Question 1

Japanese school teachers and students are more likely than their American counterparts to believe that:

Accepted Answer

Japanese culture places a strong emphasis on hard work and perseverance. Therefore, it is more likely that Japanese teachers and students would believe that success in mathematics is directly related to the effort put in, rather than an innate ability. Additionally, Japanese schools often have higher academic standards and a greater focus on traditional teaching methods, which may not require as many high-tech resources or small class sizes.

Question 2

Dr. Tremblay is studying IQ, self-discipline, gender, and academic performance in ninth-grade students. Which correlation will likely be the most significant in her study?

Accepted Answer

While there may be some correlation between IQ and academic performance, and between gender and IQ, the most significant correlation in this study is likely to be between self-discipline and academic performance. This is because research has consistently shown that self-discipline and self-regulation are powerful predictors of academic success, even more so than IQ or innate intelligence. Therefore, Dr. Tremblay is likely to find a strong relationship between the self-discipline levels of her ninth-grade participants and their academic performance.

Question 3

Tiffany tells her husband that she thinks their dog is embarrassed to be walked around the neighborhood in the sweater that she knitted for him. This is almost certainly an example of:

Accepted Answer

Tiffany is attributing human emotions and thoughts to her dog by suggesting that he may be embarrassed, which is an example of anthropomorphism.

Question 4

In Chapter 1, we learned that the media and the public persist in equating "psychologist" with "psychotherapist." How does the concept of prototypes, discussed in Chapter 9 (Thinking and Intelligence), help to explain this phenomenon?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In Chapter 1, we learned that the...

Question 5

In Chapter 9, the authors note that many adults take one position and stick with it no matter what. How does this lack of reflective judgment and dialectical thinking relate to the critical thinking guidelines explained in Chapter 1?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In Chapter 9, the authors note that...

Question 6

Vicky runs a dog-fighting ring out of her house. She justifies the harm that happens to the dogs by telling herself that dog fighting isn't cruel because dogs cannot think or feel emotions. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Vicky is denying the anthropomorphic qualities of dogs, specifically their ability to think and feel emotions. This denial is called anthropodenial.

Question 7

Define your terms! In Chapter 1, we learned that this was an important guideline with regard to critical thinking. People refer to intelligence all the time, but how is intelligence usually defined? Does the musical genius of a world-class violinist count as intelligence? Based on your reading of Chapter 9, describe different ways that intelligence has been defined.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Define your terms! In Chapter 1, we...

Question 8

In Chapter 2 (How Psychologists Do Research), we learned that in survey research, the phrasing of questions needs to be considered. How is this related to the importance of wording as noted in Chapter 9 (Thinking and Intelligence), especially with regard to the tendency to avoid loss and minimize risk?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In Chapter 2 (How Psychologists Do Research),...

Question 9

________ is the tendency to falsely attribute human qualities to nonhuman beings.

Accepted Answer

Anthropomorphism is the tendency to attribute human qualities, emotions, and intentions to nonhuman entities, such as animals or machines. Anthropodenial, on the other hand, is the tendency to deny human-like characteristics to animals or other non-human entities. Convergent and divergent thinking are not related to this phenomenon.

Question 10

Martina is on a jury deciding the fate of a woman accused of assault. The jury has heard the arguments of both sides and is now deliberating. What type of reasoning should the jury use to decide the fate of the accused woman?

Accepted Answer

Dialectical reasoning involves weighing both sides of an argument and using critical thinking to come to a conclusion. In this case, the jury must consider the arguments presented by both sides before making a decision about the accused woman's guilt or innocence.

Question 11

Baako called his sister Nako on the phone and asked her if he wanted a chair his friend had offered him but that he could not fit in his apartment. Nako said "Sure!" because she was just starting out on her own and needed something to put at a kitchen table she had gotten from a friend. When she went to pick up the chair from Baako she was shocked to discover it was a large, dish shaped, and orange. Nako sat in it and loved it, thanked Baako and took the chair home. What is the best psychological explanation for why Nako was so surprised by the chair?

Accepted Answer

Nako's expectations for what a chair should look like were based on her prototype for the word "chair," which likely did not include a large, dish-shaped, and orange chair.

Question 12

________ is the study of cognitive processes in nonhuman animals, especially in natural environments.

Accepted Answer

Cognitive ethology is the branch of psychology that studies the cognitive processes of nonhuman animals, particularly in natural habitats or environments. Psychometrics is concerned with the measurement of psychological traits and characteristics, factor analysis is a statistical technique for identifying patterns in large datasets, and metacognition refers to the ability to reflect on one's own thought processes.

Question 13

Research on animals and language indicates that:

Accepted Answer

The research on animals and language indicates that humans are the only species that evolved with the natural ability to express and comprehend an infinite number of novel utterances. While other species such as dolphins and bonobos may demonstrate communication abilities, they do not have the same level of linguistic competence as humans. Nonhuman animals can learn to communicate with humans, but this does not necessarily mean that they have their own language.

Question 14

________ is a system of beliefs about the way one's own mind and the minds of others work, and of how individuals are affected by their beliefs and feelings.

Accepted Answer

The description matches the definition of theory of mind, which involves understanding one's own thought processes and those of others, and how emotions and beliefs can influence behavior. Cognitive ethology is the study of animal cognition, triarchical intelligence theory is a theory of intelligence involving three factors (analytical, creative, and practical), and anthropomorphism is attributing human qualities to non-human entities.

Question 15

Arwan enjoys chemistry class but does poorly on tests because he spends too much time on the most difficult questions. According to cognitive approach to intelligence, what aspect of intelligence should Arwan try to improve upon in order to do better on chemistry tests?

Accepted Answer

Metacognition refers to one's awareness and understanding of their own thought processes. Improving metacognition would help Arwan better manage his time and approach to answering questions on tests, recognizing when to move on from difficult questions to manage his test-taking strategy more effectively.

Question 16

Malcolm is learning to speak Italian and is on a date at an Italian restaurant where the waiters speak Italian to the customers. Malcolm can't understand everything the waiter says but wants to impress his date so when he is confused he simply says "si" (meaning 'yes'). The dinner goes very well. What strategy did Malcolm use to make the dinner go smoothly?

Accepted Answer

Malcolm used a heuristic by simplifying his responses to the waiter's questions to "si" in order to avoid any confusion or misunderstandings during the date. This allowed the dinner to go smoothly and for Malcolm to focus on enjoying his time with his date rather than struggling to understand the language.

Question 17

Investigations of animal behaviours indicate that:

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that chimpanzees can understand and comprehend numbers to a certain extent, suggesting they have some form of numerical ability. However, they do not have the same advanced mathematical skills as humans. The other options are inaccurate - animal behavior can also be influenced by other factors such as observational learning, human beings are not the only animals that can learn from their parents or other members of their species, and while some animals have complex communication systems, they are not technically considered languages.

Question 18

Irene Pepperberg worked with an African gray parrot named Alex. Her research revealed that:

Accepted Answer

Irene Pepperberg's research with Alex demonstrated that African gray parrots have the ability to communicate with humans using language. Alex was able to make requests and answer simple questions about objects, indicating a level of intelligence and understanding beyond simple "parroting" of words and phrases. However, while Alex was able to vocalize words and phrases, he did not demonstrate a true understanding of mathematical concepts, so option A is incorrect. Finally, while Alex's brain was small relative to humans, it was still much larger than a walnut and he showed clear evidence of cognitive abilities, ruling out option D.

Question 19

When Wolfgang Köhler put chimpanzees in situations in which tempting bananas were just out of reach, he found that:

Accepted Answer

Köhler's experiments demonstrated that the chimpanzees sat quietly and appeared to have sudden insight into a solution, which is known as the "aha moment" or "insight learning." This concept of sudden understanding without trial-and-error learning was groundbreaking at the time and has since been studied extensively in animal and human cognition. Therefore, the best choice is D.

Question 20

The tendency to think, mistakenly, that human beings have nothing in common with other animals is called:

Accepted Answer

Anthropodenial is the tendency to deny that human beings have commonalities with other animals, and instead view humans as fundamentally different and superior. This is often based on a lack of understanding or appreciation of the complex cognitive and emotional capabilities of non-human animals. Anthropomorphism is a related concept, but refers to the tendency to attribute human-like characteristics to animals or other non-human entities. Stereotype threat and tacit knowledge are unrelated concepts.

Quiz 9: Thinking and Intelligence