Question 1

Allesandra can speak three languages fluently. She is therefore bilingual.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Allesandra can speak three languages fluently. She...

Question 2

Children who simultaneously learn two languages suffer from confusion and do not learn either language properly.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Children who learn two languages simultaneously may experience a short period of confusion at first, but research has shown that they ultimately learn both languages just as well as monolingual children. In fact, many bilingual children demonstrate cognitive and linguistic advantages over monolingual children.

Question 3

Theodore Simon was a French psychiatrist who, along with French psychologist Alfred Binet, developed the first widely used intelligence test.

Accepted Answer

Theodore Simon was indeed a French psychiatrist who developed the first widely used intelligence test along with Alfred Binet.

Question 4

Nonhuman animals communicate with members of their own species, but there is no valid research to support the idea that nonhuman animals demonstrate comprehension of syntax or concepts.

Accepted Answer

There is valid research to support the idea that some nonhuman animals, such as chimpanzees and bonobos, can demonstrate comprehension of syntax and basic concepts. However, this ability is not widespread among different species and is often limited in scope.

Question 5

Although researchers once thought that primates were able to demonstrate primitive language skills, contemporary researchers have shown that the primates were simply producing learned responses to nonverbal cues.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Although researchers once thought that primates were...

Question 6

Comparative cognition is a field of psychology that focuses on cross-cultural research on problem solving, language, and intelligence.

Accepted Answer

Comparative cognition is a field that studies the similarities and differences in cognitive processes across different species, not cultures.

Question 7

The most widely accepted definition of intelligence is "the global capacity to think rationally, act purposefully, and deal effectively with the environment."

Accepted Answer

This definition of intelligence is widely accepted by psychologists and experts in the field.

Question 8

Alfred Binet believed that intelligence was too complex to describe with a single number, and that performance on his tests of mental ability could be affected by many factors, including motivation.

Accepted Answer

Alfred Binet indeed believed that intelligence was too complex to describe with a single number, and he understood that performance on his tests of mental ability could be impacted by various factors, including motivation.

Question 9

Mental age is a measurement of intelligence in which an individual's mental level is expressed in terms of the average abilities of a given age group.

Accepted Answer

Mental age is a measure that compares an individual's cognitive function to that of others in a specific age group. It is a true statement.

Question 10

Bilingualism is rare worldwide, and very few people are bilingual.

Accepted Answer

Bilingualism is actually quite common worldwide, with over half of the world's population estimated to be bilingual or multilingual.

Question 11

Dividing a person's mental age by his or her chronological age and multiplying that result by 100 determines an intelligence quotient or IQ score.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. The formula for determining an IQ score is to divide a person's mental age (as determined by certain standardized tests) by their chronological age and multiply that result by 100.

Question 12

Research on bilingualism has shown that people who have balanced fluency in two or more languages are better at taking the perspective of others and imagining how another person might view a particular situation.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true based on research on bilingualism. Studies have found that individuals who are fluent in multiple languages are more skilled at taking the perspective of others and imagining how they might perceive a particular situation, compared to monolingual individuals. This may be due to the cognitive flexibility and enhanced perspective-taking abilities developed through the experience of managing multiple languages.

Question 13

Rather than focusing on whether nonhuman animals can develop human capabilities such as language, many comparative psychologists study the specific cognitive capabilities that different species have evolved to best adapt to their ecological niche.

Accepted Answer

The statement accurately reflects the approach of many comparative psychologists who study how different species have developed specific cognitive abilities to adapt to their environment, rather than simply trying to teach nonhuman animals human-like capabilities such as language.

Question 14

A key advantage of the Stanford-Binet intelligence test over the WAIS is that the Stanford-Binet provides scores on 11 subtests that measure different abilities rather than simply a global IQ score.

Accepted Answer

The WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) provides scores on multiple subtests, while the Stanford-Binet test provides a single composite score along with scores for different cognitive areas.

Question 15

Children who simultaneously learn two languages suffer learning problems and have lower intelligence than do monolinguals.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Studies have shown that children who learn two languages simultaneously can actually have cognitive advantages such as better executive function and bilingualism benefits in areas such as problem-solving, multitasking, and creativity. However, language development in bilingual children can be affected by linguistic input and exposure to the languages.

Question 16

The U.S. military first derived the intelligence quotient (IQ) by dividing a score on the Army Alpha test by the score on the Army Beta test.

Accepted Answer

The intelligence quotient (IQ) was originally derived by dividing a person's mental age by their chronological age and then multiplying by 100, not by comparing scores on the Army Alpha and Beta tests.

Question 17

Alfred Binet developed a series of tests measuring different mental abilities in order to identify schoolchildren who could benefit from special help.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Alfred Binet developed the Binet-Simon Scale (later known as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale) in the early 1900s, which was used to identify children who may need assistance in their education.

Question 18

Comparative cognition is a field of psychology that focuses on aspects of animal behavior, including memory, problem solving, planning, and cooperation.

Accepted Answer

Comparative cognition is a legitimate field of psychology that studies cognition and behavior in animals, including how they remember, solve problems, make plans, and cooperate with others.

Question 19

In 1921, Lewis Terman identified 1,500 California children between the ages of 8 and 12 who had IQ scores above 140. Terman tracked these children by conducting periodic interviews and surveys to see how genius-level intelligence would affect the course of their lives.

Accepted Answer

This statement accurately describes Lewis Terman's study on gifted children, known as the Genetic Studies of Genius.

Question 20

Balanced proficiency refers to being equally proficient in two languages.

Accepted Answer

Balanced proficiency refers to having similar levels of proficiency in two languages. It does not necessarily mean being perfectly fluent in both languages, but having a roughly equal ability to understand, speak, read, and write in both.

Quiz 7: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence