Deck 7: Cognition: Thinking, Intelligence, and Language

Question 1

The term Terman's Termites refers to __________.

A) a set of developmentally delayed students that Terman studied intensively
B) a group of Army soldiers who on the basis of their IQ were followed through their military career
C) a sample of gifted children who were studied and followed into adulthood
D) none of these

Answer 1

a sample of gifted children who were studied and followed into adulthood

Question 2

Language is based on basic sound units called ______.

A) phonemes
B) morphemes
C) semantics
D) registers

Answer 2

phonemes

Question 3

A male has a defect in the X chromosome of the 23rd pair. As children, people with this syndrome experience symptoms that can range from mild to severe or even profound intellectual disability. This is known as ________.

A) fragile X syndrome
B) Down syndrome
C) fetal alcohol syndrome
D) familial retardation

Answer 3

familial retardation

Question 4

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

Question 5

What are the smallest units of meaning in a language?

A) words
B) syntax
C) phonemes
D) morphemes

Question 6

In Kosslyn's "imaginary island" study, researchers found that it does take longer to view a mental image that _____________.

A) is larger or covers more distance than one that is smaller and more compact
B) has more items in it
C) has more colors in it
D) contains living things as compared to nonliving items

Question 7

The ability to learn from one's experiences, acquire knowledge, and use resources effectively when faced with challenges or problems is the psychologist's working definition of ________.

A) divergent problem solving
B) creative thinking
C) heuristic usage
D) intelligence

Question 8

What problem-solving strategies involve making educated guesses and make efficient use of time?

A) heuristics
B) algorithms
C) mnemonic devices
D) cognitive shortcuts

Question 9

____________ intelligence has been suggested by Goleman to be a more powerful influence in life than more traditional views, though the research supporting this claim has been mixed.

A) Analytical
B) Creative
C) Emotional
D) Existential

Question 10

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

Question 11

What are mental categories representing activities, objects, qualities, or situations that share some common characteristics?

A) classes
B) concepts
C) attributes
D) classifications

Question 12

Researchers have found that ______ influenced by culture.

A) neither language nor thought is
B) language, but not thought, is
C) thought, but not language, is
D) both language and thought are

Question 13

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

Question 14

A psychological test that measures what we intend it to measure is said to be ______________.

A) valid
B) normed
C) reliable
D) standardized

Question 15

All parents think their little kids are geniuses. However, to be classified as a genius, the IQ score must be above __________.

A) 120
B) 130
C) 140
D) 150

Question 16

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

Question 17

Alfred Binet designed the first ______ test.

A) aptitude
B) performance-based
C) perception
D) intelligence

Question 18

If intelligence is determined primarily by heredity, which pair should show the highest correlation between IQ scores?

A) fraternal twins
B) identical twins
C) brothers and sisters
D) parents and children

Question 19

At the current time, which statement is true about our knowledge of whether animals can use humanlike language?

A) It has been clearly shown that animals cannot use humanlike language.
B) All animal communication is instinctual and, thus, is not language.
C) Only primates, like monkey and chimps, show any sign of language-like behavior.
D) It is still unclear if animals can show humanlike language at any level of development.

Question 20

Which of the following is suggested by your authors as helping to substantially improve cognitive health?

A) physical exercise
B) a diet high in beta-amyloids
C) drinking one or two glasses of red wine at least twice each week
D) the cessation of cigarette smoking

Question 21

The trial-and-error method of solving problems is also known as ________.

A) the use of a heuristic device
B) the use of algorithms
C) the mechanical solution
D) the A.I. solution

Question 22

What are mental categories representing activities, objects, qualities, or situations that share some common characteristics?

A) classes
B) concepts
C) attributes
D) classifications

Question 23

PET scans have demonstrated that when you are creating a visual image, ________.

A) the image is generated by the retinal ganglion cells and sent to the cortex
B) the image is generated by the thalamus and sent to the brain
C) the areas associated with stored knowledge send information to the visual cortex
D) there is no locus in the brain that can be determined for the generation of visual images

Question 24

Don tells Ray that he wants to get a new sports car. Ray immediately understands why because he is familiar with the common characteristics of sports cars and knows what makes them different from family cars. Ray is using mental categories called ________.

A) classes
B) concepts
C) attributes
D) classifications

Question 25

Compared to formal concepts learned in science and math, natural concepts tend to be ________.

A) easier to learn
B) very clear and well-defined
C) fuzzy with unclear boundaries
D) good fits with a rigid classification system

Question 26

Before enrolling in an abnormal psychology course, Gary's idea of psychological disorders had been influenced primarily by talk shows. He expected to hear the same kinds of stories he had heard on talk shows. What an eye-opening experience the course turned out to be! How would a cognitive psychologist describe the influence the course had on Gary's idea of psychological disorders?

A) Gary learned the value of algorithms.
B) Gary now uses heuristics.
C) The course increased Gary's ability to use visual imagery.
D) The course altered Gary's concept of psychological disorders.

Question 27

Talia is looking for her cat by methodically searching each room and then closing the door. She is using what type of problem solving strategy?

A) an algorithm
B) a heuristic
C) a means-end strategy
D) a hunch

Question 28

Which is the most likely prototype for the concept "vehicle"?

A) glider
B) car
C) scooter
D) bicycle

Question 29

Which example would most people take longest to identify as a fruit (even though it technically is a fruit)?

A) grape
B) apple
C) orange
D) olive

Question 30

What problem-solving strategies involve making educated guesses and making efficient use of time?

A) heuristics
B) algorithms
C) mnemonic devices
D) cognitive shortcuts

Question 31

Sally is enrolled in a high school geometry course, which she describes as "drawing figures and figuring drawings." In a typical class, students draw geometric figures and use a formula to calculate an aspect of the figure, such as its area. Each time Sally uses a formula, she is making use of what psychologists call ________.

A) heuristics
B) logarithms
C) algorithms
D) convergence

Question 32

You ask a student to describe the path to his dorm room. The most likely way in which he will do this is to ________.

A) recite a rote list of directions he memorized
B) give you the GPS location of his dorm room
C) walk through a mental image of the path and describe it to you as he does it
D) none of these

Question 33

In Kosslyn's "imaginary island" study, researchers found that it does take longer to view a mental image that ________.

A) is larger or covers more distance than one that is smaller and more compact
B) has more items in it
C) has more colors in it
D) contains living things as compared to nonliving items

Question 34

The first thing that comes to mind when asked to name an example from a category is called the ________.

A) schema
B) prototype
C) concept marker
D) category marker

Question 35

Concepts are ideas that represent ________.

A) a class or category of objects, events, or activities
B) patterns of behavior
C) higher-order conditioning and secondary reinforcers
D) none of these

Question 36

Kosslyn asked subjects if frogs have lips and a stubby tail. What did the subjects report?

A) They visualized a frog, starting with the face ("no lips") and mentally rotated the image to look for the stubby tail.
B) They visualized a frog, starting with the face ("no lips"), had it disappear, and then visualized a completely new frog for a second time with its backside to them.
C) They knew the answer but did not have to generate an image.
D) They felt that that task was impossible to accomplish.

Question 37

An advantage of using a heuristic over an algorithm is ________.

A) the heuristic ensures a
B) the heuristic takes longer and is more accurate
C) the heuristic can make better use of time
D) the heuristic always works the same way

Question 38

What systematic problem-solving method guarantees a solution, provided that one exists?

A) heuristic method
B) algorithmic method
C) mnemonic device
D) cognitive shortcut

Question 39

An advantage of algorithms over heuristics is that ________.

A) algorithms are much faster
B) algorithms guarantee a
C) algorithms are shortcuts
D) algorithms use rules-of-thumb

Question 40

When people are asked to say how many windows they have in their dwelling, the amount of time people take to come up with the answer ________.

A) doesn't depend on the number of windows
B) depends on the number of windows
C) depends on the size of the windows
D) depends on whether the house had one or two stories, not the number of windows

Question 41

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

Question 42

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

A) creativity
B) insight
C) heuristics
D) latent learning

Question 43

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

Question 44

________ 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

Question 45

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

Question 46

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

Question 47

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

Question 48

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.

Question 49

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

Question 50

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?"

Question 51

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

Question 52

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

Question 53

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

A) birds
B) dogs
C) cats
D) chimpanzees

Question 54

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

Question 55

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

Question 56

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

A) heuristics
B) algorithms
C) mnemonic devices
D) cognitive shortcuts

Question 57

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

Question 58

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

Question 59

Which type of thinking is most closely related to creativity?

A) heuristic
B) divergent
C) insightful
D) convergent

Question 60

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

Question 61

Researchers typically stress that a key aspect of intelligence is ________.

A) the ability to speak different languages
B) the Y chromosome
C) the ability to adapt to new situations
D) only accurate for males

Question 62

The divergent thinking technique of starting with a central idea and drawing a "map" with lines from the center to other related ideas and then forming a mental image of the concepts and their connections is known as ________.

A) brainstorming
B) keeping a journal
C) free writing
D) mind or subject mapping

Question 63

Criticisms of Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences include ________.

A) the fact that it relies too heavily on g
B) there are no concerns
C) it appears to describe only those with brain damage
D) the idea that these "skills" are not necessarily the same thing as what is meant by intelligence.

Question 64

According to Robert Sternberg, ________ is best described as "street smarts," or the ability to use information to get along in life. People who have it know how to be tactful, how to manipulate situations to their advantage, and how to use inside information to increase their odds of success.

A) analytical
B) creative
C) practical
D) naturalistic

Question 65

Binet and Simon considered children relatively slow if their mental age ________.

A) equals their chronological age
B) is lower than their chronological age
C) is higher than their chronological age
D) does not equal their chronological age

Question 66

Alfred Binet designed the first ________ test.

A) aptitude
B) performance-based
C) perception
D) intelligence

Question 67

Which of the following is NOT one of the three areas of intelligence described by Sternberg?

A) analytical
B) exponential
C) practical
D) creative

Question 68

The ability to learn from one's experiences, acquire knowledge, and use resources effectively when faced with challenges or problems is the psychologist's working definition of ________.

A) divergent problem solving
B) creative thinking
C) heuristic usage
D) intelligence

Question 69

People began measuring intelligence through tests roughly________ years ago.

A) 50
B) 100
C) 200
D) 500

Question 70

Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences divides intelligence into ________ independent abilities.

A) three
B) five
C) seven
D) nine

Question 71

What three types of intelligence constitute Sternberg's triarchic theory of intelligence?

A) global, intuitive, and special
B) general, global, and specific
C) analytical, creative, and practical
D) mathematical, reasoning, and verbal

Question 72

The divergent thinking technique of writing down everything that comes to mind about a topic without revising or proofreading until all of the information is recorded, and then organizing it later, is known as ________.

A) brainstorming
B) keeping a journal
C) freewriting
D) mind or subject mapping

Question 73

A theory of intelligence with nine components was postulated by ________.

A) Gardner
B) Spearman
C) Sternberg
D) Terman

Question 74

Which is NOT a characteristic of creative people?

A) They usually have a broad range of knowledge about a lot of subjects and are good at using mental imagery.
B) They are often conventional in their personal lifestyles and take few social risks.
C) They aren't afraid to be different, are more open to new experiences than many people, and tend to have more vivid dreams and daydreams than others do.
D) They value their independence.

Question 75

Which of these is one of Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences?

A) poetic
B) digital
C) creative
D) naturalistic

Question 76

Measuring intelligence by testing is a rather new concept in the history of the world. The idea of such testing came from ________.

A) France
B) the United States
C) the United Kingdom
D) the Soviet Union

Question 77

A company puts together a team to solve the problem of a product's declining sales. One member of the group suggests that the team members generate as many ideas as they can in a short period of time without being critical of any particular idea. This technique of stimulating divergent thinking is called ________.

A) brainstorming
B) keeping a journal
C) free writing
D) mind or subject mapping

Question 78

The correct formula for determining IQ as used in Terman’s development of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test was ________.

A) MA/DA × 100
B) MA/CA × 100
C) MA/CA
D) CA/MA × 100

Question 79

Gardner and his associates are known for proposing ________.

A) the generalized theory of intelligence
B) the triarchic theory of intelligence
C) the theory of multiple intelligences
D) the theory of emotional intelligence

Question 80

Charles Spearman believed that intelligence is composed of ________.

A) verbal and mathematical abilities
B) crystallized and visual-motor abilities
C) general intelligence and specific abilities
D) analytical, creative, and practical intelligence