Deck 3: Problem Solving and Creativity

Question 1

A notable consequence of perfectionism is that it often leads to a:

A) sudden increase in satisfaction with the task.
B) feelings of euphoria while solving a problem.
C) delay in making decisions.
D) lack of concern for details.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Flexible thinking is particularly useful in helping the problem solver:

A) increase his or her intelligence.
B) reject unworkable alternative solutions.
C) think of original solutions to problems.
D) gather data for problem solving.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, sensation-type individuals prefer:

A) the overall picture.
B) ambiguous tasks.
C) unestablished facts.
D) routine and order.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Odette, an information systems specialist, is thinking laterally when she:

A) thinks of most of the ways in which her company uses information.
B) discovers the best software to do a given job.
C) engages co-workers in problem solving.
D) uses the scientific method in problem solving.

Question 5

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, feeling-type individuals most likely has a need to:

A) pursue ideas others have rejected.
B) conform and adapt to the wishes of others.
C) express her emotions and feelings openly.
D) rely on reason and intellect to deal with problems.

Question 6

The saying, "Necessity is the mother of invention" emphasizes the contribution of __________ to creativity.

A) certain mental activities
B) ability
C) intrinsic motivation
D) environmental conditions.

Question 7

Intrinsic motivation contributes to creativity because it:

A) satisfies the need for recognition and other rewards.
B) helps the problem solver conform to the right way of thinking.
C) provides the facts needed for creativity.
D) enables the problem solver to be fascinated with the task.

Question 8

The accumulation of knowledge contributes to creativity because knowledge:

A) can be substituted for intuition.
B) supplies the building blocks for generating and combining ideas.
C) prevents too much mental flexibility.
D) allows for the development of a traditional mental set.

Question 9

With respect to creativity, humour is thought to:

A) get the creative juices flowing.
B) retard creative thought.
C) create the conflict helpful in stimulating creativity.
D) prevent people from taking the problem seriously.

Question 10

Cognitive intelligence helps problem solving and decision making because, by definition, _________ denotes the ability to solve problems.

A) instinct
B) intuition
C) intelligence
D) prediction

Question 11

Three of the five key elements to ask questions about when identifying the root cause of a problem are:

A) people, materials, and methods.
B) effects, consequences, and results.
C) machines and facilities, attitudes, and motivations.
D) qualitative, quantitative, and neutral factors.

Question 12

Emotional intelligence refers to:

A) the feelings one has in response to problems.
B) the way people respond when they run out of ideas.
C) the ability to separate out feelings from important information.
D) the ability to know and manage your feelings and to read other people.

Question 13

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, styles of gathering information range from:

A) sensation to intuition.
B) feeling to thinking.
C) objectivity to subjectivity.
D) complete to incomplete.

Question 14

Problem solving and decision making are:

A) a branch of natural science.
B) now accomplished mostly by computer.
C) not entirely rational processes.
D) clearly rational processes.

Question 15

The purpose of developing a worst-case scenario is to help the decision maker avoid:

A) being overwhelmed by fear of a bad decision.
B) becoming too self-confident.
C) being wrong too often.
D) analysis paralysis.

Question 16

The flow experience occurs when someone:

A) is totally absorbed in his or her work.
B) allows his or her concentration to wander.
C) gets the creative juices flowing.
D) is under heavy pressure.

Question 17

Values of the decision maker:

A) influence only his or her comfort with the decision.
B) influence every step of the decision making process.
C) have very little impact on the process of the decision making.
D) should not be allowed to interfere with making a good decision.

Question 18

Intuition can be regarded as stored information that is:

A) long forgotten.
B) accessible only to highly creative people.
C) placed in long-term memory.
D) reorganized or repackaged.

Question 19

The practical jokes and other forms of playfulness engaged in by creative people are related to:

A) analysis paralysis.
B) a need to conform.
C) traditional thinking.
D) mental flexibility.

Question 20

According to the definition of creativity presented in the human relations text, a creative idea:

A) must be capable of being patented.
B) deals with a major problem.
C) is worthy of a suggestion award.
D) can be put into action.

Question 21

When people see or hear the word creativity, many think of a rarefied talent.

Question 22

___________, or solo brainstorming, arrives at creative ideas by jotting them down.

A) Bargaining
B) Sharing ideas
C) Brainstorming
D) Brain writing

Question 23

The flexibility of creative people often shows up in the form of playfulness and practical jokes.

Question 24

Good decision makers usually have a rigid mental set.

Question 25

The idea behind the creativity-development technique of challenge your ruts is that:

A) lethargic people are not very creative.
B) challenge creates the right amount of stress for creativity.
C) asking yourself questions breeds creativity.
D) getting out of a routine helps develop mental flexibility.

Question 26

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, sensation-seeking type individuals prefer an overall, intuitive perspective when solving a problem.

Question 27

Perfectionism not only brings about excellent work results, it has a positive impact on mental health.

Question 28

Personal characteristics that influence decision-making ability can often be improved through conscious effort.

Question 29

The lawyer role in the technique "Play the roles of explorer, artist, judge, and lawyer" involves:

A) collecting as much evidence as you can before offering a suggestion.
B) judging whether an idea has merit.
C) getting your creative idea implemented.
D) searching through documents for a good idea.

Question 30

Experienced decision makers know that taking risks and seeking thrills are temptations to be avoided when solving problems.

Question 31

The flow experience occurs when the problem solver allows his or her concentration to wander.

Question 32

Rigid thinking helps the problem solver approach problems with a fresh outlook.

Question 33

Intuition is controlled more by the right brain than the left brain.

Question 34

The worst-case scenario in decision making refers to predicting what you would do if the most dreadful alternative came true.

Question 35

The associations in the forced-association technique involve making associations between:

A) members of the problem-solving team.
B) the properties of two objects.
C) causes and effects.
D) the various alliterative solutions to problems.

Question 36

An important part of identifying the cause of a problem is to ask questions about one key element of the problem.

Question 37

The best-known method of improving creativity is brainstorming, a technique by which group members think of multiple solutions to a problem.

Question 38

Creativity boils down to coming up with wild ideas to solve problems.

Question 39

During electronic brainstorming, suggestions from group members are:

A) stored in a file for review at a later time.
B) entered into the computer and seen by other group members.
C) edited automatically for spelling and grammar.
D) processed through the cellular (or cell) telephone.

Question 40

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, feeling-type individuals prefer to conform and attempt to avoid problems that might result in disagreements.

Question 41

Copying creative ideas is considered a legitimate form of creativity.

Question 42

To use electronic brainstorming, the team leader records the meeting with a camcorder and later plays it back for group criticism.

Question 43

The artist role in being creative involves stretching your imagination and asking "what-if" questions.

Question 44

An important condition for bringing about creativity is an environmental need that stimulates setting a goal.

Question 45

The forced-association technique includes selecting a word at random from a textbook or dictionary as a starting point for making associations.

Question 46

Creative people generally need strong approval from the group, which leads them to offer useful ideas.

Question 47

Getting into ruts is helpful for being creative because it makes us comfortable and relaxed.

Question 48

A recommended way of improving your creativity is to force yourself to identify a number of alternatives to a problem facing you.

Question 49

Concentrating intently on a problem tends to reduce a person's ability to think creatively because he or she develops a rigid thinking pattern.

Question 50

At each step of the way in brainstorming, the proposed solutions of group members are subject to careful evaluation.