Question 1

Which of the following is an advantage of the use of heuristics?

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are often efficient, meaning they can quickly lead to a solution or decision without exhaustive processing of all available information. However, heuristics are not guaranteed to result in correct responses and may not only present one possible solution to a problem.

Question 2

When you play tic-tac-toe using certain mental shortcuts,you are using cognitive strategies psychologists call:

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that people use to navigate complex situations or make decisions. Playing tic-tac-toe involves using heuristics to determine the best moves and anticipate the opponent's moves. Algorithms are step-by-step procedures for solving problems, and syllogistic reasoning involves drawing logical conclusions from premises or propositions. While mental sets (B) can also influence problem-solving strategies, that term refers more specifically to the tendency to use familiar approaches even when they are not effective in a given situation.

Question 3

Following the September 11,2001,Twin Towers attacks,many Americans opted to drive rather than fly.The media coverage of the hijackings caused Americans to overestimate the danger of flying.As it was an event they remember easily,they assumed it could occur frequently.This example illustrates:

Accepted Answer

The example demonstrates the availability heuristic, which is the tendency to rely on easily available information to make decisions or judgments. In this case, the vivid and extensive media coverage of the Twin Towers attacks made the memory of the event easily available in people's minds, which led them to overestimate the likelihood of such events happening again.

Question 4

Which of the following is TRUE of heuristics?

Accepted Answer

Heuristics represent commonly used approaches to the solution of a problem, but they do not always lead to correct solutions. Sometimes heuristics can lead to incorrect solutions or biases in thinking. The speed at which heuristics are used varies depending on the individual and the particular problem. While heuristics can be used in computer algorithms, they are also commonly used by humans as problem-solving tools.

Question 5

According to the _____ heuristic,we assume that events we remember easily are likely to have occurred more frequently in the past-and are more likely to occur in the future-than events that are harder to remember.

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is the tendency to rely on easily accessible information or examples when making judgments or decisions. This includes assuming that events we remember easily or vividly are more common or likely to occur, even if that is not necessarily the case. The other options (representativeness, confirmation, frequency) do not specifically relate to this tendency to rely on easily available information.

Question 6

Which of the following terms best captures the meaning of the term heuristic,as cognitive psychologists use it?

Accepted Answer

Heuristic refers to a general problem-solving strategy that may not guarantee a solution but often produces a satisfactory result. Therefore, "strategy" best captures the meaning of the term heuristic as cognitive psychologists use it. A principle refers to a broad and fundamental idea, a formula is a set of mathematical instructions, and a program pertains to a specific set of instructions for a computer.

Question 7

Joanne does not go out at night because she hears from her local news station about the large number of muggings and robberies that occur in her city.However,crime in Joanne's city has actually gone down in the past few years.Joanne is falling victim to:

Accepted Answer

Joanne is relying on the information that is easily available and accessible to her through her local news station, which is an example of the availability heuristic. This can lead to an overestimation of the likelihood of crime occurring and a tendency to avoid certain situations or activities, such as going out at night, even though the actual risk may be lower.

Question 8

Matt picks up a pamphlet at a counseling center titled How to Succeed at College Course Work.Which type of problem-solving strategies is most likely offered in this pamphlet?

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are problem-solving strategies that rely on practical experience and intuition instead of pre-established rules or algorithms. The pamphlet is likely to offer practical tips and tricks for succeeding in college coursework, rather than rigid formulas or logical deductions.

Question 9

Carl is the only person from New Zealand that Craig has ever met.Carl strikes Craig as being quite friendly and funny.When Carl asks Craig what he would expect to find if he went to New Zealand,Craig says that he would expect the people to be quite friendly and funny.What might Craig have used to make this judgment?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Carl is the only person from New...

Question 10

Lori and Monica are looking at the cans of coffee on display at a local supermarket.They are trying to decide which of two different-sized cans will be the better buy.Lori attempts to divide the price of each can by the number of ounces of coffee each can contains.Monica suggests that "the larger size is usually a better buy." Lori is using a(n)____,whereas Monica is using a(n)_____.

Accepted Answer

Lori is using a heuristic, which is a mental shortcut or rule of thumb to solve a problem. Monica is using an algorithm, which is a step-by-step problem-solving procedure. Monica's approach is more systematic and reliable in terms of finding the best buy, as it considers all the relevant factors, such as price and size, whereas Lori's approach only focuses on the price per ounce. Therefore, it is better to follow Monica's algorithmic approach in this case.

Question 11

Which of the following is TRUE of algorithms?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is TRUE of...

Question 12

The _____ heuristic involves judging the probability of an event on the basis of how easily the event can be recalled from memory.

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic involves judging the probability of an event based on how easily it can be recalled from memory. This can lead to biases in decision making, as events that are more salient or vivid may be overestimated in likelihood. The representativeness heuristic involves judging the probability of an event based on how typical or representative it seems of a category or group, while the confirmation heuristic involves seeking out information that confirms preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. The frequency heuristic is not a widely recognized decision-making heuristic.

Question 13

Last week,Mike heard about five separate airplane crashes on the news.Even though,in general,motorcycle accidents account for more accidents than plane crashes do,Mike decides to ride his motorcycle from Washington to Atlanta instead of flying.Which bias is reflected in Mike's decision?

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of events that are more easily remembered or readily available in memory. In this case, because Mike heard about five separate airplane crashes on the news, they are more salient and memorable to him than the relatively mundane fact that motorcycle accidents are more common. Therefore, he may overestimate the risk of flying and choose to ride his motorcycle instead.

Question 14

When you use the availability heuristic,you are:

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic involves making frequency estimates based on the ease with which things come to mind. This means that people rely on the information that is most readily available to them in their memory, rather than on objective data or statistics.

Question 15

_____ may sometimes lead to errors.

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are problem-solving methods or techniques that rely on trial and error, which may result in errors due to their non-mathematical nature. Theorems, algorithms, and statements are based on mathematical principles and deductions, which typically result in more accurate and reliable outcomes.

Question 16

Which of the following is TRUE of heuristics?

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are problem-solving strategies that involve making educated guesses based on prior knowledge and experience. They are often used when an algorithmic solution is not available or would be too time-consuming or complicated. While heuristics can often be helpful in narrowing down potential solutions, they do not guarantee a correct answer and can sometimes lead to errors. Therefore, option B, C, and D are incorrect.

Question 17

Which of the following most likely makes use of heuristics?

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are strategies or approaches that simplify decision making by using practical methods not guaranteed to be perfect or rational but sufficient for immediate goals. An article titled "How to Succeed in Science" by a Nobel Prize winner is likely to offer heuristic advice or strategies based on experience, rather than strict formulas or algorithms, making it the best fit among the options.

Question 18

Suppose you meet a woman who killed her stepdaughter,and then later when you meet another woman who is having trouble with her stepdaughter,you are most likely to think that this woman too will kill her stepdaughter.You come to this conclusion as a result of:

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the representativeness heuristic, where we make a judgement based on how well the new situation matches our prototype or stereotype of a particular group or individual. In this case, the prototype or stereotype is that stepmothers are more likely to harm their stepdaughters, which influences our judgement about the likelihood of the second woman also being a potential killer.

Question 19

When people are asked which is more common,death by homicide or death by stroke,they often choose homicide because they hear more about murders than they do about strokes.In this instance,people are led astray in their judgments by:

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic refers to the tendency to rely on easily accessible or vivid information when making judgments or decisions. In this case, people are more likely to hear about homicides in the news and media, which makes them more easily accessible and memorable, leading people to overestimate their frequency compared to strokes.

Question 20

"You always clam up when I ask you what's wrong," Iris tells her boyfriend.Iris is probably making this frequency judgment because she can remember a few times that her boyfriend would not tell her what was bothering him.Iris is using the _____ heuristic.

Accepted Answer

Iris is using the availability heuristic, which is a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to a person's mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method, or decision. In this case, Iris remembers specific instances when her boyfriend wouldn't open up, making those memories readily available and influencing her judgment about his general behavior.

Quiz 8: Cognition and Language

Which of the following is an advantage of the use of heuristics?

When you play tic-tac-toe using certain mental shortcuts,you are using cognitive strategies psychologists call:

Following the September 11,2001,Twin Towers attacks,many Americans opted to drive rather than fly.The media coverage of the hijackings caused Americans to overestimate the danger of flying.As it was an event they remember easily,they assumed it could occur frequently.This example illustrates:

Which of the following is TRUE of heuristics?

According to the _____ heuristic,we assume that events we remember easily are likely to have occurred more frequently in the past-and are more likely to occur in the future-than events that are harder to remember.

Which of the following terms best captures the meaning of the term heuristic,as cognitive psychologists use it?

Joanne does not go out at night because she hears from her local news station about the large number of muggings and robberies that occur in her city.However,crime in Joanne's city has actually gone down in the past few years.Joanne is falling victim to:

Matt picks up a pamphlet at a counseling center titled How to Succeed at College Course Work.Which type of problem-solving strategies is most likely offered in this pamphlet?

Which of the following is TRUE of algorithms?

The _____ heuristic involves judging the probability of an event on the basis of how easily the event can be recalled from memory.

Last week,Mike heard about five separate airplane crashes on the news.Even though,in general,motorcycle accidents account for more accidents than plane crashes do,Mike decides to ride his motorcycle from Washington to Atlanta instead of flying.Which bias is reflected in Mike's decision?

When you use the availability heuristic,you are:

_____ may sometimes lead to errors.

Which of the following is TRUE of heuristics?

Which of the following most likely makes use of heuristics?

Suppose you meet a woman who killed her stepdaughter,and then later when you meet another woman who is having trouble with her stepdaughter,you are most likely to think that this woman too will kill her stepdaughter.You come to this conclusion as a result of:

When people are asked which is more common,death by homicide or death by stroke,they often choose homicide because they hear more about murders than they do about strokes.In this instance,people are led astray in their judgments by:

"You always clam up when I ask you what's wrong," Iris tells her boyfriend.Iris is probably making this frequency judgment because she can remember a few times that her boyfriend would not tell her what was bothering him.Iris is using the _____ heuristic.