Question 1

A conditional syllogism determines whether the conclusion:
A) contradicts the premise
B) is valid given the premise
C) is true given the premise
D) follows from the premise

Accepted Answer

A conditional syllogism aims to determine whether the conclusion follows logically from the premise. Therefore, the best choice is D, which states that the conclusion follows from the premise. Choice A is incorrect because the conclusion can still follow logically even if it does not agree with the premise's content. Choice B is not the best option because it describes validity, which is a different concept from the conclusion's logical relationship to the premise. Choice C is also not the best option because the conclusion's truthfulness is not always relevant to a conditional syllogism's evaluation.

Question 2

Meagan's economics professor argues that people are optimal decision makers. Her psychology professor argues that people are often irrational decision makers. Her economics professor believes in a ____________ model of human decision making; her psychology professor believes in a ____________ model.
A) normative; descriptive
B) normative; normative
C) descriptive; descriptive
D) descriptive; normative

Accepted Answer

The economics professor believes in a normative model, which assumes that people make optimal decisions based on rational deliberation. The psychology professor believes in a descriptive model, which recognizes that people often make irrational decisions based on various biases and heuristics. Therefore, A is the best choice as it correctly matches the two professors' views on human decision making.

Question 3

Sasha has taken many enjoyable hikes along rivers. When Zacharia asks her to hike along the Mississippi River this summer she agrees because she concludes that she will enjoy the hike. Sasha reached her decision using:
A) heuristic decision making
B) problem solving
C) deductive reasoning
D) inductive reasoning

Accepted Answer

Sasha has taken enjoyable hikes along rivers in the past, and she concludes that hiking along the Mississippi River will also be enjoyable based on her previous experiences. This is an example of inductive reasoning, where a specific instance (enjoyable hikes along other rivers) is used to make a general conclusion (that hiking along the Mississippi River will also be enjoyable).

Question 4

Fatima and Andrew are going to see the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie starring Johnny Depp. Fatima wants to see the movie because she enjoyed three other movies with Johnny Depp. Andrew wants to go because he enjoyed the first three Pirates movies. Fatima is using ____________ reasoning; Andrew is using ____________ reasoning.
A) inductive; deductive
B) deductive; inductive
C) deductive; deductive
D) inductive; inductive

Accepted Answer

The answer of Fatima and Andrew are going to see...

Question 5

You are given a problem in the form of a categorical syllogism: "If all Xs have Ys, and all Ys have Zs, then . . . ." What is the answer?
A) All Ys have Zs.
B) All Zs have Xs.
C) All Xs have Zs.
D) All Ys have Xs.

Accepted Answer

The correct conclusion based on the given syllogism is that all Xs have Zs. This can be understood by combining the first premise "If all Xs have Ys" with the second premise "and all Ys have Zs." The resulting conclusion is that all Xs must ultimately have Zs as well.

Question 6

You are trying to decide what movie to go see, and you notice that a Batman movie is playing. You have loved all of the other Batman movies, so you decide that you will like this one. You have made the decision to go to the Batman movie using:
A) heuristic decision making
B) problem solving
C) deductive reasoning
D) inductive reasoning

Accepted Answer

The answer of You are trying to decide what movie...

Question 7

The director of the school cafeteria discovers that students like chocolate chip cookies much better than molasses cookies. To sell the molasses cookies, she prices them at 25 cents each and continues to charge 1 dollar for the chocolate chip cookies. When students keep buying far more chocolate chip cookies, they are violating ____________ theory, which is a ____________ model of human decision making.
A) prospect; normative
B) expected utility; normative
C) prospect; descriptive
D) expected utility; descriptive

Accepted Answer

The answer of The director of the school cafeteria discovers...

Question 8

Which method of thinking is most common in daily life?
A) heuristic decision making
B) algorithmic decision making
C) inductive reasoning
D) deductive reasoning

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which method of thinking is most common...

Question 9

All people who will watch the Olympics like sports. Some people who like sports eat pizza. Therefore, all people who watch the Olympics like pizza. This ____________ syllogism is ____________.
A) categorical; true
B) conditional; true
C) categorical; false
D) conditional; false

Accepted Answer

The argument is a categorical syllogism, but it is false. The fact that some people who like sports eat pizza does not mean that all people who watch the Olympics like pizza. The conclusion goes beyond the information presented in the premises.

Question 10

Jamail is trying to decide whether to major in biology or psychology. Kevin is trying to figure out what major might allow him to get a good job right after university. Jamail is engaged in ____________; Kevin is engaged in ____________.
A) problem solving; decision making
B) inductive reasoning; deductive reasoning
C) decision making; problem solving
D) deductive reasoning; inductive reasoning

Accepted Answer

Jamail is trying to make a decision between two options, which is an example of decision making. Kevin is trying to figure out the best option for achieving a particular goal, which is also an example of decision making. Therefore, both scenarios involve decision making, and the answer is C. The other answer choices are incorrect because they do not accurately describe the actions taken by Jamail and Kevin.

Question 11

Javier and Nancy decide to drive five hours to the lake for the day. Javier is excited about the trip because he always enjoys going to the lake. Nancy is excited about the trip because she always enjoys long drives. Javier is using ____________ reasoning; Nancy is using ____________ reasoning.
A) inductive; deductive
B) deductive; inductive
C) deductive; deductive
D) inductive; inductive

Accepted Answer

The answer of Javier and Nancy decide to drive five...

Question 12

Fazal is planning to buy a new car. He is going to take a loan so that he can buy a new car because he believes that a new car will have fewer problems. Claire tells him that used cars with guarantees also have very few problems. Fazal realizes that he needs to find out if Claire is right before buying a new car. Fazal has been using which form of thinking about his car purchase?
A) reasoning
B) problem solving
C) decision making
D) heuristic thinking

Accepted Answer

Fazal is using reasoning as he is evaluating Claire's statement and considering the possibility that used cars with guarantees might also have few problems, which requires logical thinking and analysis.

Question 13

Norma is trying to decide which of four dresses to buy. For each dress, she carefully considers the cost, appearance, and quality. She then ranks the dresses in order of desirability and buys the most desirable one. Norma's decision is in accord with _____________ theory, which is a ____________ model of human decision making.
A) prospect; normative
B) expected utility; normative
C) prospect; descriptive
D) expected utility; descriptive

Accepted Answer

Norma's decision making process involves carefully considering multiple factors and then ranking the options based on desirability. This is consistent with expected utility theory, which is a normative model of decision making that suggests people should make choices based on their expected outcomes and the utilities (or values) they assign to those outcomes. Therefore, the best answer is B, expected utility; normative.

Question 14

Ivy and Peng have decided to try the new Thai restaurant. Ivy is glad to go there because she likes all Thai food. Peng is happy to go there because he has eaten in three other Thai restaurants and enjoyed the food. Ivy is using ____________ reasoning; Peng is using ____________ reasoning.
A) inductive; deductive
B) deductive; inductive
C) deductive; deductive
D) inductive; inductive

Accepted Answer

The answer of Ivy and Peng have decided to try...

Question 15

Because Jason disliked his three classes in biology and chemistry, he concludes that he does not like science. He later decides not to take astronomy because he does not like science. Jason's decision that he does not like science was reached by ____________ reasoning; his decision not to take astronomy was reached by ____________ reasoning.
A) inductive; deductive
B) deductive; inductive
C) deductive; deductive
D) inductive; inductive

Accepted Answer

Jason's decision that he does not like science was reached by inductive reasoning since he made a generalization about his dislike for three specific classes. His decision not to take astronomy was reached by deductive reasoning since he applied the generalization he made earlier to a specific instance (astronomy).

Question 16

Alejandro does not know much about Mr. Smith but votes to send him to Ottawa. Alejandro likes the Liberal Party and Mr. Smith is a member of that party, so he assumes that he will like Mr. Smith. After the election, Alejandro finds that Mr. Smith does not act like a Liberal and he regrets having voted for him. Alejandro's mistake was forgetting that:
A) a conclusion is true only if the premises are true
B) a conclusion can be valid without being true
C) categorical syllogisms are less reliable than conditional syllogisms
D) conditional syllogisms are less reliable than categorical syllogisms

Accepted Answer

Alejandro's mistake was that he assumed that Mr. Smith's party affiliation automatically meant that he would share the same beliefs and values, without actually knowing Mr. Smith's individual views and behavior. This is a failure to recognize that a conclusion, in this case, that Mr. Smith would act as a Liberal, is only true if the premises, or evidence supporting that conclusion, are true. In this case, Alejandro did not have sufficient evidence to support his assumption about Mr. Smith. This aligns with option A, which states that a conclusion is true only if the premises are true.

Question 17

George has been having back pain lately and has decided to see his physician. His physician recommends that he do some exercises that have been shown to decrease back pain. When he tells his friend Susan about the exercises, she tells him they sound pointless, and that he should try taking vitamin supplements instead, because they worked for her when she had back pain. Which treatment is George most likely to choose?
A) the vitamin supplements
B) the exercises
C) a combination of both
D) neither supplements nor exercise, because he will get another opinion

Accepted Answer

The answer of George has been having back pain lately...

Question 18

Almost all empirical psychology studies that rely on sampling, hypothesis testing, and statistical analysis rely on the concept of ____________ to generalize findings to a population.
A) inductive reasoning
B) deductive reasoning
C) heuristic decision making
D) algorithmic decision making

Accepted Answer

Inductive reasoning involves specific observations and drawing general conclusions based on those observations. This is the type of reasoning that is used when researchers sample a specific group of participants and then use their data to make generalizations about a larger population. Deductive reasoning involves starting with a general principle or idea and then drawing conclusions about specific cases, which is not typically how psychological research is conducted. Heuristic and algorithmic decision making are not directly relevant to the process of generalizing findings in empirical psychology studies.

Question 19

In problem solving, a person:
A) moves from a present state to a goal state
B) selects among a set of alternatives
C) evaluates a conclusion for validity
D) reasons from general to specific information

Accepted Answer

The answer of In problem solving, a person:
A) moves from...

Question 20

Genese likes football. All people who like football turn purple with pink polka dots at the full moon. Therefore, Genese turns purple with pink polka dots at the full moon. This ____________ syllogism is ____________.
A) categorical; true
B) conditional; true
C) categorical; false
D) conditional; false

Accepted Answer

This is a categorical syllogism with a valid logical form. The premises are true and the conclusion follows logically from the premises. Therefore, the syllogism is true.

Quiz 8: Thinking and Intelligence

A conditional syllogism determines whether the conclusion:

Meagan's economics professor argues that people are optimal decision makers. Her psychology professor argues that people are often irrational decision makers. Her economics professor believes in a model of human decision making; her psychology professor believes in a model.

Sasha has taken many enjoyable hikes along rivers. When Zacharia asks her to hike along the Mississippi River this summer she agrees because she concludes that she will enjoy the hike. Sasha reached her decision using:

You are given a problem in the form of a categorical syllogism: "If all Xs have Ys, and all Ys have Zs, then . . . ." What is the answer?

You are trying to decide what movie to go see, and you notice that a Batman movie is playing. You have loved all of the other Batman movies, so you decide that you will like this one. You have made the decision to go to the Batman movie using:

Which method of thinking is most common in daily life?

All people who will watch the Olympics like sports. Some people who like sports eat pizza. Therefore, all people who watch the Olympics like pizza. This syllogism is .

Jamail is trying to decide whether to major in biology or psychology. Kevin is trying to figure out what major might allow him to get a good job right after university. Jamail is engaged in ; Kevin is engaged in .

Javier and Nancy decide to drive five hours to the lake for the day. Javier is excited about the trip because he always enjoys going to the lake. Nancy is excited about the trip because she always enjoys long drives. Javier is using reasoning; Nancy is using reasoning.

Ivy and Peng have decided to try the new Thai restaurant. Ivy is glad to go there because she likes all Thai food. Peng is happy to go there because he has eaten in three other Thai restaurants and enjoyed the food. Ivy is using reasoning; Peng is using reasoning.

Almost all empirical psychology studies that rely on sampling, hypothesis testing, and statistical analysis rely on the concept of ____________ to generalize findings to a population.

In problem solving, a person:

Genese likes football. All people who like football turn purple with pink polka dots at the full moon. Therefore, Genese turns purple with pink polka dots at the full moon. This syllogism is .