Question 1

Our ability to reason constitutes primarily
A) a behavioral activity.
B) a cognitive activity.
C) a learned activity.
D) an objective activity.

Accepted Answer

Reasoning involves cognitive processes such as attention, perception, memory, and problem-solving. While it can be learned, it is primarily a cognitive activity rather than a behavioral or objective one.

Question 2

The 1950s brought a "cognitive revolution" in psychology because
A) some theorists recognized that an exclusive focus on observable behavior would yield an incomplete picture of human functioning.
B) it was finally recognized that cognition is a uniquely human capability.
C) introspection became more objective and reliable as a research tool.
D) behaviorists recognized that language could not be studied objectively.

Accepted Answer

The "cognitive revolution" in psychology in the 1950s occurred because some theorists recognized that an exclusive focus on observable behavior would yield an incomplete picture of human functioning. This led to a shift towards studying mental processes such as perception, attention, memory, and language.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a cognitive activity?
A) remembering something
B) making a decision
C) solving a problem
D) blinking at something

Accepted Answer

Blinking at something is a reflex action controlled by the nervous system and not a cognitive activity, whereas remembering, decision-making, and problem-solving are all cognitive activities that involve processing information in the brain.

Question 4

When the word "jar" is changed to the word "jars," the number of
A) phonemes increases, but the number of morphemes stays the same.
B) phonemes stays the same, but the number of morphemes is increased.
C) phonemes and morphemes are both increased.
D) phonemes decreases, but the number of morphemes increases.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When the word "jar" is changed to...

Question 5

Cognition refers to
A) focusing awareness on a narrow range of stimuli or events.
B) the use of language in a social context.
C) widely shared beliefs that are transmitted socially across generations.
D) the mental processes involved in acquiring and using knowledge.

Accepted Answer

Cognition refers to the mental processes involved in acquiring and using knowledge, such as perception, attention, memory, problem-solving, and decision-making. A is describing attention, B is describing language, and C is describing culture.

Question 6

The ability of language to allow a person to express new ideas refers to
A) the generative quality of language.
B) the invention dimension of language.
C) the constructive function of language.
D) the symbolic dimension of language.

Accepted Answer

The generative quality of language refers to the ability of language to allow a person to create and express new ideas, as opposed to simply repeating pre-existing phrases or sentences. It is through this ability that language can be used to generate new knowledge and understanding.

Question 7

The three essential characteristics of language are that it must be
A) symbolic, phonemic, and structured.
B) syntactic, generative, and semantic.
C) symbolic, structured, and generative.
D) generative, rule governed, and syntactic.

Accepted Answer

The three essential characteristics of language are that it must be symbolic, structured, and generative. Symbolic meaning that language uses arbitrary symbols to represent ideas, things, and concepts. Structured means that language has a specific grammatical structure and rules for combining words to form sentences. Generative means that humans can create an infinite number of sentences using a finite set of words and rules.

Question 8

The word "unchangeable" consists of
A) nine morphemes, one for each letter of the alphabet used.
B) one morpheme, for the entire word.
C) four morphemes, one for each syllable.
D) three morphemes: "un," "change," and "able."

Accepted Answer

"Un" is a prefix meaning "not," "change" is a free morpheme meaning "to become different," and "able" is a suffix meaning "capable of." Therefore, "unchangeable" consists of three morphemes: "un," "change," and "able."

Question 9

Imagine that a race of extraterrestrials came to earth. These extraterrestrials quickly learned to use Earth words to convey meaningful messages, and they were able to communicate effectively about unique aspects of their planet in meaningful sentences. Their communications would
A) not be symbolic, but would be generative and structured.
B) have all the requirements for language.
C) not be generative or structured, but would be symbolic.
D) not be generative, but would be structured and symbolic.

Accepted Answer

The extraterrestrials' ability to use Earth words to convey meaningful messages and communicate effectively about unique aspects of their planet suggests that their communication has all the requirements for language, including generativity, structure, and symbolism.

Question 10

The symbols used in a language are arbitrary. In other words,
A) there is a built-in relationship between the look of the symbols and the concepts they stand for.
B) there is a built-in relationship between the sound of the symbols and the concepts they stand for.
C) the symbols have the same meaning to everyone.
D) there is no built-in relationship between the symbols and the concepts they stand for.

Accepted Answer

The term "arbitrary" means there is no inherent or built-in relationship between the symbols and the concepts they represent. This means that the meaning of symbols is not universally agreed upon and can vary between languages or even within a single language depending on context.

Question 11

The topics of memory, problem solving, decision making, and language are studied by
A) clinical psychologists.
B) cognitive psychologists.
C) social psychologists.
D) physiological psychologists.

Accepted Answer

Memory, problem solving, decision making, and language are all topics studied within the field of cognitive psychology, which focuses on mental processes and how we acquire, process, and use information. Clinical psychology is more concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders, social psychology focuses on how individuals relate to others and society, and physiological psychology examines the biological processes underlying behavior.

Question 12

When we say that language is generative, we mean that
A) the symbols used in the language are arbitrary.
B) a limited number of symbols can be combined to produce an infinite variety of messages.
C) language is both written and oral.
D) sentences must be structured in a limited number of ways.

Accepted Answer

Generative means that a limited number of symbols (such as words) can be combined in an infinite number of ways to create new and unique messages. This is a fundamental property of human language. The other options do not accurately describe generativity.

Question 13

The fact that language has rules that govern the arrangement of words into phrases and sentences refers to the
A) generative aspect of language.
B) phonemic aspect of language.
C) continuity aspect of language.
D) structured aspect of language.

Accepted Answer

The fact that language has rules governing the arrangement of words into phrases and sentences denotes its structured aspect. The other options do not refer specifically to this aspect of language.

Question 14

Imagine that a race of extraterrestrials came to earth. These extraterrestrials quickly learned to use Earth words to convey meaningful messages, but they never created new combinations of words or learned how to use rules to create meaningful sentences. Their communications would
A) not be generative or structured, but would be symbolic.
B) lack all the elements of language.
C) not be symbolic, but would be generative and structured.
D) have all the requirements for language.

Accepted Answer

The extraterrestrials would be able to convey meaningful messages using Earth words, which means they would have symbolic communication. However, their lack of ability to create new combinations of words or use rules to create sentences means their language would not be generative or structured.

Question 15

Symbols that convey meaning, plus rules for combining those symbols that can be used to generate an infinite variety of messages are known as
A) language.
B) telegraphic speech.
C) an overextention.
D) semantics.

Accepted Answer

Symbols that convey meaning, combined with rules for their use, are the basic components of language. For this reason, the term "language" is the best answer option, as it encompasses both the symbols that convey meaning and the rules governing their use. The other answer options do not fully capture the scope of the concept being described.

Question 16

The area of psychology that refers broadly to mental processes or thinking is
A) introspection.
B) cognition.
C) mentalism.
D) intelligence.

Accepted Answer

"Cognition" refers to mental processes such as perception, memory, attention, and problem-solving. "Introspection" is a method of self-observation and reporting of inner experiences that was influential in early psychology. "Mentalism" is a broad term that can refer to any philosophy or theory that focuses on mental phenomena, and is not specific to psychology. "Intelligence" is a trait or capacity that encompasses cognitive abilities, but is not the same as the study of mental processes.

Question 17

When the word "oat" is changed to the word "boat," the number of
A) phonemes and morphemes are both increased.
B) phonemes stays the same, but the number of morphemes is increased.
C) phonemes increases, but the number of morphemes stays the same.
D) phonemes decreases, but the number of morphemes increases.

Accepted Answer

When the word "oat" is changed to the word "boat," the number of phonemes increases by one (from /oʊt/ to /boʊt/), but the number of morphemes stays the same at one (both "oat" and "boat" consist of only one morpheme).

Question 18

The cognitive revolution in psychology occurred in
A) the 1880s.
B) the 1920s.
C) the 1950s.
D) the 1980s.

Accepted Answer

The cognitive revolution in psychology occurred in the 1950s. This marked a shift in focus from behaviorism to an emphasis on mental processes such as perception, problem-solving, and memory. This led to the development of cognitive psychology as a distinct subfield within psychology.

Question 19

During the first half of the 20th century, the study of cognition was discouraged because
A) earlier studies using the method of introspection had reliably mapped the structure of consciousness.
B) of the theoretical dominance of behaviorism.
C) cognition was not considered to be a psychological function.
D) language acquisition was viewed as an innate process that could not be studied empirically.

Accepted Answer

Behaviorism was the dominant theory in psychology during the first half of the 20th century, and it focused on studying observable behavior rather than mental processes such as cognition. As a result, the study of cognition was discouraged and considered outside the realm of psychology. It wasn't until the decline of behaviorism in the 1950s and 1960s that cognitive psychology began to emerge as a field of study.

Question 20

During the first half of the 20th century, the study of cognition was discouraged because
A) earlier studies using the method of introspection had yielded unreliable results.
B) of the theoretical dominance of psychodynamic theories.
C) cognition was not considered to be a psychological function.
D) language acquisition was viewed as an innate process that could not be studied empirically.

Accepted Answer

The methodology of introspection was criticized for its subjectivity and lack of reliability, leading to a decline in the study of cognition during the early 20th century.

Quiz 15: Language and Thought Part 1

Our ability to reason constitutes primarily

The 1950s brought a "cognitive revolution" in psychology because

Which of the following is NOT a cognitive activity?

When the word "jar" is changed to the word "jars," the number of

Cognition refers to

The ability of language to allow a person to express new ideas refers to

The three essential characteristics of language are that it must be

The word "unchangeable" consists of

Imagine that a race of extraterrestrials came to earth. These extraterrestrials quickly learned to use Earth words to convey meaningful messages, and they were able to communicate effectively about unique aspects of their planet in meaningful sentences. Their communications would

The symbols used in a language are arbitrary. In other words,

The topics of memory, problem solving, decision making, and language are studied by

When we say that language is generative, we mean that

The fact that language has rules that govern the arrangement of words into phrases and sentences refers to the

Imagine that a race of extraterrestrials came to earth. These extraterrestrials quickly learned to use Earth words to convey meaningful messages, but they never created new combinations of words or learned how to use rules to create meaningful sentences. Their communications would

Symbols that convey meaning, plus rules for combining those symbols that can be used to generate an infinite variety of messages are known as

The area of psychology that refers broadly to mental processes or thinking is

When the word "oat" is changed to the word "boat," the number of

The cognitive revolution in psychology occurred in

During the first half of the 20th century, the study of cognition was discouraged because

During the first half of the 20th century, the study of cognition was discouraged because