Question 1

Which statement is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

While there are similarities between the brain and computers as information-processing systems, the human brain is not constructed exactly like a computer and does not necessarily solve problems in the same way computers do. Additionally, computers can sometimes use algorithms rather than heuristics to solve problems. Therefore, choice C is the most accurate statement.

Question 2

Miss Libby asks her class to draw a picture of a dog.They draw pictures of retrievers,shepherds,mutts,terriers,spaniels,and lots of others.Her students obviously have different ____ of a dog.

Accepted Answer

Prototypes refer to a mental image or best example of a category, in this case, a dog. The fact that the students drew different kinds of dogs suggests that they have different prototypes of what a dog should look like.

Question 3

Terrance is training for the track meet next week.His coach reminds him to be mentally focused for the event and to not anticipate the starting gun too much,as a false start would disqualify Terrance.This example demonstrates that reaction time is susceptible to____.

Accepted Answer

B

Question 4

While on spring break in Florida,Kelly sees a claw machine game.Determined to win the Sponge Bob doll,she inserts her money.When she moves the joystick,Kelly discovers that pushing left causes the claw to move right and vice versa.Even after several attempts to win,it takes Kelly longer than normal to move the claw into position.In this example,Kelly's slower reaction time is mostly due to ____.

Accepted Answer

Kelly's slower reaction time is due to stimulus-response compatibility, as the joystick movements are in the opposite direction to the claw movement, causing a conflict in her motor response. This is an example of a compatibility effect, where the ease of a task is influenced by the compatibility between the stimulus and the required response.

Question 5

Pina is working a puzzle while a PET scan is performed.The PET scan indicates high activity in Pina's frontal lobe.Which conclusion can we draw from the PET scan results?

Accepted Answer

High activity in the frontal lobe generally indicates increased cognitive effort, indicating that Pina is finding the task difficult to complete. This rules out options A and D, which suggest that Pina is either experienced in or finding the task easy. Option B is also ruled out, as boredom is associated with decreased brain activity.

Question 6

Software programs receive information,represent that information with symbols,and then manipulate those representations.Such software constitutes a(n)____.

Accepted Answer

The description given in the sentence best fits the definition of an information-processing system. A proposition refers to a statement or assertion, a natural concept is a mental construct based on common features, and expected value is a statistical concept used in decision-making.

Question 7

Gloria learned to drive in the United States.Last week,she moved to London where the driver's seat is on the right side of the car and people drive on the left side of the road.When Gloria first drives in London,you would expect that she will have the slowest reaction time while ____.

Accepted Answer

Looking at the mirror involves a change in habitual perspective that requires more cognitive adjustment compared to the other options, which are more reliant on motor skills that are less affected by the change in driving context.

Question 8

Ruth is asked to solve a complex word puzzle twenty times in a row while an fMRI scan is being performed.We can anticipate that as Ruth becomes familiar with the puzzle,activity in her ____ will increase.

Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is involved in learning and memory processes. As Ruth becomes more familiar with the puzzle, her brain's ability to recognize and recall the patterns and strategies needed to solve the puzzle will improve, leading to increased activity in the hippocampus.

Question 9

While playing a video game,you guide your character through a make-believe world,avoiding some objects and picking up others,while responding to various events.This extremely rapid process of description,elaboration,decision,planning,and action illustrates ____.

Accepted Answer

The process described involves a rapid cycle of understanding the environment (description), expanding on what is happening (elaboration), making choices (decision), planning the next steps (planning), and then taking action. This cycle closely aligns with the concept of the "circle of thought," which refers to the continuous process of thinking that involves these steps.

Question 10

The processes of describing,elaborating,deciding,planning,and guiding action make up the ____.

Accepted Answer

These processes are part of the "circle of thought," a conceptual framework that outlines the cyclical nature of how we think, reason, and make decisions.

Question 11

Carla participates in an experiment in which she has to read a list of words that are the names of colors.Some of the words are printed in the same colored ink as the word; others are not.For instance,sometimes the word blueis printed in blue ink,and sometimes the word blueis printed in red,green,or black ink.The researcher records the amount of time it takes for her to read each word.Carla's reaction time is likely to ____ when the word and the ink are the same color and ____ when they are different colors.

Accepted Answer

This is known as the Stroop effect, which is the phenomenon where the brain has difficulty processing conflicting information. In this case, the word itself is its own color, which creates conflicting information for the brain to process. When the word and ink are the same color, it is easier for the brain to process, resulting in a decrease in reaction time. When the word and ink are different colors, it creates conflicting information for the brain to process, resulting in an increase in reaction time.

Question 12

Neuroimaging reveals how the brain functions during certain activities.As a child is exposed to a new puzzle toy,we can expect an increase in ____ involvement.After the puzzle becomes familiar to the child,involvement in the ____ will become highly active.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Neuroimaging reveals how the brain functions during...

Question 13

Stan and Oliver,famous psychologists,are interested in determining how fast people can respond to a signal flashed on a computer screen.At the start of each trial,the computer displays a Get Ready sign,then the screen goes blank.After a short delay,the signal is flashed on the computer screen and the subject presses a key as quickly as possible.In condition one,the duration of the short delay is always the same length of time.In condition two,the short delay changes randomly from trial to trial.According to research in high-speed decision making,the subjects in condition one are ____ than those in condition two because of ____.

Accepted Answer

The subjects in condition two have to process and prepare for different delay times, which leads to decreased expectancy and slower response times. In contrast, the subjects in condition one can expect the same delay time and therefore react faster. The answer is not A or B because complexity or stimulus-response compatibility are not mentioned as factors affecting response time. The answer is not D because there is no mention of a tradeoff between speed and accuracy in this study.

Question 14

An alien from another galaxy has landed on Earth and is overwhelmed by the sensory input it must process.Eventually,the alien simplifies its thinking by categorizing sets of experiences and objects according to their common features.In other words,the alien learns to form ____.

Accepted Answer

The alien's process of simplifying its thinking by categorizing sets of experiences and objects according to their common features refers to the formation of concepts. A concept is a mental category used to represent a group or set of objects, events, or relations that share common properties. Heuristics are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb used to make quick judgments or solve problems. Schemas are mental frameworks used to organize and interpret information. Scripts are mental frameworks used to organize our understanding of the sequence of events in a particular situation. None of these terms are as appropriate for describing the alien's process as the formation of concepts.

Question 15

Dr.Zheng is looking at the PET scans of four different people.She has been asked to identify the individual who was learning something new and difficult when the PET scan was performed.She should look for the PET that indicates ____.

Accepted Answer

The frontal lobe is responsible for higher-order cognitive processes such as learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. High activity in the frontal lobe indicates that the person is actively engaged in learning something new and difficult. The hippocampus is also involved in learning but primarily with memory formation. Low activity in the occipital lobe may indicate visual processing difficulties but is not necessarily related to learning. The medulla is responsible for vital functions such as breathing and heart rate, not learning.

Question 16

Jamie is alert when he sees Max prepare to serve the volleyball over the net.Jamie knows that Max is a skilled server who can drop the ball where he wants,regardless of the speed and loft he puts behind the ball.Knowing this,we can expect Jamie's reaction time to position himself for a return will be slower,mostly due to what factor?

Accepted Answer

Jamie's reaction time is likely slower due to the complexity of predicting where Max will serve the ball, given Max's skill in varying speed and loft.

Question 17

Dr.Coussert is conducting an experiment in which participants are to indicate when a green light appears on a computer screen by pressing a button.In one group of subjects,the light always appears in the center of the screen,while in the second group the light appears at random locations.Dr.Coussert is probably interested in how ____ affect(s)reaction time.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Dr.Coussert is conducting an experiment in which...

Question 18

Todd decides to create a matching game to study his psychology concepts.He pulls a card that asks "What is best defined as the manipulation of mental representations?" Todd thinks for a minute before he remembers that the answer is "____."

Accepted Answer

The manipulation of mental representations is best defined as thinking. Language and logic may play a role in thinking, but they are not the definition of it. Perception refers to the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information.

Question 19

Laverne works on an assembly line,spotting defective bottles.Recently,her performance has been poor and her boss warns her that if she misses one more defective bottle,she will be fired.Laverne's reaction time will ____ because of the changed ____.

Accepted Answer

Laverne's reaction time will increase due to the speed-accuracy tradeoff, as she will likely take more time to ensure accuracy and avoid missing any defective bottles, given the high stakes of her situation.

Question 20

Corisna is an introductory psychology student who participates in a reaction time experiment.In this experiment,she is asked to press her foot on a pedal when she hears the sound of a horn.Her reaction time will be most affected by ____.

Accepted Answer

The complexity of the decision made by Corisna will have the greatest impact on her reaction time in this experiment. Factors such as the clarity of the sound, her level of focus or attention, the difficulty of the task, and her personal reaction ability will all influence her reaction time. However, of these factors, the complexity of the decision is likely to have the most direct impact on the amount of time it takes Corisna to react to the sound of the horn.

Quiz 7: Thought and Language