Question 1

Your friend says, "Tell me everything you know about Australia." You respond, "Beaches. Kangaroos. Shrimp on the barbie. Crocodile Dundee. Ayers Rock. Aborigines. Sydney Opera House. Weird football." This knowledge is part of your __________ for Australia.

Accepted Answer

These are all pieces of information or stereotypes that make up the individual's schema or generalized knowledge framework for Australia. None of them individually form a script (a sequence of events that typically occur in a given situation) or a mental model (a more complex understanding of how different pieces of information relate to one another), and they do not form a proposition (a statement or assertion about a given topic).

Question 2

In high school, Mireille learned that "Mr. Baker is mean." She also knew that "Mr. Baker gave too much homework" and "Mr. Baker made fun of students." These basic parts of knowledge are all related to Mireille's concept of her teacher and are known as

Accepted Answer

Propositions are the smallest units of knowledge that can be true or false, and they represent relationships between concepts, such as "Mr. Baker is mean" or "Mr. Baker gave too much homework."

Question 3

Uriah is out with the guys, and when he gets home at 3 a.m., the house is dark and his wife asleep. To avoid waking her, he gets ready for bed in the dark. He doesn't run into anything because he has a __________ of the house.

Accepted Answer

A cognitive map is a mental representation of the layout of an environment, which allows Uriah to navigate his house in the dark without bumping into anything.

Question 4

In his mind, Perry is able to picture every detail of his favorite painting. This type of analogous representation is known as a(n)

Accepted Answer

Perry's ability to picture every detail of his favorite painting indicates that he is using an image-based representation, which is known as an analogous representation. Option D is the only one that reflects this idea. Option A (mental set) refers to a tendency to approach a problem in a particular way based on prior experience, while option B (concept) refers to a mental representation of a category or class of objects or events. Option C (script) refers to a mental framework for organizing and interpreting information about situations or events. None of these options is relevant to Perry's ability to mentally picture a painting.

Question 5

Darnetta took apart her alarm clock in an attempt to repair it, and now she has to put it back together. She forgot how the pieces were connected, so she tries fitting each piece with every other piece until she finds one that fits. Darnetta's approach to problem solving demonstrates

Accepted Answer

Darnetta's methodical approach of trying every possible combination until she finds the correct one is an example of an algorithm, which is a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end.

Question 6

Which of the following situations is an example of using an algorithm to solve a problem?

Accepted Answer

An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure or formula for solving a problem. Considering all possibilities before moving a chess piece involves using a systematic approach to evaluate potential outcomes, which is characteristic of an algorithm.

Question 7

Applying a formula to solve a math problem and then using that formula every time the same type of problem emerges is an example of using a(n)________.

Accepted Answer

An algorithm is a set of step-by-step instructions that can be used to solve a problem. Once an algorithm has been developed, it can be used over and over again to solve similar problems.

Question 8

If you wanted to use logic to reason through a solution to a social dilemma, you would likely use

Accepted Answer

Using a series of if-then statements is a logical approach to reasoning through problems, as it allows for structured and conditional thinking to evaluate different scenarios and outcomes.

Question 9

During an interview, Sherlock Holmes confesses that his detective skills were based largely on principles of deduction, algorithms, and logic. In other words, Holmes relies primarily on __________ to solve his cases.

Accepted Answer

The principles of deduction, algorithms, and logic are all related to formal reasoning. While heuristics and mental models can also be part of a detective's toolkit, they are not emphasized as the primary approach by Holmes. Artificial intelligence may play a role in modern adaptations of the character, but it is not explicitly mentioned in the prompt as being part of his methodology.

Question 10

To understand the sequence of commands necessary to edit, save, and retrieve a computer file, people may use a __________ that consists of propositions such as "Pressing the F10 key stores the file in a place on the disk," "Each file must have its own name," and so on.

Accepted Answer

A mental model is a representation of how a system functions, including the sequence of commands and operations necessary to complete a task. It includes propositions and rules that guide behavior and help individuals understand a system. In this case, the mental model would help individuals understand the steps necessary to edit, save, and retrieve a computer file.

Question 11

For a class project, Mindi has to deliver a presentation on heuristics and algorithms. She decides to create a demonstration to illustrate how people often use heuristics instead of algorithms. People do this because heuristics

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are mental shortcuts that allow people to solve problems and make judgments quickly and efficiently, unlike algorithms which are step-by-step procedures that guarantee a solution.

Question 12

Kriss enters a haunted house for the first time, and it is so dark she can't see a thing. Kriss will probably have trouble navigating because she lacks a __________ of the haunted house.

Accepted Answer

A cognitive map is a mental representation of the layout of an environment, which helps in navigation. Since Kriss is in a new and dark environment, she lacks this mental map, making it difficult for her to navigate.

Question 13

Your book notes that the criminal justice system in the United States may create bias in favor of accusers (or plaintiffs)because they are allowed to present their case before the defense. If it exists, this bias would be due to the ________ heuristic.

Accepted Answer

The anchoring heuristic refers to the human tendency to rely heavily on the first piece of information offered (the "anchor") when making decisions. In this context, the accuser's case is presented first, potentially setting an anchor that influences the perception of the defense's case.

Question 14

Mario is out past his curfew. When he gets home, the house is dark and his parents are asleep. To avoid waking them, he walks to his room in the dark. He doesn't bump into any objects because he has a __________ of the house.

Accepted Answer

Mario's ability to navigate through the house in the dark suggests that he has a cognitive map of the house, which is a mental representation of spatial relationships between objects in an environment. Schemas and concepts are more abstract mental frameworks, while a script refers to a sequence of events that is typically associated with a particular situation.

Question 15

While taking the SAT exam, Ceth must determine the age order of four siblings based on the clues given in the question. Ceth uses statements about the siblings to create a formula for arriving at the correct birth order. Ceth is using __________ to solve this problem.

Accepted Answer

Ceth is using logic to deduce the correct birth order based on the given statements about the siblings.

Question 16

Which of the following is true with respect to cognitive maps?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive maps can be created without being able to see the environment, as they are based on mental representations of the environment.

Question 17

When he puts together a jigsaw puzzle, Marvin has a very specific strategy. First he finds corner pieces, then he finds edge pieces, and then he constructs the exterior frame of the puzzle. From there, he puts pieces of similar colors into piles, and tries different combinations. Marvin's puzzle-construction approach is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

Marvin's approach is systematic and follows a step-by-step procedure, which is characteristic of an algorithm.

Question 18

Which of the following is a proposition?

Accepted Answer

A proposition is a statement that is either true or false. "Karla likes ice cream" is a proposition because it can be either true or false.

Question 19

Maxwell says to his student, "I'd like you to mentally count the number of windows in your bedroom." After giving them a few minutes, he asks them to describe how they completed this task. His students are likely to note that they created a cognitive picture before counting windows. This picture is called a(n)

Accepted Answer

The cognitive picture created by the students to count the windows is referred to as an "image," which is a mental representation of a physical object or scene.

Question 20

First impressions of people are difficult to change due to

Accepted Answer

The anchoring bias refers to the tendency to rely heavily on the first piece of information encountered (the "anchor") when making decisions, which makes first impressions difficult to change.

Quiz 7: Thought, Language, and Intelligence