Question 1

Research on the language capabilities of apes clearly demonstrates that they

Accepted Answer

Research on apes such as Koko and Washoe have shown that they are able to communicate using symbols and signs, indicating a level of language capability beyond simple vocalization. While they may not be able to acquire language vocabulary as quickly as most children, they are still able to understand and use language in their communication with humans.

Question 2

Six-month-old Ohmar recognizes the difference between squares and circles just as accurately as his 3-year-old brother,who can correctly name the different shapes. This fact would most directly challenge

Accepted Answer

Whorf's linguistic determinism hypothesis suggests that language shapes thought. If Ohmar, who likely has limited language skills at six months old, can distinguish between shapes as accurately as his older brother who can name them, this challenges the idea that language is necessary for this type of cognitive recognition.

Question 3

During a lecture,your professor says,"A child learns language as he interacts with caregivers." This generic use of the pronoun he is more likely to trigger images of males than of females. This best illustrates the impact of

Accepted Answer

This is an example of gender bias in language, which can affect how we perceive and think about individuals based on their gender. This illustrates the impact of language on thinking.

Question 4

Beatrice and Allen Gardner taught the chimpanzee Washoe to communicate by means of

Accepted Answer

The Gardners taught Washoe to communicate using American Sign Language (ASL), a visual-gestural language used by deaf people in the United States.

Question 5

Which language theorist would have been most likely to emphasize that children master the rule for forming the past tense of regular verbs like "push" before they learn common past tense constructions of irregular verbs like "go"?

Accepted Answer

Noam Chomsky's theory of Universal Grammar suggests that children are born with an innate ability to understand the rules of language, including the formation of regular verb tenses, which they learn before mastering irregular verb forms.

Question 6

Psychologists are most likely to question whether chimps have the capacity to

Accepted Answer

While there is evidence that chimps can learn and use some basic symbols and signs, there is little evidence to suggest that they have the same capacity for complex grammar as humans do.

Question 7

Contemporary psychologists are most likely to criticize Whorf's linguistic determinism hypothesis for

Accepted Answer

Whorf's linguistic determinism hypothesis suggests that the language we speak determines the way we think. Contemporary psychologists criticize this by pointing out that thinking can and does occur without language, indicating that Whorf underestimated this aspect.

Question 8

In Wolfgang Köhler's experiment,the chimpanzee Sultan retrieved a long stick with a short stick to retrieve a piece of fruit. Sultan was able to reach the fruit as a result of

Accepted Answer

Sultan's ability to use a shorter stick to retrieve a longer one, and then use the longer one to reach the fruit, suggests that he had a moment of insight or understanding of the problem and its solution. This is different from trial and error, where he would have tried different actions until one worked without necessarily understanding why it worked. He also did not need to form a new concept, as he had already been trained to use a stick to retrieve objects, and was now simply applying this knowledge in a novel way. The outcome simulation option is not relevant to this particular experiment.

Question 9

Vocal sounds that are not included in one's native language first begin to disappear from usage during the ________ stage of language development.

Accepted Answer

Babbling is the stage of language development where infants experiment with making a variety of sounds, including those that are not present in their native language. As they start to comprehend and produce words in their language, they gradually stop using the non-native sounds, causing them to disappear from their repertoire.

Question 10

If using a stick is successful in retrieving termites from a mound,chimpanzees improve their ability to use sticks for this purpose. This illustrates that the chimps' problem-solving strategy is shaped by

Accepted Answer

The fact that chimpanzees improve their ability to use sticks for termite gathering when it is successful suggests that they are being reinforced for their behavior, which is a key aspect of operant conditioning. Nondeclarative memory, outcome simulation, and productive language are not directly relevant to this scenario.

Question 11

The two-word stage of language development typically begins at the age of ________ months.

Accepted Answer

The two-word stage of language development typically begins around 24 months, or 2 years old. During this stage, children begin to combine words into two-word phrases, such as "go bye-bye" or "want milk." This marks an important milestone in their language development as they move from using single words to expressing more complex thoughts and ideas.

Question 12

The isolated Piraha tribespeople of Brazil have no words for specific numbers higher than 2. If shown seven nuts in a row they find it difficult to lay out the same number from their own pile of nuts. This best illustrates the impact of

Accepted Answer

The example illustrates how the Piraha people's lack of numerical language affects their ability to think about and represent higher numbers. This suggests that language has a significant impact on thinking.

Question 13

Many people who are bilingual experience a different sense of self,depending on which language they are using. This most clearly illustrates the implications of

Accepted Answer

Whorf's linguistic determinism hypothesis suggests that language not only reflects but also determines the way we think and perceive the world around us. The experience of having a different sense of self depending on the language being used supports this hypothesis.

Question 14

Introductory psychology students performed best on a midterm psychology test if they had previously spent five minutes a day visualizing themselves

Accepted Answer

Visualizing themselves studying effectively likely helped students to mentally prepare and organize their study habits, leading to better performance on the test.

Question 15

Pigeons can reliably discriminate pictures of cars from pictures of chairs. This best illustrates their capacity to develop

Accepted Answer

The ability to distinguish between two different categories of objects - cars and chairs - implies that the pigeons have developed a concept of what each object represents.

Question 16

The problem-solving abilities of forest-dwelling chimpanzees are best illustrated by their naturally developed use of

Accepted Answer

Forest-dwelling chimpanzees are well-known for their use of tools, such as using sticks to extract ants from their nests or using stones to crack open nuts. This shows their ability to problem-solve and use resources in their environment to meet their needs. While chimpanzees have been taught some basic sign language in captivity, this is not a naturally developed ability in their wild forest habitat. Concepts and outcome simulations require a higher level of cognitive ability than has been observed in chimpanzees.

Question 17

Bilingual children who inhibit one language while using the other can better inhibit their attention to irrelevant information. This has been called

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the "bilingual advantage," as bilingual children have been found to exhibit increased inhibition abilities compared to monolingual children. This advantage is thought to result from the constant need to switch between languages and inhibit one language while using the other.

Question 18

People's procedural memory of how to open the front door of their house is most likely to consist of

Accepted Answer

Procedural memory refers to our ability to perform certain tasks or activities, such as opening a front door, without conscious awareness or effort. This type of memory is primarily based on motor processes and is stored in the cerebellum and basal ganglia. Mental imagery, which involves creating or experiencing a sensory experience in the absence of external stimuli, is thought to play an important role in procedural memory. Therefore, option B is the best choice as it most accurately describes the type of memory involved in opening a front door.

Question 19

It has been suggested that Alaskan Eskimos' rich vocabulary for describing snow enables them to perceive differences in snow conditions that would otherwise go unnoticed. This suggestion most clearly illustrates

Accepted Answer

The suggestion that language, in this case the Alaskan Eskimos' vocabulary for snow, determines or influences perception is known as linguistic determinism. This idea has been debated in the field of linguistics for years, and there is still no clear consensus. However, the given scenario of Eskimos being better able to perceive differences in snow due to their unique vocabulary is an example of linguistic determinism.

Question 20

One group of Australian dolphins learned to use marine sponges to catch fish. This best illustrates their capacity to

Accepted Answer

The fact that one group of Australian dolphins learned to use marine sponges to catch fish demonstrates their capacity to transmit cultural innovations, as this behavior was not observed in other dolphin populations in the area and was only passed down through observation and social learning within this specific group.

Quiz 17: The Mere Presence of Others