Deck 8: C: Cognition,language,and Creativity

Question 1

According to your textbook,which of the following questions would be the LEAST likely to lead to a creative solution?

A) What can I extract from the known information?
B) How would the problem look from an airplane? How does it look from underneath?
C) What is the one best answer to this problem?
D) Is this in any way like a problem I've solved before?

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Restaurants whose menus feature a broader variety of choices often find that

A) their patrons will be more likely to try a different entree each time they come to the restaurant.
B) this change will guarantee significantly increased business.
C) this change will guarantee significantly decreased business.
D) their patrons will be more likely to order from a smaller number of familiar choices.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The tendency to perceive a problem in a way that blinds us to possible solutions is called

A) a mental set.
B) divergent thought.
C) a prototype.
D) brainstorming.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

According to Soman and other researchers,increased stress,cognitive overload,and confusion about the possibilities are some of the reasons that people

A) exhibit functional fixedness.
B) are able to think divergently.
C) have difficulty making complex choices.
D) resort to algorithmic thinking.

Question 5

Which of the following statements about enhancing creativity is TRUE?

A) It helps creativity to be evaluated on your solutions or ideas as soon as possible.
B) Restating the problem in different ways tends to produce more creative solutions.
C) Trying to hurry or forcing a solution tends to encourage creative thought.
D) Following an algorithmic approach will lead to more idea generation.

Question 6

Regarding how creativity can be encouraged,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Many studies of creativity show that "genius" and "eminence" owe as much to persistence and dedication as they do to inspiration.
B) Encouraging mental sets can lead you to see the world from a more creative perspective.
C) To encourage creativity, seek varied input by randomly looking up words in the dictionary and relating them to the problem.
D) If you are feeling hurried by a sense of time pressure, you are almost always less likely to think creatively.

Question 7

A supervisor is given the problem to design a better doorway and presents this task to his employees by asking them to "devise ways to define separate areas for living and working."
The supervisor's revised task for his employees will

A) encourage creativity by broadly defining the problem.
B) discourage creativity because the problem has been defined too broadly.
C) encourage creativity by quickly creating mental sets.
D) prevent incubation of the problem and discourage creativity.

Question 8

Which of the following would NOT encourage creativity?

A) breaking mental sets and challenging assumptions
B) defining the problem broadly
C) looking for analogies and delaying evaluation
D) utilizing convergent thinking under time pressure

Question 9

You are asked the following tricky question,"A farmer had 19 sheep.All but 9 died.How many sheep did the farmer have left?" To answer this question,you must

A) utilize a mental set.
B) define the problem narrowly.
C) actively challenge your assumptions.
D) look for analogies within the problem.

Question 10

In order to find new ways to open a can,a group leader asks his team of inventors to think of "opening" in general rather than asking them to come up with a better way to open a can.In
Doing so,this group leader will

A) encourage creativity since he broadly defined the problem.
B) discourage creativity because he defined the problem too broadly.
C) encourage the use of mental sets, thus, encouraging creativity.
D) prevent incubation of the problem, thus, discouraging creativity.

Question 11

In one study,a group of consumers were given an option to purchase jam with half of them choosing from six different flavors and the other half choosing from 24 flavors.The researchers found that the consumers with more choice expressed

A) more interest and were more likely to purchase a jam.
B) more interest, but were less likely to purchase any jam.
C) less interest, but were more likely to purchase a jam.
D) less interest and were less likely to purchase any jam.

Question 12

Regarding the effects of choice on decision-making,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Businesses that increase the variety of their product offerings are guaranteed increased sales.
B) Restaurants whose menus feature a broader variety of choices often find that patrons are more likely to order from a smaller number of familiar choices.
C) In one study, consumers with more flavors of jams to choose from did express more interest, but were actually 10 times less likely to purchase any jam.
D) Complex choices are difficult to make due to increased stress, cognitive overload, difficulty remembering all of the choices, and confusion about the possibilities.

Question 13

According to your textbook,which of the following questions would be the LEAST likely to lead to a creative solution?

A) How would other people, such as a child, psychologist, or artist look at this problem?
B) What is the one best answer for solving this problem?
C) What are the parts of the problem and how are they related?
D) If the problem were alive, what would it look like?

Question 14

You go to the new ice cream parlor that has 48 different flavors of ice cream and 20 different toppings.According to behavioral economist Dilip Soman,having all these choices

A) tends to facilitate one's decision-making.
B) tend to decrease one's decision-making ability.
C) prevents one from experiencing functional fixedness.
D) often leads to one using algorithmic thinking.

Question 15

You are asked the following tricky question,"If there are 12 one-cent candies in a dozen,how many two-cent candies are there in a dozen?" To answer this question,you must

A) utilize a mental set.
B) define the problem narrowly.
C) actively challenge your assumptions.
D) look for analogies within the problem.

Question 16

Which of the following is a major barrier to creative thinking and can lead us to see a problem in preconceived terms that impede our problem-solving attempts?

A) forming a mental set
B) divergent thought
C) using analogies
D) brainstorming

Question 17

A problem is presented in the textbook that involves arranging six matches to make four triangles.The triangles must be the same size,and each side must be equal to the length of
One match.Most people are initially unable to solve this problem because they assume
Incorrectly that the matches must be arranged on a flat surface rather in a three-dimensional
Pyramid shape.This incorrect assumption illustrates how which of the following can be a
Major barrier to creative thinking?

A) a mental set
B) divergent thinking
C) a prototype
D) incubation

Question 18

Fixations and functional fixedness are specific types of

A) insight learning.
B) divergent thinking.
C) prototypes.
D) mental sets.

Question 19

A problem is presented in the textbook that involves connecting nine dots arranged in a square using four continuous lines drawn without lifting the pencil.Most people are initially unable to
Solve this problem because they assume incorrectly that they are not allowed to extend the
Lines beyong the square formed by the dots.This incorrect assumption illustrates how which of
The following can be major barrier to creative thinking?

A) incubation
B) divergent thinking
C) a prototype
D) a mental set

Question 20

In order to arrive at a creative solution to a problem,it is often useful to

A) get to the specifics of the problem quickly.
B) define the problem as narrowly as possible.
C) break mental sets and challenge assumptions.
D) discard as many impractical suggestions as quickly as possible.

Question 21

Looking for analogies to a problem

A) is an effective way to represent a problem.
B) helps to define the problem more narrowly.
C) encourages one to critic solutions and discard unworkable ideas.
D) encourages the formation of mental sets.

Question 22

Johannes Gutenberg,creator of the printing press,realized while at a wine harvest that the mechanical pressure used to crush grapes could also be used to imprint letters on paper,which
Illustrates that incubation is especially fruitful when you

A) are exposed to external cues that relate to the problem.
B) are allowed time to "thin-slice" possible solutions.
C) develop a prototype through convergent thinking.
D) can create mental sets from external cues.

Question 23

Exposing yourself to a wide variety of information is a good way to encourage

A) mental sets.
B) "thin-slicing."
C) divergent thinking.
D) convergent thinking.

Question 24

The essence of brainstorming is that

A) mental sets are formed early in the problem-solving process.
B) convergent thinking is used first and then divergent thinking.
C) producing and evaluating ideas are kept separate.
D) a narrow framing of the problem is used.

Question 25

Defining the problem broadly,allowing time for incubation,seeking varied input,and looking for analogies are ways to

A) aid mechanical problem-solving.
B) enhance creativity.
C) dig deeper with logic.
D) create mental sets.

Question 26

If you wanted to enhance creativity,you would want to

A) isolate yourself and focus intently and persistently on the problem.
B) make a very quick decision since intuitive thinking is very creative.
C) dig deeper into a problem with logic.
D) look for analogies to represent the problem in a different way.

Question 27

You are having trouble solving a problem.So,you randomly look up words in a dictionary, scan a newspaper,and take a walk.These activities

A) are ways to seek varied input to solve your problem.
B) will help you narrow the parameters of your problem.
C) distract your focus and should be avoided.
D) will create mental sets that will enhance creativity.

Question 28

In the first stages of creative thinking,it is important to

A) to form a mental set as quickly as possible.
B) avoid criticizing one's efforts.
C) define the problem narrowly and concisely.
D) discard as many impractical and unworkable suggestions as possible.

Question 29

Randomly looking up words in a dictionary is a way to seek varied input and enhance creativity,according to creativity researcher

A) Nalini Ambady.
B) Edward de Bono.
C) Malcolm Gladwell.
D) Howard Gardner.

Question 30

Since many "new" problems are really old problems in new clothing,most problems become easier to solve when we

A) isolate ourselves and focus intently and persistently on the problem.
B) make a very quick decision since intuitive thinking is very creative.
C) dig deeper into a problem with logic.
D) look for analogies to represent the problem.

Question 31

A key element in doing creative work involves

A) being a conventional thinker.
B) taking sensible risks.
C) forming mental sets.
D) digging deeper into logic.

Question 32

Dr.Selman is using a method in her class that encourage creative thinking and that involves having the students to produce as many ideas as possible without fear of criticism.Dr.Selman is using

A) brainstorming.
B) groupthink.
C) the representativeness heuristic.
D) a mental set.

Question 33

When you approach a problem-solving situation by asking a group to produce as many ideas as possible without criticism,you are

A) maximizing a cognitive set.
B) encouraging groupthink.
C) reducing the tendency toward creativity.
D) encouraging brainstorming.

Question 34

You are asked to come up with new ways to clean oil off a beach,so you look in the dictionary at randomly selected words,such as weed,rust,poor,magnify,foam,coal,etc,and try to relate them to the problem and see what thoughts they trigger.You are

A) seeking varied input to solve your problem.
B) narrowing the parameters of your problem.
C) distracting your focus and this should be avoided.
D) creating mental sets that will enhance your creativity.

Question 35

Mandy has been commissed to paint a mural representing her hometown.Mandy decides to walk around the town,looks in the archives at the local newspaper,and talks to town residents about their memories of living in the town.To solve the problem of what to paint,Mandy is

A) creating mental sets that will enhance her creative production.
B) narrowing her parameters regarding her problem.
C) looking for analogies regarding her problem.
D) seeking varied input to encourage creativity.

Question 36

In order to be creative,one needs time to revise or embellish initial solutions,which allows time

A) to create mental sets.
B) to "thin-slice" the solution.
C) for incubation.
D) for consolidation.

Question 37

The story of how the Post-It note was invented by an engineer who accidentally created a weak adhesive and had to convince others that it was a "good idea" illustrates that

A) ideas are rarely accepted until they can be viewed as an analogy of a previous problem.
B) ideas must become mental sets within the general public before they are accepted.
C) "thin-slicing" is a poor way to determine the practicality of an invention.
D) unusual and original ideas may be rejected at first by conventional thinkers.

Question 38

Imagining how another person would view the problem and asking "silly" or playful questions are ways to

A) restate the problem in different and novel ways.
B) are mental sets that must be avoided.
C) narrowly define a problem so it can be clearly understood.
D) prevent incubation of the problem.

Question 39

Which of the following tends to inhibit creativity in the initial stages?

A) defining problems broadly
B) allowing time for incubation
C) worrying about the correctness of solutions
D) exposing oneself to a wide variety of information

Question 40

If you are feeling hurried by a sense of time pressure,you are almost always

A) less likely to create mental sets.
B) less likely to think creatively.
C) more likely to come up with workable solutions to problems.
D) more likely to define a problem broadly.

Question 41

In brainstorming,the tendency of one person's ideas to trigger ideas from others is known as

A) a syllogism.
B) intuitive transfer.
C) the cross-stimulation effect.
D) generativity.

Question 42

When applying brainstorming to individual problem solving,these ideas should be initially produced without regard to

A) accuracy.
B) logic or practicality.
C) organization.
D) any of these considerations.

Question 43

If you are asked,"Which direction do you turn the hot-water handle in your kitchen to shut off the water?" you would most likely use kinesthetic images to answer this question.

Question 44

When brainstorming is applied to individual problem solving,the essential point to remember is to

A) suspend judgment.
B) use convergent thinking.
C) set a short time limit.
D) list the ideas outloud.

Question 45

Which of the following psychologists states that one can become more creative by "making a commitment to do things well,seeking challenges,following what sparks one's interests,and
Taking time for thinking and relaxing"?

A) Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi
B) Howard Gardner
C) Malcolm Gladwell
D) Nalini Ambady

Question 46

In order for you to write your science fiction novel about the future,you will need to employ stored images in order to create your time machine and other unique aspects of your plot.

Question 47

Which of the following is one of Csikszentmihalyi's recommendations about how to become more creative?

A) Complete unpleasant tasks before the more enjoyable ones.
B) Make a commitment not to worry about doing things well.
C) Always look for the shortcuts within any project.
D) Try to surprise at least one person every day.

Question 48

Which of the following is NOT a basic rule of brainstorming?

A) Modify or combine ideas freely, and elaborate or improve on the most promising ideas.
B) Seek unusual, remote, or wild ideas.
C) Even in the early stages of brainstorming, the quality of ideas is more important than the quantity of ideas.
D) Record ideas as they occur.

Question 49

When ideas are freely generated during brainstorming,it causes

A) faulty logic.
B) the cognitive overload effect.
C) functional fixedness.
D) the cross-stimulation effect.

Question 50

The cross-stimulation effect in brainstorming refers to

A) inductive reasoning triggering deductive reasoning.
B) a rigidity in problem solving caused by an inability to see new uses for familiar objects.
C) the incubation stage of creative thinking.
D) the tendency for one person's ideas to trigger another person's ideas.

Question 51

Csikszentmihalyi states that we should "make a commitment to doing things well; seek challenges,follow what sparks our interests,take time for thinking and relaxing,and start doing more of what we really enjoy and less of what we dislike." If we follow these recommendations,he believed we will become

A) self-actualized.
B) more able to dig deeper into logic.
C) more creative.
D) more independent and less controlled by others.

Question 52

Csikszentmihalyi's recommendation for becoming more creative include which of the following?

A) Make a commitment to doing things well.
B) Take time for thinking and relaxing.
C) Find something that surprises you every day.
D) all of these

Question 53

The three basic units of thought are creativity,intelligence,and problem solving.

Question 54

Mental images tend to be flat,like photographs.

Question 55

Mary is writing an essay and begins by writing as many ideas as she can think of regarding her topic and without regard to logic,order,or practicality.Later she will go back and reorganize,rewrite,and evaluate her efforts.In writing her essay,Mary is applying which of the following to individual problem solving?

A) functional fixedness
B) brainstorming
C) algorithmic reasoning
D) "thin-slicing"

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT a basic rule of brainstorming?

A) Keep ideas separate, and do not modify or combine ideas until the end of the brainstorming session.
B) Seek unusual, remote, or wild ideas.
C) In the early stages of brainstorming, quantity is more important than quality.
D) Absolutely do not criticize ideas until later in the session.

Question 57

Regarding how to live creatively,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) People who think in conventional ways cannot live intelligent, successful, or fulfilling lives.
B) Creative thinking can add spice to life and lead to exciting personal insights.
C) To live creatively, one must start doing more of what you really enjoy, less of what you dislike.
D) To live more creatively, you must be ready to seek new ways of doing things.

Question 58

Which of the following is NOT one of Csikszentmihalyi's recommendations about how to become more creative?

A) Try to surprise at least one person every day.
B) Make a commitment not to worry about doing things well.
C) Start doing more of what you really enjoy, less of what you dislike.
D) Try to look at problems from as many viewpoints as you can.

Question 59

Seek unusual,remote,or wild ideas; record ideas as they come; modify or combine ideas freely; and absolutely do not criticize ideas until later are four of the basic rules for successful

A) mental sets.
B) groupthink.
C) brainstorming.
D) "thin-slicing."

Question 60

Thinking is limited to the human species.

Question 61

If a robin is an ideal model of a bird,then a robin would be considered a prototype of this concept.

Question 62

You define a vacation as "sitting on a beach reading a book," while your sister considers "rock climbing and hiking" to be a vacation,which illustrates your different denotative meanings of "vacation."

Question 63

The basic speech sounds of a language are called morphemes.

Question 64

Selective encoding is the ability to compare new problems with old information or with problems already solved.

Question 65

If you are asked to multiply a four-digit number and a three-digit number and you follow the steps you were taught in the fifth grade,then you are utilizing a heuristic.

Question 66

On a creativity test,you are asked to list all the uses of a dime with your total number of ideas being your flexibilty score.

Question 67

In decision making,we tend to give less weight to a choice if it seems representative of what we already know.

Question 68

Creative persons are unconventional and nonconforming primarily in their work,and otherwise,do not have unusual,outlandish,or bizarre personalities.

Question 69

Animal communication can be called a true language because it meets the criterion that a language must be productive.

Question 70

Children first learn concepts through positive and negative instances,while adults often acquire concepts by learning or forming conceptual rules.

Question 71

A person who is concerned about his or her health,but who continues to drink large amounts of alcohol,is making an error in judgment called ignoring the base rate.

Question 72

According to Malcolm Gladwell,the immediate,intuitive reactions that can sometimes form the basis of more carefully reasoned judgments are due to the automatic processing of the cognitive unconscious.

Question 73

A corporate manager who wants to solve a business problem but becomes stern and angry when members of his marketing team joke playfully about possible solutions is exhibiting a perceptual barrier to problem solving.

Question 74

Deductive thought is thinking that applies a general set of rules to specific situations,for example,using the laws of gravity to predict the behavior of a single falling object.

Question 75

Rapid insight,or the "Aha! experience," occurs during the verification stage of creative thought.

Question 76

Signing children pass through the stages of language development at about the same age as speaking children do.

Question 77

To be a "motorcycle," a vehicle must have two wheels,handlebars,and a motor,which illustrates that this criteria for a motorcycle is a disjunctive concept.

Question 78

If you have ever been without a screwdriver and took out a dime and used it to loosen the screw,then you did not let functional fixedness be a barrier to your problem-solving.

Question 79

The idea that the words we use not only reflect our thoughts but can shape them as well is known as the linguistic relativity hypothesis.

Question 80

Elena,a minority child,is presently learning a second language and will most likely experience additive bilingualism.