Question 1

The tendency to perceive and approach problems in the same ways that have worked in the past is called ________.
A) mental set
B) means-end analysis
C) noncompensatory modeling
D) prototypical idealization

Accepted Answer

The tendency to perceive and approach problems in the same ways that have worked in the past is called mental set. Means-end analysis is a problem-solving strategy in which one evaluates the current situation, determines a goal, and works backward to find a solution. Noncompensatory modeling is a decision-making strategy where a certain attribute is used as a cutoff for accepting or rejecting options. Prototypical idealization is the process of creating a simplified and idealized representation of a concept or category.

Question 2

The ability to solve problems by combining behaviors and ideas in new ways is called ________.
A) creativity
B) insight
C) heuristics
D) latent learning

Accepted Answer

Creativity involves the generation of novel and useful ideas or solutions to problems. The combination of behaviors and ideas in new ways is a key aspect of creativity, making option A the most fitting answer. Insight refers specifically to a sudden realization or understanding of a problem or solution, while heuristics are problem-solving strategies or "rules of thumb." Latent learning refers to the acquisition of knowledge or skills that are not immediately expressed in behavior.

Question 3

Agatha Harkness-Smythe is determined to ban guns in the United States. This is a controversial topic and social scientists have debated whether the ownership of guns by citizens increases or decreases crime. Agatha could go to the library and look up studies on the linkage between guns and crime rates. Instead, Agatha just reads the local newspaper and only cuts out articles about robberies in which the "bad guy" used a firearm. Agatha is demonstrating ________.
A) mental set
B) confirmation bias
C) stereotype threat
D) mindlessness

Accepted Answer

Agatha is demonstrating confirmation bias by only seeking out information that confirms her belief that guns should be banned, rather than considering a variety of studies and sources on the topic.

Question 4

________ thinking works well for routine problem solving but may be of little use when a more creative solution is needed.
A) Heuristic
B) Divergent
C) Insightful
D) Convergent

Accepted Answer

Convergent thinking is a logical and analytical approach to problem-solving that seeks to find a single, best solution to a given problem. It is effective for routine tasks and solutions that have known and predicted outcomes. However, when a more creative solution is needed, divergent thinking, which seeks to generate many possible solutions and explore multiple perspectives, is more effective. Therefore, the best choice is D, convergent thinking.

Question 5

Danica is working on a research paper for her graduate course in applied geology. The paper has to be at least 30 pages long. Instead of sitting down and trying to compose 30 pages, she constructs an outline and writes the paper one section at a time. In cognitive psychology, Danica is using the ________ heuristic.
A) availability
B) representativeness
C) subgoals
D) working backwards

Accepted Answer

Danica is breaking down the task of writing a 30-page research paper into smaller, more manageable subgoals, which is an example of the subgoals heuristic. This helps her focus on one section at a time instead of being overwhelmed by the prospect of writing 30 pages at once. The availability heuristic involves making decisions based on readily available information, the representativeness heuristic involves making judgments based on similarities to a prototype, and working backwards involves solving a problem by starting with the end goal and working backwards to the beginning.

Question 6

What type of thinking could be described as taking different directions in search of a variety of answers to a question?
A) decisive
B) convergent
C) heuristic
D) divergent

Accepted Answer

Divergent thinking involves generating multiple ideas or solutions to a problem by exploring different possible directions, rather than narrowing down to a single correct answer. This type of thinking is often associated with creativity and innovation.

Question 7

A seemingly arbitrary flash "out of the blue," through which the solution to a problem suddenly becomes apparent to you, but you do not consciously know how you "figured it out," is called ________.
A) brainstorming
B) priming
C) insight
D) a mental set

Accepted Answer

The description given in the question matches the concept of insight, which is sudden realization of a solution to a problem without prior conscious awareness of how the solution was reached. Option A (brainstorming) refers to a technique of generating new and creative ideas through group discussion, Option B (priming) refers to the phenomenon of exposure to a stimulus influencing our response to a subsequent stimulus, and Option D (a mental set) refers to a tendency to approach a problem in a particular way based on past experience.

Question 8

Seventy percent of the students in a classroom are women and 30 percent are men. One student is described as ambitious, athletic, and assertive. Why are most people likely to think this description refers to a male student?
A) They are using the availability heuristic.
B) They are using the representativeness heuristic.
C) People seek only confirming information.
D) People tend to make relative comparisons.

Accepted Answer

People are using the representativeness heuristic, where they have a stereotype that men are more likely to possess qualities that are traditionally associated with ambition, athleticism, and assertiveness. This stereotype is reinforced by societal gender norms and cultural representations of gender in media.

Question 9

Coming up with as many different uses of a brick as possible, such as using them for doorstops, is a type of ________ thinking.
A) disordered
B) divergent
C) associative
D) convergent

Accepted Answer

Divergent thinking is the ability to come up with multiple ideas or solutions to a problem, as opposed to convergent thinking, which focuses on finding the single best solution to a problem. In this case, coming up with as many uses for a brick as possible requires divergent thinking.

Question 10

Which of the following questions would be more likely to produce divergent thinking?
A) "What is a stapler?"
B) "How do you spell stapler?"
C) "How many uses can you think of for a stapler?"
D) "What does a stapler look like?"

Accepted Answer

This question asks for multiple uses for a stapler, which encourages divergent thinking where many varied answers are possible.

Question 11

A person starts from one point and comes up with many different ideas or possibilities based on that point. The person is engaging in ________.
A) functional thinking
B) circular thinking
C) convergent thinking
D) divergent thinking

Accepted Answer

Divergent thinking involves generating multiple ideas and possibilities based on a single point or starting idea. It is a type of creative thinking that encourages exploration and brainstorming of various solutions or options.

Question 12

A loose screw on the visor causes it to drop down while Ben drives; however, he keeps forgetting to take a screwdriver out to the car to fix it. When he notices the visor drop again, he reaches into his pocket for a dime he uses to tighten the screw holding the visor. What problem-solving difficulty did Ben overcome?
A) relative comparison
B) functional fixedness
C) poor problem representation
D) the representative heuristic

Accepted Answer

Ben overcame functional fixedness, which is the tendency to think of an object only in terms of its typical uses, by using a dime instead of a screwdriver to tighten the screw.

Question 13

Köhler demonstrated "Aha!" or insight behavior with ________.
A) birds
B) dogs
C) cats
D) chimpanzees

Accepted Answer

Köhler demonstrated "Aha!" or insight behavior with chimpanzees in his famous experiments on problem-solving with Sultan, a chimpanzee at the Canary Islands.

Question 14

The concept of the confirmation bias specifically assumes that we are most likely to believe ________.
A) the scientific method as true
B) information that agrees with our thinking
C) information that refutes our thinking
D) logical thinking

Accepted Answer

The confirmation bias refers to our tendency to seek out and believe information that agrees with our existing beliefs and biases. This means that option B - information that agrees with our thinking - is the most likely choice. Options A, C, and D are not directly related to the concept of confirmation bias.

Question 15

Riley has figured out how to unlock his bedroom door with a paper clip. What has he most likely overcome in his new use of the paper clip?
A) functional fixedness
B) the representational problem
C) the representative heuristic
D) the confirmation bias

Accepted Answer

Functional fixedness is the tendency to only see an object's typical use and overlook its other potential functions. In this case, Riley has found a new use for a paper clip beyond its typical use, indicating that he has overcome functional fixedness. The representational problem refers to understanding the relationship between symbols and their referents, the representative heuristic is a mental shortcut for categorizing objects or ideas based on their similarity to a prototype, and the confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out information that confirms one's preexisting beliefs. None of these apply to the situation described.

Question 16

In problem solving, the term rule of thumb refers to ________.
A) heuristics
B) algorithms
C) mnemonic devices
D) cognitive shortcuts

Accepted Answer

The term rule of thumb refers specifically to heuristics, which are mental shortcuts or "rules of thumb" used to quickly solve problems or make decisions. Algorithms involve a specific set of instructions or steps to follow, while mnemonic devices are memory aids, and cognitive shortcuts are a broader term that can encompass both heuristics and other mental strategies.

Question 17

What term do psychologists use to describe our tendency to search for evidence that supports our belief and to ignore evidence that might disprove it?
A) confirmation bias
B) convergent thinking
C) availability heuristic
D) representativeness heuristic

Accepted Answer

Psychologists use the term confirmation bias to describe our tendency to search for evidence that supports our belief and to ignore evidence that might disprove it.

Question 18

A person starts from one point and comes up with many different ideas or possibilities based on that point. The person is engaging in ________.
A) functional thinking
B) circular thinking
C) convergent thinking
D) divergent thinking

Accepted Answer

Divergent thinking is characterized by the spontaneous generation of many possible solutions or ideas in response to a single prompt, without concern for feasibility or practicality. This type of thinking is often associated with creativity, brainstorming, and idea generation.

Question 19

Which type of thinking is most closely related to creativity?
A) heuristic
B) divergent
C) insightful
D) convergent

Accepted Answer

Divergent thinking is a type of thinking that involves generating multiple ideas and possibilities. This type of thinking is critical for creativity, as it allows for the exploration of new and unique ideas. Heuristic thinking is a problem-solving approach that involves using shortcuts and rules of thumb to find solutions quickly. Convergent thinking, on the other hand, involves narrowing down ideas to find the best solution to a problem. While insightful thinking, which involves sudden realizations or breakthroughs, may be related to creativity, it is not a type of thinking in and of itself.

Question 20

Frank mistakenly believes that there are more words that begin with the letter "k" than there are with the letter "k" in the third position due to the ________.
A) representativeness heuristic
B) availability heuristic
C) planning fallacy
D) confirmation bias

Accepted Answer

Frank's belief is likely due to 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, words that start with "k" are more readily recalled than words with "k" in the third position, leading Frank to mistakenly believe they are more common.

Quiz 7: Cognition: Thinking, Intelligence, and Language

The tendency to perceive and approach problems in the same ways that have worked in the past is called ________.

The ability to solve problems by combining behaviors and ideas in new ways is called ________.

________ thinking works well for routine problem solving but may be of little use when a more creative solution is needed.

What type of thinking could be described as taking different directions in search of a variety of answers to a question?

A seemingly arbitrary flash "out of the blue," through which the solution to a problem suddenly becomes apparent to you, but you do not consciously know how you "figured it out," is called ________.

Seventy percent of the students in a classroom are women and 30 percent are men. One student is described as ambitious, athletic, and assertive. Why are most people likely to think this description refers to a male student?

Coming up with as many different uses of a brick as possible, such as using them for doorstops, is a type of ________ thinking.

Which of the following questions would be more likely to produce divergent thinking?

A person starts from one point and comes up with many different ideas or possibilities based on that point. The person is engaging in ________.

Köhler demonstrated "Aha!" or insight behavior with ________.

The concept of the confirmation bias specifically assumes that we are most likely to believe ________.

Riley has figured out how to unlock his bedroom door with a paper clip. What has he most likely overcome in his new use of the paper clip?

In problem solving, the term rule of thumb refers to ________.

What term do psychologists use to describe our tendency to search for evidence that supports our belief and to ignore evidence that might disprove it?

A person starts from one point and comes up with many different ideas or possibilities based on that point. The person is engaging in ________.

Which type of thinking is most closely related to creativity?

Frank mistakenly believes that there are more words that begin with the letter "k" than there are with the letter "k" in the third position due to the ________.