Question 1

Danielle cannot remember the name of the Mexican restaurant where she is supposed to meet Willard. Which of the following is a heuristic problem-solving strategy for locating the right restaurant?

Accepted Answer

Assuming the restaurant nearest to Willard's home is likely to be the one he chose is a heuristic problem-solving strategy. Calling these restaurants first to check on whether he made a reservation is a practical way to eliminate restaurants where he is not, saving time and effort in the search. The other options are either impractical or do not offer any useful strategy.

Question 2

Which of the following approaches suggests that concepts are represented by individual instances that we have stored in memory from our own experience?

Accepted Answer

The exemplar approach suggests that concepts are represented by individual instances that we have stored in memory from our own experience, making it the best choice. The prototype approach suggests that concepts are represented by an average representation of all category members. The systematic or formal approach focuses on logical rules and defining features to categorize concepts. The positive and negative instance approach involves comparing new instances with a set of positive and negative examples to determine category membership.

Question 3

________ is the notion that focusing on a single factor magnifies the importance of that factor relative to others that are relevant to a decision.

Accepted Answer

Anchoring is the cognitive bias where individuals rely too heavily on the first piece of information they receive when making decisions. This can lead to the overvaluation of that initial information and potentially the undervaluation of other relevant factors.

Question 4

Robert cannot remember the last two digits of his email password. He decides to try every possible combination, one at a time, until the correct digits are found. Which problem solving-strategy is Robert using?

Accepted Answer

Robert is using a trial-and-error strategy because he is trying every possible combination until he finds the correct one. Algorithms refer to a specific set of instructions to solve a problem. Means-ends analysis involves breaking down a problem into smaller parts and gradually working towards a solution. Heuristics are general problem-solving strategies that may not always lead to a correct solution.

Question 5

Rules of thumb based on past experiences that are used to solve problems are referred to as

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are rules of thumb or mental shortcuts that help individuals quickly solve problems or make judgments based on past experiences. They are not foolproof and may not always lead to the correct answer, but they can be useful in certain situations where time or resources are limited. Trial-and-error methods involve guessing and checking until a solution is found, while algorithms are step-by-step procedures that are guaranteed to produce the correct result but can be time-consuming. Positive test strategies are not a recognized term in problem-solving methods.

Question 6

Efficiency is to certainty of success as

Accepted Answer

Heuristic approaches are generally less certain to find the optimal solution compared to algorithms, which are designed to find solutions with a high degree of certainty. This mirrors the relationship between efficiency (doing things in an optimal way) and certainty of success.

Question 7

Carol is trying to decide which college to attend next semester. She first eliminates those that are too far from home for her to be able to visit her family and friends on the weekend. The decision-making strategy demonstrated here is

Accepted Answer

Elimination by aspects is a decision-making strategy in which options are eliminated systematically based on specific criteria. In this case, Carol is eliminating colleges based on the criterion of distance from home. This demonstrates the use of elimination by aspects as a decision-making strategy. The other options listed do not fit the scenario described.

Question 8

Which problem-solving method offers a promising way to attack a problem and arrive at a solution, although it does not guarantee success?

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are problem-solving strategies that offer a promising way to attack a problem and arrive at a solution, although they do not guarantee success. They are usually simple and efficient, but may not work all the time. Algorithms are step-by-step procedures that guarantee a solution, and trial and error is a time-consuming and inefficient method of problem-solving. Mental set is a tendency to approach problems in a particular way, which may or may not be effective.

Question 9

The major disadvantage of using heuristics to solve problems is that

Accepted Answer

The major disadvantage of using heuristics is that no solution is guaranteed. While heuristics can be helpful in finding solutions, they are not foolproof and may not always lead to the best outcome.

Question 10

Rules or formulas for particular problems that will eventually yield a solution are called

Accepted Answer

Rules or formulas that will eventually yield a solution are called algorithms. Positive test strategy refers to a method in software testing, heuristics are rules of thumb or shortcuts used to solve problems, and prototypes are preliminary models used for testing and validation.

Question 11

During a discussion of environmental psychology, Jeff is asked to think about a house. If Jeff imagines his own home, he is using which of the following approaches to concept formation?

Accepted Answer

The exemplar approach to concept formation involves forming a concept based on specific examples or instances that the individual has experienced. In this case, Jeff is imagining his own home, which is a specific example of a house, indicating his use of the exemplar approach.

Question 12

Psychologists define ________ as the process of considering alternatives and choosing among them.

Accepted Answer

The definition provided aligns with the concept of decision making, making it the most appropriate choice among the options given. The other choices (hermeneutics and systemic cognition) do not directly relate to the definition provided, and while problem solving is related, it is more specific and does not encompass the full definition provided.

Question 13

May Yin is systematically ordering factors involved in a decision from most to least important. She is most likely involved in

Accepted Answer

The answer of May Yin is systematically ordering factors involved...

Question 14

________ refers to the way in which information is presented to people involved in decision making. Information can be presented in such a way that it changes the focus of the decision-making process.

Accepted Answer

Framing refers to the way information is presented in order to influence decision making. It can involve highlighting certain aspects of the information, using certain language or tone, or emphasizing certain consequences. This can affect how individuals perceive the information and ultimately influence their decision making process.

Question 15

Which of the following are examples of a heuristic?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following are examples of...

Question 16

Which of the following, if properly applied, is guaranteed to result in a solution to a problem?

Accepted Answer

An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure that guarantees a solution to a problem if followed correctly. This distinguishes it from heuristics which can provide possible solutions but do not guarantee success every time. Applying prior knowledge and trial and error can be helpful in problem-solving, but they do not guarantee a solution.

Question 17

Which of the following is not a problem-solving technique?

Accepted Answer

Escalation of commitment is not a problem-solving technique. It refers to the tendency to continue investing time, money or energy into a failing situation, rather than cutting losses and moving on. The other options mentioned are all problem-solving techniques commonly used in various situations.

Question 18

Suppose you cannot find your psychology text. You generate a list of places you may have left it and then search them. Your problem-solving strategy is

Accepted Answer

This is a heuristic strategy because it involves using a mental shortcut or educated guess based on past experiences to solve the problem. The individual is generating a list of places they have left the text before and then searching those areas, rather than going through every possible location in a systematic manner (algorithm) or randomly searching (trial-and-error).

Question 19

In which of the following approaches to problem-solving do you try various different responses until one will work?

Accepted Answer

Trial-and-error involves trying different solutions until the correct one is found. Heuristic involves using a general rule or strategy to guide problem-solving. Analogy involves using knowledge from a similar situation to solve a new problem. Algorithm involves following a specific set of steps to reach a solution. Among the given options, only trial-and-error involves trying various different responses until one works, making it the best choice.

Question 20

Some psychologists suggest that humans use ________ decision-making processes which involves examining all possible alternatives and then choosing the one that is most beneficial.

Accepted Answer

The systemic decision-making process involves examining all possible alternatives and then choosing the one that is most beneficial. The other options (heuristic, representational, elimination by aspects) do not involve the examination of all possible alternatives.

Quiz 7: Cognition, Language, and Intelligence