Question 1

Howard Gardner has proposed that the domains of intelligence be expanded to include aptitudes and talents that have not been evaluated in traditional IQ tests. Describe the additional domains that Gardner has proposed.

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Question 2

Describe the three conditions under which a person is particularly likely to try to reduce dissonance.

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Question 3

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

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Question 4

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 5

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 Sultan, the chimpanzee studied by Wolfgang Kohler; Kanzi, the bonobo who uses a computer keyboard; and Alex, the African grey parrot who vocalizes English words.

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Question 6

Langer and her associates studied the reactions of people who were about to use a photocopier when a researcher approached and asked to use the copier. 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?"
Describe how you think you would have responded to each of these requests. How did the individuals in Langer's study respond to these requests? How were these results interpreted in our textbook?

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Question 7

Karen Kitchener and Patricia King asked adolescents and adults to explain how they had decided to adopt a particular stance on a controversial issue. The responses were categorized in seven stages of reflective thought that could be combined into three groups:
- pre-reflective judgment
- quasi-reflective judgment
- reflective judgment
Describe the typical responses from individuals from each of these three groups. Analyze the gradual development of thinking skills among undergraduate and graduate college students.

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Question 8

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, especially in regard to the tendency to avoid loss and minimize risk?

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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

Define language. To qualify as a language, what criteria must a communication system meet?

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Question 11

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 1% 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 12

Define your terms! In Chapter 1 we learned that this was an important guideline in regard to critical thinking. People refer to intelligence all the time, but how is intelligence defined? Does the musical genius of a world-class violinist such as Anne-Sophie Mutter count as intelligence? Based on your reading of Chapter 9, describe different ways that intelligence has been defined.

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Question 13

In Chapter 9, the authors note that many adults take one position and that's that. How does this lack of reflective judgment and dialectical thinking relate to the critical thinking guidelines explained in Chapter 1?

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Question 14

There are two kinds of reasoning, formal and informal. Compare and contrast these two modes of thought in regard to:
* premises.
* number and quality of answers.
* presence of established procedures.
* recognition that the problem is solved.
* real world or personal relevance.

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Question 15

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 16

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. In what ways did the purpose behind the test change when Lewis Terman revised Binet's test for use in North America?

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Question 17

In Chapter 1 we learned that the media and the public persist in equating "psychologist" with "psychotherapist." How do prototypes, discussed in Chapter 9, help explain this phenomenon?

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Question 18

Critics have argued that intelligence tests favour some groups over others. For example, one test item requires that children identity the composer of the Emperor Concerto! In response, how have test makers tried to design tests that are "culture free" or "culture fair"? Discuss two reasons for disappointing results in regard to both of these approaches.

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Question 19

How do psychometric and cognitive approaches to intelligence compare?

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Quiz 9: Thinking and Intelligence