Question 1

One of the longest-running psychological studies ever conducted was begun by Lewis Terman in 1921 in order to learn about children who scored in the top one percent of the IQ distribution. As they reached adulthood, some of these "Termites," as they were called, fulfilled their early promise, but others did not. Analyze the differences between those who were successful and those who were not.

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Question 2

At the age of 66, Hilda is worried when researchers ask her to take an IQ test. She knows that older people are assumed to have failing cognitive abilities. Which term is used to describe Hilda's anxiety? How could Hilda's test performance be affected by her worries?

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Question 3

Contrast the behaviors of college students who are weak in metacognition with those for whom metacognition is a strength.

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Question 4

One well-known theory of intelligence, the triarchic theory proposed by Robert Sternberg, distinguishes three different aspects of intelligence. Explain each of these aspects in detail.

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Question 5

In general, people try to avoid losses when making a decision. Explain why this cognitive bias may affect a person's decision about accepting or rejecting various aspects of medical treatment.

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Question 6

In the early 1900s, at the request of the French Ministry of Education, Alfred Binet constructed a testing instrument that eventually became the first widely used intelligence test. For what purpose was the test developed?

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Question 7

In his research on stereotype threat, Claude Steele has revealed how cultural stereotypes influence test performance. Explain stereotype threat and the effects it has on test performance. Who typically experiences stereotype threat?

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Question 8

How does the availability heuristic lead people to believe that catastrophic events, such as plane crashes, occur more frequently than they actually do?

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Question 9

In the 1950s, a social psychologist and two of his associates joined a "doomsday" group in order to study how the group members would react when the world did not end as predicted by their leader. How did the believers respond? Analyze their responses according to the theory of cognitive dissonance.

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Question 10

Connie's method of studying worked effectively throughout high school until she took her first foreign language course. In this course, her grades were much lower than usual. How could her mental set for studying have played a role in Connie scoring low grades?

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Question 11

How does the cognitive approach to intelligence research differ from the psychometric approach? How do the two approaches define intelligence?

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Question 12

In a study discussed in your textbook, researchers studied the reactions of people who were about to use a photocopier when a researcher approached and asked to be allowed to use it first. One of three different requests was made:
-"Excuse me; may I use the Xerox machine?"
-"Excuse me; may I use the Xerox machine, because I have to make copies?"
-"Excuse me; may I use the Xerox machine, because I'm in a rush?"
How did the individuals typically respond to these requests? How were these results interpreted in our textbook?

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Question 13

Animals solve problems in ways that fascinate us. Describe the research that has led some researchers to conclude that animals can think, including in your essay information regarding:
-The chimpanzees studied by Wolfgang Kohler;
-Kanzi, the bonobo who uses a computer keyboard;
-Alex, the African gray parrot who vocalized English words.

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Question 14

Distinguish between formal and informal reasoning.

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Question 15

Explain some of the hazards of multitasking.

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Question 16

Critics have argued that intelligence tests favor some groups over others. For example, one test item required that children identify the composer of the Emperor Concerto! In response, test makers tried to design tests that are that were unaffected by culture. Discuss two reasons for disappointing results in regard to both of these approaches.

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Question 17

People who are creative tend to rely on convergent thinking.

Accepted Answer

People who are creative tend to rely on divergent thinking, which involves generating multiple ideas and solutions rather than converging on a single answer. Convergent thinking is more commonly associated with logical and analytical thinking.

Question 18

One type of mental representation is the concept. How do concepts allow us to relate to the world around us in a manageable way? Create an example to show what a person's experience in a novel situation could be like if humans didn't organize the world based on concepts.

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Question 19

Rita's mental representation for Halloween includes knowledge, beliefs, and expectations. Which term is used to describe these characteristics? Develop an example that describes Rita's mental representation for Halloween, making sure that each of the three aspects mentioned above is included.

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Question 20

Alfred Binet's insight regarding a method of measuring mental development had an international impact in the twentieth century. Explain how he went about calculating a child's mental abilities. What scoring system did later researchers base on Binet's method, and how was it originally calculated?

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Quiz 9: Thinking and Intelligence