Question 1

In 2001, an unknown person sent anthrax through the United States Postal Service, causing the deaths of five people. Many people became afraid to open their mail, although the risk for any given individual was extremely small. What heuristics help to explain this reaction?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In 2001, an unknown person sent anthrax...

Question 2

IQ tests designed to avoid cultural bias have failed to entirely eliminate average group differences in IQ scores.

Accepted Answer

Despite efforts to create IQ tests that are culturally unbiased, there still exist average group differences in IQ scores based on factors such as socio-economic status and race.

Question 3

Yvonne is arguing with Henrietta about whether real estate is a better investment than stocks. "You can't convince me," says Yvonne. "I just know I'm right." Yvonne needs training in ___________ reasoning.

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The answer of Yvonne is arguing with Henrietta about whether...

Question 4

Mina discovers that she has called her boyfriend's number instead of her mother's, as she intended. Her error can be attributed to ___________.

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The answer of Mina discovers that she has called her...

Question 5

What was Binet's great insight?

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The answer of What was Binet's great insight?...

Question 6

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.

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

Question 7

What goals do cognitive theories of intelligence have that psychometric theories do not?

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The answer of What goals do cognitive theories of intelligence...

Question 8

Stu meets a young woman at the student cafeteria. They hit it off and eventually get married. Says Stu, "I knew when I woke up that morning that something special was about to happen." What cognitive bias is affecting his thinking, charmingly romantic though it is?

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The answer of Stu meets a young woman at the...

Question 9

Which concept is most basic: furniture, chair, or high chair?

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The answer of Which concept is most basic: furniture, chair,...

Question 10

Research on the Ultimatum Game shows that people usually act out of rational self-interest.

Accepted Answer

Research on the Ultimatum Game has shown that people often reject unfair proposals, even if it means giving up potential gains, indicating that they are not solely motivated by rational self-interest.

Question 11

Seymour thinks the media have a liberal political bias, and Sophie thinks they are too conservative. "Well," says Seymour, "I have my truth and you have yours. It's purely subjective." Which of King and Kitchener's stages of thinking describes Seymour's statement?

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The answer of Seymour thinks the media have a liberal...

Question 12

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?

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

Question 13

When you solve a long-division problem, which are you using, an algorithm or a heuristic?

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The answer of When you solve a long-division problem, which...

Question 14

Which example of the concept chair is prototypical: high chair, rocking chair, or dining room chair?

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The answer of Which example of the concept chair is...

Question 15

Peter's mental representation of Thanksgiving includes associations (e.g., to turkeys), attitudes ("It's a time to be with relatives"), and expectations ("I'm going to gain weight from all that food"). They are all part of his ___________ for the holiday.

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The answer of Peter's mental representation of Thanksgiving includes associations...

Question 16

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?

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

Question 17

Hilda, who is 68, is about to take an IQ test, but she is worried because she knows that older people are often assumed to have diminished mental abilities. Hilda is being affected by ___________.

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The answer of Hilda, who is 68, is about to...

Question 18

What two findings in the previous section support Whorf's theory that language affects perception and cognition?

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The answer of What two findings in the previous section...

Question 19

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?

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

Question 20

In a classic experiment on cognitive dissonance, students did some boring, repetitive tasks and then had to tell another student, who was waiting to participate in the study, that the work was interesting and fun (Festinger & Carlsmith, 1959). Half the students were offered $20 for telling this lie and the others only $1. Based on what you have learned about cognitive dissonance reduction, which students do you think decided later that the tasks had been fun after all? Why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a classic experiment on cognitive dissonance,...

Quiz 9: Thinking and Intelligence