed the problem in terms of time, you would realize that the crow flies for the same amount of time both ways regardless of the speed of the trains. This means that the distance the crow flies is simply the product of its speed and the time it spends flying. Therefore, you can easily calculate the total distance the crow flies by multiplying its speed by the time it spends flying in one direction and then doubling that value.

Question 10

Evidence in support of apes' language abilities is strongest in terms of the __________ criterion of language.

Accepted Answer

The symbolic criterion of language refers to the ability to use symbols, such as words or gestures, to represent abstract concepts. There is strong evidence that apes, such as chimpanzees and bonobos, have the ability to learn and use symbols to communicate with humans or other apes. However, their abilities in other criteria of language, such as generative or structured, are still debated among researchers.

Question 11

The four stages of the problem-solving process are:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The four stages of the problem-solving process...

Question 12

The term "belief bias" specifically refers to our tendency to:

Accepted Answer

Belief bias occurs when we abandon logic and critical thinking in favor of our personal beliefs or attitudes. This can lead us to accept or reject arguments based solely on how they align with our pre-existing beliefs, rather than evaluating them objectively.

Question 13

One morning,John decides to have oatmeal for breakfast,and he later performs very well on a math test that he takes that day.He doesn't think too much about this until a few weeks later when he does very well on an English test and recalls that he had oatmeal for breakfast before that test too.He concludes that eating oatmeal in the morning helps him perform better on exams.This example best demonstrates:

Accepted Answer

John is using inductive reasoning to make a generalization based on specific instances. He is drawing a conclusion from his own experience with oatmeal and tests, and applying it to a broader situation.

Question 14

A psychologist designs an experiment to test a specific if-then hypothesis such as,"If the rats are hungry,then they will run the maze more quickly." This process is formally known as the _____________ approach to theory building.

Accepted Answer

The process described in the sentence is known as the hypothetico-deductive approach to theory building. This approach involves developing a hypothesis and then testing it through experimentation to determine its validity.

Question 15

Deductive reasoning is considered to be a stronger and more valid form of reasoning than inductive reasoning because:

Accepted Answer

Deductive reasoning starts with general premises and logically deduces specific conclusions. If the general premises are true, then the specific conclusions must also be true. This makes deductive reasoning stronger and more valid, as it provides a high level of certainty in the conclusion. In contrast, inductive reasoning starts with specific observations and tries to generalize to broader conclusions, which is more vulnerable to errors and bias, such as the representativeness heuristic.

Question 16

Many concepts are difficult to describe in words,but we often can define them using typical and familiar members of a particular class called:

Accepted Answer

The concept of prototypes refers to the typical and familiar members of a particular class. For example, a robin is a prototypical bird, but a penguin is not, even though it is still a bird. This is a useful way to define concepts that may be difficult to describe in words. The other options, morphemes, propositions, and phonemes, are linguistic units that are not directly related to prototypical members of a class.

Question 17

Gina works for a widget company where her job is to bundle the widgets in packages of 25.Gina figures out a method of bundling the widgets but fails to implement the final stage of problem solving which in the long-run caused her to miss a more efficient method.This final stage was ________________.

Accepted Answer

Evaluating the solution is the final stage of problem solving where the individual assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of the chosen solution. Had Gina completed this final stage, she may have realized that her method was not the most efficient and could have made improvements.

Question 18

When we reason from general principles to a conclusion about a specific case,we are engaging in:

Accepted Answer

Deductive reasoning involves using general principles or premises to reach a specific conclusion.

Question 19

While trying to learn what a "doggie" is,little Johnny looks at every animal he sees and compares it to his new puppy.If the animal is similar enough to his own puppy,then he decides it also is a puppy.Johnny's puppy serves as a _______________ for dogs.

Accepted Answer

Johnny is using his own puppy as a model or standard to compare other dogs to, which is the definition of a prototype. A proposition is a statement or idea put forward for consideration, a heuristic is a problem-solving strategy, and a concept is a general abstract idea or category. None of these terms fully describe Johnny's use of his puppy as a reference point.

Question 20

When Leslie's Dad gets home before 6:00 p.m.,it means he has finished a job early and is in a good mood.When Dad is in a good mood,he takes Leslie out for ice cream.While finishing her homework today,Leslie hears her father's car pull into the driveway.It is 5:30 p.m.So Leslie reasoned,tonight I get ice cream! Leslie was using ___________________ reasoning.

Accepted Answer

Leslie is using deductive reasoning, as she is using a general rule (her Dad being in a good mood and taking her out for ice cream when he finishes work early) to draw a specific conclusion (her Dad finishing work early today and taking her out for ice cream).

Quiz 9: Language and Thinking