Question 1

Regarding concepts and concept formation, which of the following statements is FALSE?
A)Children often form concepts through positive and negative instances.
B)Adults often acquire concepts by learning conceptual rules.
C)An expert literally sees objects in their field of knowledge differently than less well-informed people do.
D)Children and adults use algorithms to make minute distinctions between closely related concepts.

Accepted Answer

Children and adults do not typically use algorithms (step-by-step procedures) to make minute distinctions between closely related concepts. Instead, they often rely on prototype and exemplar models of concept formation, which involve forming a general representation of a category based on typical or representative examples.

Question 2

A _____ concept is defined by how its features are associated with each other or how the object is associated with it surroundings, such as being lopsided or larger.
A)relational
B)conjunctive
C)disjunctive
D)connotative

Accepted Answer

A relational concept is defined by how its features are associated with each other or how the object is associated with its surroundings. Option B (conjunctive) refers to an object that must possess all of its features to fit the concept, option C (disjunctive) refers to an object that must have at least one of several possible features to fit the concept, and option D (connotative) refers to the emotional or symbolic meaning associated with a concept.

Question 3

Uncle, aunt, brother, and sister would all be considered
A)prototypes.
B)relational concepts.
C)disjunctive concepts.
D)conjunctive concepts.

Accepted Answer

Uncle, aunt, brother, and sister are all examples of relational concepts, as they refer to individuals in relation to other individuals within a family.

Question 4

At it most basic, _____ is based on experience with positive and negative instances.
A)prototyping
B)the random search strategy
C)synesthesia
D)concept formation

Accepted Answer

Concept formation involves the process of categorizing objects, events, or ideas based on their common characteristics. It is primarily based on experience with positive and negative instances, which are used to extract the essential features of a concept and use them to discriminate between different instances. Prototyping, on the other hand, involves the creation of a typical representative example of a concept, while the random search strategy involves trial and error learning through exploration of possible solutions. Synesthesia is a condition where stimuli in one sensory modality evoke experiences in another modality.

Question 5

Acceptance into the nursing program requires that you have successfully completed eight hours of anatomy and physiology and three hours of college algebra and have an overall 3.0 grade point average.Your acceptance into the nursing program would be considered a
A)disjunctive concept.
B)prototype.
C)conjunctive concept.
D)relational concept.

Accepted Answer

Acceptance into the nursing program is based on meeting multiple criteria (completing specific courses and achieving a certain GPA), which is a characteristic of a conjunctive concept. Disjunctive concepts have multiple criteria but only require meeting one, prototypes are based on a typical example rather than specific criteria, and relational concepts involve the relationship between two or more concepts.

Question 6

Children learn concepts most readily through
A)learning rules.
B)over-regularization.
C)positive and negative instances.
D)the punishment of children's incorrect labeling.

Accepted Answer

Children learn concepts most readily through positive and negative instances. This means that they learn by seeing examples of things that fit within a concept and examples of things that do not fit. For example, a child may learn the concept of a triangle by seeing pictures of triangles and being told "this is a triangle" and "this is not a triangle" with other shapes. This type of learning is often more effective than simply memorizing rules or being punished for incorrect labeling. Over-regularization (B) is actually a common mistake that children make as they learn language, where they apply a grammatical rule too broadly (e.g., saying "goed" instead of "went"). Punishment (D) can be effective for certain types of learning, but it is not the most effective way to teach children concepts.

Question 7

You are directed to go to the orientation session in Ivy Hall, which is the large building to your right as you enter the south entrance to the MCC campus.These directions illustrate
A)prototypes.
B)relational concepts.
C)disjunctive concepts.
D)conjunctive concepts.

Accepted Answer

Relational concepts are based on the relationship between features, such as spatial orientation or direction, as illustrated by the directions given.

Question 8

A _____ is a guideline for deciding whether objects or events belong to a concept class.
A)prototype
B)conceptual rule
C)connotative meaning
D)lexigram

Accepted Answer

A conceptual rule is a guideline for deciding whether objects or events belong to a concept class. A prototype is a typical example of a concept class. Connotative meaning refers to the emotional or cultural associations connected with a word, while a lexigram is a symbol representing a word or idea used in communication systems for non-human primates.

Question 9

An advertisement states that job applicants must have a B.S.degree in chemistry and three letters of recommendation.This illustrates a
A)prototype.
B)relational concept.
C)disjunctive concept.
D)conjunctive concept.

Accepted Answer

A conjunctive concept is a category made up of two or more different criteria that must all be met in order for something to be included in that category. In this case, the job applicants must meet two criteria - having a B.S. degree in chemistry and three letters of recommendation - making this a conjunctive concept.

Question 10

The process of classifying information into meaningful categories is called
A)prototyping.
B)the random search strategy.
C)synesthesia.
D)concept formation.

Accepted Answer

The process of classifying information into meaningful categories is referred to as concept formation. Prototyping is a process of creating a preliminary model or sample, the random search strategy is an approach to finding information without a specific pattern or method, and synesthesia is a neurological condition in which the stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to an automatic, involuntary experience in another pathway.

Question 11

The DSM-IV has specific criteria and guidelines that help psychologists to determine the particular mental illness that a client is exhibiting.The use of the diagnostic criteria in the DSM-IV illustrates the use of
A)prototypes.
B)conceptual rules.
C)negative instances.
D)framing.

Accepted Answer

The DSM-IV uses conceptual rules to determine mental illnesses, as it outlines specific criteria and guidelines for each disorder. It does not use prototypes (a general example or representative of a category), negative instances (examples that do not fit a category), or framing (the way information is presented).

Question 12

Concept formation refers to
A)the organization of phonemes and morphemes into meaningful thoughts.
B)the application of transformation rules to basic sentences.
C)inductive thinking as opposed to deductive thinking.
D)the process of classifying information into meaningful categories.

Accepted Answer

Concept formation involves the process of organizing information into meaningful categories or concepts. It involves identifying common characteristics of objects, events, or ideas and grouping them together based on those similarities. This allows for easier understanding, recall, and application of information.

Question 13

A class of objects with one or more features in common ("and" concepts) is called a _____ concept.
A)relational
B)conjunctive
C)disjunctive
D)categorical

Accepted Answer

A conjunctive concept refers to a class of objects that all have multiple features in common. For example, a red ball is a conjunctive concept because it has both the feature of being red and being a ball.

Question 14

Acquiring concepts by forming rules
A)is generally more efficient than learning by examples.
B)is generally less efficient than learning by examples.
C)is a strategy rarely practiced by adults after graduating from school.
D)allows inexperienced people to accurately categorize complex subjects.

Accepted Answer

Acquiring concepts by forming rules is generally more efficient than learning by examples because it allows us to apply the same rule to multiple instances, rather than memorizing each individual example separately. This is why rule-based learning is often used in fields such as mathematics and science.

Question 15

The best way to teach a child the concept of freedom would be to
A)relate the denotative meaning of freedom.
B)stress the history of the United States.
C)give the child examples of what freedom is and what freedom is not.
D)teach the child conceptual rules for the concept of freedom.

Accepted Answer

Giving the child examples of what freedom is and what freedom is not will help them understand the concept better as it makes it more relatable and understandable for them. Relating the denotative meaning of freedom may not be enough for them to fully comprehend the concept, and stressing the history of the United States may not be relevant to all children and could potentially limit their understanding of freedom to just one country. Teaching conceptual rules may also not be as effective as giving concrete examples.

Question 16

A father is helping his daughter to learn about animals.He points to a robin and eagle and explains that they are birds that fly, while the ostrich and penguin are examples of birds that do not fly.He then shows her pictures of a bat and a flying squirrel and tells her that these are not birds, but that the bat can actually fly and the flying squirrel can glide through the air.The father is using _____ to help his daughter learn the concept of "bird."
A)conceptual rules
B)algorithms
C)prototyping
D)positive and negative instances

Accepted Answer

The father is using positive and negative instances to help his daughter learn about birds. He provides examples of birds that fly (robin and eagle) and birds that do not fly (ostrich and penguin), and also shows examples of animals that are not birds but can fly or glide (bat and flying squirrel). This is an effective way of teaching the concept of "bird" by providing specific examples that illustrate the characteristics of birds. This approach is known as using positive and negative instances.

Question 17

"A triangle must be a closed shape with three sides made of straight lines." This statement is an example of a
A)prototype.
B)positive instance.
C)conceptual rule.
D)disjunctive concept.

Accepted Answer

The statement describes a conceptual rule, which defines the necessary and sufficient conditions for a shape to be classified as a triangle.

Question 18

To be a "sports car," a vehicle must meet the criteria to be classified as "a car" and must also have a "sporty" look.Therefore, a "sports car" would be considered a
A)conjunctive concept.
B)prototype.
C)disjunctive concept.
D)relational concept.

Accepted Answer

A "sports car" is a conjunctive concept because it requires the combination of two specific criteria: being classified as a "car" and having a "sporty" look.

Question 19

When we group together all cars, regardless of the make of an individual car, because they share common characteristics or attributes, we are using
A)algorithms.
B)heuristics.
C)concept formation.
D)divergent thinking.

Accepted Answer

Concept formation is the cognitive process of grouping together objects, situations, or events based on shared characteristics or attributes. In this case, the shared characteristic is "being a car," regardless of the specific make or model. Algorithms and heuristics are problem-solving strategies, and divergent thinking is a type of creative thinking that involves generating many different ideas or solutions. None of these accurately describe the act of grouping cars together based on their shared characteristic.

Question 20

A motorcycle must have two wheels and an engine and handlebars.Thus, a motorcycle is considered a
A)conjunctive concept.
B)prototype.
C)disjunctive concept.
D)relational concept.

Accepted Answer

A conjunctive concept is defined by the presence of several specific features, such as a motorcycle needing two wheels, an engine, and handlebars.

Quiz 9: Extension A: Cognition, Language, Creativity, and Intelligence

Regarding concepts and concept formation, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A _____ concept is defined by how its features are associated with each other or how the object is associated with it surroundings, such as being lopsided or larger.

Uncle, aunt, brother, and sister would all be considered

At it most basic, _____ is based on experience with positive and negative instances.

Acceptance into the nursing program requires that you have successfully completed eight hours of anatomy and physiology and three hours of college algebra and have an overall 3.0 grade point average.Your acceptance into the nursing program would be considered a

Children learn concepts most readily through

You are directed to go to the orientation session in Ivy Hall, which is the large building to your right as you enter the south entrance to the MCC campus.These directions illustrate

A _____ is a guideline for deciding whether objects or events belong to a concept class.

An advertisement states that job applicants must have a B.S.degree in chemistry and three letters of recommendation.This illustrates a

The process of classifying information into meaningful categories is called

The DSM-IV has specific criteria and guidelines that help psychologists to determine the particular mental illness that a client is exhibiting.The use of the diagnostic criteria in the DSM-IV illustrates the use of

Concept formation refers to

A class of objects with one or more features in common ("and" concepts) is called a _____ concept.

Acquiring concepts by forming rules

The best way to teach a child the concept of freedom would be to

"A triangle must be a closed shape with three sides made of straight lines." This statement is an example of a

To be a "sports car," a vehicle must meet the criteria to be classified as "a car" and must also have a "sporty" look.Therefore, a "sports car" would be considered a

When we group together all cars, regardless of the make of an individual car, because they share common characteristics or attributes, we are using

A motorcycle must have two wheels and an engine and handlebars.Thus, a motorcycle is considered a